Sydney International Boat Show - open for business

by Jeni Bone on 29 Jul 2011 Superb Sydney weather has kick started the 44th Sydney International Boat Show, with crowds of visitors and trade expected to flock on Friday.

As if you need an excuse to head to Darling Harbour for the day or in your (extended) lunch break? But when the weather is as glorious as spring time, the boat show can anticipate a strong Friday showing.

For the trade, first on the agenda is the Official Opening & Marine Industry Breakfast at 7am. Along with a great opportunity to network and catch up on the past year for many, the event awards Stand Winners for 2011 and features many of the special guests and headline speakers for the show. A hot boatie's breakie is also on the menu!

'Entertaining, educational and engaging' is the theme of the breakfast and the broader show, with a top lineup of guests, promotions, shows and attractions this year.

The exhibition halls are packed wall to wall with everything for the boating enthusiast including boats and boating accessories, safety and education experts, fishing clinics, boating seminars, fashion parades and more. The marina in Cockle Bay will showcase approximately 300 larger vessels as well as free Discover Boating cruises for ticket holders.

The 50 minute Harbour tour onboard a Matilda Rocket will inform visitors about the history of Sydney and its Harbour, point out prominent landmarks and also include a bit of information on boating safety and tips. More importantly it will give ideas on how they can get out and enjoy our waterways more.

The tours leave on the hour on week days and every half hour on weekends from the Cockle Bay foreshore, just across from Jordans.

In the Better Boating Lounge, special guests include authors, sailors, industry personalities and adventurers. Here is just a sample:

• Sean Smith AKA The Fat Paddler - The road to Smith’s kayaking adventures came about through a series of unfortunate events. Sports injuries and two major vehicle accidents left Sean with a list of reasons not to participate in an active lifestyle. Sean will be releasing his new book at the show.

• Linda Frylink Anderson – Linda, will talk about her voyage of 30,000 nautical miles that began with a single step. A single dream of two people - a 30-year dream to sail around the world. Together, In a boat that they built in their backyard. Linda has just released her first book titled ‘Sailing In My Sarong’ which is an honest account of the two-year circumnavigation she and her husband Bill completed visiting 30 countries. www.valiam.com.au

• Nancy Knudsen - Nancy and her husband Ted swapped competitive sailing for cruising and embarked on a 5 year journey around the world. Join them as they share the story of their adventures. You will hear about the learning curves involved, how they adapted to a simpler way of life and also their firsthand view of the degradation of the ocean.

• Ian Thomson - As the Founder of Save Our Seas International, Ian has a mission to teach the world, particularly users of the ocean, about the damage that plastic bags and plastics are doing to the environment. Ian now educates people all over the world of the issues our oceans are facing and will be talking about how we, as ocean users, can play our part to ensure that the oceans are clean for future generations.

• Peter & Phillip Jenkins - The Honda Over The Top Expedition has been developed by brothers Peter and Phillip Jenkins who have a family history of Prostate Cancer. Both wanted to do something ‘Over The Top’ to generate funds and awareness on the key preventative actions for Prostate Cancer. So they decided to go 'Over The Top' literally… in an 8.6 metre rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with an aim of raising $200,000 towards the cause. See Peter and Phillip before they head off from the Boat Show on Monday through some of Australia’s most untouched, harsh and beautiful coastline, before reaching their destination, Perth.

• David Lockwood – Well known boating journalist David will talk about the restoration of Ralfy V. Ralfy V was a 1976-model Mariner Pacer 760 resting happily on Sydney Harbour. Until the team at Trade-a-Boat took possession of her and spent the next 6 months restoring her into a modern family boat. Ralfy IV was transformed into Ralfy V at the Maritimo’s factory with original boat builder Bill Barry-Cotter alongside.

• Ken Evans – Ken is a passionate boatie who has worked in the industry for decades. Now in semi-retirement, Ken has embarked on his passion to educate people about boating and will present The sensible boaties check list – what you should do to make sure your outing remains fun.

Other presentations include:

• Restoring the John Oxley – Sydney Heritage Fleet
• Safety on the Water – NSW Maritime
• Getting your boat license – Yachting Australia
• Amazing boating holiday destinations – Pacific Trade & Invest
• Working on Superyachts around the world - Australian Superyacht Crew Recruitment & Training


The 44th Sydney International Boat Show runs between July 28 and August 1. More at www.sydneyboatshow.com.au