Boat show rides high
Sales records tumble with Maritimo spend ‘best since GFC’
FINAL facts and figures are yet to be released but the city’s biggest boat builders have labelled the 30th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show a record-breaking success.
Luxury yacht builders told the Bulletin they had broken sales records across the fourday event and had a steady stream of future work.
Organisers confirmed it was one of the biggest shows yet, with 180 boats on water, 275 boats on land, more than 300 individual exhibitors and a 10 per cent visitor increase.
Industry professionals said the surge was due to Riviera returning to the show, an improving economy and the special 30th anniversary.
Riviera, which employs 585 people at its Coomerabased factory, returned to the Sanctuary Cove show after several years spent at a rival boat show.
Maritimo CEO Garth Corbitt said the sales at the event surpassed the company’s pre-global financial crisis record of $37 million.
“We have dealer partners here from New Zealand, Monaco, Thailand, China and the USA as well as from throughout Australia and the atmosphere is simply electric,” he said.
“The world premiere of the X60 sports yacht has drawn huge attention to Maritimo and sales have just flowed throughout the whole show.
“We have numerous factory tours planned for the coming week with prospective buyers and I’m confident our total sales from the show will move even further ahead.”
Californian retirees Jeff and Robin Lyall will tour the factory tomorrow, where Maritimo employs more than 100 direct staff and hundreds of contractors.
The couple travelled from America for the boat show, on the hunt for a luxury craft.
Riviera director of brand and communication Stephen Milne said he couldn’t give final sales figures, but there was “certainly an on last year.
“It’s a great story for Australia, a great story for Queensland and the Gold Coast,” Mr Milne said.
Paul Gillett and his fiveyear-old son Cian weren’t in the market for a luxury super yacht, but did see something they were after.
Mr Gillett, from Narangba, was looking to upgrade from his ski boat.
The Irish national said he grew up on the River Shannon and wanted to provide Cian with the same boating lifestyle he had as a boy.
To find the right boat Mr Gillett went to the Miami Boat Show in February which is touted as “the biggest and best” in the world. “If there was more I must have missed it because this one is better.” increase”
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE X60 SPORTS YACHT HAS DRAWN HUGE ATTENTION.