Maggie Vists The Southampton International Boat Show, 11th September 2021

We sent our very own Weekday Morning Show seafaring presenter, Maggie, to the Southampton International Boat Show, and here’s her update….

What a wonderful day out the Southampton International Boat Show is. I went to interview some of the charities exhibiting at the show, what I came away with, was so much more.

The boat show is Britain’s biggest festival of boating, hosted on Europe’s largest purpose built marina. It really is truly impressive. With over 350 marine brands exhibiting and more than 300 boats in the marina, the show map is definitely your best friend.

By the time the show is over, they will have welcomed around 100k visitors on land and 14k people on the water. The largest sailing yacht on the marina is the Hallberg Rassy 57, a 57ft vessel worth £1.6m.

My mission was to interview the charities who are showcasing their services at the show. What a privilege it was to spend time with people who are passionate about bringing the joy of the water to so many people who benefit so richly from the experience. I was able to experience that joy myself on the boat operated by WetWheels Solent. I also had the opportunity to see the RNLI’s brand new boat and talk to her impressive crew.

My lasting impression of the show is that the water is for everyone, there are charities that help those who would otherwise not have the opportunity. The RNLI are only 11 minutes away if you get into trouble and if I had a spare £1.6m, I could buy a very pretty sailing boat.

If you are planning to visit the show, find your way to the ‘try a boat’ section and say hello to the charity funded boat crews, they are doing such a fantastic job. Your support is vital, from kind words to donations, all are welcome.

You can hear Maggie’s interviews with the WetWheels charity and with RNLI in her Morning Show, every weekday from 9-11am on Outreach Radio.