Sailboats of the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show

It was fitting, then, that the 2022 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show played host to a number of new sailboats making their Australian market debut.

Vessels ranged from a humble trailer sailer to sleek monohulls and cavernous catamarans, with something to temp most visitors.

The flagship of the SCIBS sailing fleet was the plumb-bowed Jeanneau Yachts 60 brought to the show by Melbourne-based 38 South Boat Sales dealer Rohan Veal.

Having sea trialled the older 64 version (now superseded by the 65), the new 60-footer is a massive upgrade in style and function, including an in-mast furling mainsail, a self-tacking headsail for easy operation, and twin steering wheels and rudders. 

Keeping it all upright is a cruiser-friendly L-shaped cast iron keel that won't catch fishing nets. 

The Jeanneau Yachts 60 at SCIBS came with the optional hardtop bimini, which is ideal protection from our harsh sun. 

The beamy hull – everything from the plumb bow to the full chines aims to add internal volume – houses a garage for a sizeable dinghy with a fold-down teak swim platform. 

The garage impinges on the owner's aft ensuite-equipped cabin, but by all measures, it is still large. A larger forward master cabin with ensuite is an option, replacing two doubles.

Superyacht guru Andrew Winch has cast his spell inside, with the tall topsides allowing for a sumptuous saloon that works at sea or in port. 

Styling is contemporary luxury with light-toned wood, spacious lounge seating and sunken galley located forward that runs across the beam of the yacht. 

Mooloolaba Yacht Brokers said it would soon take delivery of its first Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 yacht – a popular size for cruising couples.  

A major step-up from the best-selling 349 model, the Marc Lombard-designed Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 maximises its volume by carrying the beam aft. 

Because of this, it is also equipped with twin helms and rudders. 

Another feature adapted from its larger siblings is the ramps down the side decks to the cockpit sole, allowing crew to access either wheel via the decks. 

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 has options for many key items including keel, rig and interiors, so is sure to have wide appeal. 

Queenslanders may option the lifting or bilge keel version, while those with regatta aspirations will go for the fin keel and performance rig options – with no backstay and swept-back shrouds, it means a big-topped mainsail can be bent on. 

Inside, up to three cabins can be fitted with an offset vee-berth allowing more standing room.  

Nothing is more seaworthy than a deep-keeled monohull yacht, so there was plenty of visitors to other similar ones, including the Dufour 470 and 530 models, which are large, stable ocean-crossing vessels. 

The latest models have combined the features of their once separate ranges of Performance and Grand Large cruisers. 

They still have a performance T-keel, but these new Felci-designed hulls maximise cruising comforts while having speed for hurrying these long ocean crossings. 

They also are large enough for watermakers, generator sets and water toys, while inside there's a spacious saloon with a forward galley and the option of up to four ensuite cabins.

German rival Hanse showed a Hanse 418 on its section of the Sanctuary Cove marina. 

The Hanse 418’s 40-foot length makes it an ideal size for bluewater cruising or local family coastal holidays. 

The 418 boasts a simple sail plan that includes a self-tacking jib, so when beating simply turn the wheel and the sails flip on their own. 

A deep cast iron keel ensures good windward performance. 

Deck space is flattened to maximise liveability, which is equalled below with a contemporary loft styling in the saloon and three double cabins. Another plus is lots of hatch space; ideal for our tropical climate.

French giant Beneteau has realigned its range to offer varieties of the same model, so the Oceanis 46.1 shown at SCIBS by Flagstaff Marine comes in three versions - Cruising, Charter and First Line performance. 

The Cruising version emphasises comfort while the First Line has a performance rig and other customisation for regattas. 

The Oceanis 46.1 is designed by race designer Pascal Conq and Italian interior wizard Nauta Design, so it is a slick-looking yacht, inside and out. Conq has also nicely trimmed the weight to a modest 10,597kg. 

The cruising rig option includes a self-tacking headsail and roller furling mainsail, while the carbon performance option adds a bowsprit.  

“We also can't wait to get the new First 36, which should arrive in August,” Flagstaff dealer principal Graham Raspass said. 

It's been a long wait since the French builder acquired the know-how to revamp its legendary First race range. Since Beneteau and Seascape joined forces to co-develop the new generation of First, including the First 24 that has become an exciting regatta one-design boat, the range has expanded to include the 14, 27 and now the 36 model. 

Described as a racer-cruiser, it is expected to plane in a breeze, so has a flatter hull designed by Seascape naval architect Sam Manuard. 

Reducing weight is the key, so it's built by vacuum-infusion with a fully cored GRP composite structure – including bulkheads and most interior parts – some of which contribute to the structural strength of the boat. 

The deck has the main track between the twin helms to maximise control of the mainsail, while shorter twin rudders are used to manage the wide beam and angles of heel. 

However, in a nod to the second part of its “racer-cruiser” description, there is a fully equipped interior with a cooker and three cabins, which also helps its IRC handicap rating. 

A hot ticket in both power and sail as owners chase more beam are catamarans, so it was good to see some entry-level models on show at Sanctuary Cove. 

One of them was the first Excess 11 in Australia, at 37 feet one of the smallest production cats on the market. Supplied by Flagstaff Marine, the Excess 11 on show was an owner's version with three cabins. 

Sister brand Lagoon, which is also part of the vast French Beneteau Group, was another strong contender at SCIBS with its Lagoon 46 high-performance catamaran, a model right in the brand’s sweet spot. 

Major European brands tend to dominate the mass market sector for general cruising multihulls because of production capabilities and global reach, so this is where most buyers look. 

The Lagoon 46 is not a speedster, but is easily sailed with all controls on the tall flybridge, around the single helm. 

Performance is enhanced over the older 450 by moving the rig back to balance the sail area across the entire hull. 

Inside, the Lagoon 46 is an ultra-comfortable cruising catamaran, ideal for the liveaboard life popular along the Gold Coast with a shaded aft cockpit and voluminous saloon due to the vertical bulkheads. 

In the hulls, there's an owner's suite to starboard and twin cabins in the port one. 

With Lagoon's strong presence in the charter market, there is also a four-cabin ensuite version, plus a crew berth option in the bows.

French rival Catana Group's Bali concept has won many admirers, including Australian dealer Dream Yacht Sales. 

The Bali range of ultra-spacious cruising catamarans is distinguished by the entire aft bulkhead of the saloon opening to create a vast inside/outside space. 

Other features on display at SCIBS included the large flybridge and a solid fibreglass foredeck that maximises usable space.

A strong competitor on the next pontoon was the Elba 45. This particular hull has already proven itself after the owner sailed in from Elba’s French factory, across the Atlantic and the Pacific to reach Sydney. 

Mooloolaba-based dealer Multihull Solutions has sold Fountaine Pajots – shallow-drafted vessels that use only mini-keels, so can sneak among the sandbars of far north Queensland – for years, meaning there are many of them around. 

Key features of the Elba include a high bridgedeck clearance between the hulls that reduces wave friction, and a sail plan that hugs the deck to improve stability – yet it retains a discrete flybridge cockpit. 

Multihull Solutions also hosted the Australian launch of the Neel-Trimarans Neel 43. 

Priced from around $1 million, the triple-hulled Neel sold in the first few days of the show.

Other big Australian debut was the Dufour 48, supplied by Sydney-based Performance Cruising Yachts. 

No longer part of the French monohull company by that name, the Dufour 48 three-level cruiser featuring a wide wind range for its sailplan is now made by an eastern European consortium and built in an Italian yard. 

Another major global player at SCIBS was South Africa-based Leopard, which had its powerful looking 50 model piled with visitors during the show. 

A distinguishing feature of this brand is its vast deck space – the brand is a significant player in the global charter market, so it needs to cater for large numbers of people onboard. 

A Leopard feature is a foredeck cockpit and flybridge alongside a single elevated helm station. 

Inside, the Leopard 50 can come in a number of layouts featuring three to five cabins, a utility room for liveaboards, and an extensive options list including a big Code 0 headsail that will be perfect for moving this voluminous cat along in Australia's tropical airs.