2022 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show closes on a high

Almost 44,000 visitors passed through the gates over the four days of the show despite the occasional torrential rain and Saturday’s federal election interrupting the flow of visitors through the gates.

The number is down on last year’s record 51,000 visitors who attended the show last year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw the cancellation of the 2020 event, and its replacement with a scaled-down event later in the year.

However, while gate numbers were down the number of exhibits was up. Organisers claim this year’s event had more than 1000 products and 600 vessels on show from almost 340 exhibitors.

The waters of the Sanctuary Cove marina played host to 251 boats, a 20 per cent increase from the number displayed at last year’s record-breaking event.

The show – the 33rd in its history – was a good one for the brands that had a range of new boats on display, including Gold Coast-based luxury mortar yacht maker Riviera.

Riviera has more than 60 boats queued up in its Coomera factory as it fills current orders, but it still had time to reveal the all-new Riviera 465 SUV after keeping it a closely guarded secret right up until the show’s opening day.

Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said the brand used the show to welcome “many returning and new owners to our family with yachts purchased across the exceptional 24-model collection of sport yachts, SUV, sport motor yachts and motor yachts”.

Each year, Riviera invites its customers to Sanctuary Cove to tackle part in its Festival of Boating, using a series of workshops and social events aimed at increasing the skills and confidence of the people who use their boats.

The new SUV model was launched alongside the first official look at the Rivier 78 Motor Yacht and the all-new Riviera 4600 Sports Motor Yacht Platinum Edition.

Over at Maritimo, the M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht, M600 Offshore Flybridge and the S600 Offshore sedan were all launched side-by-side.

Maritimo managing director Tom Barry-Cotter said the show was “fantastic” to use as a platform for Australian manufacturers to launch new models directly to serious buyers.

Princess Yachts Australia marked the show with the global launch of the upgraded Princess V55 flybridge motor yacht.

The group’s dealer principal, Greg Haines, said the show had generated “lots of interest in the brand and plenty of people” despite the wet weather.

Multihull specialist Multihull Solutions sold a number of new boats as buyers braved the conditions – including the Neel 43 trimaran that was on show for the first time in Australia.

Whittley Boats sales and marketing director Alan Whittley – one of the few fibreglass boat brands at the show – said he was surprised with the number of people coming through the gates.

Whittley reported particularly high sales across the larger CR sports cruiser series and SL fishing series models.

Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show general manager Johan Hasser said Mulpha’s continued investment in Sanctuary Cove, including the recent marina expansion, had allowed it to increase its footprint and attract a record number of exhibitors who reported “remarkable sales”.

“The economic impact of SCIBS 2022 will continue to influence the event, tourism and marine sectors, fuelling sales, creating employment, generating tourism dollars and increasing visitor nights in the region,” Hasser said.

The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will return next year from May 25-28, 2023.