News: Amateur Boat Building Awards: sponsored by West System International
The Water Craft Amateur Boat Building Awards (ABBA) will be taking place once again at the Beale Park Boat and Outdoor Show, this year to be held on the weekend of 3-5 June. The competition aims to inspire more people to build their own boats and celebrates the skills of amateur boat builders, which is why we’re so keen to be involved and will be continuing our proud sponsorship of the event.
The competition has been attracting boating enthusiasts from all over Europe since it started over 20 years ago and has seen more than 200 wooden boats of all types competing throughout the years; that includes dinghies and day boats, canoes and kayaks, rowing skiffs, launches (seagoing, slipper and steam), pocket yachts and not-so-pocket yachts.
The competition has been attracting boating enthusiasts from all over Europe
It gives competitors the chance to have their home-built boats judged within three categories, recognising excellence in:
· boats which offer the most encouragement to beginners
· boats which demonstrate innovation
· boats which look the most professionally built.
Putting amateurs to the test
Before you pick up your toolbox, remember this important point: ABBA is a competition for amateur boat builders only, excluding retired professionals or current students training to be professionals. The key is to inspire these people to put their skills to the test and push themselves to produce a boat that any professional would be proud of.
As Ian Oliver, Managing Director of WSI, comments: “The Amateur Boat Building Awards is designed to encourage people to take up the challenge of creating their own boat by rewarding those that have already risen to the challenge.”
Get tickets
Even if you’re not entering the competition this year, you can still see the contestants’ boats at the show throughout both days. So make sure to get yourselves a ticket for the event, you can find out more information on how to purchase tickets on the Beale Park Boat and Outdoor Show website.
Image credit: paradoxbuild-johanna.blogspot.com