Inside the Viking Yachts & Bluewater Yacht Sales Demo Programs

However, there’s potentially nothing more important for buyers than being able to sea trial—or better yet, fish—the model of boat they’re considering. Viking and Bluewater’s efforts to demo new boats allow buyers to do just that—take part in a day offshore on the boat of their dreams with some of the most capable anglers in the world.

A full-fledged demo program essentially turns the summer tournament schedule into a means to connect with potential customers and offer them a special opportunity to learn more about the fishing and operating capabilities of a particular new model.

By competing in these high-profile events aboard fully-equipped boats—such as the latest Viking 82 or 64—the teams give potential buyers a front row seat to real world performance. Customers can ride along, fish, and experience firsthand the engineering, comfort, and fishability that set these Viking sportfishing boats apart.

Viking 82 Demo

Each year, Viking Yachts runs the most effective demo program in the sportfishing industry, by putting their boats and their team right in the heart of the action, both on the U.S. East Coast and in Central America. This program typically taps the latest and greatest model the company has to offer as its flagship demo boat each fishing season.

In April 2024, Viking Yachts held their 60th anniversary celebration and made a surprise announcement which caught everyone off-guard: the company was launching a new 82’ Convertible and hull number one was already close to finished! Unlike the typical unveiling of a new model at the Fort Lauderdale or Miami boat shows, this exciting new yacht would be set to debut to the public on the summer’s Mid-Atlantic tournament circuit—right in Bluewater customers’ backyards.

In the coming weeks, impressive early sea trial photos started to trickle out of New Gretna, New Jersey. Then at the Viking Dealer Meeting in early June, it was fully confirmed the 82 would be ready to serve as the company’s flagship demo platform that summer, starting at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.

Over the last several years, Captain Sean Dooley has been at the helm of the Viking Yachts demo program. He’s responsible for all boat movements and maintenance, hiring of the crew, and the fishing strategy at each event. Interestingly, the dynamic of always utilizing one of the newest boats off the production line puts Dooley and his team at an instant disadvantage—they have little time to get to know the boat before immersing themselves in the first competition. Besides prepping the boats to travel and fish, they must keep them in boat-show condition for all the prying eyes and VIP appointments back at the dock each night.

Viking CEO Pat Healey is intricately involved in the program as well, making it a point to fish every event, and spend day and night with customers. It’s nearly an around-the-clock schedule for him and other Viking brass, plus the rest of the fishing team they’ve assembled. “I call them my thoroughbreds,” Healey told Marlin Magazine recently. “I can’t have them sitting around too long. We have to go out and run ’em.”

Over the past several years, the Viking demo team has proven they excel at every challenge Healey throws at them, and the 2024 season was no different. They arrived at Big Rock directly from New Jersey tournament-ready and performed admirably throughout the week, catching two white marlin and two sailfish. They then quickly set their sights on a much bigger trip in the coming days—plying west to Bermuda. In late June they made the long hop across the stream and fished in the first two legs of the Bermuda Triple Crown, where they had a consistent if not dominant performance, earning two 2nd place finishes. They caught six blue marlin in the Sea Horse Anglers Club Tournament, followed by eight blue marlin in the Bermuda Big Game Classic!

The Viking 82 then returned stateside in time to fish the White Marlin Open (WMO) and Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament in August. At the WMO they released one blue and five white marlin, while showing off their new flagship in Ocean City each night. Their terrific string of summer success concluded with a 3rd place finish in Pirate’s Cove, releasing two blue marlin and three sailfish.

How this team manages to fish at such a high level and return each night to wine-and-dine Viking’s VIPs, is a testament to their skills and professionalism. This is more than just a demo boat—it’s a high-impact, results-driven program that connects customers with the best production boats which are manned by some of the world’s top anglers.

Bluewater’s 64

This past year Bluewater personnel didn’t exactly set out to have a full-blown demo schedule but decided to fish their new Viking 64C in two tournaments that book-ended the season. Delivered in late Spring 2024, the 64 Convertible immediately underwent commissioning and provisioning at Safe Harbor Bluewater in Hampton, Virginia. There, Viking specialists installed electronics, customizations and finishing touches in time to send the boat south to the Hatteras Marlin Club Tournament in late June.

Bluewater Sales Professional and Captain, Carl Beale, was the primary man at the helm of the 64 Bluewater during this time. He took the point on delivering, fishing and maintaining the boat, with help from other sales staff in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. At the invitation-only Hatteras Marlin Club (HMC), Bluewater brokers Daryl Brower, Aubrey Wroten and Clark Sneed were aboard, some accompanied by prospective customers. It provided a great opportunity to shake down the Viking 64, learn her mannerisms, and expose clients to all her features and luxuries.

“It’s very comfortable and fast and had very minimal break-in challenges,” recalls Carl. He noted that the sonar and electronics needed some attention to get ready and dialed in for tournament action.

“The bridge is air conditioned, and it has a huge Seakeeper—a 26—which is larger than many other boats in her class,” he adds.

After leaving the HMC event in the Outer Banks, the boat was on display at Bluewater’s Hampton location while preparing for her next big excursion. The team ran the Bluewater 64 north to Ocean City, Maryland to be front and center at our August featured tournaments: Marlins for Mason and the White Marlin Open (WMO). Members of our Maryland team, including Roger Mooney, David Black, Chase Sutton and John Prather were all involved in fishing and logistics for these outings.

Poised conspicuously on the bulkhead at Sunset Marina, the 64 was the center of attention for the thousands of people who fished or visited the WMO that week. One of the standout features to Carl was on display for all: “Our teak team at Safe Harbor Bluewater is top-notch, and basically craftsmen of a lost art. They pulled teak out of storage and the work they did on the covering boards for the cockpit blows away what anyone else can do, including the boats leaving the factory.”

Critical Opportunities

Stressing the importance of a demo program, Carl explains, “Viking’s boats change and evolve a lot in a short period of time. People in our area need to see the difference and how they’re getting better and better each day.” That means the ride and functionality, not just the look. “Viking’s demo program is amazing and says a lot about where they are. They’re not just competing at a high level, but always using their boats, and learning what’s going on out there to make them better. It’s important to show that to people first-hand.”

While it makes good sense to undergo these exciting demo programs for sales and marketing exposure, they remain substantial investments in time and resources. Not only are the demo teams balancing movement logistics, tournament and provisioning fees, VIP appointments and countless other costs and concerns, they’re also being careful not to put unnecessary hours and wear or tear on a new boat that is ultimately intended for resale to a lucky new owner.

Carl points out at that having the 64 in-stock and on display led directly to the sale of a new Viking 58 Convertible to the Curtis family [read about Simple Man, pages 22-25]. “They fell in love with the 64 seeing it here in Hampton and decided they definitely wanted a Viking. They ordered their 58 about three days later,” he concludes.

Overall, the availability of new boat demos creates a natural platform for meaningful conversations, hands-on experiences, and building relationships that last well beyond the Mid-Atlantic fishing season. The result is that customers walk away not just impressed by the boats, but confident in the teams that build, sell and support them.