Australia set to open up (well almost!) - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 11 Nov 2021 23:00 GMT
Harken stand at METStrade © Harken
As the Australian states prepare to open their borders and relax restrictions, airlines are already spruiking their offers of overseas flights as the country, slowly, returns to normal. One exception is Western Australia who have stated that they will not be ready to accept all interstate visitors until well into 2022.
Nevertheless, the industry globally is organizing boat shows and in Europe, METS, the largest trade show in the world is set to go on the 16th-18th November in Amsterdam. One exhibitor, Harken, describes it thus: "There's nothing quite like walking the halls at METS, at the front of the marine industry's most sophisticated technology with its most creative minds. Harken lives for this. We've missed it. And we're delighted to be back in 2021".
The Harken stand location has changed this year. Find them in hall 5 at stand #361. Close by in the same hall, you'll find their former Dutch distributor and their new subsidiary, On Deck at stand #431. During challenging times, count on Harken to keep innovating. Since the last METS, they have launched important new products, which will all be on display.
Hopefully the trans-Tasman bubble will be well in place by March next year when the Auckland Boat Show returns, from 17-20 March, 2022. It will be with more exhibitors, in a bigger footprint. With the show moving to March to take advantage of Auckland's season of boating, the new dates will allow visitors to experience summer on the water at the show. The March show is set to be 15 per cent bigger than previously-planned shows and will be held in Jellicoe Harbour; formerly the America's Cup team bases. Scheduling the show for March dates has allowed for expansion both on water and on land. The show, which is known for its sea trials and extensive on-water component, will have an increased number of boats on display on the show marinas allowing for further sea trials and much-needed time in front of the boating public for the New Zealand marine industry.
In Australia industry associations are preparing for their shows in 2022 which will include the Melbourne, Sydney and Perth shows plus Sanctuary Cove and various regional gatherings. We will post full details when plans are finalised. In the meantime, we welcome the initiatives from the Boating Industry Association of Australia and the Victorian BIA with their 'Discover Boating' campaigns which will run across multiple media channels for the next three months.
As the country gets back on its feet, employment opportunities will continue to grow and the Marina Industry Association is urging potential job seekers or employers looking to fill vacancies to sign up to their 'jobs alert' emails. With more than 200 jobs posted and almost 20,000 visits to the website since launch in July, employers and job seekers alike are reaping the benefits of the new industry careers platform. The website is a collaboration between the Marina Industries Association, Boating Industry Association Ltd and Superyacht Australia who have released a new feature that allows people to sign up to regular email notifications.
Job seekers can sign up to receive the latest featured jobs straight to their inbox with the new 'Job Flash' service, and employers can keep up to date with new features, how to get the most out of job posts and helpful recruitment tips by signing up for regular 'Employer Updates'.
With indications that boating involvement is set to rise over the next few years, joint boat ownership is set to increase exponentially. Flagstaff Marine is proud to represent a number of leading brands of boats in the world, including Beneteau Sail Boats, Beneteau Inboard Power Boats, Excess Catamarans, Amel Yachts and Lomac Rigid Inflatables. In response to customer feedback, they have announced the launch of their Joint Ownership Syndicate Program.
Over the past two to three years, they have had an increasing number of inquiries from would-be owners who simply do not have the time to manage the upkeep and maintenance of a brand-new boat. They don't feel they can justify outright ownership at this stage of their life, due to competing time commitments. In the world of ever-growing shared economy in so many facets of our lives, it was only natural that they introduce a shared or Joint Ownership Program - Welcome JO Boating. JO Boating offers shares in a range of boats including sailing yachts, power boats, catamarans and day boats/cruisers. Initially based at Rushcutters Bay, the heart of Sydney Harbour, there are plans to expand to Pittwater and the Gold Coast.
New boats announced this week include the Beneteau First 36. The First 36 has a mission to bridge the gap between high-tech development in the world of racing and mainstream racer-cruisers. To be specific, even the standard version of First 36 will fully plane in a moderate breeze. However, this by itself was not the main challenge for the design and production teams. For 40 years, the Firsts were successfully hitting the elusive sweet spot between comfort, performance, utility, elegance, high-tech construction, and reasonable price. The First 36 is no different.
Further news on the sailing scene involves World Sailing and GAC Pindar, the marine leisure, sports and events division of GAC UK, who have extended their long-standing partnership with a new seven-year contract to provide efficient and sustainable logistics solutions to Member National Authorities (MNAs), class associations, sailors and partners. The agreement will run until 31 December 2028 and cover World Sailing-owned events, including the Offshore World Championships, World Cup Series and World Cup Series Final, the Youth World Sailing Championships and the Sailing World Championships. GAC Pindar will continue as the exclusive marine logistics and freight partner of World Sailing and work in partnership to reduce the costs and environmental impact of logistics in the shipping of equipment to events, in line with World Sailing's Sustainability Agenda 2030.
And from Europe we learn that B&G® Electronics will be used by more than two dozen entries, including 11th Hour Racing Team, LinkedOut and Time For Oceans, in one of the world's toughest tests in sailing is set for this month with the Transat Jacques Vabre recently under way in Le Havre, France. The two-handed transatlantic race featuring four classes of boats (Class 40, IMOCA, Multi 50 and Ultime) follows the old coffee route across the northern Atlantic to the warmer climates of the Americas and Caribbean with this 15th Edition of the race finishing in Martinique for the first time.
There's much more industry news at www.marinebusinessworld.com - as the largest marine industry newsletter in Australia, we welcome your latest news for posting to the website.
Stay safe,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com