Record-breaking Sanctuary Cove

Held in May, the SCIBS has become the boat show of choice for manufacturers to launch new boats and brands in Australia. And the 18th running of the show was no exception. There were more than 20 world releases and about 50 local new boat releases at this year's event.

Hosted at the residential resort of Sanctuary Cove on the northern end of the Gold Coast, SCIBS has a reputation for setting the tone of the boat show year. And it got 2006 off to a flying start.

Key Australian and overseas brands fought for their share of the limelight over the four days.

On the trailerboat front, US-built boats continued their march on the local market with brands such as Regal and Crownline among those releasing new models at the show. Crownline's 190 LS bowrider, designed with input from Australian consumers and dealers, was among those to make their Aussie debut.

Of the local crop of sportsboats, the Haines Signature 580BR was one of the standouts. The new model exhibited a high standard of amenity and finish.

Trailerboat anglers weren't forgotten, with two Australian builders releasing tricked-up angler-ready craft. The new Cruise Craft 575 Explorer caters for the burgeoning mid-size offshore trailerboat market, while the Theodore 720 Sport (powered by Mercury's latest supercharged 250hp four-stroke Verado outboard) is proof positive the local brands can mix it with the maxi-trailerables from overseas.

In ski and powersports, Tige and relative newcomer Supra added some bling and glamour. Both brands displayed wakeboarding craft that had almost as much horsepower behind the audio as under the hood! Supra looks likely to make a big splash on the local scene with its tournament-spec craft.

Australia's biggest boat builder, Riviera unveiled its stunning 56 Flybridge. The first large craft to benefit from the maker's move to 100 per cent computer-aided design, the 56 heralds a new era of design and quality from the marque, claims the company.

Arch rival Maritimo had two new craft at the show - an all-new 48 Flybridge and a revised 52. Headed by Riviera founder Bill Barry-Cotter, Maritimo has come a long way since its launch in 2004. The cruising boat builder has opened a new purpose-built production facility at the Coomera Marine Precinct and will likely announce a move into another area of the flybridge boat market before the year is out.

The star of the show, however, was bigger than the Riviera and Maritimo's new releases put together. Built by custom boat specialist Azzura Yachts, the $12m Cambria II is a classically styled 100ft motoryacht. Stunning retro lines and thoroughly modern engineering make this craft one of a kind. It's worth the admission price on its own.

US fishing brand Albemarle also made its local debut at Sanctuary Cove with two craft in the growing 26 to 34ft range. Look out for more from this brand.

Sunseeker's new 75 Predator was a hit out of the blocks and the sailors weren't forgotten, either, with Delphia's show debut via its Polish-built value-for-money 37 and 40-footers. Fountain-Pajot displayed a 60ft super-luxury sailing cat that will wow buyers.

Organisers believed this year's SCIBS attracted more than 50,000 visitors before finishing on May 21. In addition to local consumers, delegations from the UK, USA, NZ, China and a host of other nations attended the show.

TrailerBoat will feature many of the new releases from Sanctuary Cove in the second half of 2006.