More than 250 boats and 700 marine brands
The show is due to bring together boatbuilders, equipment suppliers, training providers and marine-service businesses over ten days from 18 to 27 September. The marina will contain more than 250 sailing yachts, motorboats, paddlecraft and attraction vessels, with more than 20 world, UK or show debuts expected.
For visitors considering a purchase, the scale makes Southampton useful as a comparison event rather than simply a launch venue. Seeing several competing boats and equipment systems in one place can make differences in layout, access, finish and specification much easier to judge than comparing brochures online.
Hands-on activities broaden the event
The RYA highlights the return of the Andark Dive Tank, paddleboarding and kayaking on the watersports lake, and Try-a-Boat sessions with several organisations. Equipment and instruction are provided for some beginner activities, making the show relevant to people who do not yet own a boat or hold extensive experience.
The speaker programme also includes well-known sailors such as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Pip Hare, Mike Golding, Jazz Turner and Tom Cunliffe. Their appearances sit alongside practical talks and advice rather than turning the event into a purely commercial exhibition.
RYA advice and training at New Wave Hall
The RYA will be based in New Wave Hall at stand H128, where visitors can ask about training, qualifications, watersports and marine careers. Its own talks are expected to focus on ways to progress in boating and help visitors identify suitable next steps after trying an activity at the show.
Children aged 15 and under can attend free, according to the RYA preview, while members have access to discounted adult tickets. Taken together with the show’s inland-waterways zone and paddlecraft activity, the 2026 event is shaping up as a broad leisure-boating showcase rather than only a display of larger yachts.