If you have always fancied yourself as a sailor but never quite made it to the open sea, then Scotland’s Boat Show could be for you. Offering taster sessions, displays and plenty of other attractions, the show expects to welcome more than 16,000 visitors to Inverclyde over its three-day schedule. It is for both experienced boat enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
1. Try a Boat free taster sessions
Run by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), these free taster sessions will be a real thrill for anyone who has harboured (excuse the pun) a desire to get behind the controls of a boat. Visitors can try a 30-minute hands-on experience on sailing yachts, motor yachts and dinghy sailing under the watchful eye of experts from RYA’s partners, including the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland and Clyde Muirshiel Country Park. They are a great way to find out what it’s like to sail a boat without having to commit to buying one. Those with impaired mobility are equally able to enjoy a taste of the open water, with Clyde Muirshiel offering sessions on the wheelyboat Discovery: a specially-adapted powerboat which can accommodate 4 people, including 2 wheelchair users. Book via RYA Scotland website and www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk
2. Boat displays
As you might expect at a boat show, there will be a huge array of vessels on display at the Kip Marina: ranging from a £500 dingy to a million-pound powerboat. Over 130 new and pre-owned boats will be exhibited on shore and at the marina pontoon, making it the biggest such display in Scotland. The range of vessels will include Hanse yachts, Quicksilver powerboats and vintage sailboats, designed to suit all interests and budgets (as well as those just having a nosy).
3. Formula One powerboat rides
Not for the faint-hearted, this trip will take you racing across the Clyde at speeds of up to 120mph in a Formula One powerboat – sitting right beside the driver to take in all of the action. If going straight on isn’t thrilling enough your nerves will be tested even more as the boat turns, with passengers experiencing 6Gs of acceleration during cornering. You can even relive the trip afterwards thanks to onboard cameras, although it might not be the most flattering of footage.
From £35 per trip. Operating Friday to Sunday (subject to weather)
Booking online at www.2seaterF1.com, or on the day at the RYA Pavilion.
4. Helicopter flights with Adventure 001
There are few views better than a view from the air, so if you want to see the boats and marina looking their best then taking to the skies may be the way to go. There is a real thrill to be had from hovering in a powerful, fast-moving helicopter, climbing through the air as you take in spectacular views of Gourock, the Firth of Clyde and beyond. Make sure you take lots of pictures for bragging rights when you get back down to earth.
From £39 per person. Helicopter flights will operate on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th October (weather permitting). Bookings can be made in advance via www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk, or on the day at the HeliScot check-in area.
5. Ask the experts
For those looking to learn a little more about nautical life, there are a plethora of experts and displays to help everyone from novice to experienced sailor. Across the three days there are free talks from the Cruising Association, with themes ranging from expert advice on buying a second-hand boat to the danger of ocean plastics, to how best to watch marine mammals. Elsewhere, boat owner associations offer advice and help to get you on the water, and for fashionista visitors there is a Pelle P Fashion Show (held twice on Saturday & Sunday) with nautical winter clothing collections.
Talks from the Cruising Association will take place on the new Sika Marine Stage and Theatre
6. Car and motorhome exhibition
Scotland’s Boat Show is, in fact, not just about boats. It also has an array of car and motorhome exhibits. Visitors can get up close to the latest luxury cars from Porsche, iconic sports cars from Morgan and Lotus, and a new range of all-terrain Mitsubishi pick-ups and 4x4s. On a bigger scale – and appearing for the first time at the boat show – the Swift Motorhome display will let the public inside the impressive vehicles. Cloch Caravans will also have two of their top of the range models.
7. Food and drink pavilion
If all the boat-watching and sailing gets too tiring you can refuel at the food and drink pavilion, an indoor food hall that will host stalls from 35 producers. Top-quality drink and foodstuffs will be on offer from the likes of Gigha Halibut, Alba Seafood, Ernicroft Bakery Bute Brewery, Craft 56 Gin and the Damn Fine Cheese Company, with covered eating areas outside to enjoy them in. Visitors can head to the West College Scotland Theatre, where hospitality students will be showing off their skills during live cooking displays as part of the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People. There are also street food stalls and a Taste Inverclyde Tent to let you sample some of the best in local produce and ingredients.
8. Stand up paddle boarding
One of the fastest-growing water sports, stand up paddle boarding is pretty much performed how it sounds. Unlike traditional surfing where the rider only stands up when a wave comes, in this sport the participants stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. It can be done in both flat and wave conditions, and at the boat show Glasgow’s West End adventure group will be offering taster sessions that include wetsuit hire and instruction from experienced staff. Being October, and in Scotland, it isn’t for the faint hearted and will be subject to weather conditions.
£15 per person
9. Clipper Round the World Racing Yacht
Spending 11 months going around the world on a 60-foot yacht is only the stuff of dreams (or nightmares) for most of us. But at the boat show you will be able to get a feel for this unique experience, with a display of the first Clipper Round The World race yacht, Taeping. She will be making her only boat show appearance of the year at Kip Marina. Located on the main pontoon, if you step aboard you can not only understand life inside the boat but also talk to a member of the Tapeing team and find out how difficult it is to brush your teeth in a gale.
10. Music and family entertainment
For little ones who may be less interested in the ins and outs of boats, there are birds of prey displays and a dedicated children’s fun area at the show. And, for some musical entertainment, there will be performances from the Isle of Cumbrae Pipe Band and the Inverclyde Rock Choir.
Scotland’s Boat Show will run on Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th October at the Kip Marina, Inverkip, Inverclyde. Admission is free (although some attractions have a cost), and parking is £5 per vehicle. The final details of the schedule and attractions on show may be subject to change or weather conditions, so check on the boat show’s website, Facebook and twitter pages for up-to-date information.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here