In the course of a three-day August weekend almost 10,000 people sampled boating in some form, and sales of craft were in excess of £ 1/4m across all sectors, including new, secondhand and brokerage boats.

Even the firms that did not sign customers up during the show were impressed by the potential of the event, and are planning to return.

They recognised that this is a brand new niche in the British market. One exhibitor told Boating Business : "This is one of the best new market opportunities we have seen for many years."

The show was not just about inland boating, for the Forth & Clyde Canal is a sea to sea waterway; seagoing craft were on display, and the RYA and the Coastguard were there to give advice about getting afloat, and staying safe.

Perhaps more important, this event had a strong "Try-aBoat" element, and during the three days, no fewer than 5,200 folk enjoyed a boating experience, many for the first time. And this was apart from the almost 4,000 people who took a trip through the Falkirk Wheel in the same period, meaning some 9,000 people tried boating at the show.

In fact, BW set a new record of 1,300 trips during the show, which must have more than made up for the free admission and free parking that helped make the event such a crowd puller.

Bosun's Locker of nearby Port Edgar showed a Hunter Europa RO330, largest sailing boat at the show, and Jock Blair observed "this new show is off to a very good start and shows great potential. We will be back next year".

The inland boatbuilding sector had, unsurprisingly, the strongest presence. Richard Williams of the New Boat Company went back south with a briefcase full of enquiries for canal cruisers, houseboats and even floating offices. He was quite clear:

"?. absolutely, definitely, going back next year".

BW shared in the business success as well. Lowland Canals had no berths left to offer by closing time, and they now have a clear green light for accelerated development through the rejuvenated Scottish canal system.