New chief appointed at the Boating Industry Association - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 12 Nov 14:00 PST
Andrew Scott © BIA
The Boating Industry Association Ltd (BIA) announced the appointment of Andrew Scott as its new Chief Executive Officer. The BIA is the peak industry body representing the recreational and light commercial boating sectors with members in all States and Territories across Australia.
Scott steps into the position following a successful tenure as the association's Chief Financial Officer and Financial Controller, having joined in January 2021. In his financial leadership roles, Scott delivered strong strategic planning and corporate governance while overseeing key commercial programs, major events, and member support initiatives.
The 57th Annual General Meeting of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) concluded on Wednesday with delegates from around the world discussing in the world's largest fair, scientific and transparent system of yacht race handicapping. Based on year-to-date statistics, the ORC system has once again seen growth in both number of boats using the system (9677 monohulls and multihulls, a 1% increase) and total number of certificates (15,630, a 10% increase) compared to 2025.
Team Australia has welcomed Mercury Marine Australia as an Official Supplier for its 2027 America's Cup campaign, with Mercury's outboard engines and propulsion systems supporting the team's on-water operations and chase boat fleet in Naples. On-water support is a critical part of an America's Cup campaign, with chase boats and support vessels providing essential crew, equipment and operational support throughout the race program.
A fascinating shipyard tour at X-Yachts Composites shows where all X-Yachts are manufactured. It's an advanced facility with innovative build techniques, including mould turning machines, advanced composites and vacuum infusion. Mark Jardine, Managing Editor of Sail-World, toured the yard with Torben Kornum from X-Yachts to find out how these stunning yachts are made.
Swedish marine investor Fredriksborgs Förvaltnings AB and the owners of Rototek Ltd join forces to invest in the world's leading dinghy brand, RS Sailing, as part of the next stage of RS's strategic growth plan. Fredriksborgs is an investment company with a portfolio of established marine businesses. The owners of Rototek Ltd are also well-known to the industry, having manufactured RS hulls for more than 25 years.
Seawind Catamarans has concluded its most successful Annapolis Sailboat Show since the Covid pandemic, achieving outstanding sales results and exceptional customer engagement at America's largest in-water sailboat show, held from October 15-18. The renewed consumer confidence and excitement over Seawind's new model lineup signifying a strengthening market and strong interest in the blue water capable cruising catamaran space.
Bar Crusher's brand new 650 hull series hit the sweet spot in Australia's 6.5m trailerboat market. Initially available as a cuddy cabin (650C) and hard top (650HT) with other configurations to follow in due course, the new 650 hull incorporates exclusive technologies: Waveslicer deep-V hull design for a smooth ride, Rigideck engineered sub-floor system for maximum hull strength, Quickflow water ballast technology for excellent stability at rest, and the SafeTank advanced fuel system.
Vortex Marine, innovator of marine navigation technologies, has announced the launch of Scout, a portable marine navigator built to help boaters see more of the water they are traversing. The 10.1-inch device brings satellite imagery, electronic navigational charts, weather and live vessel information onto one screen that can move from the helm to belowdecks or into a tender.
More industry news at www.marinebusinessworld.com/Oceania updated daily.
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media