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Amsterdam Boat Show

The forthcoming edition of the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show will have undergone a number of major changes. The exhibition will have a new layout and more space has been created for activities, for example in two large pools. The boat show will also have a strikingly large number of first-time exhibitors. The HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show 2007 will be held in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre from Tuesday 6 to Sunday 11 March and will provide both beginners and experienced watersports enthusiasts with a broad overview of hundreds of new boats and thousands of articles for use on and around the water.

This year the exhibition area will have two large jetties – a centrally located jetty for sailing yachts in Hall 1 and a second jetty for motor yachts in Hall 2. In total the boat show will take up the entire Europa complex of Amsterdam RAI, which consists of seven exhibition halls. Next to the jetty in Hall 1 will be the watersports holiday market and information about marinas. This will also be the location of the Natural Sailing Pavilion.

Exhibition halls 2 and 3 will be filled mainly with motor launches and weekend cruisers. Electric boats will also be on display here. Motorboats, DIY articles and technical accessories can be found in Halls 4 and 5. The presentation of sport boats extends through Hall 6 into Hall 7, where much attention will also be paid to 'small' watersports, outboard motors and related accessories.

This year the exhibitors will include over 50 newcomers, both yacht builders and importers as well as suppliers. The range of exhibits at the boat show will therefore be more varied than ever. Drive To Sail will be displaying the Viva 700 Sasanka, a 7.30-metre sailing (touring) yacht for 4-6 people. Aquavitesse will exhibit the fast 2-man boat RS 500 as a first. Geuzenboats will present for the first time the Tirion 28 and the V23 MKII and Ottenhome Heeg will exhibit the Fox Traveller 22.

A new feature of this year's show are the two large pools, one of which will be in Hall 1 and the other in Hall 7. Children can get free sailing lessons in Optimist and Laser Pico sailing dinghies in the HISWA Sail Experience pool (8 x 22 m), which is being organised in association with the Watersports Association and CWO. Alongside the pool will be a simulator where they can try it out on dry land first. The programme will also include lifesaving demonstrations and competitions with Micro Magics, which are remote-controlled miniature sailing boats.

Special attention will focus once again this year on the theme of Natural Sailing and Electric Sailing, a form of sailing which is becoming increasingly popular since it is close to nature and puts the emphasis on quietness and simplicity. 10 companies have joined forces to organise a special pavilion and show traditional sailing and rowing boats, some of which are fitted with an (electric) auxiliary motor. Several of these boats are suitable for building at home, as will be clearly shown in boatbuilding demonstrations at the pavilion. One of the newcomers to the pavilion is MacBoat, which is the first company in the Netherlands to specialise in the construction of wooden canoes and kayaks.

Visitors can also expect to see a good many firsts in the sport boat and large rubber boat category at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show 2007. The latest products to be introduced to the Dutch market by Bavaria Sport, Bully, Caribe, Chris Craft, Silver Marine, Riviera, Doral and Eolo will in any event be on display. In the sport boats hall Yamaha Netherlands will have a workplace where specialists demonstrate, explain and advise on the maintenance and technology of outboard motors.

'Mijn BOOT', the magazine for practical boat owners, is organising a new activities area at the show on the theme of owner maintenance and repair. Various exhibitors will use their knowledge, technology, materials and products to give demonstrations of maintenance, refitting, restoration, DIY and innovation. Their knowledge will thus be applied in practice and conveyed interactively to the boat show visitors.



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