Superyacht Encore eclipses Sydney couple's other luxury sloop at Marina Mirage
YACHTIES across the Gold Coast were left in little doubt about what to put at the top of their Christmas wish list after the luxury sloop Encore cruised in.
Gold Coast
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IT was the stuff that dreams are made of as far as yachties are concerned, when luxury sloop Encore floated into the Gold Coast.
The 43.9m boat, owned by one of Australia's most generous men - multi-millionaire Greg Poche - has berthed here for a few days on the way back to its Sydney home.
The boat sits alongside Mr Poche's previous pride and joy, Eclipse, at Marina Mirage. The smaller yacht was listed for sale until recently.
While the boats were both built at Alloy Yachts' New Zealand shipyard and designed by Dubois Naval Architects, Encore is a major step up for Mr Poche - measuring another 12m and costing millions more.
Mr Poche, who sold his freight and distribution company to Qantas and Australia Post for $750 million, owned Eclipse for 14 years and travelled around the world on it several times with his family.
Mr Poche, 71, is one of Australia's biggest philanthropists, having given away more than $74 million of his fortune in the past few years to organisations such as the Melanoma Institute Australia.
Several of the world's rich and famous have owned Alloy Yachts, including property developer Lang Walker.
When it comes to Encore, the biggest talking point is the boat's massive size.
But those who are have been fortunate enough to venture indoors say the interior is equally as jaw-dropping.
It boasts an owner's suite - which has a study and full-beam bathroom - along with two VIP double cabins and one twin cabin. There's room for up to 10 guests in the four cabins.
The current visit by Encore comes after several other superyachts had called into the Gold Coast this year, including the 73m Dragonfly.
Yesterday, boating industry insiders said Dragonfly might visit the city the city again in a few weeks.
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