2020 Dinghy Show

Those who know the style of my jottings will remember that if I mention the RYA, the expectation is that I'll be saying something negative, a fan boy I'm not!! But in this case I do think that there are comments being made in this thread that just don't stack up against reality.  If doing a dinghy themed show was so easy, there would be others, but in all my travels I see nothing like it elsewhere. What's more, it is an ongoing success...those random people that I button-holed at the show (I aimed for as much a representative cross section as I could get, just picking people by eye) all seemed to have had an enjoyable experience. Unlike the many comments on here that start with "I think" the hard evidence is that the RYA get this more right than they get it wrong. Some of their data mining is quite clever and little is done without good reason and the amount of work that they put in to make the 'best for the most' is certainly impressive. Of course, there will be those who don't like the location, the content.... the commercial aspect, the price of food and drink.... we all know that there is plenty to moan about BUT - at the same time, it is also something to be celebrated.

As one who worked the early shows, Pickett's Lock and Crystal Palace, then all but two of the Shows at AP, my viewpoint is that the Show has changed because the sport itself has changed. Back in the early days, so much of what went on was on the basis of a cottage industry, I don't think I ever had a receipt for anything, it was all done on word and trust because we all knew each other. Jim C was so right...back then you could host the show in an overgrown sports hall and nobody thought it lacking in presence nor facilities. Today the expectations are so much higher, commercialism is  so deeply entrenched that it is now at the heart of what goes on (not just boats but people too...Rule 26 (?), which covered amateur status was being firmly enforced - I had to take my jacket of as it bore a 'commercial' logo, Barry Dunning got into hot water with Javelin Jackets)....so the changing nature of the show is simply a reflection of life today and the different place that sailing occupies within it.

Will the Dinghy Show of the future be different again? Yes of course it will, because things will continue to change - but to what extent, who can tell. But for now, a successful show, one that continues the decades long run of widely acclaimed success, should stand the move to Farnborough - or to anywhere else, without any less of the things that don't only make it special, but well nigh unique in the wider dinghy world.

Dougal 

The jewellery stand was run by the wife of the MD of Harken UK and she does lovely jewellery based around sailing with things like bracelets with mini Harken blocks on them, necklaces with mini winches or silver boats on them (inc one with the Finn which must be heavy  ).

I guess if your other half is at the show all weekend running the Harken stand, and you've got a business based around sailors, why wouldn't you get a stand?

They do, a base CA stand just big enough for a boat is significantly cheaper than a trade stand. Then you have extras like carpet, any furniture you want, TV if you want some nice pictures/video running, power.

Its very easy to run up a £2k bill before you even think about getting a boat there and then having people on the stand all weekend.