Taken place at MDL’s Hamble Point Marina, the recently concluded Hamble Point Boat Show 2014 hosted more than 1,400 visitors. Linking up with National Watersports Month, the free show marked the start of the boating season and was attended by boating enthusiasts as well as members of the local community, enjoying an action-packed family weekend on and off the water.
Hamble Point Boat Show 2014
The event offered plenty of activities and boating demonstrations for visitors to enjoy during the two-day event. Coastal Pursuits, in conjunction with the RYA Active Marina Programme, took more than 60 people out on exhilarating RIB rides, while activities for younger visitors included Micro Magic racing, tea cup rides and face-painting. An impressive 2,000 flares were handed in to the ‘distress flare amnesty’, run by Hampshire Constabulary Marine Unit in conjunction with Ramora UK.
The show saw six members of the Sail 4 Cancer team successfully complete an unusual challenge at the marina, to raise funds for UK families affected by cancer. The Poker Playing Sea Dogs from Kingsclere, Hampshire, spent 24 hours in a life raft, raising £2,000 for their efforts. The group of intrepid card players passed the time playing extreme poker on the water!
Lizette van Niekerk, Fundraising Manager at Sail 4 Cancer, said: “The show provided a fantastic atmosphere for our fundraising team, who were sponsored to spend 24 hours in a life raft at the marina. Visitors to the show were very supportive of the team and we’d like to thank them all for their generosity and encouragement.”
Visitors were also able to browse hundreds of new and used boats, including the Cornish Crabbers and Mystery Yachts ranges. Exhibitor Adrian Hart, Sales Manager at Cornish Crabbers, said: “Hamble Point Marina is an ideal location for a boat show, thanks to its versatile site and central position. We were very happy with the number and variety of people who came to see us and feel that the show has the potential to be even bigger and better next year!”
Hamble-based international yacht brokerage, MGM Boats, also exhibited at the show. Office Manager, Mark White, added: “We’ve been a part of the Hamble Point Boat Show for the past two years and always find it a well organised and well supported show. We were pleased with the number of sales leads we made over the weekend, and we also sold two boats!”
Visitors to the show were also able to browse a range of marine products, engineering services and equipment, with exhibitors including global marine technicians, Landau UK Ltd. Jonathon Bagge, Project Manager at Landau UK, commented: “This was our first year exhibiting at the show and judging by the results we saw, we will be coming back again next year. We were impressed with the efficiency of the staff and how well looked after we were from the moment we arrived.”
Nicholas Parton, General Manager at MDL’s Hamble Point Marina, said: “We had a fantastic event and are delighted to have welcomed so many visitors. We have received some brilliant feedback from visitors, exhibitors and tenants and we are thrilled that the Sail 4 Cancer team raised such an impressive amount during their 24-hour challenge. We are already looking forward to next year’s event, where we hope to welcome even more people to the marina!”
