The Isle of Wight made a splash as one of the most popular features of the London Boat show in January 2007. In a new twist this year the London Boat show included interactive games which were designed to break down the elitism of sailing and encourage young people to try sailing and watersports. The arena called “UKSA Deck Games” was operated by the experts in maritime training UK Sailing Academy, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Island based Shirley Robertson, Ellen Macarthur and Dee Cafarri were among a few of the famous celebrities who were involved with UKSA to encourage people to have a go at sailing and watersports. The games on the stand included everything from teaching visitors how to tie knots, trying on a Henri Lloyd dry suit in the quickest time to spot the difference between two boats. The two most popular events were the sail hoist (which had a Top Gear style leader board), and the “rig it” race where visitors would try to rig the dinghy the quickest.
Shirley Robertson helped two young Gurnard Sailors, Gabby and Robbie Southwell, to learn how to use some of the equipment on the Stand, as a way of encouraging other young sailors to aim high. Ellen Macarthur attracted huge crowds, when she was timed to do the sail hoist, particularly after her amazing success on the BBC Top Gear TV programme. She beat a number of competitive sailors with a fantastic time which took her to one of the top spots on the leader board. With the support of the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership, UK Sailing Academy ran a highly successful stand which got people excited about sailing and promoted the Isle of Wight to a wide audience. “The London Boat show was a great vehicle to promote the Isle of Wight to the Boat show visitors, as not only an excellent sailing spot, but also as a businesses destination. We also promoted all the events which happen on the Island throughout the year such as the Jazz Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Cowes Week and the Bestival.” Mike King, Managing Director of the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership The Solent is one of the busiest waters in the world, and offers a fantastic location for training and recreational boating. Subsequently the Isle of Wight has built up a great reputation for a host of marine businesses from boat builders, training providers to events management. The involvement at the Boat show has helped to further enhance this reputation.