I write this a week after the annual pilgrimage to the Southampton Boat show where once again it was a ten day jam packed jamboree of new boats, new things and old friends… like the Guinness bar.

One of the reasons for us sort of boaters to head to the Southampton show every year is that we are often blessed with a large swathe of new boats from the many manufacturers of sports boats and RIBs. This year there were some rather remarkable new boats, and even some brand new companies like Voodoo Performance Craft (their new boat is the one pictured). What’s more, is that in the month or so following the boat show, many dealers have started putting on open weekends so us boat curious folk can come down and get out on a new craft that we may have spotted at the show...

Here at SB we’re trying to collect info on the dealers offering such weekends, keep an eye on the website as we’ll post details as we confirm them, but if you’re in the market for a new boat, (or you just really want to try out a new craft) pick a dealer with your boat and see if they’re holding an open weekend soon, with this rather unseasonal good weather upon us, it would be a shame to waste it.

The great thing about these weekends is that you might be able to get out on more than one boat, giving you a good idea as to how your chosen vessel stands up to others in the range, or even against competing models depending on the dealership.

So get proactive, ask around the dealers and see if you can get out on the water on a brand spanking new craft before the cold weather is upon us.