'Once in a lifetime' experience

Dubbed  ‘A Once In A Lifetime Experience’ a special weekend thrill package provided by luxury cruiser manufacturer Maritimo as a charity auction prize and a Sydney International Boat Show prize last year proved just that for three groups of Sydneysiders on the Gold Coast at the weekend.

Two of the groups successfully bid $18,000 each to snare their spots in the ultimate weekend package at the Starlight Children’s Foundation’s annual charity fund raising event last year and the third participants won their package at the Sydney International Boat Show.

The Once In A Lifetime Experience for four included two days cruising aboard a fully catered and skippered Maritimo luxury motoryacht, return airfares to the Gold Coast and limousine transfers, accommodation at the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, dinners, a tour of the Maritimo manufacturing plant, off-shore marlin fishing and a spine tingling run co-piloting the 150-knot Maritimo World Champion Offshore Race Boat with skipper, Peter (Muddy) McGrath.

The successful Starlight Foundation auction bidders were Michael and Peta Dover and Rick and Michel Manietta. The Dovers were accompanied by their friends Matthew and Narelle Charker.

The Manietta’s were accompanied by their daughter and son-in-law Paul and Natasha Folkard.

Sydney International Boat Show prize winners were Brent and Lauren Ferguson.

The three groups arrived on the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning and first cab off the rank was the raceboat run. Transferred from Sanctuary Cove to just east of Wavebreak Island in three luxury Maritimo cruisers the party met up with the race boat crew and their support vessel.

Taking it in turns Michael Dover, Matthew Charker, Brent Ferguson and Rick Manietta were all kitted up in race gear, given a safety briefing and wedged into the sleek raceboat. A strong south-easterly wind and fair-sized swell made for a thrilling and hair raising run for all men each doing two laps from the Gold Coast Seaway down to opposite Broadbeach and return.

They groups were then transferred to the Ramada Couran Cove Island Resort for the island’s signature ‘Aperitivo’ luncheon on the deck overlooking the marina hosted by Maritimo’s founder Bill Barry-Cotter and his wife Lesley.

Lunch was followed by a leisurely cruise back to Sanctuary Cove.

The verdict? "That was the best day of my life, aside from our wedding day," said Michael Dover. "I have been looking forward to this for months and it has totally blown me away," said Brent Ferguson. "It was something you cannot really explain," said Matthew Charker. "I drive an Aston Martin and I love to go fast, but that was unlike anything I have ever experienced," said Rick Manietta.

Bill Barry-Cotter said he was delighted with the result and very pleased that all those participating had enjoyed themselves.

"We were very happy to be able to make a meaningful contribution to the Starlight Foundation for all the wonderful work they do," he said.

He said the experience of co-piloting the Maritimo raceboat was extremely rare.

Maritimo’s sales and marketing manager, Greg Haines, said the company was considering other charity events in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth where the Once In A Lifetime Experience package could be offered as a fund raising prize.