Industry exhales as SIBS 2021 opens

The industry can finally breathe after waiting to see whether Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS) would appear after the last-minute shock cancellation of last year’s iteration (Boats2020) hours before opening.

The show’s path hasn’t been smooth, but this morning (10Sep21) members of the British Sailing Team, fresh from Tokyo 2020, opened the event. 49er Gold medallists Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell, and 470 Gold medallist Eilidh McIntyre along with 49er FX Charlotte Dobson,470 Chris Grube and laser sailor Ali Young appeared.

British Marine says the show is offering more than 500 boats and 350 marine brands for visitors to check out across five different zones, featuring interactive attractions, live music and displays, as well as the latest technological innovations.

The trade organisation says the show has previously launched boating legends, offered a platform for ground-breaking technology and tracked the rise of global marine brands. In 2021 it will be the biggest show yet, with more interactive experiences, marine brands and boats across the ten-day festival. Plus, British Marine has asked exhibitors to commit to an environmental pledge that helped the 2019 show divert over 7.5tons of waste from landfills. This includes a ban on all plastic straws, single-use plastic and the new provision of e-tickets.

Visitors have the opportunity to get on the water in a variety of ways which include a high-speed RIB ride, a sail experience, dinghy sailing and paddleboarding, an Ocean Scene mini cruise, a windsurfing simulator and a dive tank. More details, including ticket info, are online.

All visitors from, the age of five, are expected to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test.