worlds largest sailboat

Some of the finest maritime craftmanship from around the world is on display in downtown Annapolis this weekend.
The 38th Annual United States Sailboat Show, which opened to the public yesterday and continues through Monday, is the first and largest in-the-water show of exclusively new boats. This year, boat buffs and buyers will have 10,000 linear feet of on-water dock space to browse, plus more than three-quarters of an acre of on-land marketplace dedicated to maritime vendors.

Show General Manager Jim Barthold said the maritime industry is seeing a bit of a rebound. He cited several positive indicators, including a "good run" at a recent show in Newport and "a lot of new product on the market."

Exhibit space at the show is sold out, with 20 percent of the 600 exhibitors introducing new boats. "There's a lot of good buzz," said Mr. Barthold, a veteran of the sailboat show and the powerboat show which follows next week.

This is the second year the show has offered online ticket sales (www.usboat.com) and advance sales are at least 20 percent ahead of last year, with 50,000-70,000 people expected for the two shows.

Sailboat show weekends in recent memory have been plagued with cold, windy and generally miserable conditions, yet still drew huge crowds. The weather prediction for this weekend is warm, mostly dry and mild - a great forecast for fair weather sailors.

Returning triumphant

A couple of last year's show favorites are returning with impressive racing resumes.

The Esse 850, an Italian designed 28-foot racer, beat out 18 other entries to win Sailing World's Boat of the Year for 2006.

"The Esse 850 is one of the best sportboats I've ever sailed," said Chuck Allen, professional sailor and former All-American. "It's quite simple, it'll be easy to single-hand, and it's easy on the eyes. This is the perfect boat to sail in your Wednesday night series or a venue like Key West Race Week."

Promoted by Annapolis Performance Yachts, the Esse also has earned several top finishes in major regattas.

Another 2006 debut was Beneteau's First 10R, a Bruce Farr design, now in full production in South Carolina.

"Farr does not know how to draw a slow boat," said John Kretschmer in a boat test for Sailing Magazine in March. Apparently he was right, as the first 10R comes to Annapolis after winning the first ever National PHRF Championship awarded at Key West Race Week.

Beneteau also is surfing a wave of success with its First 36.7. Another Farr-designed yacht, this one-design racer has cruising amenities, making it popular among weekend sailing and racing enthusiasts. The North American Championship in Buffalo had 47 entries - more than double number the boats entered in Newport last year.

Renaissance on the water

Two French boat builders are celebrating major milestones at this year's show. Among the largest on-water exhibits will be Jeanneau, celebrating its 50th anniversary, with eight boats on display, two of which are making their debuts.

Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey 45 DS (Deck Salon), designed by naval architect Philippe Briand, "has a raised deck amidships allowing for good headroom and comfortable living space below while keeping weight centered for performance. She also has a raised aft steering station that allows the skipper a relatively dry position with good visibility," said Eric Smith, president of Bay Yacht Agency, Jeanneau's dealer in Annapolis.

"The deck design also allows for better port position and light down below. In most boats, an average height woman can't see outside without standing on her tippy toes. That's not the case here."

Mr. Smith's group will also represent Fountaine Pajot, celebrating its 35th anniversary at the show with the debut of the Salina 48.

"This catamaran has a truly unique deck layout that ties a very functional elevated control station with the living space. She also features a walkout salon with a large sliding glass door to enhance entertaining," Mr. Smith said.

Gadgets, gear & getaways

Racers and cruisers alike should plan time to browse the marketplace of vendors on land. A patchwork of 250 tents, large and small, will house the latest in electronics, boat hardware, navigation software, foul-weather gear, rigging and line.

Some of the items you will find at the show can do dual duty by land and by sea, including Weems & Plath's clocks and barometers, as well as Martimus Sport's latest styles in Polartec and Windbloc outerwear. Both are local favorites.

Flitz is touting the Super-Mini Buff Ball for marine uses. This product is a sort of combination between a tennis ball and squeegee attached to a power drill bit. They are hoping to turn this "as seen on TV" auto product into a favorite among boat owners.

Navigation electronics giant Garmin will show three booths worth of gadgets, some of which can transition to use on terra firma, including handheld GPS units with mapping software.

The show also is a good place to shop for vacations on the water. Maritime tourism giant Sunsail will offer charters originating in 39 locations worldwide including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.

Just looking

If you are visiting the boat show with kids, the rows upon rows of new yachts may begin to look alike, but there will be two unique exhibits open for tours. The Virginia is a reproduction schooner whose namesake has an interesting history in warfare and commerce. And Arabella is a three-masted, 164-foot schooner once owned by actress Kelly McGillis.

An Annapolis tradition grows

Founded in 1970, Annapolis Boat Shows is a leading producer of this type of event. They are specialists in the type of logistics required to put on an trade show on the water. This year the company will oversee the piece-by-piece and boat-by-boat "load-in" of hundreds of boats and 1.25 miles of floating docks. In order to get power to the on-water exhibitors, a system of submarine electrical conduits will be installed incorporating more than 60 miles of wire.

Annapolis Boat Shows will also produce The Yacht Show at National Harbor in May 2008, featuring luxury yachts exclusively (60 feet and larger) at the grand opening of the National Harbor on the Potomac River, just outside of Washington, D.C.

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The Curriers are freelance writers based in Annapolis.

When You Go

WHAT: The 38th Annual U.S. Sailboat Show

WHERE: Annapolis City Dock and harbor

HOURS: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. today, tomorrow and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday.

PARKING: $10 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium off Rowe Boulevard. Shuttle buses will run starting at 9 a.m. and end one hour after the show closes each day.

ADMISSION: $16 for adults, $8 children age 12 and under.

OF NOTE: Come prepared to board boats barefoot or socks only. No strollers.