Weekend days out

Top things to see at Scotland’s Boat Show

1. TRY A BOAT FREE TASTER SESSIONS

IF you have always fancied yourself as a sailor but never quite made it to the open sea, Scotland’s Boat Show could be for you. Offering taster sessions, displays and plenty of other attractions, the show expects to welcome more than 16,000 visitors to Inverkip, Inverclyde, over three days next month. It is for both experienced boat enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Run by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), these free taster sessions will be a thrill for anyone who has harboured (excuse the pun) a desire to get behind the controls of a boat.

Visitors can try a 30-minute hands-on experience on sailing yachts, motor yachts and dinghy sailing under the watchful eye of experts from RYA’s partners, including the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland and Clyde Muirshiel Country Park.

They are a great way to find out what it’s like to sail a boat without having to commit to buying one. Those with impaired mobility are equally able to enjoy a taste of the open water, with Clyde Muirshiel offering sessions on the Wheelyboat Discovery: a specially adapted powerboat which can accommodate four people, including two wheelchair users.

Book via RYA Scotland website and www. scotlandsboatshow.co.uk

2. BOAT DISPLAYS

As you might expect at a boat show, there will be a huge array of vessels on display at Kip Marina: ranging from a £500 dingy to a million-pound powerboat. More than 130 new and pre-owned boats will be exhibited on shore and at the marina pontoon, making it the biggest such display in Scotland. The range of vessels will include Hanse yachts, Quicksilver powerboats and vintage sailboats, designed to suit all interests and budgets (as well as those just having a nosy).

3. FORMULA ONE POWERBOAT RIDES

Not for the faint-hearted, this trip will take you racing across the Clyde