Would I enjoy the same frisson as I wandered across the road, stared up at that imposing façade, strolled through the turnstiles, skipped up the short stairs and sauntered into the soaring spaces of the main hall? Would the anticipation be fulfilled? Would déjà vu become excitement reborn?

Apart from the disconcerting lack of crowds, the answer was ‘yes’. Then my first conversation with exhibitors sowed seeds of doubt. Although this was only Monday, footfall had not been up to expectations. So much so that the Earls Court Boat Show managing director James Brooke had called an impromptu meeting with all exhibitors (on Sunday evening), plied them with generous quantities of free drink, then stood up and faced the music.

‘We had to admire him,’ said chandler Matthew Shaw and Will Headington of Murphy and Nye. Brooke showed a lot of bottle (in both senses) and announced plans to boost public awareness. But as I write this - after the show closed - no official gate figures have been given.

Brooke told me: ‘With regards to attendance figures, I believe this would be a meaningless measure of a show’s success as there would be no indication of the sort of people that visit. As this information has not been collated, any figures that have been thrown around are completely fabricated and without any substance. It has always been our duty to exhibitors to deliver a high quality of visitors and feedback from our exhibitors indicates that the quality of visitors has been exceptional. It indicates that we have communicated with the heartland boating communities, and it gives us a tremendous platform upon which the show will grow.’ Hmmm.

Certainly, anyone who went to ‘The Court’ hoping to see yachts as they should be seen (with masts and sails soaring upwards); enjoy sporadic entertainment from dancing girls and abseiling Royal Marines; browse amongst many stands-worth of chandlery and clothing; or research a sailing holiday - won’t have felt cheated. Everyone I spoke to – whether exhibitor or visitor – thought the show looked great.

One friend (a professional marine film maker) I bumped into beside the pool went so far as to say ‘Spiritually, the show has come home. It’s great to see yachts on the pool. I need to buy a load of new gear for next year. So I’ll buy it all here.’ James Powell (MD of Yachtmail) was also standing beside me at the time and said: ‘We exhibited here for around 15 years but did not move to ExCeL. Our clients don’t want to go there. We are here selling Sebago footwear, and have done good business. We’ll be back.’

I then came across another stalwart figure in the chandlery world – one Billy Foulkes of the Aladdin’s Cave chain. ‘The Cave’ had a big and bustling stand, and Foulkes said that – although footfall had been low – the quality of visitor was high and business was there. ‘We’ll probably come back,’ he reckoned. And his brother Glyn Foulkes said that all his clients who visited the show really enjoyed it.

Familiar faces
As I wandered past the pool, other familiar faces smiled. Robert Hughes, who started exhibiting at Earls Court in 1961 (including a 7-year stretch as a director of Moodys), was on the Northshore stand, showing the upwardly mobile Southerly range. ‘We’ve already sold a Southerly 110, and it’s only Monday,’ he chortled. Nestling in the corner of the pool, Select Yachts’ Peter Thomas said he hoped for good business and had got some useful leads.

On the other side of the pool, another Peter Thomas (ex-Westerly and now Hanse UK) leant against the railings beside fellow Hanse UK director Chris Oddie – with the two ‘starter boat’ Hanses (the 320 and 350) bobbing in the water behind them. ‘It’s early days,’ they said, ‘but we’re enjoying it.’

But not all the yachts on show were for sale – reinforcing the fact that this was a boat ‘show’, as opposed to just a warehouse retail outlet for boats. Jeremy and Fiona Rogers were back with a Contessa 32 (about 40 years after this same model won Boat of the Show in the same Earls Court hall). Gigi (an elderly 32) had been beautifully restored and refurbished by Rogers. Of course he will still build you a new 32, or restore your old one. But Gigi belongs to the Rogers family.

Then there were the exquisite ‘metre boats’, bringing an air of timber class and elegance to a world now dominated by GRP. The restored and widely travelled Gipsy Moth IV took pride of place in the pool, in front of the central stage.

And a venerable 26ft SCOD posed on the other side of the pool, sandwiched between a plastic Southerly yacht and a plastic Landau 20 motor launch. Anyone wanting to get a flavour of all types of boat, old or new, timber or plastic, power or sail, dinghy or cruiser, had plenty to drool over.

Earls Court 2 was – as in yesteryear – the home of the motor boat. But you had to find it first, because the central stage beside the pool blocked off the main view into the hall. Some exhibitors in EC2 complained that many visitors never made it through the hole in the wall – because they failed to spot it was there.

But, be that as it may, EC2 illustrated how the new ECBS failed to attract the big motor yacht and production sailing yacht brands back to ‘The Court’ – and perhaps those in the market to buy them.

None of the big players was there – no Sunseeker, Fairline, Princess or Sealine competing to create the biggest and glitziest stand. And the major French yacht builders stayed away. But there was still plenty to look at – including Italian Rivas, American Montereys and a Tarquin Trader 42 to name just three.

Serious visitors
John Heyes of Ventura (Riva distributors) told me: ‘We’ve had a high proportion of serious visitors – perhaps as high as one in ten.’ And Toby Chappell (of Tarquin) said: ‘We’ve had serious people coming to see the Trader 42. A Birchwood 40 owner came from Cardiff and said he’d never go to ExCeL again.’

So what does it all add up to? One thing’s for sure. The boys and girls at NBS appear rattled. Brooke told me: ‘I received a letter from Andrew Williams (NBS) before the Southampton Show, asking me not to advertise or market our show in or around the SBS. I obliged. But isn’t it extraordinary that here, people are handing out LIBS ExCeL flyers to visitors to OUR show just outside this building.’ He was miffed.

I had my doubts that NBS could be using such tactics, but soon saw proof. Earls Court security guards had just ‘apprehended’ a man on their forecourt, carrying a box full of the very same leaflets – presumably ready for distribution. When I later asked Williams of NBS what was going on, he said: ‘We have a legal licence for distributing leaflets. They are for handing to people going into the tube station after leaving the show, so they realise that ECBS is not the London Boat Show - and that the real LBS is at ExCeL in January. It’s a bona fide and legitimate advertising technique. I’ll make sure that the leaflets are not given to visitors before they enter Earls Court. We are not trying to stop the show. Our aim is to tell visitors that this (ECBS) is not the LBS - and then to make the LBS at ExCeL look and feel fantastic.’

Well, maybe. But some ECBS exhibitors were hopping mad with such tactics. Had NBS shot itself in the foot?

So, what happens next? In some ways, this inaugural ECBS asks as many questions as it gives answers. Pre-show marketing failed to hit the mark and the footfall was low – but it was the first effort and looked great. Most exhibitors were happy with the ‘quality’ of visitors – if not with the quantity.

Michael Newton-Woof of Ventura (exhibiting Rivas) explained: ‘I think we are all aware that the level of attendance was lower than expected, although the general consensus seems to be that those who did attend were exactly the right calibre of clientele (especially for our business and brands) and we are extremely pleased with the way the show went. I expect results to exceed our expectations - and our data capture gives me confidence for the future. As it stands today, Ventura will be going back to Earls Court next year.’

Booked and paid
Chris Jeckells, whose family sailmaking company celebrated its 175th anniversary at the show, was equally enthusiastic, saying: ‘I congratulate the organisers on putting together an excellent show. True, attendance numbers were low - however the quality of those who did turn up was excellent. I like to ask the public their views of the show, asking well over 200 - 98% said that they would return. They thought the show was great, the atmosphere friendly, it had a real buzz and they would tell their friends to come next year. We went to the show with doubts about it working, but it exceeded our expectations. I had no hesitation in booking and paying for my stand at the next year’s show.’

Chris Satchwell of Sunsail, on the other hand, saw it differently, saying: ‘It was a good show with some great ideas, but there were no buyers. Sunsail Yachting needs more people looking for charters/sailing events, etc. Visitors were mainly thinking of Christmas. There were fewer business people than at the old EC boat show - late night used to be full of suits. Would we go again? Probably not at this point.’

We will however listen to feed back from the management team as to why they failed to get the crowds in, he added. Additionally, what would the costs be in year two?

And that’s a valid question, because the organisers will need to start making a return on investment. But clearly, by no means all exhibitors were happy.

However, most visitors loved the show - especially those towing around recalcitrant ladies and children. The old arguments that people like the West End, enjoy colourful local restaurants and welcome plentiful and varied ‘on site’ entertainment to divert small people, hold as true today as five years ago.

And even if Brooke doesn’t lure the big British motor boats and French production yachts onto his turf in 2008, I believe that word will get around. ‘The Court’ is back. And it’s as much fun as before.

What will the BMF and NBS do about the ECBS (apart from lob leaflets around Earls Court tube station)? Could the ECBS cause the number of visitors to ExCeL to dwindle?

Of course the current NBS executive had no part in the decision to leave Earls Court, receiving what rugby players call a ‘hospital pass.’

At the turn of the century, NBS wanted more room - so moved LIBS to the larger (but lower) open spaces of ExCeL on a financially favourable 10-year deal. And there is precious little today’s team can do to increase the ‘buzz factor’ and outside attractions (shopping, eating, etc) to be found in and around this sizeable shed in the East.

NBS can only fight to increase the footfall at what remains the ‘big’ boat show in terms of boats for sale. And remember that many of the big boats shown at ExCeL in January are – by that time – the property of dealers. Not of the builders. And these dealers must shift their plastic early: or get lumbered with heavy inventory funding costs later.

By the same token, those visiting a boat show with the specific aim of comparing as many boats as possible (before reaching a buying decision) will still find ExCeL a better bet than the ECBS.

Whyte and Mackay has now committed to several more years. So the ECBS is here to stay - unless exhibitors vote with their feet and don’t come back. More likely, ECBS will pick up momentum (as word gets around) and even lure visitors away from ExCeL – which could create a long term problem for the funding of NBS and the BMF (and their myriad employees).

Or is there room in town (and the market) for both shows? After all, they have very different ‘characters’. Only time will tell.

The gate at ExCeL 2008 and the volume of business done there will be scrutinised with even more interest than usual.

Oh – and I almost forgot – I really enjoyed my day at The Court and didn’t manage to see half the stuff on show.