'Largest ever' U.S. Sailboat show cruises into Annapolis

by Beth Crabtree, Correspondent, Capital Gazette on 9 Oct 2014 Each year the U.S. Sailboat Show draws to Annapolis nearly 50,000 attendees and the world's most prestigious sailboat manufacturers. Here you will find the newest luxury cruising yachts, sleek racing hulls, trailerable sailboats, and small sailing dinghies.

For the first time, the show, which continues through Monday, includes previously owned boats in a separate section known as Brokerage Cove, located on the opposite side of the Spa Creek Bridge. In addition to the boats, the area around City Dock is filled with hundreds of exhibitor booths in which every type of sailing gear, nautical accessory, and marine service is on display.

Continued growth
'The show continues to grow. This year, we're expecting a huge number of monohulls and more than 50 catamarans, with boats ranging in size from 20 to 90 feet. In terms of the show's square footage, this is our largest show ever,' said Paul Jacobs, president and general manager of U.S. Yacht Shows, producer of this and several other area boat shows.
'(Brokerage Cove) is a dedicated area for high-quality, previously owned boats,' he said. 'Following a terrific inaugural year introducing brokerage boats at the 2013 Powerboat Show, we began building additional floating docks for a similar section at the Sailboat Show.'

To get to the brokerage boat docks, attendees have several options. They may take the water taxis, use the electric car shuttles provided by the show, cross Duke of Gloucester Street on foot, or get off on the first stop when riding the buses from the show's offsite parking lot at the Navy stadium.

After much publicity regarding the sale of U.S. Yacht Shows last year by then-owner C. Edward Hartman II, Jacobs emphasized that the new ownership group, led by Jacobs and comprised of five locals, continues Hartman's commitment to the community.

'Ed's desire was that the show remain locally owned, and it is,' Jacobs said. 'We have retained the same management team, from operations through sales and accounting. They've all remained in place.'

The internationally recognized United States Sailboat Show opened today in historic downtown Annapolis, filling Ego Alley and beyond with all types of beautiful new sailing vessels.

New boats
The Annapolis Show, as many in the sailing industry know it, is a favorite venue for sailboat manufacturers from around the world to debut their newest boats. Expect to see more than a dozen new vessels, ranging from ocean-going cruisers, to built-for-speed racing hulls, to smaller, entry-level models.

To find these newest boats, look for the blue and gold 'USSS Premiering Boat' flags flying in their rigging. A sampling of the new models includes the C&C 30 racing hull at Dock D, the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 at Dock F1, the Fountain Pajot Saba 50 Catamaran at Dock B, the Beneteau Oceanis 35 at Dock B, and the Dufour 560 at Dock F2.

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