Motor yachts to see at the 2023 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show

After a few years of interruptions due to a global pandemic that upset everything from the wiring for a boat's electronics to a shortage of space on the ships used to transport them to Australia, the world's motor yacht brands appear to be back in force.

However, the Sanctuary Cove event is also an important one for Australia's domestic boat-building industry, which likes to make a big splash in its own backyard.

Riviera, Australia's largest motor yacht maker, plans to reveal an all-new model ahead of the 2023 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that could make its global debut at this year's event.

The brand has a history of announcing new models shortly before, or even on the first day that they appear in daylight, as part of the strong dedication to its home territory.

The motor yacht maker has spent millions of dollars expanding its Coomera-based manufacturing base to give it the capacity to build increasingly large models, with the Riviera 78 Motor yacht launched last year a strong indication of Riviera's ambitions to stretch to even larger models.

Importantly, the 11-model Sanctuary Show display will be Riviera's only Australian boat show appearance, meaning if you want to step onboard to take a look at one you'd better book a flight soon.

Maritimo will kick off its 20th-anniversary celebrations by splashing two new flagship models, the Maritimo S75 sedan and the M75 flybridge.

Maritimo announced these new models at last year's Sanctuary Cove show, setting the benchmark for the lengthiest models built to date at the Coomera-based Maritimo factory.

The new models respond to a global upsizing trend in the luxury motor yacht market where owners are more than willing to splash significant cash to gain a live-aboard lifestyle.

The first Maritimo M75 down the line also is the first to be fitted with a pair of 1625hp MTU V10 engines from Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Sanctuary Cove will also play host to the Melbourne-built Cape 50 sedan featuring strong traditional looks wrapped around cutting-edge technology.

The boat is built by Composite Constructions, a company headed by Steve Campbell that has experience building everything from Americas Cup challengers to high-speed power boats. The Cape 50 fills a void in the market, using its smooth, classic lines to turn heads and Volvo Penta IPS drive systems to give it a big turn of pace.

Whitehaven Motor Yachts is the Australian distributor for powered catamaran maker Aquila and luxury motor yacht maker Integrity.

Its display will include a highly customised tri-deck Whitehaven 6000 Flybridge, built on the foundations of a model that was launched in concept form at last year’s Sanctuary Cove show, and the Australian premieres of the Aquila 36, 44 and 54 catamarans – three of the latter have already been delivered to Australia with a total of seven already ordered.

But Whitehaven will also host the world premiere of the Integrity 470CE Plus, an all-new model that introduces the “Plus” line of motor yachts featuring a planing hull. The new design underneath the Integrity 470CE Plus is optimised for higher cruising speeds, stability, manoeuvrability and “exceptional efficiency”.

Horizon Yachts Australia, meanwhile, will host the debut of the Horizon RP125 superyacht, a highly customised four-stateroom Horizon V74 Skyline, and the Horizon FD80 Skyline that stands out as the first Australian-delivered model to feature an aft galley layout.

The Horizon RP125 is the largest model from the Taiwanese luxury motor yacht maker to sell in Australia, eclipsing even the Horizon RP100 that sold within hours of the 2021 Sanctuary Cove show opening its gates. Before you reach for the chequebook, this RP125 happens to be en route to its new Australian owners.

Victorian boutique motor yacht brokerage JR Nautical will make a splash at Sanctuary Cove with the Australian launch of the Okean Yachts 52 Fly.

Okean is a Brazilian yacht maker known for its innovative designs. Its three-cabin 52 Fly features massive wing-style fold-down side decks as well as a large, airy saloon that connects the outdoors with the interior. A plum bow maximises the amount of interior space the motor yacht can use for its waterline.

Australia-based Iliad Catamarans will use this year's Sanctuary Cove show as a springboard for its all-new Iliad 53S.

The 53S, introduced via local representatives Multihull Solutions, is a step aside from traditional powered catamaran design to incorporate what the yacht maker says is a "sporty sedan silhouette". We even know how much it costs, with prices starting from $US1.79 million ($A2.7 million), with the first boat off the production line already earmarked for its new owner. Of note, the master stateroom takes up an entire hull.

French sail and powered catamaran brand Fountaine Pajot will introduce its Fountaine Pajot MY4.S to the Australian market for the first time via Australian distributor Multihull Solutions.

The Fountaine Pajot MY4.S is a new compact model that aims to maximise the amount of living space onboard for its 11.0-metre waterline.

The 2023 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show runs from May 25-28.