Excel Boat Show a waste of time.

In the thirty odd years I've been alternatively visiting or working there I
can honestly say today was the worse experience I've ever had and that
includes the year the IRA blew us up.

Of the three main dinghy stands the only one that looked at all busy was
the RS stand and there was nothing new there other than some new
Washing Up bowl with a sail on it.

Topper are now all washing up bowls and Lazer seem to be following this
trend to polyethylene, O.K. for mass production it might be, but as we all
know for performance it sucks, what's happening to the U.K. boat
Industry?

I heard tales of threats and coersion some feared that not attending
would ruin them in the future, but across the board for the Watersports
rather than the Gin Palace or Cruising sort there is absolutely no reason to
come to this show in future.

The good news is the flat attendance is affecting prices, we managed to
get an outboard for the small club rescue boat for £460 down from £680
RRP. But my chum struggled to find the deck cleat device he wanted, the
chandlerys were all clothes and deck shoes .

So if like me you happen to be either a windsurfer, kitesurfer,
wakeboarder, racing dinghy sailor with a passing interest in Cruising
Cats, save your money, it's not worth the trip.

I think today must be OAP day there were acres of grey hair, some of
which made my soup go cold as she struggled to pay her 9.50 lunch bill
with a credit card. There comes a time when they should just gas old folk,
someone shoot me if ever I get like that (And manage to survive the
Cherabim death threat).

But really, I'm so disappointed not to see something interesting after
bothering to take the day off work, they really have to buck their ideas up,
the Earls Court show wasn't much better from our perspective, so I guess
its all down to the Dinghy show, but that's also a tad single track if your
interest is wider than dinghies.

I think I might have bumped into one of the Musto Crew, but couldn't be
sure, it might have been Rick, but without his cap or toupe, he looked a
bit different so I sidled off, only to quite literally nearly bump into
Princess Anne a few minutes later, I ignored her...

Edited by G.R.F

I agree, the boat show was rubbish.

Originally posted by alstorer Despite the poor review from the forum grump, I'll still be there- outside, for a couple of hours! I'll be at the B14 on the concourse near the dock. There's 29ers racing 12:00, 49ers at 13:00, and B14s at 14:00- short course format, as far as I know three races each class! I might have got that wrong though.

Probably the only highlight at the show.

I went, girlfriend is working there and have to agree its pants.

Even the Rooster stand is ALL clothing, good job I don't need anything else.

As for the washingup bowls

I must admit ... There was hardly anything there dinghy related ... ( I think the 3 dinghy stands were just there so they didn't get shown up by the other companies )

Excel = Yottie ( Saw so many people seriously considering some of those ... lead .. things ... ) .. and as per GRF's observations, they were all old, had their slippers on, and many were going grey. ( And didnt look like they would use a boat for any other purpose than somewhere to sit in the summer ... The poor yacht wouldnt even leave its dock apart from the winter for cleaning! )

Dinghy show - Many more dinghies. Stands are all aimed much more at us ( smaller fittings instead of gringer things ) and many more younger people! ( Dont bother cracking out the free buspass for this one GRF - Lots of cherubs and washer-women )

I agree the Excel show has been good, even last year wasn't that bad, the
year before was better when they had the pool and the windsurfing, wake
stuff and just the energy and atmosphere that those participants bring.

Seriously you are going to be disappointed, they hoovered up any
atmosphere that might have been there, it's just flat, everyone's flat,
everythings flat.

Even the Guiness.