Maritime & Marine
Published: April 19, 2024 | Updated: 19th April 2024
Ocean Village Marina in Southampton will be abuzz with activity this weekend as the South Coast and Green Tech Boat Show calls into port.
More than 90 boats are on display with over 100 exhibitors, alongside live guests and demonstrations.
Among the vessels attending are a number which have never been seen in the UK before, including the world debut of the Hardy 50DS and the Virtue V10 Top.
In line with the show’s green credentials, MDL’s Green Innovator Award, which aims to distinguish pioneering products and services in sustainability, innovation and design, returns for 2024.
The show also features an Innovation Hub sponsored by ePropulsion, where innovative marine technology businesses and organisations will be on hand to show how their products are combatting climate change while still enabling people to enjoy time out on the water.
On Saturday 20 April, the vessel Maiden and its all-female crew are returning to Ocean Village Marina – the same place from which they set off on their 27,000 mile global navigation last September to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education.
Opening the show, Tim Mayer, Sales & Marketing Director at MDL Marinas, said: “We set up the show in 2019 to help local businesses and the industry.
“Now in 2024, we’ve got some of the best boat dealers, marine companies, innovators and change makers here. It’s completely free for people to come to.
“The Green Boat Show started out in Plymouth originally, but we’ve moved it here now because in the past few years it’s a conversation which has become more and more mainstream.
“Around 40 per cent of this show is now green marine technologies.
“It’s now one of the largest regional shows in the UK, and the majority of exhibitors here are local to the area.
“It’s become a pivotal part of the boating calendar – we’re expecting upwards of 5,000 people across the weekend.
“The best bit for me is speaking to businesses that have been coming from the start and have seen their business grow over the years.
“Overall, it’s really exciting.”
Steve Bruce, Managing Director of show sponsors ePropulsion UK, added: “We’ve been doing this show since the very beginning when it was down in Plymouth.
“With the range of products we do, it goes without saying that I’m keen to see shows like this growing – so we’ll do anything we can to help support it.
“It’s been very pleasing to see that in the few years it’s been running, it’s been getting better and better every year.
“It’s a cracking opportunity because a lot of the people in the marketplace are quite close to here.
“It’s a perfect event to get together in one spot and give people an all-round view of what’s possible.”
The show was opened by the Lord Mayor of Southampton, Cllr Valerie Laurent.
She said: “This is a fantastic event. The flags are flying and the boats are there with people strolling along.
“This show is so important in this day and age. We have to look after the environment for the future so that your children, your grandchildren, and future generations can enjoy a wonderful future on the water without pollution.”
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