2021 Sydney Festival of Boating cancelled

The show was to go ahead late this month, featuring a more managed format that would allow the event’s organisers, the Boating Industry Association, to separate crowds according to strict Federal Government-mandated COVIDSafe guidelines.

However, the BIA announced in the wake of a committee meeting last month that due to uncertainty around the current COVID-19 outbreak that has plunged greater Sydney into two weeks of lockdown, the event could not go ahead. 

Preparations had already started on converting the Darling Harbour marina into an on-water showcase for boats. A number of vessels were scheduled to come south from Sanctuary Cove for the event.

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“The Boating Industry Association has cancelled the Sydney Festival of Boating, which was scheduled to run from July 29 to August 1, to support efforts by [the NSW] Government in controlling the current COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, which is now impacting other states,” the BIA said.

“The BIA will now focus its attention on promoting the boating lifestyle in the run-up to the next boating season through programs such as its Discover Boating initiative supported by a multimedia marketing campaign.

“Boating has proven to be a standout choice in leisure activity through the pandemic,” it said.

“The combination of no international travel, the staycation phenomenon, flexible work practices and the need to be COVIDSafe have seen interest in getting out the water ramp up significantly.”

BIA president Darren Vaux said the BIA board's decision was a difficult one, as the event's exhibition space had sold out and marina spaces were oversubscribed.

“The BIA believed the responsible action was to weigh up the facts, liaise with stakeholders such as our members, government and the venue partner, the International Convention Centre, and to make a decision this week,” Vaux said.

“Cancelling the event supports government efforts to get the current outbreak of COVID-19 and its highly contagious Delta variant under control.

"It also recognises the likely challenges that our local and interstate members and exhibitors will encounter over the coming weeks."

Instead of the show, the BIA will now focus on promoting boating as a lifestyle.

The BIA has adopted a version of the Discover Boating initiative launched last year by the US-based National Marine Manufacturers Association to promote boating in North America.

The idea behind the initiative is to make it easy for people to step into boating as a lifestyle, whether they’re new to the activity, returning after an absence, or an old hand.

The BIA is also planning to hold an event – it’s not yet clear if it will be a festival or a return to the international boat show format – at the same time next year.

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria has announced it will host a scaled-down boat show using a very different format – called the Discover Boating Showcase – at an entirely new venue later this year after the pandemic spoilt its plans to host a larger event in June.

Melbourne last staged a boat show in 2019. This year’s event was cancelled after boat brands said they would not have enough product to fill show stands in the wake of strong new boat sales sparked by the pandemic.

The only show to be successfully staged so far this year has been the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.