The 2008 Collins Stewart London Boat Show was officially opened at 11AM by a Master of Ceremonies alongside two VIP guests. The press gathered at the main stage in the North Hall to watch TV’s ‘Three men in a boat’ star Griff Rhys Jones cut the ribbon side by side with the world’s first single-handed global circumnavigator, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Griff Rhys Jones was on good form cracking jokes and sharing some boating experiences: “My earliest memories of sailing include being made to sit seemingly for hours and hours while my father shouted at my mother and as you may have noticed, that’s sort of the way I run a boat. I only do it for the shouting – I enjoy the shouting. I’m not allowed to shout at home so I have to get it on a boat. So I think we should say to young people ‘Want to shout at somebody? Go get a boat!'”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was asked what he liked about this year’s show so far: “I’m very pleased to see that we’ve got a focus this year – the stage. I think it’s a great idea to have somewhere the public can come to find out what’s going on. It’s a focus to the show that’s been missing.”

Click here for more show information on www.londonboatshow.com