Southampton Boatshow

[justanothersailboat]

Lustyd is definitely right that the things there were crazy numbers of were RIBs and smallish-but-fancy day-trip motor boats with sun-loungers. Outnumbered everything else 10:1 or more. I'm not sure I agree that sailing yachts outnumbered cruising motorboats, would have guessed at least 2:1 and maybe 3:1 in the motors' favour if you count the big ones. And "cruising sailboat" category includes that with shortish mast for the size, roller furling main, big engine and big deck saloon with wheel inside. I suspect those may not be aimed at fans of beating to windward.

Some very cute boats in the smaller "fun daysailer with somewhere to get out of the rain or sleep for one or two nights" category. Rationally I would be better off with one of those than a cruisy type.

If it was any bigger in the past it must have been exhausting!

 

[Juan Twothree]

From discussions with friends who are volunteers I am told the cash is banked centrally, but it is ring fenced for the station.

That's correct

 

[lustyd]

I'm not sure I agree that sailing yachts outnumbered cruising motorboats

If you're curious you can count the individual boats on their map

EDIT: apologies, their shading threw me off. There were indeed a lot more mobos. I didn't see any yachts not represented that I can think of though?

 

[justanothersailboat]

...if you know exactly which brands do which, as that's all the map gives you!

You may be right. I just remember finding it a bit of a trudge getting past a lot of big boxes that looked like waterbound holiday homes that would be misery above a force 3 (or, for me, at all - I get bored easily with no sticks, rags, and strings to pull on)

 

[Ammonite]

.

Lustyd is definitely right that the things there were crazy numbers of were RIBs and smallish-but-fancy day-trip motor boats with sun-loungers. Outnumbered everything else 10:1 or more. I'm not sure I agree that sailing yachts outnumbered cruising motorboats, would have guessed at least 2:1 and maybe 3:1 in the motors' favour if you count the big ones. And "cruising sailboat" category includes that with shortish mast for the size, roller furling main, big engine and big deck saloon with wheel inside. I suspect those may not be aimed at fans of beating to windward.

Some very cute boats in the smaller "fun daysailer with somewhere to get out of the rain or sleep for one or two nights" category. Rationally I would be better off with one of those than a cruisy type.

If it was any bigger in the past it must have been exhausting!

It's still a great day out in my view but the shoreside area / exhibits have been shrinking for a while now. There used to be exhibits in the Holiday Inn and swimming pool car parks and this year they moved the entrance making it smaller again, presumably to make it appear busier. There also used to be a fair number of yachts on display on shore rather than the acres of RIBS there are now. On the plus side they have expanded the on water displays / events and it will be interesting to know how the visitors numbers compare.

 

[Switch]

I went yesterday. We had a great time. The pontoon area seemed larger than last year. It wasn’t particularly busy but it was Monday, we were able to get on any boat we asked to see, including the Sunseeker Ocean 156, all £6m of it!!! Wowzers!!!

 

[lustyd]

It's still a great day out in my view but the shoreside area / exhibits have been shrinking for a while now. There used to be exhibits in the Holiday Inn and swimming pool car parks and this year they moved the entrance making it smaller again

The new entrance is overall larger than that old space, it's just spread out as you walk in to the show. The refreshments are now mostly in the entertainment area too, so the main show is now just the main show.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I went a couple of times in the early 70s and a couple of times in the 80s. Never went on any boats other than to chat to those on the Vancouver stand when they were there. The only times I was persuaded to go was when buying some significant items, sails from Arun Sails and a chat to Ivan, an inflatable so I could see what I was buying and did get a boat show deal other than that a look around the main suppliers electrics etc bought water proofs, base layer and mid layer so I could be sure to get the size right.
Living 200 miles away with some tedious driving an requiring an overnight stay it soon lost its attraction and I doubt I would be going again.

 

[laika]

Went today. It’s not like it was 10 years ago but better than I was expecting. Several of the suppliers I’ve purchased from who were regulars in the past were absent. Still, there was enough to distract me for a few hours, I achieved all my goals and spent enough to ensure that I don’t do anything stupid like selling the boat as I’d been considering.

This was my first boat show as a home owner: As such I was all ready to embrace the non-boaty tat which I’ve previously ignored but sadly it seems aimed at people with more land than I have. Some of the hot tubs were bigger than my back garden.

 

[lustyd]

Some of the hot tubs were bigger than my back garden

Those might have been the endless pools rather than hot tubs. You can swim in them as they have a current end to end. Ironically aimed at people with too little land for a pool

 

[Greg2]

Went yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it as ever.

Helpful chat with the Icom people who advised that our planned replacement VHF might be better bought early season next year as changes are afoot with the model we are likely to buy. Perhaps oddly we usually only look aboard a handful of boats and this year was no different. One was the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350, which SWMBO was quite taken with. Very light and airy down below and liked the new sloped deck access to the side decks.

We live 200 miles away so if we go we make a trip of it - down on Sunday afternoon and a couple of nights in the West Quay Premier inn so very convenient (very surprised to get a room as we only booked it late last week).
.

 

[Tomaret]

This is only really the case if you count small craft as “mobos”. Most of them are small fishing boats and RIBs. there are more sailing yachts than motor boats for cruising.
The show is larger than ever from what I can tell, they’ve expanded the show ground again so not sure why people are claiming it’s smaller.

This page has the 2016 map from the “glory days” and it’s very much smaller Southampton Boat Show 2016 - YBW

Looking at the 2024 and 2016 maps side by side I’m not sure how you get to very much smaller. The location of the entrance has changed, but the area looks broadly the same, they are now using less space around the Holiday Inn, offset by the current long walk from the entrance to the bridge and Solent Park is about half the size that it was.

That said, I’m pleased that you are so positive about it. The last couple of years I’ve come away so disappointed that I wasn’t unduly concerned when I couldn’t make it this year, but perhaps now I’ll make a bit more effort at diary management for September 2025.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Some of the hot tubs were bigger than my back garden.

So they can sail about in their Cornish Shrimpers!

 

[John_Silver]

Any sightings of @Concerto? The migratory Fulmar. Often found flying south, to roost on the Westerly stand, at this time of year.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Different Westerly this year, a late one (Tempest?), think they said it was the commodore's? Nice people. Nice boat too, seemed to me to have many of the good things about a modern boat and many of the good things about an older one at the same time.

 

[Concerto]

Any sightings of @Concerto? The migratory Fulmar. Often found flying south, to roost on the Westerly stand, at this time of year.

I had planned to be at the show - but some major work in our new house in Cheshire was brought forward from November to September. Wrecked my plans to be at the show and then sail to N Wales, where she will be in future. Expect to move to N Wales at the end of March/early April.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I had planned to be at the show - but some major work in our new house in Cheshire was brought forward from November to September. Wrecked my plans to be at the show and then sail to N Wales, where she will be in future. Expect to move to N Wales at the end of March/early April.

Best of luck with the move / work on house. Where will Concerto be berthed?

 

[John_Silver]

I had planned to be at the show - but some major work in our new house in Cheshire was brought forward from November to September. Wrecked my plans to be at the show and then sail to N Wales, where she will be in future. Expect to move to N Wales at the end of March/early April.

See you in the yard, as usual, then!

 

[Bigplumbs]

We thought the Show was a little smaller this year but we still had a lovely day and the Weather was amazing.

For those that perhaps could not make it here is a little video of our trip. f you have never been it is well worth a visit in our opinion

 

[Concerto]

Best of luck with the move / work on house. Where will Concerto be berthed?

Moved in May and had 3 weeks sailing at the end of JUne up the East Coast on the Westerly Owners Association national cruise which ended in St Katherines, London. Getting the house right is time consuming and expensive, but the bulk should be finished before Christmas.

Hoping for a berth at Hafan Pwllheli Marina.