Sanctuary Cove closes on a positive note

Huge crowds and great weather for the 35th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show added up to an event exhibitors have praised as “exceptional”.

Setting records was the number of boats on the water – 356 in total, up 41 on last year – delivering an unparalleled display of marine power and beauty for everyone who attended.

Johan Hasser, General Manager of Mulpha Events, said his team was overwhelmed with the public response to the 35th show and delighted with the results reported by exhibitors in terms of leads and sales.

“SCIBS is about building relationships with marine enthusiasts, it’s the Show where the marine business does business, and we are confident that this year’s Show has done exactly that for our 335 exhibitors,” he said. “At the same time, crowds of 43,741 have had the pleasure of viewing 102 new product launches, 767 boats and over 2500 marine products at our biggest show yet.”

Mark Richards, CEO of GB Marine Group, said SCIBS 2024 was the best boat show in the 25 years he’s been attending. “It’s also an important show for our Grand Banks and Palm Beach brands,” he said.

Among the boats dazzling visitors and buyers was the fast-cruising FD90 from Horizon Yacht Australia and New Zealand, priced at $18.6 million and the most expensive boat on display. A custom-built fusion of modern design and unrivalled performance, it is already under offer from a show attendee.

Horizon director Mark Western added that the luxury yacht company was also expecting to sell three more yachts to visitors who had attended SCIBS.

His experience was echoed by many other exhibitors.

“This year has been an exceptional Sanctuary Cove show for Riviera Australia,” said owner Rodney Longhurst. “The world premiere of our 6800 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition has received great accolades from her new owners and everyone who stepped aboard.

“Our record showcase of luxury motor yachts from 46 to 78 feet has inspired new boaters to join the Riviera family. From our three gala dinners commemorating the launch of our 6000th motor yacht to our ladies’ luncheon event, the past four days have been great cause for celebration for our amazing team.”

Simon Stewart, marketing manager for Maritimo Luxury Motor Yachts, said interest and appetite for Maritimo’s Black Edition M600 and M55 – the company’s global reveal – had been “exceptional”.

“There have been some healthy advance orders for the Black Edition Maritimos with approximately 60% heading overseas,” he said. “Requests by clients and potential customers to view the yachts was constant.”

Said Scott Newland, dealer principal of Bentley Brisbane & Gold Coast: “The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show has been the perfect opportunity to showcase our latest Bentley range, connect with our Bentley owners, and meet new prospects for the brand.

“We sold the Continental GT V8 S displayed in our suite and we look forward to more sales opportunities arising from our partnership with the Boat Show. We’re thrilled to be part of this esteemed event and look forward to continuing our support.”

At Yachtsmen International, one of its 28 vessels has already sold, said marketing manager Deborah Rendle, and the team has received numerous offers for other yachts. “We’ve also enjoyed strong charter bookings. It’s been a phenomenal show for us,” she said. “We’ve had so many people through, but it’s also been about quality not just quantity.”

Agreed Taryn Poole, of The Yacht Sales Co: “We have experienced a very high-quality show in terms of visitors across displays and interest in brands resulting in a number of orders being taken. We are also looking forward to a busy week post-show with sea trials and media reviews booked on a number of our models.”

Freedom Boat Club’s Gold Coast director Patrick Edwards said the club was thrilled to generate 238 leads through the Show along with an increase of 10% in Australian members. “We have two new boats being delivered this month and six new boats on order, to keep up with demand. It’s been great to educate the public about how our club model can allow them to get on the water.”

Ross Turner, general manager of exclusive power boat dealer EYachts, praised an “excellent” SCIBS 2024. “We’ve had a lot of interest in the boats,” he said. “We even took a deposit on a boat within the first two hours of opening. We have a demonstration day on all models immediately after the Show and we have a lot of people signed up for that.”

Foot traffic was also heavy at the Navico Group stand, with especially strong interest in the new Simrad® NSX® ULTRAWIDE marine display and new Lowrance® Eagle® fish finder. Marketing manager Brad Verkerk said: “The Show is always amazing for us. We also enjoy the collaboration between all the different brands.”

Bill Hull, sales manager of Northside Marine, praised the “wonderful atmosphere of the Show. “It has been really rewarding, with strong quality leads and a lot of enquiries from people we haven’t spoken to before,” he said.

Good contacts and lots of leads were the order of the day for Wynnum Marine, said principal Johnny Milton. “It’s about building relationships,” he said. “We had 13 boats on display and a customer who saw one of our Kingfisher boats last year came back and bought it. We’ll be back next year for sure.”

Managing director of Italian Marine Accessories company Gineco, Pierluigi Gambacorti, lauded “a very dynamic market” at the Show. “We specialise in very expensive Italian products and we only really supply vessels from 60 foot up. We have been able to build relationships with our particular type of client.”

At JSW Powersports, interest in the R6 and R8 Cobalt Surf boats was very positive, said general manager Tom Niederer while, at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Brisbane brand manager Benjamin Schultz said meeting old friends and making some new ones was what the Show was about.

Mr Hasser said: “After this year’s phenomenal Show, exhibitors are already lining up to join us for the 2025 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.”

The 36th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will be held from May 22-25, 2025. For more visit sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au

The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is owned and operated by Mulpha Events and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government, Tourism & Events Queensland, City of Gold Coast, Experience Gold Coast and Major Sponsor Bentley Brisbane & Gold Coast.

By Sarah Staerk