On Day Two of METSTRADE, SuperyachtNews takes some time to look at some of the innovative DAME award winners and explore The Superyacht Pavilion (SYP). After a dynamic and immersive three days at The Superyacht Forum Live, taking some time to explore the expanse of the METSTRADE halls once again has provided a welcome return to face to face interaction with the broader industry. 

It is said that there is nothing new under the sun, but the industry does continue to innovate. After a one year absence, the DAME awards have returned to showcase the pieces of technology that have pushed the boundaries of development. The overall winner was the Volvo assisted docking system. Unfortunately, the team from Volvo did not make the trip over in this case. An excellent system for pleasure craft and potentially some tenders, SuperyachtNews looks forward to putting it through its paces one day soon. 

Another nominee that has developed an intriguing product for the superyacht sector is TowPro. As a new exhibitor, they also provided some fresh energy to the technology side of METSTRADE. Developed by Vincent Geake, managing director of TSM Systems, and his team,  TowPro is described as ‘eyes in the boat’ and uses data monitoring technology to increase the awareness of crew on watch by providing comprehensive safety data about what is happening in the towed vessel. TowPro will automatically trigger audible and visuals alert if any safety indicators exceed pre-set thresholds, providing the crew with immediate early warning of any potential issues. With a high number of increasingly valuable tenders lost to towing accidents yearly, the pressure has been on from insurers to make the towing system safer, and the TowPro system hopes to meet that need. 

The Wifi at the show, like any at an event this size, is put under pressure; fortunately for us, we had Wilko Darger and the team at CELLWeaver on hand to provide 5G level connections from terrestrial networks from the other side of the SYP. There has been a strong representation of various SatCom providers at METSTRADE once again. The high profile merger of Inmarsat with US-based telecoms giant ViaSat came as a surprise in the days before The Superyacht Forum Live. Peter Broadhurst, Maritime Senior Vice President Safety, Security, Yachting and Passenger at Inmarsat, gave a fascinating interview with SuperyachtNews on the subject, explaining the benefits of scaling up to thrive in the highly competitive sector. The full interview will be published on SuperyachtNews after METSTRADE. 

After a manageably hectic Day Two of meetings and stand visits, METSTRADE moves into the final day with purpose. An event that many of us thought we might not see in 2021, METSTRADE has managed to stage impressive feet of organisation and perseverance. Watch out for our Day 3 coverage to come on SuperyachtNews. 

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