The sixth Barclays Jersey Boat Show kicks off next weekend (4-6 May), signalling the start of a run of free, boutique boat shows on this spring.

The three-day event has been growing in popularity with each edition and last year attracted 30,000 people to St Helier Marina.

Confirmed exhibitors include Fairline, Sunseeker, Beneteau and Channel Islands boatbuilder Aquastar.

The following weekend, 11-12 May, the action moves to Poole Harbour for the Sandbanks Boat Show, another free-to-enter event that has rapidly become a fixture on the early season calendar.

Based at Salterns Marina, visitors will be able to see motor boats from all the leading British brands, but also craft from non-UK yards like Beneteau, Jeanneau, Chris-Craft and Rodman.

Then, from 17-19 May, the inaugural British Motor Yacht Show takes place at Swanwick Marina in Southampton.

This show is being put together by the leading dealers of Sunseeker, Princess and Fairline and will have 15 new boats on display, five from each yard.

Princess Motor Yacht Sales is using the event to showcase the new Princess V48 for the first time. The company will also be showing the V42, V72, Princess 64 and Princess 72.

Sunseeker Southampton will have the Predator 53, Manhattan 63, Predator 68 Predator 80 and Sam Remo on display.

Fairline Southampton, meanwhile, will be exhibiting the Squadron 42, Targa 50GT, Squadron 60, Squadron 65 and Squadron 78.

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