Games superyacht bonanza booked
A LOOMING big boat bonanza on the Gold Coast coinciding with next year’s Commonwealth Games is surprising even city marina bosses.
Southport Yacht Club top brass say while they always anticipated some interest, the number of floating palaces confirming berths so far ahead of April’s Games is more than they expected.
Club general manager Brett James said six superyachts — two from overseas and four Australian owned — would be here for the 10-day Games.
It is up from one confirmed booking just a month ago.
Mr James believes the club will get 15-plus and is wondering where to put them all.
The club is planning to build new marina berths but also coming up with some “outside the box” solutions.
With a further nine superyacht Games bookings up the Coomera River at Gold Coast City Marina, Mr James said it would be a boon for the city.
Superyacht guests can spend $15,000 to $25,000 a day, studies have shown.
Mr James said the Border Force trial which started on July 1 at the club, enabling foreign vessels to clear Customs on the Coast, was adding to the city’s appeal among the elite.
He and club waterfront manager Mark Riddell are planning to attend the world’s biggest boat show at Fort Lauderdale in November solely to promote their marina and city as a boating destination.
City Marina CEO Trenton Gay said all nine of his Games bookings had indicated they would stay on for the second Superyacht Rendezvous industry promotion the weekend after the Games.
Southport Yacht Club leaders recently met with Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter to highlight the benefits of superyacht visits for the tourism economy.
Mr James said: “I think Gold Coast Tourism and the city council realise this is a positive for the Gold Coast and a really good industry to be a part of.
“If the community don’t think big boats want to come here, they are sadly mistaken.”
Mr Riddell said they needed to be versatile as superyacht owners often decided to visit on a whim.
He’d had some book a berth for three days and end up staying two months.
One recent superyacht arrival bought 37 trailer loads of groceries on arrival to stock up after a long cruise.