Southampton Boat Show 2018

..another year another Boat Show, and for me a "must do" event in the year..  I love it - the buzz, the boats, the crowds, the "stuff" you never knew you needed, and the Guinness bar...

So here's a whistle stop tour of "my show"

View from one of the boats on the pontoons to show the weather the day I went - blustery and occasional splat of rain, but mostly sunny.. 

..this was mid blustery period - and being a boat show there were oplenty of wind speed instruments to have a look at - this one clocked 30 knots so a good F7..  happily they didn't last for long..

.. for some of the days of this years show the pontoons were closed so we were lucky..  my sister works for the National Oceanography Centre and this was taken from the upper deck of one of their survey ships which was open to visitors - very interesting ship by the way...

..this is her on a far nicer day..  not my piccie..

...ugliness personified following - though I suspect her owner loves her ....  motor cat... and absolutely mahoosive...

This however was fascinating - prototype of a new model of yacht being built by these guys [clicky] - lovely people, very welcoming, and very proud of the new innovations...  full on induction hob, lift keel not so revolutionary I know, carbon fibre rig (the whole mast weighs only 14Kg.) dyneema rigging, spacious open cabin, sliding doors to forecabin.....  my sister was much taken with the wheel which pivots between port, centre and starboard steering positions but stepping on that step at the bottom of the wheel that locks it in place once moved - very clever...

..but this was very clever - electric propulsion with a drop down drive - if you're not using it just lift it up and out of the way...  I recommend a read of that web page for more... 

My boat of the show this year - Halberg Rassy 58..  I sail an HR 342 on the Jolly Boys trip every year so was keen to see what a stretched one looks like....  nothing like in summary though that's not strictly true - there are little hints but this thing was absolutely stunning...  so ..  twin wheels, centre cockpit... I recognised the glass dodger - same as the 342 (just bigger)

...those seats are the dogs nadgers - bro in law and I would be entirely happy to have one of those in our sitting rooms - very comfortable. They are an option, I think you could have a bench seat if you wanted, but the cabin is huge and airy with a full bench seat and table the other side already, and for relaxing in they have no equal..  this (following) is looking to the stern and one of the three double cabins - the aft one en-suite

..nav station..  I recognised the upholstery style, the door.cupboard.draw knobs and of course the superb wood work...

..this was very clever...  proper washer/dryer in the shower behind a clear perspex door..

Lovely...

Wasn't all wind and bluster (following)...  sat on the foredeck seat on one of the big sailing cat's - didn't like it as much as the HR... 

Racing sledge...  superb, lovely clean design, and looks super fast but with room to get below for a cuppa when the weather breaks... 

French of course...  very pretty...

...finished off with a look round these two old ladies who were moored next to each other..

Lively Lady in particular was in stunning condition after the major part of a full restoration in previous months - worth following their Facebook page...

..and Suhaili - solid as a rock...

Great show - layout changes every year, but just as enjoyable as ever...