There’s
been a shake up at the Southampton Boat Show and organisers are promising that
this year’s event will be a boating festival for all the family

New
attractions include the PSP Southampton Boat Show Eye, a 30m (100ft)
Ferris wheel that will offer visitors a bird’s eye view of the Mayflower Park
site and marina for £3 per person.

For
the first time, a stage will be set up in the Guinness Bar area with acts
providing entertainment each afternoon. Michael Bublé tribute act ‘Might be
Bublé’ will be among the performers, while exhibitor bands providing the
warm-up will include The Sunseeker Renegades and Princess yacht band.

A
new undercover walkway will provide a link between the Mayflower and Ocean
exhibition halls. At the time of going to press, more than 500 exhibitors had
signed up to the 10-day event and more than 97% of exhibition space had sold
out.

Run
by National Boat Shows, a subsidiary of the British Marine Federation, the
event has one of Europe’s largest purpose-built marinas with over 2km of
pontoons able to display more than 300 boats. This year’s diverse spectacle
includes the show’s feature boat the 112ft Tall Ship Phoenix, which will be
lowering its gangplank to the public.

Free
Try a Boat sessions will be available with 30-60-minute trips in the latest
Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs), powerboats and sailing yachts, skippered by
qualified instructors

The
popular RYA Active Marina workshops are back for a third year, offering
visitors free on-water and shore-based workshops. It’s a chance to refresh
boating skills and gain top tips from expert instructors on a Sunsail yacht,
Sealine 390 flybridge motor boat or Suzuki-powered RIB, with sessions running
from 11am-5pm every day.

Youngsters
aged eight to 16 years will be able to enjoy free 90-minute taster sessions
aboard RS sailing dinghies and Stand Up Paddleboards with Get Afloat. (For all of these
activities sign up at Stand A140. Active Marina slots can be booked in advance
at http://bit.ly/activemarina)

Meanwhile,
the Challenge 72 yacht will offer visitors the chance to go sailing
for an hour and a half, from £54 per person.

Preview
day on Friday 12 September, will provide a chance to see new boat and product
launches, with a celebrity guest – yet to be revealed.

The
show’s final day, Sunday 21 September, coincides with the Bart’s Bash Guinness
World Record attempt to stage the world’s largest sailing event. This will be
taking place at thousands of sailing clubs simultaneously in memory of double
Olympic medallist and America’s Cup sailor Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson, who
tragically died during an America’s Cup training accident in May 2013.

Southampton
Boat Show organisers are hoping to create a hub at Mayflower Park for Bart’s
Bash, feeding in images from around the world. The show’s chosen charity for
this year is the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, which aims to change
children’s lives through sailing.

The
world’s biggest boat owner group, the Westerly Owners’ Association (WOA) will
be present at the show, after an absence last year when it was unable to find
any suitable stand space available at a price it could afford.

The
not-for-profit organisation has accepted a kind invitation from Plymouth’s
award-winning Mayflower Marina to share some of its stand space at J034 in the
Mayflower Hall.

The
show will open daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm, but closes half an hour earlier on
the final day. Tickets cost from £20 for adults. Up to two children under 15
can get in free with each paying adult. Platinum Experience tickets cost £125
and include a trip on a Fairline Phantom 48 yacht. Concessions, group and
family tickets are available.

n Call the ticket hotline on 0844 776 7766 or
visit www.southamptonboatshow.com