Greg Norman's 87ft Oceanfast Aussie Rules for sale

We have to go back 20 years to when our Marine Editor was a callow youth to recount the launch of this stunning 87ft luxury Oceanfast Sportfish built in Western Australia for Greg Norman.

It was circa 1996 and David Lockwood was bestowed the honour of being the first and only Australian journalist to drive this impressive boat, designed with Greg "The Shark" Norman's considerable input.

The 87 footer was intended to spearhead a range of long-range Norman Sports Classic line game boats from 80-120 feet built by Oceanfast.

"I drove Aussie Rules fast down Sydney Harbour at daybreak, the MTUs roaring, the sound system blaring — some of the crew hadn't slept that night and the party was still going — as the towering boat in blue livery with red boot stripe cut an impressive figure before the weary Sydney ferries just booting up," he says.

"It might be two decades ago, but this was a highlight of a boating hack's career. I can close my eyes now and still feel the power... and the energy of the crew including "Flash" partying hard at 5.30am."

Those twin 1500hp MTU engines, and a 18,000-plus litre fuel supply, were central to this boat's design intent — expedition fishing, with luxurious living accommodations for extended periods on the ocean.

The boat has a 28-knot top speed (Lockwood says he reached that on the throttles), cruised at 23 knots and had an 800-1000nm range. Coming out of production US sportfishers, Norman wanted the ability to fish distant locations and Aussie Rules has apparently seen some of the world's hottest fishing spots over the years.

The custom fishing equipment includes a giant winch facing the transom door, huge fish box, lighted aquarium wells, Rupp triple spreader 41' outrigger, bait freezers, Murray Brothers helm chair, aft station, transom fish door with dive access and swim out, Marine Metal Fabrications tower and more.

The watersports and dive gear includes scuba gear storage, cockpit entrance, dive tank storage, bar fridge with ice maker, BBQ grill, rod stowage compartment under lounge, external head and shower and so on.

As things eventuated, this boat was the only model in the adventurous Norman Sports Classic line produced by Oceanfast Marine Group, one of Australia's largest shipbuilders at the time. The promising venture intended to build luxury sportfishers from 80 to 120 feet in length, but Oceanfast ran into financial trouble.

Norman believed there was a market for bigger sportfishers — time has proven him right — and he believed that he knew what people wanted in them.

Back in the mid-90s, Oceanfast CEO John Farrell told the Florida-based newspaper The Sun-Sentinel that Norman (who preferred to fish stand-up tackle) had firm ideas of what he wanted in his boat.

"All of the boats will be built with Greg Norman's name on them and with Greg Norman's input. Norman's influence will be most evident in the boat's size, lines and cockpit area.

"Greg is fanatical about the cockpit layout, the height of the combing, the location of the baitwell," Farrell said back then. "He also has a particular idea on style."

Aussie Rules was the showboat for the range that never eventuated. As such, it has a long list of features and equipment that you won't find on a production vessel. The loaded boat was selling for US$4.9m at the time, but has returned to the market with a US$1.89m asking price two decades later.

Now newly refitted, the interior sleeps 10, plus crew, while the decor — originally Australian silky oak — and updated AV electronics throughout the vessel are said to result in a fresh atmosphere.

At the time Lockwood drove it, Norman's captain Gary Stuve, who skippered The Shark’s boats for six years, said: "You're not going to catch a world-record blue [marlin) on 12-pound line, but it handles good enough that you can catch fish in it."

Details on our website at
Oceanfast Aussie Rules classified listing.