Farnborough in February

Good to see so many making the effort to have stands and bring their boats along, some absolutely great boats on show, I thought the canoes were lovely - both the Tiger and the red one and the B14 looked great as well.  The stages and presentations were easier to hear from the back than at Alli Pally - probs better audio kit, but for those of us walking by it was a nice change.

Thanks to the attendees of the show for their info about how the show went. Sounds like next year I might give it a go, complete with sarnies and a bottle of ginger pop (2 ltr)

Originally posted by Chris_H As an observation, I am not sure why they added the ‘& Watersports’ to the show title as there Was very little extra watersports on display, other than a small display at the far end.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 28 Feb 22 at 9:03am

Good Lord iGRF. A positive post for a change from you ;-). Have you taken a happy pill?

Yep, it was a good show under the circumstances. The travel issue old farts were moaning about really isn’t. Am sure the show will be improved next year as this year is a learning curve and the start of getting back to normal.

Loads to improve on but it is a a positive

Well, hush my mouth this show must have been a resounding success.
Three of us went and OK it was a bit further, but a lot quicker to get to, loads of free parking, plenty of space, penty of space to grow, may even show there myself next season if I can persuade them to consider our Industry. It was spread out, wider gangways, smaller retail stands seemed to me to be more class stuff, but we rocked up just after ten, walked straight up to the desk bought tickets and we were in. There was a radio control pool in a hark back to Crystal Palace days.
Initally I felt it was busier even though the gangways were wide, Alley Pally you really have to go to the minimum legal gangaway widths to make it pay and use all the available space for exhibitors. Presumably the new venue and Covid has taken it's toll on the industry's marketing budget so there were a few noticeable missing parties.

The Food and drink dispensers hadn't gotten their act together the girl on the first place I called on for my bacon bap complained that this was the fiirst time she'd used this particular system and they were having early show issues. The central themed place with the upstairs bit didn't serve 'posh' coffee so got a miss from some of our guys.

Star of the show for me was the Pornstar, totally changed my view of that boat, I think we'll see that catching on and fast. Interesting the RYA are flirting with our Industry again there was a moment three of us old windsurfing crusties, Dee Daldwell Peter Hart and I had a pleasant catch up and chat about familys, the sport and possible future of the show for us.
Stayed their much longer than normal mainly down to being a passenger in a vehicle of Contender sailors who are worse than shopping with wimmen for talking bollox to just about everyone they met.

But it was a great day and I think not such a bad call after all, Farnborough isn't so bad to get to and as I said plenty of room to grow.

Other thinhgs I got up to, Dave Barker (ex Farr Sailor and weighs the same as me) showed me his new H2 and how to rake and depower the rig so I'm not quite as dis approving of that big fat head as I was previously, not entirely sure of the rasberry ripple graohics, but his enthusiasm for the boat was infectious.
Tried to buy an aluminium trolley which was a nightmare not actually worth talking about here, but I think eventually I have come up with a solution. Hung around at the new Sailsports end of the show checking out some competitors foil stuff, they're about to get a bit of a shock as the brand I sell is just about to launch a bit of a game changer.
Saw a nice colured Merlin and pleased to report I can now pretty much identify what all the ropes do, as I also can on the Scorpion with its adjustable rake and I was also quite surprised at how the Supersofa has come along since I kast sailed it, they also have adjustable lowers. The new Solution sail looks fine and even though the boat showed the flat cut sail it still looked full enough to me to do the job, I don't use the flat cut prefering the Fuller as you would with a name like mine.
Didn't realise that sliding seat on the IC slides back and forth as well as sie to side, I bet that's interesting to change if the wind comes up on the fly. A nice Fireball, still lacking the Assym sail and wingwang pole I'd like to give it and I had an interesting chat about the kite on the Nacra and how foiling and bearing off and off is going to cope with a kite, it's pretty flat, but really wouldn't just a bigger jib to the job once you're up on foils?
There is not another show on Earth like this one for us enthusiasts, so much to take in and so much to miss, glad I went, definitely be back next year..

Edited by iGRF - 27 Feb 22 at 6:49pm