STEELPOINTE YACHT AND CHARTER SHOW

History was made this past weekend at Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport. For the first time ever a Yacht and Charter Show in the Park City drew people from around the country. The Bridgeport Harbor Marina was filled with yachts, charter boats, antique and luxury cars, invited patrons, and vendors. Skyplanes buzzed the Marina, assorted food trucks lined up, and luxury exhibitors showed off their wares as helicopters hovered overhead. Mayor Joe Ganim arrived in style in a 435cc Everglades boat, accompanied by the Showpiece Show’s staff.

It all started on Thursday, June 18th ,2020 when the President of Operations for Bridgeport Landing Development Robert Christoph Jr. became the first person to arrive via helicopter on Bridgeport’s East Side Steelpointe Harbor Peninsula. This iconic moment set the stage for the big weekend. Thanks to Azimuth Aviation of Stratford, Connecticut history was made aboard one of their flying machines.

Kitty McGowen, an organizer of the event and President of the U.S. Superyacht Association said the boat show was particularly important for the Bridgeport area. “It’s not just about the ‘2 percenters’ who can afford expensive boats. It’s really about the jobs,” McGowen said. McGowen believes that the people and families are positively impacted by the increase of boats in the area. McGowen added the event brings more jobs and puts a focus on the entire city of Bridgeport. “The thing about the boating industry is that it’s good for this community and this brings hope to this community, this project bringing jobs and bringing a lot of focus in a very positive way that’s going to help lift up the entire city of Bridgeport,” says McGowan. The Christoph’s intend for their Yacht and Charter Boat event to be an annual luxury boat show that showcases their state-of-the-art 200-slip Bridgeport Harbor Marina. Christoph said, “They (guests) enjoyed Bridgeport Harbor in a way they haven’t in 100 years. A lot of people don’t know it exists, so we’ll be hosting boat shows annually in May and September.”

Beyond the alluring display of boats, the show featured a multitude of fast, luxurious, and sophisticated cars from the nearby Black Horse Garage. Whether it was Aston Martin or the brand-new Genesis vehicles, guests were in awe. Luckily, patrons did not have to be car aficionados to appreciate the beauty of what was on display. Showpiece Shows did a remarkable job presenting the first ever Steelpointe Boat Show.

Keeping the recent pandemic in mind, the event remained fun and safe. The show organizers arranged mandatory temperature screening prior to entering, a touchless check in, as well as following proper social distancing requirements.

The COVID-19 pandemic has without a doubt impacted the nation. Now, more than ever, organizations need support. The Steelpointe Yacht and Charter Show organized an online auction to benefit the community. The proceeds collected went toward Steelpointe’s non-profit partners: Connecticut Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders, East End NRZ Market & Café, and Optimus Health Care.

The wonderful weather, diverse food choices, and live music created the perfect Steelpointe Yacht and Charter Show experience. Steelpointe will host a marquee event September 24th-September 27th, 2020, which will be open to the public. The September show promises to draw a crowd of boaters, yacht fanatics, and community members along the state-of-the-art docks at Bridgeport Harbor Marina.