While the America’s Cup World Series put on a show in Plymouth, a more traditional boat show was opening in Southampton. Shows like this are a great example of the relative size of racing to the leisure boating industry in general. This is strange when you consider how important racing is to the development of technology for the leisure market.
We asked designer Merfyn Owen from Owen Clark how racing impacts sailing design at the re-dedication of Mike Golding’s IMOCA Open 60 yacht Gamesa.
Apart from Mike Golding’s Gamesa being moored on one of the SBS pontoons, racing sailboats were almost impossible to find at the boat show. Garmin announced that they would be a partner of the Clipper Race during the show, and ‘activated’ the marketing deal with a poster. Sebago launched a new racing shoe, but the relationship with Quantum Racing was hard to see. While motor-sport sponsors take their liveried cars and bikes to all kinds of shows, there was almost no activation to be seen in Southampton.
Organisers of the PSP Southampton Boat show report that 111,017 visitors attended over the 10 days. The figure is 9% down on 2010. Interestingly, 110,000 is about the same number reported by orgnisers of the ACWS in Plymouth.
David Pougher, Chairman of National Boat Shows confirms that spending is down, but there are still buyers:
“Business has been done here at the PSP Southampton Boat Show with steady sales across the range of boats, equipment and services on display. While many exhibitors may not have broken any records, visitors have certainly been buying at a level to what they can afford. The marine industry is experiencing the same challenges as many other industries within the current climate and by providing the best possible platform the Show has given marine companies a much needed boost.
Adie Callaghan, European Marketing Manager for Sebago said:
“This is our 25th consecutive year with Sebago at PSP Southampton Boat Show and we are delighted with the visitors and sales we’ve had this week. Not only has it been a great brand-building exercise to raise awareness among new customers, but we’ve exceeded our expectations in terms of sales on both apparel and footwear.
With the America’s Cup in the UK, it might have been a great time to relaunch the event to a wider audience – even just a couple of screens with YouTube feeds would have turned heads in the absence of any other marketing of racing, but understandably, all the Cup resource was in Plymouth. Besides – why visit Southampton when you promote the accessability of the new AC event at the Monaco Yacht Show?
To be sure, racing is a small part of the marine sector as a whole, but there are hundreds of brands and companies selling products and services to sailors whose thing is to sail faster, harder and win. Is there a place for a yacht racing show?
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