Floating palaces gather on Coast
ABOUT $200 million worth of floating palaces are descending on the Gold Coast for the second Superyacht Rendezvous – along with the megabucks sector’s biggest names.
In total, 19 superyachts are booked in for the glitzy event starting tomorrow at Gold Coast City Marina. It is a jump on the 15 last year for the country’s inaugural Rendezvous, also on the Gold Coast.
Superyacht industry heavy hitters coming include Jonathan Beckett, CEO of Burgess – one of the biggest superyacht brokerages in the world. Peter Mahoney, the Asia boss for Italian firm Benetti – one of the world’s oldest and biggest yacht builders – is also confirmed.
They will be rubbing shoulders alongside industry captains, charter company bosses and Federal politicians including Gold Coast-based Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo.
Superyacht Australia CEO MaryAnne Edwards said the number of Australian superyachts chartering had risen as had recognition of Australia as a cruising ground in the 12 months since the Gold Coast hosted the inaugural Rendezvous in May last year.
Another positive had been the Gold Coast’s first onwater customs clearance port for foreign ships, being trialled at Southport Yacht Club.
Superyacht Australia research shows one superyacht can conservatively inject $2.5 million into an economy in a 12-month period. It is equivalent to the economic impact of an 1800-person cruise ship.
Superyacht Rendezvous organiser and CEO of City Marina Trenton Gay was instrumental in getting the port of clearance set up and said the superyacht sector continued to grow in Australia which was good for the Coast.
Gold Coast City Marina had in the past six weeks become the preferred service provider for any Benetti craft in the region, he revealed.
“I’m very positive about our industry – having just come from the Singapore Yacht Show, there is a huge amount of interest in our egion and Australia.
“The Rendezvous is about the superyacht industry and business banding together to attract a larger superyacht fleet to our pristine waters.”