Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show celebrates 35 years - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 23 May 15:00 PDT
Martin Baum, the MD at Pantaenius, at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2024 © John Curnow
I remember attending the inaugural Sanctuary Cove Boat Show back in 1988. An initiative by the then developer of Sanctuary Cove, the late Michael Gore. The show was intended to be a way of luring visitors to the gated residential community site with the intent of making property sales.
I was privileged to watch Frank Sinatra and Peter Allen perform from the fifth row back from the makeshift stage erected on what was to become one of the two golf courses for Sanctuary Cove residents. Whitney Houston also performed on the night before. Ivan Lendl and Chris Evert were among the competitors of the tennis tournament. It was a great event.
However, the boat show was a success in its own right; testament to the success is that it has become one of the largest boat shows in the southern hemisphere and growing, 35 years later!
Australia's largest boat manufacturers are showcasing stunning global launches. "The Show is the perfect place to bring world-first innovations to boating aficionados and we are honoured that our exhibitors agree," said Mulpha Events General Manager Johan Hasser. "This year we are thrilled to have 102 new product launches including several standouts that will we know are going to be major crowd pleasers."
The eve of the Show saw the Global Launch of the Maritimo M55 and M600 Black Edition. Our parent company worldmarine.media attended, with powerboat.world Global Editor John Curnow talking with Maritimo Operations Manager Phil Candler, Former President of Maritimo Americas Dave Northrop and Managing Partner Americas Keith Teynor to find out more in our video walkthrough.
John was out and about on day 1 of the Show catching up with Martin Baum, the MD at Pantaenius, Wes Moxey, CEO of Riviera and Martin Lo, Director at CL Yachts followed by speaking to Marcus Overman and Blake Holyoake from The Yacht Sales Co. about the Absolute Navetta 48, and then chatting with Flagstaff Marine's Graham Raspass aboard the Beneteau Swift Trawler 41.
In its 40th year of production, Australia's most established plate boat brand, Yellowfin, relaunches one of its most sought-after product lines, releasing a string of product updates and new innovations to the market. Set to make waves on Queensland soil, the brand will drop the curtain at the show, in front of nearly half-a-million people.
ILIAD Catamarans is anticipating extremely strong interest in its two models on display. The company will be showcasing the immensely popular ILIAD 53F, which was awarded 2024 Multihull of the Year, as well as the powerhouse ILIAD 62. The luxury long-range cruising catamarans continue to garner huge interest from powerboat enthusiasts who appreciate generous living space, extraordinary fuel efficiency and an exquisite quality of finish.
Whittley Marine Group, Australia's leading trailerable sports cruiser boat manufacturer, announces a sale event on the new Limited-Edition Heritage CR 2800 SD model and exclusive unveiling at the show. Limited-edition model will be allocated to the next ten builds to be produced at the Whittley Factory in Melbourne of the popular CR 2800. The new release CR 2800 SD model edition will feature a signed timber plaque by designer Steven Whittley and is your chance to secure a piece of Australian boat building history and a true collector's item in years to come.
But it's not just the boat show that's happening in Queensland. The Marinas24 International Conference and Trade Exhibition is set to take place at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane in just a few days. Over 380 delegates from 14 countries have already registered, making this event a significant gathering of industry professionals from around the globe.
The recent refit of 100-foot (30-metre) luxury charter yacht, Shadow, is just one of several projects Chapman has lined up at The Boat Works on Queensland's Gold Coast in 2024. Chapman will soon make The Boat Works its refit and yacht refit headquarters also including antifouling and detailing services, taking up occupancy in boutique premises at "The Wharf", from 1 June. The incredible success of the complete overhaul of Shadow, the 100-foot Tecnomar superyacht imported to Australia in 2017, has been the impetus for four more projects of similar size and complexity, including a commercial contract for a fascinating vessel that will be used for campaigning in the south pacific and eventually travel the Southern Ocean.
Further south in NSW, more than 60 Marine Rescue NSW volunteers from all seven units across the Illawarra region will take part in a major search and rescue exercise (SAREX) hosted by Marine Rescue Shellharbour at Shellharbour Marina this weekend (May 25-26). Duty Operations Manager, Inspector Stuart Massey, said the exercise will be coordinated by NSW Police Marine Area Command and involve partner agencies including Surf Life Saving NSW and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter.
Also in NSW, the Boating Industry Association Ltd (BIA) this week expressed surprise and disappointment in significant boating fee increases announced late on Friday by Transport for NSW. BIA spokesperson Neil Patchett said the increases include an extraordinary $900 more for a 10-year personal watercraft which would now cost $1961. "BIA has supported Transport for NSW over many years to promote safe boating and it is disappointing this announcement was made late on a Friday and without appropriate consultation with industry," Patchett said. "We are now seeking a meeting with the Department and the Minister to hear the justification for increases well beyond CPI."
The team at Performance Cruising Yachts is delighted to announce that they are the new Australian dealer for the prestigious US brand, Catalina Yachts. Founded by Frank Butler in 1970, Catalina Yachts has always prioritised quality and value over sheer size. Their philosophy remains unchanged: to craft exceptional boats that exceed customer expectations. With more than 40 designs and over 60,000 boats built, they are America's largest sailboat builder.
And keeping our readers aware of events close to our shores, the 2025 edition of the Thailand International Boat Show A Luxury Lifestyle Event will take place at Phuket Yacht Haven 9-12 January 2025. Located in the north of Phuket Island, Phuket Yacht Haven is the island's largest marina with 332 berths and can accommodate yachts of all sizes up to 100+ metres, aligning with the organisers' plans to expand the show and welcome more boats, larger boats and superyachts.
"The move is a strategic one - it gives us more space and the capacity to grow in the water and onshore. Feedback from many global brands is that they see the show as one of the most important boat shows in this part of the world and the new venue will allow us to grow in stature regionally and internationally. Also, being closer to the airport and many five-star resorts makes the show even more convenient for off-island visitors," said David Hayes, CEO of organisers JAND Events.
Stay ahead,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media