Boating

Show at Shilshole Aims to Attract the Boatless

The New World Challenge, a 67-foot steel-hulled sailing yacht, will be visiting the Shilshole Boat Show. Visitors jammed the docks at Shilshole's 1999 Boat Show. Boat Show Facts When: August 16-20, 2000 Where: Shilshole Bay Marina, Ballard 7001 Seaview Ave. NW Seattle, Washington Hours: Wednesday - Friday: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday: 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: $7 (17 and under free with paid adult) Info: www.seattleboatshow.com or call (206) 634-0911.

This year's event, presented by the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), will also transform Shilshole Marina's central pier into an entertainment center with a beer garden, food booths and music.

The 28th annual show will run Wednesday - Sunday, August 16 - 20. Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Those who buy tickets on-line (www.seattleboatshow.com) will receive free valet parking.

A special target of this year's show will be those who fit into the "boatless in Seattle" category. To attract newcomers to recreational boating in the Northwest, the Shilshole event will offer free admission to non-boat owners after 5 p.m. daily.

Youngsters attending the show will get a chance to participate in duck races which will be staged several times daily. Robert Duck of Bosque Farms, N.M., will bring his trained ducks to Seattle to compete on a course set up close to shore within the show.

Each duck in a race will have a young volunteer handler at the starting line. When the starter signals "go," the ducks will be turned loose in a flurry of quacking, flapping wings and flying feathers in a race to the finish.

Racing powerboats and sailboats will be part of the show. Miss Budweiser, the reigning queen of the present unlimited hydroplane fleet and big winner of last weekis hydro races, will share the spotlight with Miss Bardahl, a former championship boat from the early days of Seattle hydro history.

The 78-foot Spirit of Seattle, a training vessel being used by a Seattle group's bid to bring the America's Cup sailboat race back to the U.S., will be open to Seattle show visitors. Russell Belden is leading the Seattle Challenge for the America's Cup and has the endorsement of Corinthian Yacht Club here.

Another boat expected to attract special interest is the self-righting rescue vessel used offshore by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Have you ever dreamed about sailing around the world? A program making those dreams come true will be represented in the Shilshole show by a 67-foot, steel-hulled sailing yacht, the New World Challenge. One fleet of sister ships will depart England in September for a 10-month round-the-world race and another group of boats is scheduled to depart San Francisco in May, 2002. Individuals are given special training and then assigned to a boat for all or one leg of the world cruise. Simon Walker of London, managing director of the program, will be in Seattle for the show.

"Fun and relaxation is a big part of the boating experience," said George Harris, the show director. "The response I received from last year was consistent: 'expand the trailerboat area, unify the layout and make the atmosphere more festive.' Well, we've done just that."

Still another feature of the Shilshole event will be free seminars led by experts on all facets of Northwest boating: cruising, fishing, shellfish gathering, livaboard boating and the like. A special "authors and experts" section will be set up where show visitors can chat with guest experts.

Shilshole Bay Marina, operated by the Port of Seattle, is located in the Ballard area of north Seattle.

Admission price is $7 for adults with children 17 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free. More details are available at www.seattleboatshow.com.

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