Hey boater, it’s called BOOT

Winter is that season in which we prepare for the other seasons. George Day explains how that is being done in the Cruising Compass:

Dusseldorf in the west of Germany is no one’s idea of a tourist destination in the middle of January but there is one very good reason for sailors and boat and water sports lovers to visit the ancient city this time of the year: it’s called BOOT.

The indoor consumer show displays the largest collection of boats, marine gear, equipment and services on the planet. In 16 huge halls, the show has 1,500 exhibitors from 68 countries and organizers say that more than a quarter of a million people from all over the world will visit the show from January 20 to 28.

Whether you sail, powerboat, paddle board, scuba dive, or wing foil, BOOT has everything on display that you could possibly imagine. The show this year will debut a host of new sailboats that will set the stage for the year ahead. The flagship this year is the new and majestic Hallberg Rassy 69. Check out this quick preview in Sail Universe.

The sailing displays fill Halls 15 and 16, and if you can’t make it to Germany next week, you can visit the show vicariously on the sailing pages of the BOOT website. The show is a true happening, and it takes days to see it all. Maybe next year.