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IN A STRONG indication of returned confidence in the marine industry, the first day of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) saw millions of dollars in sales, major world launches, sunshine and positive exhibitor sentiment.
Day one saw thousands of eager visitors through the gates, with up to 40,000 expected across the event, which runs through to May 22.
One of the many exhibitors hosting world-first releases across the four days, Horizon Motor Yachts made the first sale of the day – selling a PC52 worth $2.8 million. Sales and marketing manager Jo Glenn said there had also been huge interest in the Australian release of its latest marquee, the Horizon E56XO.
“We have also received lots of positive inquiry on our new E56X0, which we believe will convert to sales after the Show,” she said.
Also celebrating worldwide releases, Palm Beach Motor Yachts’ Mark Richards said the global debut of the Palm Beach 42 had been very well received on day one of SCIBS.
“We met an interested party at the Singapore Yacht Show last month and he has chased us down to SCIBS,” he said.
“We have been flat-out since the Show opened this morning. Day one is always good for talking business.”
Integrity Motor Yachts are showcasing the 340, 380 and 440 sedans, with Brett Flanagan saying one boat had already been sold today.
“Visitors through the gates have been really good quality leads, there have been a lot of interstate visitors and we are confident of making further sales over the next three days.”
Dean Leigh Smith from Leigh Smith Yachts said several past clients had come to the Show today to view the brand new 43 and 49 Alaska models.
“We have had two clients already undergoing change-over deals and extremely strong prospects exceeding our expectations for the first day of Show,” he said.
“The whole day has been good so far – there is lots of people here from overseas and the vibe is very positive.”
Major brand Whitehaven launched the 6000 Sundbridge – Keith Hanson said the first day of Show had produced good numbers, good quality prospects and great weather. Sundance Marine’s Sarah Henry said the Queensland launch of the MC70 had drawn major interest, with the feedback they have been receiving on the new model being incredibly positive.
“The feedback on the quality of the new MC70 has been great. People are loving the abundant living spaces, including the spacious lounge and interiors. There has been strong, steady foot traffic throughout the day, and we are feeling positive for the weekend.”
The Windcraft Group is hosting the Australian launch of the Axopar 37 and 28 models, and also has the Outer Reef and Sealine models on display. Director Peter Hrones said Axopar was a Finnish brand with so many unique features, the boats had to be seen to be believed.
“We have interested clients from Melbourne, WA, Sydney, Tasmania and Auckland, who have come especially to SCIBS to see these two new models,” he said.
Multihull Central hosted the launch of its Aquila 44 Powercat – made in China by a US company to a South African design – as well as the new Seawind 1160 Lite and the Outremer 45, which sailed to SCIBS direct from Europe.
Marketing manager Brent Vaughn said the team were very confident of sales across the weekend, with two new models on display and a great space on the Marina.
On the Marina, first-time exhibitor Grahame Ewins from Kymera electric body boards said he had already experienced strong interest on day one, with visitors purposely seeking him out.
“We have already sold one board today and are expecting to sell a lot more over the next few days.”
Colin Wilcox from SACS Marine Australia said SCIBS was their first Queensland boat show, and they were presenting the Italian-made Strider 10 and Sport 900 models.
“On day one, we already have three very serious potential clients, who are particularly taken with the design and the build quality and the fact they can customise their boat,” he said.
“The Strider 10 has two, 350hp engines and will do 59 knots, which was another attractive feature.”
South African Yacht company Knysna is making its first Australian boat show appearance at SCIBS. Owner Kevin Fouche said the team had sold hull 37 of the 50ft catamaran to a Gold Coast client, so they thought they would bring it to present at SCIBS.
“It’s very different from the US shows, the people are super friendly. We are confident of generating some very hot leads during the Boat Show,” he said.
Crowds flocked to the newly launched precinct The Boatyard, with exhibitor Greg Nickerson from Northside Marine saying they received a steady flow of traffic throughout the day. This year SCIBS has also launched its all-new Supercar Street – a designated precinct offering a stunning showcase of sports, convertible, luxury and prestige vehicles from the world’s most premium brands.
Clinton Wright from Euromarque Maserati Brisbane said the precinct had received positive feedback, with lots of visitors taking in the spectacular luxury vehicles on display. In the Pavilions, exhibitor Line 7’s Duncan Curnow said day one featured an enjoyable atmosphere, with SCIBS being their favourite on the boat show circuit.
“Today has mainly been about B2B – we love SCIBS, it is THE Australian boat show.”
Jason Brown from marine technology favourite Garmin said day one brought a lot of quality enquiries through their exhibit, with strong interest from visitors, particularly for the newly launched Panoptix live view sonar camera. Pantanius’ Michaela Backes said the team make the trip from Sydney each year, with 2016 being their fourth year at the Show.
“We always enjoy coming to SCIBS, it’s the best Show in Australia. We have had a lot of customer leads – the visitors at SCIBS are the right market for us.”
SCIBS general manager Johan Hasser said the team was thrilled with the turn-out for the first day of Show, with the feedback from exhibitors extremely positive.
“The consensus from exhibitors across all segments of the Show is that day one was an extremely positive start to SCIBS,” Mr Hasser said.
“There is a great buzz throughout The Marine Village, in the Pavilions and on the Marina. We had wonderful weather for the first day, and everyone is looking forward to a great weekend.”
The Show features more than $150 million of the latest and most impressive boats showcased across hundreds of dazzling displays on both water and land, including power and sail boats, superyachts, catamarans and more.
Up to 300 exhibitors are on show, with thousands of marine products, innovation, technology, clothing and accessories.
The exclusive Top Deck VIP lounge returns to SCIBS in 2016, offering VIP ticket holders a complete 5-star experience fully catered by the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, and overlooking the best vantage point of the Show from The Promenade, at the top of Sanctuary Cove Marina.
A wide range of family friendly entertainment will be on offer across the four days of SCIBS, including live music, cooking demonstrations, roving entertainers and a Kids Zone.
Running May 19 to 22, 2016 the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show attracts close to 40,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors to a spectacular showcase featuring hundreds of boats and thousands of marine products across four days.
SCIBS 2016 offers FREE park ‘n’ ride services from Warner Bros. Movie World, along with limited on-site parking, available pre-paid.
