Leisure boats - Arena Fritidsbåt

1 Introduction
Arena Fritidsbåt is a 3 year project (2009 – 2011), giving the leisure boat sector and
individual companies possibilities to increase their competitiveness through active
participation in the arena. All the arena members are players involved in value chains
focused on leisure boat production.
Arena Fritidsbåt has ordered an INBDP on leisure boats from Innovation Norway in
Finland, Germany, France, Spain and Turkey. This INBDP has started with Finland and
will now give the Norwegian leisure boat industry facts and knowledge about Germany,
France, Spain and Turkey.
1.1 Background
Carl Christian Röstad from Arena Fritidsbåt, Johannes Skaar from Innovation Norway in
Oslo and Anna Salmensaari from IN-Helsinki have since Röstad’s visit to Tekes in Finland
in February 2009, discussed the prerequisites and details of an INBDP within the leisure
boat sector. The discussion evoked into this project.
1.2 Goal
The objective of this report is to give Arena Fritidsbåt and the target group, the
Norwegian leisure boat industry, information about the German leisure boat market in
order to enable cooperation in the years to follow. Another goal for the Norwegian leisure
boat industry is to find new markets, new niches and new possibilities. The findings of
the report will be presented to the Arena Fritidsbåt management team, the branch
organization Norboat and all the arena members in November 2010.
1.3 Definition
Leisure boats is defined as “any floating device that is designed for and capable of
moving in water with a maximum length of up to 24 meters, and to be used outside
commercial activities”. This is based on the Norwegian legislation “LOV 1998-06-26 nr
47: Lov om fritids- og småbåter”.
The definition is almost in line with The European Commission and the EU's commitment
to maritime industries stating that “The recreational craft sector covers boats of 2.5 to 24
m hull length intended for leisure or sport”. As we can see boats smaller than 2.5 meter
are not covered by this definition. The European Commission definition corresponds to
the German “sportsboote” (Sportboote 94/25/EG). However, when reading into German
statistics and magazines, the terms “yacht” is commonly used, thus it might also cover
boats larger than 24 meter.
1.4 Methodology and comments
This study has been undertaken partly has a desk study, and partly by talking to relevant
experts in the leisure boat market.
The main resources referred to in the study are statistics and publications from Eurostat
(Statistical database from the European Commission), Destatis (Federal Statistical office
in Germany), Statista (commercial German statistical database), FVSF (Nonprofit reseach
organization for Sport and leisure boat industry, Forschungsvereinigung für die Sport-
INBDP 2010 Leisure boats Germany 6