Annapolis Boat Shows hosted the 2024 Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show April 26-28 at City Dock in Annapolis, MD. This year, there were more than 40 sailboats on display and over 100 total exhibitors. Attendance returned to pre-pandemic levels, beating out 2023 by a wide margin. Weather conditions were ideal on Friday and Sunday, with plenty of sun and highs in the 70s. Saturday was in the 60s with scattered showers. Despite coastal flood advisories, water ingress posed little or no inconvenience. Overall, the show was a success. Attendees flocked to new features such as the trailerable boat section, No Wake Zone, and the USCG Auxiliary family boating course. Additionally, exhibitors reported plenty of good leads and sales.
This year’s new trailerable sailboat section featured small vessels, including the RS Aero, Flying Scot, Melges 15, American 14.6, Lightning, and Viper 640. The area, which included the Rooster sailing gear trailer, provided new sailors with all the gear they need to get into the sport. Set just inside the show entrance, it was a great first stop in the show. An actively interested audience met The area’s exhibitors, reporting good sales and solid leads.
The No Wake Zone, another new addition to the Spring Sailboat Show, also received lots of foot traffic. The area was designed to showcase Maryland-based lifestyle products, including clothing, wines, spirits, mixers, and outdoor furniture. Attendees enjoyed live music, tastings, and cocktails. Two fashion shows were presented by Made+ (an Annapolis-based, sustainable shoe manufacturer) and Shanks Golf Apparel.
The show’s educational programming, presented by BoatUS, was better attended than ever. It was standing room only at many of the free seminars. The two-hour-long, family-oriented US Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Class was very well received, and the introductory First Sail Workshop was almost entirely sold out, as were the diesel maintenance and emergency offshore medicine classes.
Other sponsored programs also had exceptional engagement. Tickets for LaVictoire’s VIP area sold out, and the kids’ loaner life jackets provided by BoatUS got rave reviews from parents and young attendees alike.
For over fifty years, Annapolis Boat Shows has been committed to curating the highest-quality in-water sail and powerboat shows. These events allow boaters to board the latest models and compare them side by side with a wide range of vessels. ABS hosts four events per year: the Bay Bridge Boat Show (April 12-14), the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show (April 26-28), the Annapolis Powerboat Show (October 3-6), and the Annapolis Sailboat Show (October 10-14).
