Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show opens with $750m worth of marine goods on display
The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show has gone to the next level with an estimated $750m worth on display. VIDEO TOUR
Gold Coast
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The southern hemisphere’s biggest boating and marine showcase is underway at the Gold Coast, with an estimated $750 million in exhibits on display.
The 36th annual Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show kicked off on Thursday under a beaming sun, with gates open at 9am, and crowds invariably in shades of blue, beige or white pouring in.
More than 750 boats - from tinnies to superyachts - are on display, and a further 2500 products including luxury cars, jet skis, tenders, and every fathomable boating-related item span 300 exhibitors.
The combined value of the boats on water was “at least $750m”, an industry source estimated.
The show’s projected economic impact, from sales and tourism, was in excess of $470m according to a Griffith University assessment, with more than 40,000 expected to attend across its four days.
Mulpha head of events Corey Rattray-Wood said: “The scale, the setting, the quality...is unmatched in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Each year we raise the bar, but 2025 is something truly special.
“From luxury launches and global debuts to electric innovation and award-winning vessels, Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is where the future of marine lifestyle begins.”
Opening day on Thursday was one for sunglasses as the sun reflected off the gleaming finishes of hundreds of luxury boats, cars, jet skis and everything in between.
The crowd from the opening bell had a high concentration of existing boat owners.
Maritimo operations manager Phil Candler said one couple who had returned for the show had already bought their seventh vessel by the Gold Coast manufacturer.
“We keep redefining what is good, what we develop, what we present, what we offer,” Mr Candler said.
“A customer came on board the 50 - they currently own the 55 - and noticed we made the master cabin bigger, there’s more hanging lockers and the en suite is bigger, and they’re saying ‘oh my boat could be improved upon, which means I have to buy a new model’.”
Riviera chairman and owner Rodney Longhurst said the Gold Coast-based boat manufacturer offered training opportunities for existing owners at its ‘Academy of Enjoyment’.
“We’ve got our academy of enjoyment where we’re training about Riviera - how to use your boat better,” Mr Longhurst said.
“That goes to maintenance to navigation, to boat handling , to tying knots. We’ve got our women on water training happening right now.
“There’s an awful lot of training where our existing owners can come back and keep updating their skills.”
It’s understood most serious buyers come to the show on Thursday and Friday to get deals done before tourists and families crowd the docks at the weekend. The choppers flying in and calibre of cars in the carpark back up that assertion.
The boat show, in its 36th year, opens daily from 9am to 5pm from Thursday to Sunday.
General admission tickets are $35 whilst VIP area access to the Lagoon Beach Club sets you back $379.
Family fun during the show includs a Kids Zone with face painting, macaw selfies and a putt challenge from 10am to 3pm daily.
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Originally published as Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show opens with $750m worth of marine goods on display
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