Outside the rarefied and highly specialised world of top-of-the-range racing yachts, the world of leisure boating has, until recently, been slow to innovate. After a three-year Covid-induced hiatus, Boot Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf International Boat Show) opened to the public in late January 2023. One of the largest exhibitions of its kind in the world, over 1,700 exhibitors showcase their latest designs to the trade and well-heeled clients. From super-yachts to sailboats, many new vessels were on show. Most exhibitors were displaying incremental improvements, but Swedish company Candela went back to basics and presented a completely redesigned powerboat and won out at the Oscars of the boat world in the powerboat class.
Unlike many other designers at the show, who were displaying prototypes, these boats are in production and on the water around the world from California to Sweden. Candela’s story starts back in 2014, when founder and CEO Gustav Hasselskog...