Sydney Boat Show - best ever Boating Stage?

by Powerboat-World on 29 Jul 2008 Each year the Sydney International Boat Show Sailing and Boating Stage hosts larger than life personalities, passionate about marine sports and the boating lifestyle. These presentations are enthusiastically received by equally keen audiences, who gather at the venue for shows between 10.30am and 7.30pm.

The team from Sail-World and Powerboat-world have worked with the event organisers and industry to bring another diverse selection of presenters.

At 10am, there will be adrenaline- pumping vision from the Australian F1 Superboat circuit, then onstage action kicks off at 10.30am with Jeff Jauncy from the National Boating College updating us on the new NSW Boating Laws which require practical boat tests. Both the consumers and the trade need to be up to date on these changes.

At 11am, audiences will hear from first-hand proponents about ‘Offshore Power Boat Racing’, presented by Australian Power boating Champions Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton. They show a heart-stopping medley of video footage of races and all the spills at international events, where boats compete at speeds up to 270 km per hour.

100 years ago Ole Evinrude rowed across his heavy wooden dinghy across a windy lake and decided he needed to strap an engine on the back. Flash forward to 11:30am each day of the boat show , where Duncan Knight and the BRP team fill us in on the fascinating history of the outboard engine and what’s in store in the future for marine engines.

At 12 noon each day, you will discover why ‘You don’t have to be a hero to go Powerboat Cruising’. Stephen Milne from Riviera explains that modern cruising boats make offshore cruising safer and easier. He recounts the adventures and activities of wandering cruiser owners who have set their sights on and completed long distance trips.

At 12.30pm, the gals and guys from Team Musto will be modeling the latest marine technical gear and casual wear.

Then at 1pm each day, Phil Pitt from Pacific Boating will explain how you can get out on the water with family and friends even before you’ve saved for that luxury cruiser.

At 1.30pm, marine safety will be the theme as the team from NSW Maritime, along with Coastal Patrol & Coastguard explain how their safety net and some important tips can keep you out of trouble in NSW waters.

At 2pm each day (except Friday), two young Australian adventures who headlined around the world will be on stage. Last year Justin Jones, 24 and James Castrission, 25, spent 62 days at sea, enduring 10m seas, howling gale-force winds and food and sleep deprivation to achieve their aim of ‘crossing the ditch’.

Their dramatic journey, from Forster on the mid-NSW north coast to New Plymouth, New Zealand, is not only the first kayak expedition to cross the Tasman Sea, but has gone into the history books as the longest trans-oceanic kayak journey ever undertaken by two adventurers. Audiences will be riveted to hear first-hand accounts of their trevails.

Then, Team Musto is back on stage from 2.30pm. It’s amazing just how the crowd becomes fascinated by technical clothing when it’s being modeled by the great girls from Musto!

At 3pm, the Wot Rocket team lead by Sean Langman will explain just how they plan to break the World Sailing Speed record. 50 knots, with No DONK. Wot Rocket is suspended from the roof of Hall 2 and it sure does not look like a regualr 'ragtop'

At 3.30pm each day, the very popular Gary Schipper from Stormy Seas will present his Marine Safety presentation. Charismatic and concise, Gary always draws a crowd at the Sydney Boat Show. Stop by and you will see why.

At 4pm each day, Sail-World’s Cruising Editor Nancy Knudsen, who devoted four years to cruising around the world, will talk about the sights, sounds and savouring the experiences from that wonderful journey, comparing cultures as she explored the world’s waterways.

At 4.30pm, the sailing action speeds up, just a week ahead of the Olympic sailing regatta in China,where Australia’s team is eager for a good medal haul. British Olympian, Laura Baldwin will be joined on stage by Australian and World champion sailors who will preview the Olympic action.

At 5pm each day, Australian sailor Tony Mowbray will transport you to another world. If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Antarctica or the Southern Ocean in a yacht, this is the presentation for you. There’s some beautiful video footage of Antarctica complete with the eerie sound of shards of ice fragmenting around his boat.

The 5.30pm slot, every day except Friday when they are on at 7:30pm, will feature the two young Australian kayakers, James Castrission and Justin James, back on stage with the Kayak they paddled from Australia to New Zealand.

If you’ve been thinking about taking a boating holiday, but haven’t had time to plan one, come along to listen to Trevor Joyce from mariner Boating who will be presenting ‘Boating Holidays for sailors and power boaters’ at 6pm each day.

Then at 6.30pm, Team Musto returns, modeling the latest in technical and fashion wear again.

Each night at 7pm, the finale belongs to Jeff Jauncey, the principal of the NSW Boating College who will inform and entertain with details of boating licence exams, training and safety courses that will equip people at all levels to become better, safer boaters.

Then, wrapping up the action for the day, and leaving us all in the boating frame of mind as the show closes, watch the wonderful marine vision from Boat Books Australia.

On-line ticketing has been made available this year for the first time and according to Genua interest and bookings have been strong.

For those who like interesting 'tit bits' related to the show, this will be its 41st edition, show #1 having been staged in 1968.

With the six halls of the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre and the Cockle Bay Marina, more than 1100 boats will be on display.

To walk through the six halls, once only, visitors will cover 2.5 kilometres. If the vessels on the marina were lined up stem to stern, they would stretch from Cockle Bay to the Sydney Opera House (3.9 kilometres).

Setting up a show of the magnitude of the Sydney International is no overnight task; it involves a major logistical exercise with more than 2100 vehicle movements in the exhibition centre’s loading docks. About 5500 people will be directly employed at the show during the six days.

From 1968 through to 2007, an estimated 2.85 million people have visited the Sydney International Boat Show, with 80,000-plus expected to swell that figure this year.

Admission charges for the 2008 show remain unchanged at $18 (single adult), $42 (family ticket admitting two adults and up to three children aged 6-17 years), $16 (Senior Card holders), $12 (Pensioners) and $10 (children aged 6-17-years.

Children under five-years admitted free.

For further information or to book on-line go to the website, www.sydneyboatshow.com.au