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Mille Sabords 2025 promises to be a pivotal event for the Breton yachting industry. Anchored in the port of Crouesty for over 40 years, the show will continue to focus on the sale of second-hand boats, but will also deploy new axes around employment, the ecological transition, inclusive sailing and safety. Here's an analysis of the key issues for professionals and visitors alike.
The second-hand market, a pillar of yachting accessibility
With between 400 and 600 boats on display, nearly 70% of them second-hand, Mille Sabords maintains its historic role as a gateway to the yachting world. The second-hand market remains dynamic, enabling first-time buyers and those on a tight budget to acquire new equipment. However, this segment raises questions of safety and maintenance: inspection of general condition, conformity of equipment, maintenance logbook, compulsory fitting out. The show is also a place for advice, with professionals on hand to guide buyers towards boats suited to their cruising schedule.
Recruitment and training: the nautical industry is looking for its driving forces
The creation of a "Village des métiers, de l'emploi et de la formation" at the heart of the show reflects the growing tension over human resources. With over 100 professions on display, the stands of schools (ENVSN, Les Glénans, INB, Université de Bretagne Sud...), public bodies (France Travail, Région Bretagne, Cap Emploi...) and companies in the sector aim to provide guidance, recruitment and information. In this way, the show becomes a real tool for structuring the industry, by promoting the skills in demand: deck fittings, composites, marine mechanics, harbor trades, yachting services. A major challenge at a time when retirements are not always compensated for.
Accessibility to sailing: a social and territorial challenge
The "Voile pour tous en Morbihan" stand underlines the show's commitment to inclusion. The CDV 56 and the region's sailing clubs are highlighting adapted equipment, specific training courses and existing schemes to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. Over and above the display, on-the-water demonstrations with adapted sailboats send out a strong signal that sailing is open to all. However, inclusive sailing raises the question of the technical and human resources needed to make it a reality.
Safety at sea: between education and demonstration
Friday, October 31, 2025 will be dedicated to safety at sea. Visitors are invited to observe and take part in rescue demonstrations with the SNSM SN145 launch, handling hand-held lights and raft percussion. This type of event responds to a need: with the increasing complexity of equipment and the renewal of the number of sailors, the transmission of safety-related knowledge is no longer self-evident. In this respect, Mille Sabords plays a role in popular maritime education.
A show committed to an eco-responsible approach
The Mille Sabords trade show is committed to reducing its environmental footprint. This is reflected in a number of concrete measures: limiting carpeting, sorting waste, promoting reuse, eco-friendly transport, and partnerships with committed players such as the Surfrider Foundation. The show also highlights nautical solutions geared towards the circular economy (refit, electric motorization, co-boating). While this approach does not offset the overall impact of an event of this scale, it does help to make the yachting industry part of the transition.
Now in its 41st year, the Mille Sabords continues to link tradition with current changes in the world of boating. Far from being a mere market, it has become an open-air observatory of the dynamics underway in the world of yachting.
