London boat show

[JumbleDuck]

Yes but not everyone wants a well egineered product at a competitive price that performs very well

I am knocking neither Ford Mondeos nor Bavaria Yachts, to both of which your description - which noticeably avoids any suggestion of excitement or inspiration - applies admirably.

 

[bendyone]

The Bendyone family went yesterday. A nice day out, the show was a bit quiet, saw what we wanted to, had a look round a few boats, everyone friendly. What more do you want.
OK it's not Earlscourt but that was 20 odd years ago when things were different.

 

[dune16]

Just got back. Overall, I enjoyed it. Certainly wouldn't have paid cover price on the ticket and it was no SIBS but I don't feel it was 2 or 3 hours of my life wasted. Didn't buy anything though. It was a bonus for me that one of the sea schools also had a 389 on their stand as Jeanneau didn't

 

[st599]

I went yesterday - enjoyed it. Bavaria, Jeanneau. Hanse, Dehler and Beneteau all having sail boats on display. Plus lots of chandlery stores, and charter companies. A good 3 to 6 hours easily spent, each to their own!

hardly lots, I remember 7 years ago they had 2 full halls and an on the water display - Dusseldorf has about 14 halls, each the size of LBS, 2 of which are full of sailing boats.

 

[laika]

Actually the only thing that might up its game is that crossrail will be open either next year or the year after which means access from West London will be much easier.

Given that a couple of stops on the DLR already gives connections to a bus hub, national rail, the underground and an international airport I don't think the perennial "but it's so hard to get to..." mob will be assuaged.

I've found a new tactic to fill up the day: Go with a friend who has a list of things they want to research and buy. You waste twice as much time. Despite the show being half the size it was 10 years ago we got to 6pm yesterday and realised we hadn't even got out of the gear section. Plus this was the first time in years I've actually managed to buy the Nautical Almanac (commercial edition) from Kelvin Hughes without them saying "oh we normally have them...can we take your details...". Plus selected stars epoch 2020. Result.

I do wish YBW wouldn't headline their web site show article "The Ultime Guide: Everything you need to know". Surely the main thing we need to know is who's stand is where. Does it tell you that? (Spoiler: No)

 

[H4B]

Sunfast 3200 . Best boat there . I just want one .

 

[dune16]

Sunfast 3200 . Best boat there . I just want one .

Yes, looked very nice and seemed to be getting most of the attention on the stand.

 

[Tranona]

which noticeably avoids any suggestion of excitement or inspiration - applies admirably.

A reflection of how the market has changed. Dreamers have gone - except in the big MOBO sector which is where all the action is at LIBS.

Last exhibited at LIBS about 6 years ago and stopped going because of the absence of visitors who had any ambitions to do anything adventurous. Exhibitors of out of the ordinary boats stopped going because they had stopped selling boats in the UK and because of the location international visitors stopped coming. Even the AWBs reduced their presence and one or two missed the odd year.

The only measure of success for dealers is number of deposits and firm leads. ny spies tell me that both shows are better at this than in the past when there were arguably too many dreamers crowding out real buyers!

Dreamers now are more likely dreaming about a charter holiday which is why that sector has such a big presence at LIBS ready to take deposits for summer holidays.

 

[JumbleDuck]

A reflection of how the market has changed. Dreamers have gone ...

With all due respect ... cobblers. There are plenty of dream / aspirational / impractical boats to see at Southampton, as well as all the well-engineered blandness.

Which I think is the key. As many people have said, the UK can probably only support one major boat show per year, and Southampton is now it. London hangs on by selling motorboats to bankers who have just had their bonuses.

 

[neale]

Went on Thursday on freebee ticket. Several of the AWB manufacturers were showing both sail & semi-displacement/trawler motor on their stands. It seems a surprising number of those 'of a certain age' (aka babyboomers with fat pensions) are moving to The Dark Side Having looked around a couple of mobos (the sailing friend I was with is interested in 'moving') I have to admit I was not unimpressed.

Joanna Lumley sounded delicious, as always, and I did enjoy the antics of the walking, talking, singing 7-foot Transformer Robot beside the Guinness stand.

Blimey it must have been particularly quiet, the show didn't open until Friday

 

[prv]

Last exhibited at LIBS about 6 years ago and stopped going because of the absence of visitors who had any ambitions to do anything adventurous.

Just being nosey, but what did you used to exhibit that was aimed at ambitious adventurers?

Pete

 

[Paddy Layback]

Just being nosey, but what did you used to exhibit that was aimed at ambitious adventurers?

Pete

HMS Exeter was there a few yrs ago!
(No nonsense about changing into slippers for the guided tour )

 

[Tranona]

With all due respect ... cobblers. There are plenty of dream / aspirational / impractical boats to see at Southampton, as well as all the well-engineered blandness.

Which I think is the key. As many people have said, the UK can probably only support one major boat show per year, and Southampton is now it. London hangs on by selling motorboats to bankers who have just had their bonuses.

I agree. That is why I concentrated on LIBS and did not try to compare with southampton, where we have just started exhibiting again.

Whereas Earls Court was a "dreamer" show - and at a time when sailing was aspirational compared with now, and Southampton has followed that. Inevitable really as it is much more accessible to a large part of the potential boating population, has facilities to offer a wider range of experiences, outdoors in usually good weather. And much more important for some, adjacent to an enormous shopping centre where the non sailing members of family can go while the dreamers indulge their fantasies.

However, I still stand by my view that the market has changed and the number of dreamers has fallen in general, and there is little at LIBS for those that remain.

BTW, I know from personal experience that a dream about buying a new AWB - and the reality is just a good as swanning around the Med etc!

 

[Tranona]

Just being nosey, but what did you used to exhibit that was aimed at ambitious adventurers?

Pete

Rope cutters. Early adopters and then a significant market was adventurous sailors. So not only would we listen to their plans before they bought, but over the years a steady stream of satisfied customers telling their tales - including of course the number of times the cutter saved them!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Whereas Earls Court was a "dreamer" show - and at a time when sailing was aspirational compared with now, and Southampton has followed that.

In Ye Olde Days I used to think that Earl's Court was half a trade show and half a place where people met in the depths of winter to dream of summer sailing and buy new boats. My own boat was shown at Earl's Court in '86, where I went on board and liked what I saw. Took me another 23 years to buy her.

But I digress. I think Earl's Court was the place for dreams, even if modest dreams, whereas Southampton was a cheerful end-of-season get-together where chandlers unloaded end-of-season bargains. A bit of a boat jumble feel to it.

However, I still stand by my view that the market has changed and the number of dreamers has fallen in general, and there is little at LIBS for those that remain.

I think the dreamers are still there, but the dreams are different, now that nobody works their way up buying new from Enterprise-equivalent to Centaur-equivalent new any more. In the old days a Longbow represented the ultimate fantasy; now it's a couple of weeks in the Caribbean or something fifty feet long with two commas in the price.

The motorboat boys show huge, expensive things at Excel, even though nobody would buy one there, because people contemplating splurging half a million on some plastic trainer shoe with patio doors like to see the far end of the range as well.

Sorry, what a ramble. What I really mean is that if you want to sell everyday objects it's a good idea to link them in the prospective buyer's mind with exotica. The London Boat Show doesn't do that for the sailing world any more but the Southampton one does.

 

[PurpleKate]

Just got back and I have to say it exceeded expectations.
Expectations were very low from previous visit 2 or 3 years ago, but I got the RYA free ticket and a friend was driving.
It was not crowded which has the advantage you can actually talk to people . (Scotland charter company , Marlow Ropes, Wifi folks, sailing school and saved a call to my Insurance )
Best boat I agree was "Fastrax" the Sunfast 3200 R2, had a long look round and chat on that boat - so dreaming opportunities are available, if you dream of fast race boats.
My friend sorted out a charter in Croatia for his family. I got new sailing boots (with a bit of extra discount), some drybags in the colour i wanted (they had run out at SIBS), sorted out a new window for the sprayhood, some charts and some glue
Overall of course Southampton is heaps better, Its a shame there are no boat on the Thames, but as a day out on a wet weekend in January... well it is at least about Boats!

 

[nickf]

What I really mean is that if you want to sell everyday objects it's a good idea to link them in the prospective buyer's mind with exotica.

There speaks an advertising man/woman!

 

[guardian]

In Ye Olde Days I used to think that Earl's Court was half a trade show and half a place where people met in the depths of winter to dream of summer sailing and buy new boats. My own boat was shown at Earl's Court in '86, where I went on board and liked what I saw. Took me another 23 years to buy her.

But I digress. I think Earl's Court was the place for dreams, even if modest dreams, whereas Southampton was a cheerful end-of-season get-together where chandlers unloaded end-of-season bargains. A bit of a boat jumble feel to it.



I think the dreamers are still there, but the dreams are different, now that nobody works their way up buying new from Enterprise-equivalent to Centaur-equivalent new any more. In the old days a Longbow represented the ultimate fantasy; now it's a couple of weeks in the Caribbean or something fifty feet long with two commas in the price.

The motorboat boys show huge, expensive things at Excel, even though nobody would buy one there, because people contemplating splurging half a million on some plastic trainer shoe with patio doors like to see the far end of the range as well.

Sorry, what a ramble. What I really mean is that if you want to sell everyday objects it's a good idea to link them in the prospective buyer's mind with exotica. The London Boat Show doesn't do that for the sailing world any more but the Southampton one does.

+1000

 

[oldsalt]

I was planning to go, but will now give it a miss. For the same money I can go to Germany from Scotland.

 

[JumbleDuck]

There speaks an advertising man/woman!

Mild mannered academic, actually, but I sell things from time to time as well.

Yrs

C.M.O.T. Jumbleduck