The 2023 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 28 May 23:00 BST
Out and about at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show © Mark Jardine
It is now 35 years since I attended the first Sanctuary Cove show. Held primarily to attract visitors to view the real estate on show at the Sanctuary Island Resort, the show was so successful that it has become an event that attracts an annual pilgrimage, not just from the four corners of Australia but from many countries overseas.
One of those "foreign" visitors this year was Mark Jardine, Managing Editor and owner of the global Sail-World.com, SailWorldCruising.com PowerBoat.World, FishingBoat.World, YachtsandYachting.com and MarineBusinessWorld.com websites. His view of the show is covered in this newsletter with a pictorial cross section of what was on offer to the thousands of show attendees who welcomed the blue skies and sunshine to enjoy the "fun in the sun".
But before we bring you the latest news from the show: a video interview with Xavier Doerr and his Mini Transat yacht currently sailing around Australia. Mark Jardine and Sail-World's John Curnow had this video discussion while Xavier was off Broome, Western Australia.
Back to the show and sample the atmosphere of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show with the Gold Coast turning on the sunshine it's famed for. The pontoons were buzzing with thousands of visitors from around Australia and beyond.
Between soaking up the atmosphere and catching up with some of the 300 plus exhibitors Mark found time to interview a number of industry stalwarts in the AIMEX Garden, sponsored by Pantaenius Australia, Aqualuma LED Lighting and Tourism Western Australia, and these videos are available to view here...
First up Dave Biggar, Director of Cure Marine, to find out the latest about the Cure 55 performance cruising catamaran. Born of an ambition to design the ultimate performance cruising catamaran, every element of the new Cure 55 was designed not to reinvent the wheel but to raise the bar in every area. Production of the Cure 55 catamaran has its foundations in the Designed For Manufacture principal and is underpinned and supported by some of the latest technology currently in use in Global boatbuilding.
Next up Carl Amor, Director of AIMEX, the Australian International Marine Export Group to find out more about what they do for Australian marine businesses.
And last but not least, Rodney Longhurst, the Owner of Riviera Australia. At the opening of the show, Riviera held the world premiere of the new 585 SUV and announced the exceptional new 58 Sports Motor Yacht that will premiere in late 2023.
Preceding the show, the 2023 Australian Marine Industry Awards, were held at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, and continue to recognise the outstanding achievers across three marine industry sectors. The Gala Dinner saw 230 guests start with pre-dinner drinks sponsored by Benetti Yachts, creating an upbeat atmosphere for the dinner. The event proceeded to acknowledge deserving winners in nine highly competitive categories, showcasing excellence in the Australian marine industry.
The Awards presented some big news for local marina manufacturing business GCMarine. Being a finalist in three categories, GCMarine took out the win in two of them, being awarded "Commercial Category - Commercial Project/Design or Manufacturer of the Year" and "Export Category - Exporter of the Year".
GCMarine's General Manager Brad Allen said on accepting the Manufacturer of the Year Award, "This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of all our team members, from the boilermakers and installers, the barge operators, drafting and design team, every single one of the team. A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to deliver these world class projects and it's fantastic be recognised by our industry as a key market leader in major marine infrastructure projects".
News from the other industry members, located in the area, came from Boat Works. The Boat Works have welcomed the versatile 90-tonne expandable travel lift from Boat Lift in Italy - making them the first boat yard in the southern hemisphere to operate a lift of this kind. The Boat Works now has five machines operating over both yards, lifting every type of vessel up to 300-tonnes.
"To keep pace with demand, we decided to invest in this variable width, all-wheel drive machine," explained The Boat Works owner, Tony Longhurst. "It has an adjustable beam width narrowing the vessels footprint from 8m down to 5.5m allowing the team to maximise the vessel set down footprint. This is brilliant for boat storage as we can go narrow for the narrower runways and use it for packing boats in tight spots."
And not to be overlooked, Brisbane welcomes a new venture. Freedom Boat Club, the world's largest boat club, announced the planned opening of its newest Club in Brisbane. Located at Manly Boat Harbour, the new location will provide direct access to Moreton Bay's famed islands, great fishing and the Tangalooma wrecks. This announcement marks Freedom's fourth franchise territory in Australia and sixth location in the region in four months since Freedom initially launched its Asia-Pacific presence in early 2023.
"Brisbane is Australia's fastest growing capital city with great weather and fantastic boating opportunities in Moreton Bay, the Brisbane River and beyond. Expanding our Queensland footprint provides the opportunity to reach a growing and diverse population living within a short distance of great waterways," said David Kurczewski, General Manager, Shared Services Asia-Pacific. "We are thrilled to be met with such enthusiasm from members and franchise operators looking for a boating opportunity like Freedom Boat Club. We look forward to building on our momentum and offering a new pathway to the on-water lifestyle in Australia."
Stay safe,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com