2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show: What to expect

Leading the charge are the Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturers, with both Riviera and its cross-town rival Maritimo unveiling new models – Riviera with a new SUV flagship and Maritimo with a new sedan and the introduction of a new line of extended cockpit models.

The show is also lining up to be an important one for luxury motor yacht importers, with several brands using the event to herald new models.

And, as always, there are the smaller trailer boats that are becoming a larger part of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show with each running of the event.

So, what is likely to be there? Here’s the boatsales.com.au rundown of what we can expect to see at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.

The most highly anticipated launch at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is the arrival of a new Riviera flagship – the Riviera 645 SUV.

The new model features the largest cockpit in the now six-model-strong Riviera SUV line-up, making it an ideal choice as a single-level living space suited to either fishing or water sports, including scuba diving.

The Riviera 645 SUV is built around a large alfresco deck forward of the cockpit, opening into a large saloon and galley space dominated by a three-seat helm station with an inboard helm.

Accommodation options include either three or four staterooms with a full-beam master suite, and three bathrooms.

But Riviera is keen to use its home event to announce something special. We’ve heard whispers of an all-new model that’s expected to join Riviera’s long-range bluewater cruiser line – something like a Riviera 57 Sports Motor Yacht, the only obvious hole in the brand’s most accomplished cruiser range.

Maritimo, meanwhile, will have both its S55 sedan and M55 flybridge cruisers as part of what it promises will be the show’s largest on-water display. 

However, most of the focus will be on new developments related to the Maritimo M600 Offshore, the first-ever sample of a new line of extended cockpit models that will soon swell Maritimo’s showroom. The M Offshore range will include both flybridge and sedan models.

But Maritimo has teased that this year will have a number new-model reveals – as many as eight of them – as it reaps the investment from heavily in a year-long campaign of new-model design and development.

Horizon Yacht Australia has announced it will have the Horizon FD87 Skyline, an almost vertical-bowed replacement for the FD85 that uses its wide beam to offer the maximum amount of interior and exterior living space. 

Unusually, the Horizon FD87 Skyline uses a superyacht-style extended “piercing” hull that makes the boat’s waterline almost the same length as the overall length.

Palm Beach will display the 19.9-metre Palm Beach GT60, the bigger of the two-model GT line. Long and low, and made for speed, it’s a smart blend of modern and classic lines in a sedan-style monitor yacht. 

Unusually, the tender garage is beneath the expansive cockpit floor, aft of the engine room.

The Princess V55, launched by the British luxury motor yacht brand last year and previewed at the 2020 Sanctuary Cove Boating Festival, will also make an appearance on the Gold Coast.

The sports yacht is designed to be a more open model, featuring a large cockpit and a sliding saloon door that lifts up out of the way, merging the two spaces. The boat is also quick, capable of 37 knots in the right trim.

Gold Coast-based eyachts will have a range of new Axopar models on display, including the Brabus Shadow 900 Cross Cabin, powered with twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines capable of pushing the twin-stepped hull up past 60 knots.

The adventure-ready Axopar 37 Cross Cabin also will be on display in Australia for the first time, featuring gullwing doors over the forward cabin.

eyachts will also have the Greenline 39 on display, with buyers able to choose between diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, and full electric drive depending on how environmentally friendly they want other boating experience to be.

Sunseeker, meanwhile, will have the Manhattan 68 flybridge cruiser in Australia for the first time.

The 68 is the largest model in the Manhattan line-up of long-distance cruisers.

Australian luxury yacht designer Whitehaven has announced it will have two impressive models on show; the tri-decked Whitehaven 6000 Flybridge sitting alongside a decade-old Whitehaven 7000 Flybridge.

We should get a chance to find out more about another new Whitehaven model due later this year, with the long and low sedan-styled Whitehaven 6800 already under construction.

The Multihull Group will have a number of flagship models on display at Sanctuary Cove. 

Key to the display will be two models from luxury powered catamaran maker Aquila, the A32 and A70. The all-new Aquila A54 is expected to make its Australian debut at July’s Sydney Festival of Boating.

The Multihull Group will also have the Lagoon 42 and the new Lagoon 46 sailing catamarans on its stand.

Performance cruising catamaran brand Outremer will also have a place on the stand, with the Outremer 4X featured.

While most of the hype internationally is around the first of the new Iliad 80 cruising cats due later this year, Iliad Catamarans will have its Iliad 50 on show at Sanctuary Cove.

Meanwhile, US sail and powerboat maker Leopard will have the Leopard 42 on display.

This boat features an exterior similar to the larger Leopard 50 sailing catamaran, with an interior adopted form a power boat, the Leopard 53 Powercat.

French fishing and cruising boat brand Arvor is launching a number of heavily upgraded models into the Australian market, and the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will feature a number of them.

Expect to see the new-look Arvor 805 Sportsfish, the Arvor 905 Weekender, and maybe even the Arvor 705 Sportsfish if it lands in Australia in time for the show – otherwise, expect to see it at the Sydney Festival of Boating.

Sometimes it’s the small things that have the biggest sense of excitement about them. That’s why we’re keen to see the new Makocraft X-Series of fibreglass X-Lite car-topper and X-Max tender dinghies.

The 4.0-metre boats – unusual given that Makocraft is primarily an alloy boat-builder – are made for low-speed planing, but according to Makocraft still ride well and offer plenty of buoyancy at rest.

The Queensland-based predominantly alloy boat maker has also teased it will be revealing the all-new Makocraft X-Offshore 530 at Sanctuary Cove.

Over at Whittley, we’re likely to see a couple of new boats from the Victoria-based fibreglass trailer boat-maker including outboard-engined versions of the CR 2380 and Cr 2600 cruisers, and 300hp Whittley SL25 Hardtop.

Multihull specialist Powercat Marine will have four models on display at the show; the 9000 Sports Sedan, 9000 Sports Cruiser Sedan, 7700 Sports Fisherman Sedan, and the 2400 Pioneer.

Sanctuary Cove will host the official Australian arrival of Italian stabiliser maker Smartgyro.

Smartgyro, which has strong connections with Japanese marine engine maker Yanmar, has named Queensland-based marine systems, engineering and hydraulics provider Pacific Maritime Solutions as the brand’s first-ever Australian dealer.

Meanwhile, marine engineering and refit group Stella Marine has revealed it plans to unveil a new hydraulic swim platform at the Sanctuary Cove show.

Stella Marine says it plans to have a fully operational version of the hydraulic swim platform concept available for viewing throughout the entire show.

The 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show runs from May 20-23. Tickets are available online priced from $23, with children under the age of 16 admitted free.