The UK’s largest Boat Show opened in style this morning with award winning actress Michelle Keegan and British sailing heroes fresh from Rio 2016
The Southampton Boat Show kicked off this morning with special guests, Michelle Keegan and the British Sailing Team in attendance. Running from today until Sunday 25 September, the Show will showcase the very best that the international boating world has to offer. With hundreds of boats on display, including 330 on the stunning marina itself, the Southampton Boat Show is a festival of boating fun for all the family.
On the back of her new hit BBC show, Our Girl, multi-award winning actress Michelle Keegan officially opened the Southampton Boat Show 2016. Michelle said “I’m so excited to be a part of this year’s Show. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time onboard boats around the world, but there’s nothing like seeing all these spectacular boats displayed together in one place here in the UK. It’s an incredible experience.”
The Show also played host to the British Sailing Team, which included Olympic medallists, Giles Scott, Saskia Clark, Hannah Mills and Nick Dempsey. Gold medal winner, Giles Scott said: “The Southampton Boat Show is a highlight on any sailor’s calendar and is a great place to spend time with family and friends. It’s something everyone should experience”. Saskia Clark, Women’s 470 sailing gold medallist, said: “Having an annual event like the Southampton Boat Show that gives the opportunities for people to try out different types of water activities is crucial for the sport of sailing. Who knows, maybe the next generations of Olympic medallists are among us here today?”
Featuring one of Europe’s largest purpose-built marinas, and as one of the world’s top 10 Boat Shows, the event plays host to lots of family-friendly attractions, including:
- Plenty of free on-water experiences, including Try-a-Boat, offering unique opportunities onboard the latest RIBs to luxury yachts, and the Get Afloat! attraction, where 8-16 year olds can try out dinghy sailing and Stand Up Paddleboarding
- The Festival Stage, powered by Datatag & the COMPASS scheme, hosting live music, talks from boating professionals and fashion shows across the 10-day event
- A number of spectacular air displays over the Marina, including performances from the Royal Navy Parachute Display Team and renowned British fighter aircrafts Submarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane
- The magnificent Artemis tall ship, with visitors being able to climb aboard her stunning deck
- Bumper Boats, sponsored by Sunseeker in support of Macmillan Cancer Trust, offering the younger Show visitors the opportunity to master steering
Over the course of the Show, visitors will be able to explore over 130 debuting boats. Among them are the World debuting Hanse 588, Cormate U23 Racing Edition and Greenline Hybrid 36, and the UK launch of the Azimut 55S and Sunseeker Predator 68 MK II.
There’s close to 600 brands exhibiting at the Show this year, with nearly 30 of these making their first appearance, including powerboat manufacturers BIC Aluminium and Alpha-Centauri and sail yacht brands North Carolina (EDPNC) and Nautor’s Swan.
For more information about the Show, the experience packages and to buy tickets, visit:www.southamptonboatshow.com