The inaugural National Used RIB Show took place over a sunny weekend at Sparkes Marina on Hayling Island - and thanks to the organisers, the sponsors and guest host, Alan Priddy, it has proved a great success.

Used RIB Show

There were concerns that the fuel crisis might create an obstacle to visitor numbers but in the event, around 2,500 people turned up to witness exciting on-water displays by the Zapcat team and the RNLI, plus a range of small inflatables and a rodeo bull for the kids. As the day turned to night and the RIBs were tied up alongside, the Piranha Bar played host both to an acoustic set by ‘Slick Minded Individuals’ and a very well received Raymarine-sponsored Jazz Night.

The date for the 2013 show has now been agreed upon and the organisers are already setting the scene for a bigger and better event. In the meantime, the website is developing into a magazine-style resource with classified ads, news and features, so for more on what to expect from this exciting event, see National RIB Show.

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.