Extreme adventurer Mike Horn has shared his enthusiasm at opening this year’s Paris Boat Show next weekend.

As previously noted on Afloat.ie, nearly 170,000 visitors are expected to meet the 650 exhibitors spread over two halls at Porte de Versailles for this year’s Salon Nautique International de Paris, which runs from Saturday 3 to Saturday 10 December.

Speaking ahead of the expo, South African-born, Swiss-based explorer says: “After 25 years exploring all corners of the globe during my various adventures, I still prefer navigating the planet’s oceans as my means of transport.

“Sailing has taken me to places I had only dreamed about and awakened a sensitivity for the environments I have ventured into. These two passions have led to the birth of INOCEL.”

This state-of-the-art high power, high performance hydrogen fuel cell is aimed at accelerating the transition to greener propulsion and Horn sits on its board of directors. He says it represents “a new technological solution to continue my adventures and those of others in a more responsible and respectful way towards our planet”.

Horn adds: “We cannot stop what we are doing, but we can change the way in which we do it. I am therefore delighted to be the patron of this year's Paris Boat Show. A place where we can get together and create our dreams of tomorrow.”

Organisers of Nautic 2022 have also shared more details on what to expect across the event’s massive exhibition space.

Hall 1 will feature 700 craft, from sailing boats and motor boats to dinghies, windsurfers and engine manufacturers. It also includes the maritime and river rental area, regions and destinations (Occitanie, Corsica, Brittany, Normandy, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Spain, the Canaries, Tunisia, and more), and banking, insurance and services sectors, including boating licences.

The main hall will also be the host of numerous world premieres, not limited to RM Yachts’ flagship RM 1390, and Rosewest’s Cape Cod 767 Lounge.

Next door at Hall 2.2 will group all the equipment, from the most traditional to the latest innovations: fittings, electronics, fishing, energy, sails, paints and varnishes, decoration and the craft industry. The Galerie Marchande is also located in this hall where clothing and accessories are on offer at attractive prices.

Once again this year, in conjunction with the Swimming Pool and Spa Professionals Federation, a space dedicated to swimming pools, saunas, spas and shelters will round out the range of nautical products and services.

A key date for the Nautic 2022 itinerary is Wednesday 7 December which will see the awards for Motor Boat of the Year and Yacht of the Year on the Nautic stage at 4.30pm CET, in partnership with Editions Larivière.

And that’s not to mention the show-closing presentation prizes for the winners of the 2022 Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.

For much more see the official Paris Boat Show website.

The 2022 Paris Boat Show will take place from 3-10 December with extreme adventurer Mike Horn opening the doors on the first day of the major trade show.

Nearly 170,000 visitors are expected to meet the 650 exhibitors spread over two halls at Porte de Versailles for this year’s Salon Nautique International de Paris.

In addition, organisers are touting several new features for the 61st Nautic promising great experiences for all lovers of boating and yachting.

The show will have a more concentrated format over nine days, with a preview evening reserved exclusively for exhibitors and their guests and a closing night on Saturday 10 December for a festive nautical night open to all.

Visitors will also be invited to meet the future winners of the Innovation Competition hosted in conjunction with the French Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN).

Some 15 finalists out of more than 60 project entries will be exhibited in this space set aside specifically for this purpose. The grand final will take place on the Nautical Stage on Saturday 10 December in front of a jury made up of personalities and experts including France’s director general of maritime affairs, a skipper from the maxi multihull MACIF and the managing director of VivaTech.

One new feature presented at Nautic will be a virtual reality space to live through an experience without getting wet! “We are experimenting with a new approach, as we are convinced that virtual reality, without of course replacing the pleasure of the activity in real life, can bring us new developments in the very near future,” FIN says.

Preservation of the marine environment will also be clearly reflected through an immersion dive within the exhibition on the Ocean & Climate Platform covering nearly 500 square metres in Hall 1. The visitor will be treated to a dazzling visual auditory experience thanks to a 40-metre graphic fresco and a dome projecting a film at 360 degrees.

In other highlights, the 12th Nautic Paddle on Sunday 4 December will see 1,000 participants for the largest paddle race in the world, setting off at dawn. And the final day will also see the presentation prizes for the winners of the 2022 Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe which sets off on Sunday 6 November.

Tickets for the 2022 Paris Boat Show are priced at €14 with special concessions for members of the French sailing, rowing, water skiing and wakeboarding Federations, anyone who has obtained a boating licence since November 2021 and students and under-16s. In addition, the first 1,000 single-day tickets sold will be available for the special price of €9.

For more details see the official Paris Boat Show website.