The Annapolis Sailboat Show 2026 runs Thursday 15 October to Sunday 18 October at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland, and six new boats are confirmed for it: the Fountaine Pajot FP48 and Vaan R4 (North American debuts), the Knysna 550 (world premiere), the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 455 (US debut), the Balance 502 and the Tartan 34.
Updated 20 September 2026. The show has not opened yet, so everything here is a preview built from the organisers’ published information and the builders’ own pages. I will update this piece with dock walk impressions once the show has run.
One thing to get straight before you book anything. There is also an Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show at the same City Dock site, and the next one is 23 to 25 April 2027. The October show is the big in-water one, and the organisers call it the largest in-water sailboat show in the United States.
Dates, hours and tickets
City Dock, Annapolis, Maryland. Use 1 Dock Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 for satnav. The box office is on Compromise Street next to Tent D.
- Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October: 10:00 to 18:30
- Sunday 18 October: 10:00 to 17:00
| Ticket | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preview Day, Thursday 15 October | $55 | Smaller crowds, full four days of access is not included |
| General admission, 16 to 18 October | $32 | Per day |
| Children 7 to 15 | $10 | |
| Children 6 and under | Free | |
| Military Appreciation Day, Sunday 18 October | $22 | Valid ID required at the gate |
Buy through annapolisboatshows.com or at the gate. The organisers say tickets are sold only through their own site or in person, which is worth remembering if a resale listing shows up in your search results at a higher price.
Re-entry is allowed on a hand stamp. The show runs rain or shine.
The new boats at the Annapolis Sailboat Show 2026
Six boats have a confirmed first or near-first showing. Five of them have published dimensions I could check against the builder’s own site. Prices are patchier, and I have said so rather than guessing.
| Boat | Type | Length | Beam | Draft | Accommodation | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountaine Pajot FP48 | Cruising catamaran | 14.43 m hull (47 ft 4 in) | 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | 3 to 4 cabins, up to 10 berths | Not published |
| Knysna 550 | Bluewater catamaran | 16.82 m LOA (55 ft) | 9.06 m (29 ft 9 in) | 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) | 3 or 4 cabins | Build slots listed at USD 1.245m to 1.975m |
| Balance 502 | Performance catamaran | 15.25 m LOA (50 ft) | 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) | 1.16 m up / 2.27 m down (3 ft 10 in / 7 ft 5 in) | 3 or 4 cabins | Not published |
| Vaan R4 | Aluminium electric catamaran | 12.80 m LOA (42 ft) | 7.06 m (23 ft 2 in) | 1.30 m up / 1.95 m down (4 ft 3 in / 6 ft 5 in) | 3 cabins | Not published |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 455 | Monohull cruiser | 14.28 m LOA, 13.74 m hull (46 ft 10 in) | 4.49 m (14 ft 9 in) | 2.35 m standard (7 ft 9 in) | 4 layouts, up to 5 cabins | From about EUR 290,000 ex tax (European list) |
| Tartan 34 | Monohull cruiser | 33 ft 6 in LOA, 29 ft 2 in LWL | 10 ft 11 in | 6 ft fin, 4 ft 6 in shoal, or keel/centreboard | Not published | Not published |
Fountaine Pajot FP48
This is the one Fountaine Pajot is putting its weight behind. The FP48 had its world premiere in Europe and comes to Annapolis for its North American debut. It replaces the Tanna 47.
Numbers from the builder: 14.43 m hull length, 7.90 m beam, 1.64 m draft, 16.7 tonnes light. Mainsail 85 m², genoa 49 m², so 134 m² upwind. Standard engines are 2 x 45 hp with an 80 hp option, and there is an ODSea+ hybrid using 2 x 25 kW motors and a 32 kW generator. Tankage is 2 x 350 litres of water and 2 x 350 litres of diesel, with 2,300 W of solar on the roof.
Three or four cabins, two or three heads, up to 10 berths. The owner’s suite in the Full Maestro layout is 18 m². Fountaine Pajot has not published a US price, so expect to ask a dealer.
Worth knowing: Fountaine Pajot lists four sailing catamarans for Annapolis, not three. The FP41, FP44, FP48 and FP51 are all on the stand, which makes it the easiest place on the dock to compare a builder’s range back to back in one afternoon. The FP41 is 12.10 m with 6.92 m beam and 1.35 m draft; the FP44 is 13.26 m, 7.44 m and 1.57 m; the FP51 is 15.91 m, 8.08 m and 1.58 m.
Vaan R4
The Dutch Vaan R4 is the most unusual boat at the show and its first public appearance in North America. The hull is aluminium, a large share of it recycled, and it is recyclable again at the end of the boat’s life. Dykstra Naval Architects drew the underbody. The interior uses cork, flax and linen instead of the usual composite panels.
Propulsion is fully electric through two saildrives, charged by solar and by regeneration under sail. Vaan lists 12.80 m LOA, 7.06 m beam, 1.30 m draft with the boards up and 1.95 m down, a 19.8 m mast, 55 m² main, self-tacking 30 m² jib, plus an optional 85 m² Code 0 and 135 m² gennaker. Three cabins.
The show’s own boat listing puts the R4 on Dock C. Vaan does not publish a price on its website.
One caution on the recycled aluminium figure. Vaan has quoted roughly 75% recycled content in older press material and the 2026 show coverage says 60%. I could not find a current number on the builder’s own R4 page, so ask them at the boat.
Knysna 550
The only genuine world premiere of the show. South Africa’s Knysna Yacht Company is unveiling the 550 at Annapolis, developed with VDS Marine Design as the successor to the Knysna 500.
Builder figures: 16.82 m LOA, 9.06 m beam, 1.50 m draft, 19,754 kg light and 25,631 kg at maximum load. Mast 23.95 m, mainsail 133.8 m², genoa 62.64 m². Twin 80 hp engines, 1,000 litres of fuel and 700 litres of water. Wave-piercing bows and a raised, protected helm station.
Two versions are planned: the 550SL with a sky lounge, and the 550SE Solar Explorer aimed at long-distance self-sufficiency. Three or four cabins, semi-custom. Knysna’s website lists available build slots between roughly USD 1.245 million and 1.975 million depending on specification and delivery date, which is a slot price rather than a base boat price.
It has already been shortlisted for World Multihull of the Year 2026 before anyone in the public has walked aboard, and Cruising World has it as a Boat of the Year 2027 nominee.
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 455
The monohull to see. The Sun Odyssey 455 replaces the 440 and makes its US debut here. Marc Lombard drew the hull and rig, Jean-Marc Piaton did the interior and exterior styling.
Jeanneau lists 14.28 m LOA, 13.74 m hull length, 4.49 m beam and 2.35 m standard keel draft, with 200 litres of fuel and 380 litres of water. Displacement is about 11,230 kg on the standard keel. Four interior layouts, with a saloon that seats 10.
The walkaround sidedecks run flush from cockpit to bow, and the twin helms sit outboard. If you have sailed a 440 and found the side decks a step too many, go and walk this one.
On price: European reporting puts the base boat at around EUR 290,000 excluding tax, rising to roughly EUR 450,000 with the bigger engine and a full equipment pack. Jeanneau does not publish a US dollar price, and a European list price is a poor guide to a Maryland invoice once freight, commissioning and duty are in. Get a dealer quote.
Balance 502
Balance Catamarans confirms the 502 for Annapolis alongside the Balance 580, and Cruising World lists the 502 as a public debut. It is a carbon-cored performance cruiser built in Cape Town.
From the builder: 15.25 m LOA, 7.90 m beam, 1.16 m draft with the daggerboards up and 2.27 m down, 22.4 m air draft. Cruise-equipped weight 11,800 to 13,000 kg. Sail area 143 m² on 100% foretriangle. Standard power is twin Yanmar 4JH45 diesels; the VersaDrive hybrid adds twin 15 kW Integrel electric motors, and Balance quotes a 36 kWh battery bank with 3,000 W of solar. Tanks are 2 x 400 litres of fuel and 2 x 390 litres of water. Three or four cabins.
Balance does not list a price on the 502 page. Ask the builder directly for a quote.
Tartan 34
Tartan’s new 34 gets its first showing according to Cruising World’s autumn preview, and Crusader Yacht Sales, the Annapolis Tartan dealer, lists the 34 alongside the Tartan 37 and 40 on its stand.
The specs I have come from that Cruising World preview rather than a Tartan press pack: 33 ft 6 in overall, 29 ft 2 in waterline, 10 ft 11 in beam, with a choice of a 6 ft deep fin, a 4 ft 6 in shoal beavertail keel, or a keel and centreboard. Sail area 601 sq ft upwind and 845 sq ft downwind, 25 gallons of fuel and 40 gallons of water.
Tartan has not published a full spec sheet or a base price that I could find, and note that Tartan built a different, unrelated Tartan 34 in the 1970s and 1980s. If you search the model name you will get the old boat. Check the numbers with the dealer on the dock.
What else is worth your time
More than 150 boats and over 500 all-sail exhibitors, so the debuts are a small part of it.
- Cruisers University runs 12 to 16 October at the Historic Inns of Annapolis, 110 Compromise Street, with more than 75 classes on weather, navigation, passage making, diesel maintenance, heavy weather, electrical systems and destination planning. An Offshore Emergency Medicine programme runs 12 to 14 October. Register separately at cruisersuniversity.com; tuition is not published on the front page.
- Free seminars in the Yacht Basin, roughly 10:30 to 16:30 each day, included with admission. Thursday’s list alone covers medical kits aboard with Jon Bloomberg, offshore crew essentials with Sheila McCurdy, docking and slip departure with Jim Barnes, and cruising to New England with Captain Cheryl Duvall.
- First Sail Workshop with the American Sailing Association: 45 minutes in a classroom then 90 minutes sailing a Beneteau First 22. Show admission and a year of BoatUS membership are included in the ticket. If thunderstorms hit, the sailing moves to the Monday after the show at Horn Point Harbour in Eastport. Ordinary rain does not cancel it.
- On-water demos. Jeanneau sponsors the Take the Wheel programme, and Harken runs Demo Afloat aboard a Sun Odyssey 410. Both fill up, so book at the stand early on your first day.
- Brokerage. A small brokerage section sits in Tent F, spaces 9 and 10. The published list so far is thin, with a Bavaria 38 and a Bavaria 45. If used boats are your reason for coming, plan a small part of your day around the tents and spend the rest on the new-boat docks.
- Multihull row. Beyond the debuts, the confirmed list includes the Lagoon L38, Lagoon 43, Lagoon 55, Excess 11, Leopard 43, Aquila 45, Bali 5.8, Balance 580 and the Dragonfly 28 and 36 trimarans.
- Smaller monohulls on the docks include the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350, Catalina 346 and 426, Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 and 52, Dufour 37 and 44, Island Packet 459, Tartan 40 and the Jeanneau Yacht 55. A note on the Catalina boats: Catalina Yachts paused factory production in October 2025 and its tooling was auctioned in June 2026, with C&T Composites announcing a purchase of the brand shortly after; treat any Catalina 346 or 426 on the dock as existing dealer inventory built before the closure, not a current-production boat, until a restart is confirmed. The 74 ft schooner Woodwind sits at Bronza Parks.
- Social. A College Sailing Reunion happy hour on Saturday from 17:00 to 18:30, a Cruisers Creating Content meet-and-greet booth, the Dockside Ducks scavenger hunt for kids, and the No Wake Zone bar pouring Pherm Brewing’s Boat Show Brew.
Getting there and parking
Do not try to park downtown on Saturday. Annapolis’s historic streets are narrow, the show closes part of the waterfront, and the queues are long.
Park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Avenue, and take the free shuttle. Shuttles run from one hour before the show opens until one hour after it closes. Pre-sale stadium parking is $24 for a standard vehicle and $47 for an oversized one, and pre-sale closes at 23:59 the day before your visit. No overnight parking.
Eastport Elementary School has parking on selected days and hours, and the downtown garages are an option if you arrive before 09:00. The second shuttle stop drops you at the box office on Compromise Street next to Tent D.
Backpacks, bags, food and drink are allowed in. Strollers are not, and nor are pets other than certified service animals. The organisers recommend life jackets for children, which is sensible advice on floating docks with no guard rails.
What to wear
Mid-October in Annapolis is usually mild in the afternoon and cold on the docks in the morning and late in the day. Layers, and a light waterproof shell, because the show runs rain or shine and the docks have no cover.
Shoes matter more than anything else. You will be asked to take them off before boarding most boats, perhaps 20 or 30 times in a day. Slip-on deck shoes with non-marking soles save a lot of bending down. Skip laces. Skip anything you would mind standing on a wet floating dock in socks to remove.
Bring a bag you can carry on one shoulder. You will be climbing companionway steps with it, and both hands should be free.
Which day to go
If you are seriously shopping, pay the $55 for Preview Day on Thursday 15 October. The extra $23 over general admission buys you a quieter dock, sales staff who have time to talk, and a chance to sit in a saloon for 20 minutes rather than shuffle through in a queue. Book demo sail slots that morning while they exist.
Sunday 18 October is the other good buyer’s day. The show shuts at 17:00, the crowds thin after lunch, and brokers who have not written a deal in three days become considerably more interested in your questions.
If you are browsing, go Friday 16 October. Saturday is the busiest day by a distance. Sunday is also Military Appreciation Day at $22 with valid ID, which is the cheapest way in for anyone eligible.
Whatever day you pick, arrive at 10:00. The first 90 minutes on the docks are worth the rest of the day put together, and the queue for a 48-footer at 14:00 on Saturday can be 30 people deep.
What is still unconfirmed
The published boat list on the show website is incomplete as of 20 September. The FP48, Knysna 550, Balance 502, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 455 and Tartan 34 all have confirmations from the organisers, the builders or the dealers, but none of them had appeared on the public dock list when I checked, so dock assignments for those five are not yet posted.
Seminar locations and any seminar-specific costs are not published, and neither is Cruisers University tuition or the First Sail Workshop price. Call the show office on 410-268-8828 or email info@annapolisboatshows.com if those decide your trip.
