Back from the Boat Show

Nine days on a stand at any trade show is a bit of a task but it was great fun.  Talking to like minded people and sneaking away now and then to drool over some of the new boats made it all worthwhile.  Not only that but the Sailing Rallies concept of a later Atlantic Crossing than the current rally (The ARC) and a two week rally in the Baltic next summer seemed to really strike a chord with people we spoke to.  The only real problem was convincing people that the Baltic isn't cold.  Some visitors already knew about us and came over to check us out, others just showed an interest and got pounced on.  Having two pretty girls on the stand might just have helped!  We even managed to get an Ocean 60 racing boat signed up - there are some spare berths - so if anyone wants to race the Atlantic get in touch. (http://www.sailingrallies.com/)
Er - then there was the social side.  I was staying on a yacht in Ocean Village Marina and was worried I would be bored in the evening.  Wrong!  Most nights ended up in a pub or night club, even a Casino on Monday as we couldn't find anywhere else open and the booze was amazingly cheap. On Thursday we had the exhibitors party and the blues band was fronted by the MD of the show's sponsor company - bloody good he was too.   A few weeks back on the Amelie May are now needed to dry out.  Which is where we are going tomorrow.  Not sure which way we will go from Bath, we might nip into Bristol or maybe just head slowly back to Devizes where she is booked in for the winter.
Oh and one night I was interviewed by a chap who is researching our use of an I band Exocet Jammer during the Falklands War (see last years blog posts of early May).  Fascinating stuff and quite scary as I had forgotten quite a lot but yet another free meal..........

You're only as old as the woman you feel

 

And when they weren't selling sailing rallies John and Mikaela entertained the crowds in other ways.