OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 May, the Baltic Sea Festival, the largest boat show in the Northwest, opened at Lenexpo. The festival brought together more than 50 manufacturers of small boats, special materials and equipment, as well as all lovers of water sports and recreation.

Young sailors from Yung Sailing Club of the City Palace for Youth Creativity marched for the exhibition guests accompanied by solemn music. Andrei A. Berezkin, a member of the Maritime Board of the Government of St. Petersburg, President of the St. Petersburg Regional Sports Public Organisation and the Association of L6 Racing Yachts, was the first to welcome the guests. He emphasized that the sailing season begins every year with the Baltic Sea Festival and attracts the attention of not only sailors, ship-owners and small boat manufacturers, but also of the younger generation of future sailors and owners of small boats in St. Petersburg: “The Makarov Maritime Academy recently celebrated its 140-year anniversary. The history of one of the most powerful maritime universities in Russia began in 1876 with the seafaring classes of the St. Petersburg River Yacht Club”.

Alexandr V. Radko, Head of the State Inspectorate for Small Boats of EMERCOM of Russia for St. Petersburg, wished all participants fair winds and following seas, as well as safety on the water, and noted that a large section of this year’s exhibition is dedicated to safety and rescue on the water.

The CEO of ExpoForum International announced the rich entertainment programme of the Festival: boat test drives, sailing competitions, wing kit demonstrations, workshops on making kites with further mass flying, hot rod, sound and paint spraying festival, as well as a concert of young St. Petersburg rock bands.