THE Boat show will be renamed the PSP Southampton Boat Show next year after event organisers patched up their differences with the Hampshire freight firm.

The three-year deal, worth an estimated £200,000 a year, has been resurrected despite similar moves to sponsor the current show collapsing in an acrimonious row.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, Premier Shipping and Packing boss Frank Dixie, pictured right, pulled the plug on sponsorship of this year's event, complaining of "disrespect" from organisers.

In July, Mr Dixie said: "They screwed it up. I got the feeling they didn't take me seriously. Their attitude was disrespectful and unprofessional."

Now relations have improved considerably and Fareham-based PSP hope the sponsorship will establish them as a major player in the boat transport market.

"We have signed and paid for everything so we are now the official sponsors," said Mr Dixie.

"The thinking behind it is to become synonymous with the shipping of boats. To do that we have to make our name better-known.

"If I want to do that I have to give something back to the industry."

The tie-up with the boat show also ends PSP's bid to take over the sponsorship of Cowes Week from pensions giant Skandia in 2009. The audacious move was underpinned by a takeover of PSP by an unnamed US firm, which has since been abandoned.

"We have decided the boat show more closely meets out ambitions to be a player in the worldwide boat movement market than Cowes Week," said Mr Dixie.

Andrew Williams, managing director of National Boat Shows, said: "This news couldn't come at a more exciting time in advance of our 40th anniversary next year."

This year's boat show runs until Sunday.