Superyacht Insider: Behind the scenes at Australia’s biggest and best boat show
They call it a boat show, but it is much, much more. It’s a festival of fun, fine dining, cocktails, champagne, parties and boats – a delicious, moorish taste of the superyacht lifestyle.
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In a couple of weeks, the 35th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show – affectionately known as SCIBS – will transform the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort and adjacent Marine Village dining and shopping precinct into a bustling, epic, four-day party.
They call it a boat show, but it is much, much more.
It’s a festival of fun, fine dining, cocktails, champagne, parties and boats – it’s a delicious, moorish taste of the superyacht lifestyle.
Multimillion-dollar super yachts will join the line-up of state-of-the-art water toys from stand up paddle boards, to efoils, jet skis, boat accessories, tinnies and everything – and I mean everything – in between.
With Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental’s 251 luxury rooms, the five-star resort that adjoins the Platinum Gold Anchor, 334-berth marina is the obvious place to stay. It has its famous golf course, pools, spa, a one-acre lagoon beach with oodles of comfy floaty things to bob around on, country club, tennis courts, and the lavishly renovated Lagoon Beach Club.
This year, the brand new, off-the-chart Lagoon Beach Club VIP Experience is what you’ll be wanting to be a part of. And may I recommend the Harmony Jug for quenching your thirst, and any one of the chef’s mind-blowing delicacies.
Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental is anchored (you’re welcome) by the Greathouse, a stunning, super-sized architectural nod to the traditional homesteads of rural Queensland, where you can chill in plush, timbered luxury at the Verandah Restaurant and Bar and sample one or more of their 50 whiskies, local craft beers and regional wines.
Like everything at the resort and the village, the menu is exquisite, the view divine and th
e service gold standard.
There are 18 restaurants and cafes and we were lucky enough to sample several of them on our whistlestop tour.
Red Steakhouse sits right on the water and is a modern restaurant with traditional service. Accompanied by a couple of glasses of sauvignon blanc, and the excellent company of our hosts Marisa Laister and Norelle Lawrence, we enjoyed a long lunch starting with wagyu and chorizo meatballs recommended by our waiter Phil and every bit as delicious as he’d promised.
Then there was pan-fried barramundi with crushed potato and leek and fresh dill yoghurt sauce, topped off with mixed berry sorbet and an espresso martini.
Suffice to say a lie down was absolutely necessary after all that, and that’s exactly what I did, at the Vault Skin Lab in the Village, where the highly skilled (and strong) Marlene Miller massaged away all my worries and discomforts.
If I thought I’d never be able to eat again, that night, the resort’s Verandah Restaurant and Bar put paid to that. Whether it was the cheeky, pre-dinner pina colada down at the Beach Club, or the equally cheeky cosmopolitan at the restaurant, the slow braised lamb shank and my chargrilled scotch fillet with red wine jus were perfect.
The next day dawned clear and warm and we headed into the Village to sample Waterside Cafe chef, Calvin’s, new menu.
One restorative coffee each later, and we were digging in to an impressive array of Calvin’s finest breakfast cuisine.
I love a good eggs bene, and who could ever say no to smashed avo? But it was a curious and spectacular dish I’d never seen nor tasted before that took our breath away.
Smoked salmon hash – Calvin later explained it was a version of his favourite childhood breakfast growing up in Ireland.
No trip to the Gold Coast is complete without getting in or on the water, and our “assignment” after breakfast was a cruise up the Coomera River towards the Broadwater on a $250,000 bow rider with Pat Edwards from the Freedom Boat Club – it’s where you go if you want in on the boaty lifestyle but don’t have $250,000 laying around.
For those of us yet to make our first million but who love the water, the Freedom Boat Club, which operates out of Sanctuary Cove and will be exhibiting for the first time this year at SCIBS, is a God send.
It’s the world’s biggest members-only boat club and you don’t need to own a boat to be in it – instead you’re subscription gives you access to their fleet, with all boats fuelled, cleaned and maintained by the team. Could it get any better?
Another major exhibitor on May 23-26 will be Princess Yachts, and we were lucky enough to take another divine cruise up the Coomera on Greg Haines’ very own $8 million “runabout” with his business partner Scott Davis, who courageously allowed me to take the wheel. The Haines’ name is synonymous with boating in Australia and touring their stunning yachts seriously had me questioning my life choices.
Also exhibiting in May will be Horizon Yachts Australia who have emerged as the leading Asian yacht brand in the luxury yacht market, and Maritimo Luxury Motor Yachts.
Giving these exquisite, no-expense spared vessels the appropriate applause is almost impossible – you literally have to see them to believe their sleek beauty and capabilities.
For our last night it was dinner at Ioesco Cucina down in the Marina Village, where the Italian twist on the garlic tiger prawns and scallops was only just outdone by the barramundi with black olives, caponata, pine nuts, capers and basil, and perfectly topped off with a Frangelico Affogato complete with vanilla bean gelato. It was almost a religious experience.
But all good things must come to an end, and although I was starting to wonder if I would ever feel hungry again, I was genuinely sad to have to bid farewell to all the wonderful, friendly people we’d met during our hectic but amazing three days at the Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental.
Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, May 23-26, 2024
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Originally published as Superyacht Insider: Behind the scenes at Australia’s biggest and best boat show
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