Bond craft exhibition moves to Sydney International Boat Show

28-Jul-2006 • Event

He has enticed fans for years with his propensity for defeating dangerous villains, but next weekend it is James Bond's getaway vehicles that will take star billing.

Among the vessels at the Sydney International Boat Show will be four boats created for the Bond films - reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The craft, owned by the Ian Fleming Foundation, will be displayed alongside a collection of Bond movie memorabilia.

The Chicago-based foundation, named after the creator of the legendary British spy, has acquired an extensive collection of James Bond movie props and vehicles, including 27 boats.

It is displaying the collection around the world to raise money to establish a literary scholarship.

"We have gathered items from all around the world, from people's garages, from movie sets, even from a junkyard in the Bahamas," Doug Redenius, the vice-president of the non-profit organisation, said.

"We're looking to generate enough revenue from show appearances to establish a permanent exhibition.

"And the income from the exhibition will be used to set up a scheme offering scholarships to promising literary students at university."

The Ian Fleming Foundation has already raised funds for several charities through ventures such as the James Bond Golf Classic, played at the Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, which played a starring role in the film Goldfinger.

The Sydney International Boat Show begins next Thursday and continues until August 8 at the Sydney Convention Centre.

No doubt a chance to see 007's Neptune submarine from For Your Eyes Only, with an array of weapons and spy accessories, will leave many a sense of curiosity stirred, not shaken.