Industry is out to raise sails
A SAILBOAT which can be rigged singlehanded in under five minutes is one of several Gold Coast products on show at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show.
The show at the Brisbane Convention Centre, which starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday, will be used as the Australian launch for the Sun Cat 17 from Burleigh Heads-based Blue Reef Yachts.
The 17.5 foot Com-Pac sailboat, described as possibly the simplest and quickest sailboat in the world, is outfitted with a quick-rigging system which allows the mast to be raised by one person in less than five minutes.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will be at the show on Friday to make a policy announcement about marine parks and to meet boating industry figures.
Fifteen Gold Coast marine industry companies are exhibiting at the boat show which will launch several new products on the Australian market.
They include the Broadwater Boating Centre, Labrador; Coastal Powerboats, Southport; JD’s Boatshed, Runaway Bay; Marine Tune, Burleigh Heads; Nautique Central, Southport; and Sea Pen (Qld)-Dock Pro, Coomera.
Marine Queensland CEO Don Jones said the industry had had a tough few years but this year’s show was tracking well.
‘‘Indications are that more than 20,000 people will attend the show,’’ he said. ‘‘ We are quietly confident that consumer confidence may be returning to the boating industry, which will hopefully translate into sales.
‘‘The Brisbane Boat Show has historically been one of the top performers on the national scene in terms of market penetration.’’