With the Southampton Boat Show being such a key event in the boating calendar, he added, we realised that some of the industry would need to wait until after mid-September to make a decision and we are now seeing many of those companies book.

The Earls Court Boat Show was a major topic of discussion at the Southampton Boat Show with many potential exhibitors unsure what to do. Their hearts are with the UK leisure marine industry, but they have businesses to run. And many of their customers seem to have made it clear they will go to an Earls Court Boat Show.

Tim Millinder told BB at Southampton he is taking Marathon Leisure to the show and offered an interesting take: ‘The Earls Court Boat Show is the best thing and the worst thing ever to happen to the UK leisure marine industry,’ he told us. ‘It’s the best because it placed a bomb under National Boat Shows.’

And it’s the worst, he concluded, because it’s actually going ahead.

As for exhibitors, Brooke still steadfastly refuses to give BB a list of exhibitors. But we can tell you we received our first press release from a company exhibiting at the show. Hans Christian Yachts will be showing its Thailand-built Hans Christian 41 Traditional.

And Northsore Yachts is to launch its Southerly 32 in the pool.