All hands are on deck as the Interboot gets ready to set sail

International water sports exhibition from September 22 to 30, 2018 – About 500 exhibitors will present the entire spectrum of water sports – More test opportunities and shows

July 17, 2018 | From September 22 to 30, 2018, the Interboot will set sail for added values in water sports. About 500 exhibitors from over 20 countries are on board and will present their products, accessories and new products in the motorboat, sailing and leisure sports segments. “The international water sports exhibition promises unforgettable experiences in the exhibition halls, at the Interboot Marina on Lake Constance and on the Trade Fair Lake, with a view to current trends and the latest water sports,” reports Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. For the first time at a German trade show, riders in the Motosurf Worldcup will stop by, promising exciting demonstration rides on Lake Constance on the first weekend of the Interboot.

“The Interboot combines technical information with a large number of entertainment elements. This year, we are continuing to expand the Interboot Academy and the lecture program, as well as the participatory and show components of the Interboot,” reports project leader Dirk Kreidenweiss. In the trend and boardsport area, a new stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) pool will invite beginners and advanced stand-up paddlers alike to try out boards and the new sport motosurfing will also be represented at Lake Constance with a demonstration race. Products, exhibitors and presentations will again shine the spotlight on the trending topic of hydrofoiling in sailing. The 57th international water sports exhibition not only celebrates all of the wonderful variety of water sports, it also offers a platform for initiatives and exhibitors who take responsibility for caring for our seas and oceans,” Kreidenweiss adds.

Hall A2 will be modified for the show – this is where accessories exhibitors will make their big appearance and also where, in the Interboot Contest, visitors will have to complete small water sports challenges for the chance to take home big prizes. Sailing and motor yachts, electric boats, inflatable boats, dinghies, foilers, canoes, kayaks, kites, wakeboards, surfboards, motors, electronics, apparel and accessories – everything and anything that floats and is fun in the water will make a grand appearance in the eight exhibition halls of the Interboot in late September.

Experience the surfing lifestyle in the trend and boardsport area

Board sports are a hot topic, even far from the ocean, and one that belongs to the water and at the Interboot. From windsurfing to kiteboarding, wakeboarding and on to wave riding – everything that needs water and a board will be represented in hall B1. Surfing has become more than just a sport. Many suppliers of leisure sports equipment are celebrating the relaxed surfer lifestyle, with a chill-out lounge creating a real beach feeling and the Interboot surf days offering a standing wave. In the five-meter wide basin, surfing fans will be able to test – and improve – their skills at the push of a button, with neither registration nor a board or neoprene wetsuit required. Everything is provided on site. To avoid long waiting times, slots can be reserved for up to five people. Those who want a more leisurely pace can climb on top of a board in the new SUP test pool.

Surfing and stand-up paddleboarding are not just sports, but also attitudes towards life that create a yearning for the sun and sea. At sunset shopping on Thursday, September 27, this lifestyle will be accessible and available for purchase until 9 p.m., with exhibitors making special offers. Also on Thursday evening, the latest film from the Ocean Film Tour will take the audience to the depths of the sea on the movie screen in the trending sports hall, hall B1, at 8:30 p.m. More information and reservations are available at www.interboot.de/die-interboot/interboot-academy/uebersicht/

Full speed ahead on the Trade Fair Lake

Those who want to test out even more sports will heed the call of the Trade Fair Lake. There they can experience pure water sports, with daily opportunities to paddle, sail and wakeboard. Visitors can glide across the water in canoes and kayaks or take a wakeboard out for a spin. The wakeboard machine will invite visitors to take a fast ride across the surface of water every day of the show. The littlest water fans will also not be left out – integrative mini-12 sailing will give them the opportunity to personally take the helm of these unsinkable, uncapsizable boats.

Paddling to paradise with the SUP team challenge

Especially ambitious stand-up paddlers can face off in pairs against eleven other teams on the Trade Fair Lake in the SUP Team Challenge. The prize for the winners is participation in the British Virgin Islands SUP Challenge powered by The Moorings, which takes place in the Caribbean in February 2019. For one week, the winners will paddle from island to island of the Caribbean archipelago in 10-15 km stages. Naturally, they will also get to explore fantastic beaches and enjoy the South Seas lifestyle. In the evenings, the national drink, the Painkiller, will help them to forget the challenges of the day’s journey. Their constant companion, night quarters and safe harbor while on the high seas will be a luxury catamaran from The Moorings. Have we awakened your spirit of adventure? If so, applications are possible until September 15 at www.interboot.de/die-interboot/board-und-trendsport/sup-team-challenge/.

Sporty highlights on Lake Constance, from motosurfing to Sunset Sail

Lake Constance contributes to the success of the Interboot. This year, like in the past, many highlights of the show will take place on the lake at the base of the Alps. During Sunset Sailing, participants will sail into the romantic sunset. Those who want to enjoy a little more speed in the evening atmosphere can take a motorboat instead and engage in Sunset Cruising. Both programs are part of the Interboot Academy.

Also in action on Lake Constance will be a trend on the water that is making its premiere at the show: motosurfing. In this sport, motors transform an ordinary wakeboard into a real wave-breaker. The ultralight boards are controlled by a joystick and can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph). Top riders listed in the current world cup rankings will show off the boards in action during a demonstration race on the shoreline promenade on September 22 and 23.

Same weekend, same place: for the 14th time, the Interboot Trophy will be take place directly in front of the shoreline promenade in Friedrichshafen, where it will offer the public a first class regatta competition. Here, competitors sail to earn important ranking points. In the accessible pit lanes in the Graf-Zeppelin-Haus, some visitors may have the chance to watch the sailors prepare and launch their vessels and experience water sports up close and personal.

Drop anchor, take a stroll and test a boat in the safe Interboot Marina

Away from the hustle and bustle on the fairgrounds, over 100 boats are anchored in the Interboot Marina, inviting potential buyers to take a test sail. Whether it be in a classic motorboat, a one-master with polished wood planks or a modern e-boat, here no wish goes unfulfilled. The marina also exudes maritime flair during a relaxed sundowner after the expo closes for the day.

The hearts of traditional sailors will beat faster at the dock of the Oldtimer Schiffer Bodensee (OSB), the Lake Constance classic boat club, where mahogany meets the traditional art of boat-building. The classic boats can be observed in action during the classic boat regatta organized by the Friedrichshafen sailing and motor boat club on Sunday, September 23, 2018.

Women will take the wheel in the exclusive motor boat training course for female captains in cooperation with the magazine “Boote.” Experienced female skippers will pass their expertise on to newcomers and head out on the water with them. Registration at the magazine’s Interboot stand is required.

Learn and share experiences at the Interboot Academy

As we all know, you never stop learning – which is why the Interboot offers all friends of water sports a broad range of presentations, workshops and seminars related to their shared hobby – by pros for pros. At events like Sunset Sailing, Sunset Cruising and in the trend sport of motosurfing, participants can take the wheel themselves or get up on a board. In addition, there will be a seminar on harbor maneuvers, radar and plotting, with the aim of avoiding collisions at sea, as well as VHF refresher courses by the former Royal Marine Peter G. Boot. A highlight of the academy that books up well in advance is the blue water seminar by circumnavigator Bobby Schenk.

Team up with a Pro

Water sports action will be in the air at the “Team up with a Pro” wakeboard competition from September 28 to 30. For the fourth time at the Interboot, real professionals will assemble amateur wakeboard teams and prepare them from Friday through Sunday for the big competition. Boardslide or front flip, nose press or Raley, on Sunday the teams will show off their stuff at the Trade Fair Lake.

Interboot Action Days – the next generation in action

Anyone who wants to become a captain has to start training early. At the Interboot Action Days on September 29 and 30, young people between the ages of 12 and 16 can try out sailing, operating a motor boat, wakeboard and stand up paddleboarding or dive into the watery depths. “Sailing across Lake Constance or standing at the wheel of a sailing yacht – for many young people that is a dream that they can live out here. Fostering the next generation is important to us and is the focus of this program,” explains project leader Dirk Kreidenweiss. Tickets and more information are available at www.interboot.de.

Set sail for new shores with the Start Boating initiative

The second Interboot weekend (September 28 to 30) will set course for all future water sports fans. The Start Boating initiative, which has the goal of getting more people excited about boating, offers interested guests the opportunity to get a breath of sea air and try out a boat for themselves. To this end, an entire fleet will be ready for captains, and those who wish to become one, in the Interboot Marina. Appointments for test sails can be reserved on the website www.startboating.de starting on July 28.

From the Alps to the sea – Suisse@Interboot

Our Alpine neighbor is known for its mountains, but the Swiss also cut a good figure on the water. That’s why the red and white flag will once again be raised in hall A4, under the motto Suisse@Interboot. As is customary, Thursday at the Interboot will be dedicated to Switzerland and, among other things, all Swiss visitors will get free admission on that day.

Satisfy your wanderlust at the Sailing and Travel Competence Center

The Sailing and Travel Competence Center will be more than just a meeting point for ambitious sailors, speedboaters and motor boat enthusiasts again this year. This is where the entire diversity of boating will be on display. The topic of hydrofoiling will be addressed at the show as well as at the Sailing and Competence Center. In addition to information about sailing and motor boat travel, the program offers all sorts of useful information about daysailer concepts, alternative sailing solutions and much more. Among other things, free charter and passage planning for motor- and sailboat operators will be offered by Jürgen Strassburger.

Sailing is also a synonym for travel. That’s why a large number of dream destinations for saiboaters and the corresponding travel providers will be presented during the lectures program. To add even more to the vacation atmosphere, speakers will give travel reports and tell of their experiences at sea.

Lake Constance boat builders association – classic beauties

Classics never go out of style and visitors will be able to marvel at them at the joint stand of the Verband der Bodenseewerften, the Lake Constance boat builders association. In addition to the beauty of classic boats, technical information from boatbuilding experts on a variety of topics related to hobbies in the water will be presented on the lectures stage.

Maritime fashions – That water sports feeling every day

Water sports mean more than hardware and equipment, they also mean fashion and accessories for all of the various activities in and around the refreshing wet stuff. That’s why, at the 57th Interboot, there will be a wide variety of maritime apparel to try on and purchase. The fashion mile in hall A2 will show off what men and women will be wearing in the coming season, ranging from bikinis to sailing jackets.

InterDive – a look below the surface

At the sixth InterDive, friends of the deep sea will be able to dive into the exciting world beneath the waves. Here exhibitors will present current trends and product innovations. In addition, a diverse selection of topics related to diving, snorkeling and travel awaits visitors here. This guest event will take place from Thursday, September 20, to Saturday, September 23, partially alongside the Interboot. More information is available at www.interdive.de.

Hamburg Boat Show – the industry meeting in the North of Germany

The Interboot is getting a counterpart in the Hanseatic City of Hamburg: from October 17 to 21, 2018, the Hamburg Boat Show will open its doors as a platform for the water sports industry in the North for the first time. In three exhibition halls, the show by the industry for the industry will exhibit what gets water sports enthusiasts in the northern half of Germany up and going. The show is organized by the German Boat- and Shipbuilding Association (DBSV). More information is available at www.hamburg-boat-show.de

Opening hours and prices

The Interboot will present the entire world of water sports from Saturday, September 22 to Sunday, September 22, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Interboot Marina will invite visitors to enjoy a pleasant sundowner until 7 p.m. daily. A day pass costs 12 euros, reduced admission is 10 euros. A family pass is available for 28 euros. Children between the ages of six and fourteen pay 5 euros. More information is available in the Internet under www.interboot.de and www.facebook.de/interboot

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