Inaugural London boat show officially opens

The first edition of the London Luxury Afloat boat show got underway yesterday at London’s St. Katharine Docks.

Chris Head, group sales director for Sunseeker London and Rebecca Bridgen, deputy CEO of Oyster Yachts, joined British Marine president-elect, Paul Gullett and St. Katharine Docks Marina general manager Paul Tetlow to cut the red ribbon and officially declare the show open.

Created by the British Marine team behind the Southampton International Boat Show, London Luxury Afloat features more than 30 sailing yachts, motorboats and superyachts from brands including Oyster, Sunseeker, Fairline and Azimut and ‘promotes the very best of luxurious yachting’.

Following the ribbon-cutting, Bridgen commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be here at London Luxury Afloat and St. Katharine Docks. It is a fantastic location for a private viewing of Oysters and a great place to kick off the season, it also provides the perfect launch event for the new Oyster 495.

“To have a show in the heart of London, with all these luxury brands is an amazing opportunity. This is proven by the record number of guests that are coming to the show to see our Oysters, plus we appear to have been blessed with the sunshine!”

Speaking on behalf of Sunseeker London group, David Lewis, managing director, commented: “As an iconic British brand, Sunseeker continue to be at the forefront of the new and exciting. That is certainly the case as we today proudly exhibit three stunning Sunseeker Boats at the inaugural Luxury London Afloat.

“As one of the most extraordinary cities on the planet, we would hope that this show will grow to become of the most important International Boat Shows in the calendar. The historic location of St. Katherine Docks is a magnificent backdrop to this display and we have a team from the Sunseeker Family here for the duration to welcome all.”

St. Katharine Docks Marina General Manager Paul Tetlow added: “We are delighted to be hosting this inaugural London Luxury Afloat show, creating a spectacular on-water display of luxury yacht brands. We believe St Katharine Docks Marina provides a superb backdrop for London Luxury Afloat and we trust that exhibitors and visitors will have a wonderful experience at the show.”

While Paul Gullett, president-elect of British Marine, organisers of London Luxury Afloat concluded by saying: “I am delighted to join Rebecca, Chris and Paul to officially open the show.

“The team behind the scenes have been working extremely hard to pull the show together and alongside all the brands here today, everyone should be extremely proud of what has been achieved. It is absolutely wonderful to see a boat show of this calibre back in the heart of London.”

London Luxury Afloat is a brand-new boutique-style show, bringing together some of the very finest sailing, motor and superyachts from leading luxury brands, providing discerning boat buyers with a unique opportunity to view a whole range of craft side by side in the heart of the capital.

Taking place at the St. Katharine Docks, the show runs from 21-24 April.

Down on the pontoons, ticket-holders can view a whole host of luxury vessels from leading luxury yachting brands including Sunseeker, Oyster, Fairline, Hallberg-Rassy, Pearl Yachts, Azimut, Falcon, and Ryck, plus Float8’s eco-conscious luxurious floating home.

Ticket holders will also have access to the London Luxury Afloat floating VIP area. While shoreside, there will be displays featuring smaller craft, products and services including Helm Yachting Holidays, Raymarine, Ultimate Stream, Waterlodge UK and Fliteboard.