Annapolis Boat Shows will be hosting the 2024 Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show April 26-28 at City Dock in Annapolis, MD. The show will be open to the public 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. This year, there are expected to be more than 40 sailboats on display and over 100 total exhibitors. New to the show is the No Wake Zone—a space to house local wine and spirits tastings, live music, and an outdoor-wear fashion show. This year’s show has a renewed emphasis on getting new people into sailing with programming for both kids and adults. The show also serves as a gateway to the US Sailing Capital, with showgrounds only steps away from historic downtown Annapolis.
Boats in the Show
Smaller in volume than the fall show, the spring show offers an impressive range of boats. There will be a selection of electric yacht tenders, racing dinghies, daysailers, cruisers, and multihulls with LOAs ranging from 11’ to 60’ (see full list).
A notable outlier is the 157’ Pride of Baltimore II. The recreation 19th century Baltimore clipper may not be available for purchase, but like all the boats featured at the show, attendees are welcome to climb aboard and explore.
No Wake Zone
New to the show this year is the No Wake Zone – an area set aside for attendees to relax while highlighting local brands and artists. The outdoor lounge area has been furnished by Gabby & Summer Classics. Live music will be performed by local musician Sean Owen. Samples of Maryland-made bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, and wine will be offered, and bottles will be available for purchase. On Saturday, fashion shows will be held to showcase activewear from Shanks Golf Apparel and Made Plus shoes (read more).
Landlubbers Welcome
Presented by the American Sailing Association, First Sail Workshop is a hands-on class that affords people aged 18 and up the opportunity to establish the foundations of sailing. The workshop is divided into a 45-minute classroom session and a 90-minute, on-water lesson aboard a Beneteau First 22. The class is priced at $65 per person and includes admission to the show and a one-year membership to BoatUS.
Additionally, SpinSheet Publishing will be holding a meetup at the Spring Sailboat Show on the morning of Sunday, April 28, for the sailors it has interviewed over the past 10 years as part of SpinSheet’s Start Sailing Now campaign. Start Sailing Now shares the stories of people who started sailing as adults and aims to encourage other adults to take up sailing. Showgoers who are at the show as it opens on Sunday morning are invited to join these sailors (made identifiable by their Start Sailing Now badges) huddled around the SpinSheet booth swapping stories and offering encouragement.
Youth Sailing
Along with a selection of dinghies, the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show has a lot to offer young sailors and their parents. A notable addition to this year’s show is the Rooster sailing gear trailer. There will be a wide variety of sailing apparel available for purchase as well as knowledgeable staff to direct parents as to what gear their child needs and proper fitting. Loaner life jackets will be made available at the show entrances courtesy of BoatU.S.
All are invited for a youth sailing panel discussion and Q&A session on Saturday, April 27 at 10:30 a.m. Whether parents have already registered their child for a youth sailing program this season or simply wonder whether such a program would be right for their family, they won’t want to miss the casual and lively panel discussion planned for families who have questions about youth sailing. Moderated by SpinSheet staff, this session will touch on all the essentials that families need to know to get their youngsters sailing. A group of coaches, parents, and recent college sailors will discuss the gear kids need, safety, costs, how kids progress to bigger boats, and more. More generally, panelists will discuss how sailing fosters life skills, problem-solving, and independence. Children are encouraged to attend accompanied by an adult.
There’s so much to see and do at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show. Best of all the show serves as a great starting point for a day out in Annapolis. The 2024 sailing season starts at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show and you don’t have to be a sailor to join in on the fun.
