CELEBRITIES from the world of sailing - and nightclub entrepreneur Peter Stringfellow - will be among the guests at Southampton's glittering annual Boat Show gala dinner on Friday, September 17.
The event is due to be staged at Saints' St Mary's Stadium and is expected to raise thousands of pounds for the Royal Yachting Association's "Sailability" charity which helps disabled youngsters to get involved in sailing.
Confirmed guests for the gala evening include Formula One powerboat champion, Steve Curtis, yachtswoman Tracy Edwards and celebrity chef Ross Burden as well as the irrepressible Peter Stringfellow.
The glittering three course banquet will have a Welsh theme to reflect the involvement of the "Team Wales" - an umbrella body which aims to promote tourism in the country and which is sponsoring the event.
Meanwhile, the countdown to Southampton's spectacular boat show continues with the south's Olympic heroes being given a starring role in the event which begins on September 10.
Olympic gold medallists Shirley Robertson from Cowes and Ben Ainslie from Lymington will be sailing into Southampton on September 10 at 11am on board a Pinder Open 60.
They will be joined by fellow members of Britain's successful Olympic sailing squad including silver medallists Joe Glanfield and Nick Rogers.
This year's show will be the biggest yet covering a massive 29.6 acres - the equivalent of 17 football pitches - and is expected to attract 130,000 visitors.
Ross Burden from TV's Masterchef and Ready Steady Cook has created a special menu for the boat show featuring a Galapagos Islands dish which he created after his visit to the famous wildlife sanctuary.
BBC commentator and former swimming star Sharron Davies will be putting in an appearance at the show at the hydropool stand.
She will be talking about her love of boats and the water as well as her experiences in Athens during the Olympics.
One other star celebrity at the show will be theIsle of Wight's round the world sailing legend Ellen MacArthur.
She will be at the show on Saturday, September 11 along with her stunning new trimaran on which she hopes to attempt a fresh round the world record attempt.
For more information on the Southampton Boat Show go to our dedicated Sailing website: www.sailsolent.co.uk
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