The Annapolis sailboat show is the biggest sales event of the year for most companies in the sailing business. After 10 years of crawling out of the Great Recession, this year we all saw something of a resurgence in activity at the show and many boat builders and vendors noted that people had come to the show with their check books and were ready to buy. That’s good news for all of us. One success story is worth repeating. Two years ago, Island Packet Yachts, which also builds Seaward and Blue Jacket yachts, was virtually out of business. At the time, Darrell and Leslie Allen (pictured above on the brand new IPY 349) were Island Packet dealers in San Diego and wondering what would become of the venerable American cruising boat brand. Now they know. They bought the company, resuscitated it, upgraded the existing designs and rebuilt the dealer network. In Annapolis, they introduced the new IPY 349 and, as of the end of the show, they had taken orders for six boats. Plus, they sold a couple of Blue Jackets and a Seaward. So, we offer the Allens congratulations and we’re very pleased to see am American builder of solid cruising boats with its sail full and its bow pointed confidently at the horizon.
