Boat shows across Oceania report positive feedback - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 28 May 22:00 BST
2026 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show © SCIBS
The Southern Hemisphere's largest four-day marine event, Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) has officially wrapped, welcoming over 41,000 visitors to the Gold Coast's Sanctuary Cove from 21-24 May.
The iconic event saw the return of local and global leaders in marine, including Horizon Yachts, Maritimo, Riviera, DCH Marine, E-Yachts, Whitehaven, Beneteau, and De Antonio showcasing the newest in luxury marine innovation. The Show delivered an impressive showcase, featuring: Sold-out exhibition, Sold-out hospitality zones, Over 70 new product and vessel launches, Increase in genuine buyers through the gates.
For Maritimo it has been an exceptional SCIBS, with bookings to visit the on-water display stand at the highest level ever. This has resulted in a record number of people registering to view the range of Maritimos. The same applies to the Caribbean brand, with a record 1,400 people booking to inspect Maritimo's offerings across the organisations two iconic brands. The response to the new S50 model has been outstanding.
The Yacht Sales Co has celebrated one of its strongest performances in recent years at SCIBS, securing multiple sales and generating high levels of enquiries across its portfolio of new and pre-owned yachts. The company showcased the Asia Pacific premieres of the Fountaine Pajot FP44, Dufour 54 and Dufour 41, alongside the Fountaine Pajot FP41, the award-winning ILIAD 53F, Tesoro T40 and a curated selection of premium pre-owned yachts.
In Auckland, the milestone 70th edition of The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show has wrapped up after four hugely successful days, proving New Zealand's love affair with boating and fishing is still running full throttle. More than 31,000 visitors attended the annual event, which featured the country's biggest showcase of marine products, innovation, fishing gear and family-friendly attractions.
World Boating Day concluded last weekend in spectacular style, bringing together 28 countries across 143 events in a global celebration of life on the water. From shipyards and marinas to museums and vibrant waterfront destinations, the initiative welcomed industry leaders, families, students and first-time visitors into a shared experience of discovery, connection and adventure on and around the water.
The African Boating Conference is proud to welcome Pantaenius as an official sponsor for ABC 2026, taking place on 20-21 October at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. As Africa's boating and superyacht sectors attract growing international attention, the importance of risk management, operational resilience and trusted insurance partnerships is becoming central to the sustainable growth of the region's marine economy. Pantaenius, a global leader in yacht insurance and risk management, brings decades of expertise safeguarding superyachts, bluewater cruisers and offshore vessels worldwide.
Nominations are still open for the BIA Apprentice of the Year Awards, and there's just over two weeks left to put forward your outstanding apprentices before the deadline on 12 June. Apprentices are a cornerstone of our industry and have a vital role in the industry's ongoing success. These awards aim to recognise the exceptional contributions of apprentices to the marine industry and highlighting the importance of training and career development.
In Victoria around 20 students stepped out of the classroom and into the marine industry recently as Boating Careers delivered another successful Immersion Day in Bairnsdale. Hosted in partnership with Gippsland RV & Marine and Gippsland Ports, students experienced first-hand the breadth of opportunities available across Victoria's boating sector from technical and trade pathways through to marina and port operations.
More daily news from your region at www.marinebusinessworld.com/Oceania
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media