The South Coast Boat Show 2019

There were over 60 innovative sail and power boats on display at Ocean Village Marina last weekend, including the Oceanis 41.1 & 38.1, the Swift Trawler 30 & 35 and the GT40 from Beneteau.

Organised by a consortium of south coast dealers, Ocean Village Marina was chosen as the location for this new event, with its deep-water, all states of tide access, stunning backdrop of the Harbour Hotel and superyachts berthed in the background. It was the perfect setting for brands which included:

Arcona Yachts, Axopar London Group, Bavaria, Beneteau Power and Beneteau Sail, BRIG RIBs, Broadblue England and R400, Chaparral Boats, Dazcat, Dehler, Dragonfly, Dufour Yachts, Elan, Ferretti Yachts, FinnMaster, Fountaine Pajot, Galeon, Galia, Grand, Greenline Yachts, Hallberg-Rassy, Hanse, J-Boats, Jeanneau power and sail, Lagoon Catamarans, MAREX, Marlin, Najad Yachts, Nautitech, Nimbus Boats, Nord Star, Numarine, Ocqueteau, Parker Boats, Rapier Catamarans, Sargo, Sasga Yachts, Seaward, Spectre Boats Int, Stingher, Targa and X-Yachts.

The South Coast Boat Show will now become a secured event in the marine calendar, and already has the colloquial nick-name of ‘the buyers’ show’ for its no-frills approach.

Scott Farquharson, MDL’s Ocean Village Marina manager, organised the site and was delighted with its success.

“The objective was that this show was all about the boats,” he says. “We wanted visitors to have the time and space to access what they wanted to see, and to have in-depth conversations about their requirements without being bustled along. It was perfect. We enjoyed a glorious mix of power, sail and cats on display. Plus, Prolific (Ocean Youth Trust, South) was there, welcoming people on board to talk about the brilliant work they do with young adults, and serving bacon rolls for a charitable donation.”

Plans are already afoot for next year’s event.

“We need something like this in the diary,” Scott continues, “There are a lot of shows springing up around the country to help fill the gap of national events. This one is for those looking to make a serious investment in a global brand. We’re already welcoming expressions of interest from existing, and new, exhibitors.”

From Ancasta’s perspective the strength of this show is that it provides space for visitors to really compare and contrast between brands, models and the dealers. All visitors seemed to enjoy the access they had to the broad range of product and information from the dealers that were on-hand. Aftersales is a key aspect to the service provided to customers buying through Ancasta and this event gives a good opportunity to explain the importance of this ongoing support.

For more information about next year’s South Coast Boat Show keep an eye on these pages or the show website: southcoastboatshow.com