Kicking off the new year – on Friday 8 January – is the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show (LIBS) at London’s ExCeL. Set to be 10 of the busiest days in the capital’s boating calendar, the show is London’s leading and most established annual event showcasing marine products and lifestyle.

Running from 8-17 January, LIBS will feature hundreds of boats and with over 400 exhibitors showcasing power and sail boats, dinghies, engines, electronics, deck equipment, charter holidays, and sailing courses. It is the perfect venue for visitors who are considering a summer holiday on the water, looking for inspiration, planning to invest in or upgrade their boat, or just fancy browsing the thousands of products on display.

Visitors can get to ExCeL from London Waterloo and Liverpool Street stations (25 minutes), or alternatively by car (over 2,500 car parking spaces available).

Show Facts

1. 56th Show
2. 10 days
3. 122,000 visitors*
4. Hundreds of boats from canoes to luxury power boats
5. price tags from £500 to £10 million
6. 400 exhibitors

Show Stage powered by Fairline

This year’s Show Stage has undergone a redesign and will be packed with non-stop entertainment throughout the 10 days. Each day the dance explosion ‘Rock the Boat’ will showcase fashion as graduates of the Brian Rogers Dance School perform a series of dance spectaculars for the audience. Also new to the Stage are Show presenters Giles Vickers-Jones – host of ITV at the Movies for ITV1 and regular columnist in Reveal magazine, and Torie Campbell – host of the Honda Formula 4 stroke offshore powerboat series for ITV4.

Visitors can hear inspirational stories from “boating heroes” Geoff Holt and Hilary Lister, record breaking rower Sarah Outen, youngest ever round-the-world sailor Mike Perham and P1 Powerboat Champion Shelley Jory. Huge screens across the Stage will also enable visitors to catch up with the winners and losers from 2009 with “The Best Bits”, a round up of boating action from the last year.

Show Favourites

In association with Yachting World’s sister publication Classic Boat magazine, International Paint and Old Pulteney, the Classic Boat stand is back as one of the star attractions. With the atmosphere of a friendly working boat yard, approachable and engaging craftsmen will be on hand to offer hints and tips when it comes to traditional skills and workmanship. There is the chance to master the intricacies of the gaff rig or learn how to climb into a proper ship hammock. Renowned marine artists will be painting the two majestic slipper launches and a little trailer-sailing cutter which will be on display.

Located in the Boulevard is the Owner’s Association area where boat owners from various associations can meet up, swap hints and tips and discuss their boats. For those looking to purchase a boat, or to upgrade, this sales free area is also a great place to meet owners who are willing to discuss the options available to any buyer.

Pay a visit to the Yachtworld.com Brokers Village to browse through comprehensive used boat listings. The Boat Retailers and Brokers Association** (BRBA) and the Association of Brokers and Yacht Agents (ABYA) will be at hand to provide the best advice for visitors looking to buy.

For those wishing to enjoy a drink, the ever busy Black and White Bar is back by popular demand, as is the Clubs and Associations Bar and the Sunseeker Champagne Bar. And for those visitors who have been following the Boating on a Budget diary pages on the LIBS’s website, the 36 year old Hunter 19 Barangoola will be on display. Raising funds for RNLI Burnham-on-Crouch through a £5 per ticket raffle, the Barangoola demonstrates just how affordable boating can be as she will be transformed into a shiny good-as-new cruiser by loving volunteers in the run up to the Show.

Get Interactive

Show visitors can test their marine skills against friends and family in the popular interactive Deck Games zone. The centre-piece is a 25m long 1m-deep indoor pool. The indoor pool will feature on-water model yacht racing, which can become competitive and vocal if past years are anything to go by.

At the weekends, younger visitors can experience kayaking on the pool with Pelican Kayaks in a safe and warm environment. Conducted under the watchful eye of the Lee Valley Canoe Cycle coaching team and with all the latest equipment provided by Avoncraft, visitors are encouraged to book early on the day to avoid disappointment.

The Deck Games zone has an educational element as well as a fun side. Sailors can learn how to be more environmentally friendly with the BMF and RYA initiative The Green Blue, as well as speak to one of the rowing experts from Concept 2 to find out how to get involved in one of the oldest and most diverse sports in the world.

Royal Victoria Dock

Outside, the marina will showcase the boats that are simply too big to fit through ExCel’s doors. Some of the largest boats in production will be on display, having sailed up the Thames from Poole and Plymouth respectively just after New Year’s Eve.

Over the weekends, the Royal Victoria Dock will play host to some exciting on-water activity. The Dinghy weekend, 16-17 January 2010, starts at 12:00 on Saturday 16 with the Ovington Skiff Grand Prix running for two hours. Sunday 17 will see British Sailing: Battle of the Classes Pursuits Race take over the dock from 14:00 with prize giving for both events taking place on the Show Stage powered by Fairline at 17:00.

Tickets and Show information

For all the latest information on the show itself, including opening times, ticket prices, sales, news, feature information and exhibitors, visit LIBS’s website at www.londonboatshow.com. There is also a ticket offer on Yachting World’s homepage.

The LIBS ticket hotline is 0844 209 0333.