OPINION
Boats shows and Southampton Boat Show in particular
CONTENTS:
I am somewhat fortunate in that I visit a reasonable number of boat shows
each year. Some I look forward to, some ….. well its part of the job.
Generally shows are about engagement with their audience, community,
ideas and innovation. It always makes me chuckle when I hear that
100,000 people visited the show and so many millions were spent. What is
clear is that those millions have been spent by probably less than 0.5% of
those that attended the show. Too often it seems that it is to that 0.5% that
the whole show is focussed.
Shows are by their name a
forces, where we try very hard to avoid
S
display, an entertainment.
pollution, where the true joy lies in hearing
However what I have noticed is
the quiet gentle whoosh of water past
that shows are becoming more
the hull. It is a way of connecting with the know, from inside it, that is not the case
exclusive and far less inclusive and no
world, of knowing one’s small place within but sticking massive powerboats outside
longer entertainment for all.
it, of finding a certain spiritual peace. I’m the show, posters of huge powerboats in
definitely with Moitessier. There was a lovely the town and surrounding the show site
Particularly at the moment marine industries,
recreation of Bill Tilman’s Mischief, all oak with huge hoardings that prevent those
wherever they are in the world, need
and larch and very traditional, on one of the outside looking in means that this image is
customers and the customer base needs
pontoons. I took refuge. being fostered not broken down.
to expand. Being on the water needs to be
attractive and there fore needs to be sold to
As a racing powerboat roared into life on Where are the ‘inclusive’ events, where are
people.
the pontoon nearby, a Frenchman on an the bill board posters focussing on kids
experimental canting-rig monohull looked sailing, the environment, adventures afloat.
At Southampton Boat Show I asked two
at me painfully and said that his boat would Where is the ‘free to the public’ maritime
different members of our team to give their
take two days to use the amount of fuel the film festival, maritime themed lectures that
views on the show:
powerboat consumed in two minutes. The engage the public in the sport and break
Firstly Simon Tytherleigh – well known to
air was rich with exhaust fumes, and an down barriers.
our subscribers as the man behind Only for
iridescent slick spread under the marina.
Nutters which has followed the home build of
Why is it so expensive? The entry fee
his Kurt Hughes 32ft catamaran:
OK, so it wasn’t all bad. There were a few at La Rochelle boat show was Euro9.5
The multihull contingent, always a bit marginal,
things to be found. But, sorry, my abiding compared to £18 at Southampton. If
seemed even more so this year. Just one
image of Southampton 2009 is of the vast 121,000 visited Southampton at say
trimaran, one Catana, 3 Lagoons, the new
powerboats and a sense of fragile unreality. an average fee of £15 – where has that
Fountaine Pajot and the chinese-built Dazcat
Secondly I asked our Corinne our £1,815,000 gone? How much of that will
BOAT SHOW REPORTS
10.
adminstrator to give her thoughts. be used to welcome new participants to
She had a press pass so was saved having the sport?
CHEYSTATION PART 2
The glaring exception was the big and
to pay £18 on the gate to get in – an
powerful motorboats. Princess and Sunseeker
advance ticket was £13 – but if you have The sport/industry need customers,
BOOK REVIEWS
dominated this show like no other I can
a family and kids it would be rare to plan participants, new entrants and to be
remember. Indeed the show catalogue did
ahead and commit that sort of money up accessible to all. After all it is manned
PRODUCT NEWS
not even have a sailing boat on the front or
front as the money would be lost if the kids by people who, generally, come from
get unwell or the weather makes an outdoor all backgrounds. Most of our industry
RACING NEWS
back. I may be alone in finding these vast
diesel-guzzling behemoths unattractive,
trip impractical. ambassadors, either commercially or as
She liked that it was outdoors and found sailing stars have had modest beginnings
CLASSIFIEDS
but surely this is not the image the leisure
boating industry wants to promote in these
that there was one area designed for kids and are blessed with humility which the
straitened times? Have they not heard of
– a patch of car park covered in sand with public admire. For 10 days they are locked
peak oil and carbon footprints? Is there any
some beach type toys and a band playing. away in a privileged show that seems
real point in bringing a clutch of boats costing
That was really it. The kids could have ice more remote with every passing year.
Multihull Review - ISSN 1757 – 8388
several million pounds to a show where
creams – expensive at £2 a go – but other Mr British Boat Show organiser trying
Published by and editorial enquires to: Multihull Review, Regus House, Southampton International
than that they were not really welcomed looking at France and see how its
Business Park, George Curl Way, Southampton, SO18 2RZ, UK.
99.9% of people could never afford it, unless
Telephone: +44 (0) 2380 302028 to encourage an atmosphere of greed and
on the boats. Many required a prior shows engage and communicate with
covetousness?
appointment. the community. I feel that innovation,
Editor:
Despite being a sailing show there were communication and engagement is
This rather ugly spectacle of conspicuous
very few dinghies to see, some accessories necessary to bring people to our fantastic
consumption does not bode well. Before I
that could be purchased but little to interest sport so that the number of participants
am accused of rank hypocrisy, let me defend
those at the grass roots of the sport. increases and the money spent within the
the sort of sailing that I think many including
marine industry increases to the benefit of
myself enjoy. We don’t have vast sums to
My view is that too many shows get it its long term future.
spend. Maybe we are thinking of a once-in-a-
wrong. The sport needs people to enter .
lifetime trip, but we are definitely not buying a
it by whatever means they choose. In the
boat just to be seen on it. Our sort of sailing
UK the sport is, too often, wrongly seen as I would welcome your feedback.
is where we relish making use of natural
being exclusive, elite and unwelcoming. I
  JULY 2009 : MULTIHULL REVIEW  3
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