After a mild start to winter, it’s fair to say the ‘big chill’ has finally reached Cornwall.  Braving the cold to take a photo without a coat on was indeed painful!  However, it is stunning out there. Take a look at the above photo - that's the view from our office -the Penryn River is frozen solid. The daily rowers (which I was unable to capture) turned back as they got stuck in the ice!  Thank goodness we are nice and toasty, admiring afar the prettiness Jack Frost has lain!

Picture:  Red Rustler 24 at Dusseldorf Boat Show.

Just back from the Dusseldorf boat show, where we showed a beautiful red Rustler 24, and a cream R33 with teak decks.  We saw lots of interest, and we finally seem to have cracked selling the R24 as a lake boat with boats sold to Salzburg, Geneva and a couple of lesser know Austrian lakes.  Good news!

We get asked quite often why we attend Dusseldorf and not London (boat show), and the answer is pretty simple: for a similar cost (to Rustler) we can show our boats off to approximately 250,000 visitors in a country where quality British made products are well liked and sell (even through the current economic turmoil). 

In London, much as we would like to support the Show, the footfall is some way less than half that of Dusseldorf, and the atmosphere in the south hall, which is where we would be put, seems to us to be aimed at motor boat buyers rather than our target market. 

Still, never say never, and if the organisers pursue the London Show again for next year, and can prove that they will attract people like you (our customers!), then we may well exhibit in 2013!

You may have seen a fabulous feature in the recent Yachting World on the best of British boat building.  No surprise that Rustler features heavily.  What struck a chord with us, though, was a quote from Richard Mathews (ex Oyster owner and clear marketing genius). 

He was talking about those with the ability (financial and time available together with fitness of body and mind), who clearly want to purchase their dream yacht and go cruising, but have decided that with the current economic situation, to postpone their purchasing decision. To paraphrase him ‘you have to ask yourself, how long have they got?’ 

We may not have put it quite like that (!), but suffice to say that those potential customers of ours who have held on to their money ‘to see what will happen’, are not nearly so happy as those who have made the jump, have their boat, and look forward to warm seas and adventure.