ALL AT SEA SEPTEMBER 2023
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SOUTHAMPTON CALLING! Alongside hundreds of fantastic boats, chandlery, accessories, holidays, marinas, sailing clubs, services and more, this year’s Southampton International Boat Show features a host of exciting new attractions, revamped favourites and welcome returns.
Always popular, the Red Arrows will feature at the show on 17 September
produce a General Arrangement sketch from a brief created by the judging panel, and they will have just one-anda-half days to complete the brief before showcasing their designs to industry experts. The results will be announced at a prize giving ceremony on 21 September with internships offered to both the first and second prize winners. Taking place on the same day will be a Women in Marine Drinks and Nibbles Networking event, which features a panel discussion from peers in the trade industry. This is one of a number of Women in Marine events planned, as Lesley Robinson, CEO British Marine, explained: “We are delighted to be supporting a variety of Women in Marine events at the Southampton International Boat Show. We hope that by regularly holding more events like this we can all work together to ensure that the marine industry is more inclusive and diverse, ensuring that a person’s sex, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religion is not a barrier to working in the sector.” With so much to keep you busy at the show, it is important to include some time to catch up with friends over a drink or meal, or just take some time out to relax. The Quarterdeck Bar & Restaurant, with its variety of street food and beverages, provides the ideal place to take it easy. Overlooking the show marina you can even watch the stunt shows taking place at the On the Water Stage: jet ski demos, ariel acrobatics of the flyboard and keep a look out for the jet ski car! Alternatively, with a 2023 makeover and new location, show favourite, the
LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TO GO Get out on the water Fun for all the family Live Entertainment Atrraction Boats VIP Hospitality Guest Speakers *Terms and Conditions apply
The bottle boat sailed across the Atlantic!
Image: Paul Wyeth
There are many exciting attractions and events happening throughout the show
Image: Martin Allen / PWpictures.com
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he 54th edition of the Southampton International Boat Show, the UK’s biggest boating festival, returns to Mayflower Park for 10 incredible days packed full of everything the boating world has to offer. Whatever your interest, whatever your budget there will be craft and kit to catch your eye, plus attractions and on-the-water opportunities to keep you and your family entertained all day long. The biggest UK marine festival, and one of Europe’s largest on-water events, every year thousands head to Southampton to enjoy all types of water craft from tall ships to dinghies, paddleboards to fliteboards, kayaks to catamarans, SUPs to superyachts. There are, as always, many ways to get afloat, along with exciting displays, talks, Q&As, competitions, presentations, places to relax and much more. As well as the many exhibitors, attractions and things to do, there are a number of special events taking place during the show including the winners of The Yacht Harbour Association’s Marina of the Year Awards 2023 announcement. There are seven awards up for grabs, including the new ‘Sustainable Marina of the Year Award’ introduced by Haven Knox-Johnston and supported by The Green Blue. All the winners will be announced at TYHA awards ceremony on the Foredeck Stage on 20 September at 4pm, but do not worry if you miss it as we will share all the winners next month. Another competition that will see its conclusion at the show is the Superyacht UK Young Designer. Design students from universities across the country will
Guinness Bar returns bigger and better, providing a traditional place for sailors to meet up and spin their yarns, accompanied by a pint of mild stout, alongside other cold drinks, tasty street food and sweet treats. New for this year, just for fun, get your face or logo printed on your pint! Definitely worth checking out as well is the Bottle Stage and Bar; with its acoustics sets, displays of live pirate fighting and sea shanties, this bottle boat was sailed across the Atlantic by Fons Oerlemans and visitors can purchase the book, ‘The Last Great Adventurer’, outlining his amazing adventures from the Medina Publishing stand. Bringing the festival vibe to the show is the new Shipyard food court and music stage. With DJ sets and live music, you are sure to hear something to get your toes tapping, and with street food stalls it is the perfect place to sit back, grab a drink and enjoy great food and music. A bonus for sports fans, with the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicking off on 8 September, the show will be bringing two exciting clashes to the big screen in the Shipyard entertainment area. On 16 September (16.45) watch Wales take on Portugal, then on 23 September (16.45) watch as England take on Chile. Rugby and boats – what a combo! Oh, and there will be several opportunities to look skywards too. Firstly, there will be a Red Arrows flyover on 17 September (time TBC). Then, on 23 September look up again at approximately 3pm as a World War II icon, the Hurricane, provides a flypast, adding that extra wow factor before the rugby kicks-off. Then, on the closing day, 24 September, the Hurricane will be joined by the Spitfire for a flypast just after 11.30am.
While at the show, you might also have the opportunity to grab a selfie with some of your heroes with, for example, visits by Olympians and Paralympians. With experts from all over the world, there are daily demonstrations of the latest kit and technology too, and stands showing everything from foiling boards to bicycles on the water, windsurfers to wakeboards, waterskis and SUP boards – with great boat show bargains to boot. Over the next 10 pages we will be sharing show news from debuts and launches to the new attractions and all the fun things you can do at this year’s event. Turn the page to dive into this year’s Zones and all the fun ways you can get involved.
Mayflower Park Southampton, Hampshire SO15 1AG The show is open from 10am – 6pm daily except the final Sunday when the show will close at 5pm. General admission tickets: www.southamptonboatshow.com/ visitor-information/tickets Two children 15 and under are permitted entry to the show with each adult ticket. Use the promo code AAS2023 - any day general admission ticket to the show for £19.99. Quayside Club VIP ticket: For £156.25 per person, VIP ticket holders enjoy access to the show, plus entry to the exclusive Quayside Club waterfront lounge. On arrival you will be greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and enjoy complimentary drinks (all draught, all house wine and sparkling wine, all soft drinks, tea and coffee, single house spirits and mixers) throughout the day and a premium buffet lunch. southamptonboatshow.com/vip Dogs are permitted, although access to certain areas will be restricted at busy times.
SPECIAL OFFER
£19.99
ANY ONE DAY ADULT TICKET PROMO CODE: AAS2023