Beaulieu Boatjumble Back In Force

K3 Bluebird Starting Up

A wonderful day was had by all at Beaulieu’s 2013 Boatjumble, with the crowds out in force sniffing out plenty of boating bargains. Following the cancellation of last year’s event due to dangerous high winds, all eyes were on the skies this year, but there was no need to worry, as the weather remained dry and fine, if a little chilly.

The event was very successful with an enjoyable atmosphere and visitor numbers were on a par with 2011 at 8,834. The Boatmall was bustling with activity as usual, with plenty of people browsing for new boats, clothing and the latest hi-tech sailing gadgets, and an array of used boats were up for sale in the Boatmart, from classics to nearly new.

Beaulieu Events Manager, Judith Maddox, said: “We were delighted that so many visitors returned to the Boatjumble after the disappointment of last year’s event being cancelled. Exhibitors reported good sales on the day and lots of visitors bagged themselves an excellent bargain. The delivery vehicles were kept busy all day taking heavy and bulky purchases back to the car parks.”

There were certainly very few people going home empty-handed, with sale items ranging from complete boats to small chandlery items. This year the Trunk Traders area was particularly popular, with over 150 spaces taken, and proved to be the perfect place for finding hidden gems.

The star attraction at this year’s event was the world water speed record breaker, the K3 Bluebird, in which Sir Malcolm Campbell set no fewer than three world records between 1937 and 1938. This stunning hydroplane powerboat was started up several times throughout the course of the day, wowing visitors with the roar of its powerful engine. The K3 Bluebird was displayed alongside Campbell’s famous land speed record breaker, the Sunbeam 350hp, which can usually be seen on display in the National Motor Museum. This was a rare opportunity for visitors to see two of Campbell’s most famous world land and water speed record breakers on show together.

In the Display Marquee Area, The Classic Motor Boat Association put on its traditional display of members’ classic boats and antique outboard engines and the Lymington Coastguard helicopter made its annual fly-past on the morning of the event. Event sponsor, Practical Boat Owner Magazine (PBO), attracted a lot of attention on its stand, where the team were working on their newly-painted PBO Project Boat, Hantu Biru – a Snapdragon 23 bought for just £510 on eBay complete with rig, sails and interior fittings.

One lucky visitor from Petworth, West Sussex, has been announced as the winner of the ‘Win an iPad Mini’ competition, run by PBO and Beaulieu. Hundreds of people entered on the day and the winning entry form was drawn at 3.30pm on the day of the event.

The 2014 Beaulieu Boatjumble is set to take place on Sunday 27th April. Please visit www.beaulieuboatjumble.co.uk for more information nearer the time and keep the conversation going with @Beaulieu_Hants on Twitter using #boatjumble