Top 10 trailer boats of the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show

Baysport Boats is an Australian-based boat-builder with a factory on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The long-standing business produces strong, practical, great value fibreglass cabin boats for many years.

At the 2019 Brisbane Boat Show, Baysport Boats launched a new flagship model, the 705 Offshore. Displayed on the Brisbane Yamaha stand, the new half cabin model tops a range that encompasses about half a dozen boats.

The Baysport 705 Offshore is a smart-looking boat with a rounded cabin structure topped by a toughened glass curved windscreen and optional bimini. Inside, the Baysport 705 Offshore has a pair of full-length berths in the open-plan cabin, along with an electric flush toilet.

The helm station is neatly laid out with a pair of bucket helm chairs fronting a fascia with ample space for a large multifunction display.

Moving aft, anglers will appreciate the huge, foam rubber-floored rear cockpit, full-height transom with starboard side live bait tank, bait board, coaming bolster padding, recessed rails, above-floor side pockets, and more.

Package pricing for the Baysport 705 Offshore starts from just $90,000. The fully-loaded, turn-key Brisbane show boat was on special for $97,500 with a Yamaha 225hp outboard engine, trailer and lots of extra gear.

More information: www.brisbaneyamaha.com.au

The Brig Eagle 10 dominated the western wall of hall three at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition centre. This stunning, high-performance sports RIB has a deep vee fibreglass hull surrounded by 65cm diameter Hypalon ORCA inflatable tubes.

The flagship of the Ukraine-made Brig range, the Eagle 10 is the ultimate superyacht tender (yes it actually has davit lifting points), but it is equally capable as a family sports boat – a pair of Yamaha’s 300hp V6 four-stroke outboard engines can provide a blistering top speed in the 50-knot range.

The Brig 10 is a beautifully appointed boat complete with a lockable double-berth centre cabin with head compartment, a helm leaning post incorporating a sink, stove and optional fridge, luxurious bow and stern lounge seating areas, removable stern dinette/cocktail table, boarding platforms and ladder, Sea-Dek rubber flooring throughout, and more.

Pricing for the Brig Eagle 10 starts at a whisker under $300,000. The show boat was priced around the $320K mark, complete with a Garmin electronics suite, Fusion stereo, heavy-duty alloy trailer, T-top and storm covers.

More information: www.siroccomarinenorth.com

Ezy Topper is a leading brand of ultra-lightweight car-topper boats made in Caboolture, Queensland. Parent company Enlightened Boating also builds CrossXCountry boats. Both have very light, but strong fibreglass and foam composite hulls made using a vacuum-assisted resin infusion process.

The 4.1m Ezy Topper displayed at the Brisbane boat show has been a key model in the Enlightened Boating range for a number of years due to its practical, ultra-lightweight 98kg hull that two adults can carry, and its smooth, quiet ride.

Priced from $9988 (hull only), the Ezy Topper 4.1 can be trailered or car-topped. It also performs well with small, tiller-steer outboard engines in the 9.9hp–15hp range.

Notable Ezy Topper features include moulded bow and stern casting decks with a non-slip finish, large storage compartments, provision for a portable fuel tank aft, a flat centre floor area, a bow cleat and stern carry handles.

The display boat was also rigged with an optional icebox/centre seat, a keel protection guard, and a fishfinder console-mounting platform. Rod lockers, live wells, side pockets, hull wraps and console helm stations are also available.

More information: www.enlightenedboating.com

The 2019 Brisbane Boat Show saw the reveal of the new Formosa 580 SRT Vision Sports Cab from Brisbane’s Formosa Marine. As detailed in our news item posted last week, the new Vision Cab boasts a totally redesigned cabin structure for more headroom, longer, 1.82m berths, and extra storage space.

There’s also a heavily tinted, wraparound panelled front window for improved 180-degree visibility, and a host of family-friendly features and options including a toilet, revised helm station, black-framed curved windscreen with matching powder-coated folding wake-tower/hardtop, and box helm seats with a pull-out cooler to port and single-burner cooktop to starboard.

The Formosa 580 SRT Vision Cab is equipped with several other innovations, including the Active Transom design and the latest SRT hull bottom with the QUAD4 water ballast system, and a slightly sharper transom vee shape.

The Brisbane display boat was paired with a Yamaha 150hp four-stroke outboard engine providing a top speed in the 35-38 knot range.

Pricing for the new 580 SRT Vision Sports Cab starts at around $67,000, and rises to $70,340 for the boat package as displayed.

More information: www.goldcoastboatingcentre.com.au

Horizon Aluminum Boats were also featured by Gold Coast Boating Centre. Among the broad range of boats on display was this terrific family/fishing crossover model called the Horizon 474 Stryker XPF Freestyle.

This smooth-looking open boat appears to be a regular side console model at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you’ll note it also has a bowrider seating area up forward. Naturally, the seating area converts quickly into a casting deck for anglers.

The display model was also rigged with a flat, carpeted plywood floor, a pair of lift-out pedestal chairs with four floor sockets, a bow cocktail table, full-height rear transom, overhead bimini cover, trolling motor mount, fishfinder, live bait tank and a port side transom door.

The 474 Stryker XPF Freestyle is an excellent inshore fishing and family boating package. The interior layout is ideal for both applications, and the boat is compact and light enough to tow easily behind a midsize SUV.

With the options fitted, along with a Yamaha 60hp outboard engine and Dunbier galvanised steel trailer, the Horizon 474 Stryker Freestyle is priced at $31,990.

More information: www.goldcoastboatingcentre.com.au

World-leading tow sports boat maker MasterCraft displayed its new NXT20 and NXT22 models through leading dealer Queensland Marine Centre. Described as entry-level cross-over boats for wake, surf and ski, the NXT20/22 twins are completely re-designed for the 2020 model year.

“Entry-level” is something of a misnomer, however, as these craft are stunningly appointed and equipped with many standard features including an enhanced, luxurious U-shaped aft seating area (incorporating a reverse facing seat), extra seating in the pickle fork bow, ample storage areas, and a stunning standard of finish throughout.

Hull and interior upgrades have been made to both models and the two boats now come with a more powerful base engine, the Ilmore 6.0-litre MPI inboard (V-Drive) delivering 380hp, an increase of 60hp over the previous model.

Regular features include the ZFT2 (upgraded) anodised tower, Klipsch audio system, the Gen2 Surf System wave-maker, port, starboard and bow ballast tanks, a fully lined interior, board racks, rear sun pad, transom access door, boarding platforms, and more.

Packaged with a MasterCraft trailer and the Ilmore freshwater engine, prices for the NXT series start at $119,700.

More information: www.qmc.com.au

The 2019 Brisbane Boat Show was the venue for the international reveal of PowerCat’s all-new 2400 Pioneer Platinum model. As reported on boatsales last week, the first model from the new owners of this renowned Australian boat brand is a tough-looking centre console sportfishing boat.

A year in the making, the PowerCat 2400 Pioneer is based on a shortened 2600 model, but with an entirely new interior layout. This impressive new rig has a dual-width centre console with a modern, port side offset helm station surrounded by a fibreglass framed, toughened glass windscreen and overhead T-top.

The console also conceals a spacious head compartment/change room.

The PowerCat 2400 comes loaded with features, along with broad bow and stern fishing decks, high cockpit freeboard, a gated walk-through transom, and a deluxe helm leaning post incorporating a freshwater sink, Corian bench-top, a fridge, tackle storage drawers and general storage compartments.

Anglers will appreciate the full-length coaming bolster padding, along with the moulded side storage pockets, dual transom live bait tanks, dual 200L fuel tanks, and raw-water deck wash.

Package pricing for the PowerCat 2400 starts at $189,500 when paired with dual Suzuki 115hp outboard engines and a Sea-Link dual-axle steel trailer. As displayed, the show boat price rises to $255K with the Platinum package and upgraded Suzuki 140hp motors.

More information: www.powercatmarine.com.au

New from Quintrex this year is the Fishabout Pro series of forward windscreen runabouts. Available in 4.3m, 4.5m and 4.8m hull lengths, the new models complement the existing, larger Fishabout models available from 4.9m through 6.1m in size.

One of the key features of the new Fishabout Pros is an upgrade to the Quintrex Blade hull design to incorporate more flare or curve in the topsides to deflect more spray away from the boat.

The Fishabout Pros also have redesigned, roto-moulded polyethylene dash modules along with a lean-through windscreen, a full-height, podded transom configuration for increased cockpit space, and bench seating across the stern.

Other features include a windscreen grab rail, a pair of lift-out pedestal helm chairs, driver and passenger footrests, carpeted plywood flooring, overhead bimini cover, moulded anchor well, above-floor cockpit side pockets, glove box, and transducer brackets.

The Quintrex 450 Fishabout Pro displayed by Brisbane Yamaha was on special for a package price of $27,335, complete with an Evinrude 50hp E-TEC two-stroke outboard, a Quintrex braked alloy trailer and a Lowrance Hook2 fishfinder/GPS.

More information: www.brisbaneyamaha.com.au

Brisbane boat buyers were given their first viewing of the Melbourne-made Southern Formula fibreglass fishing boat range thanks to Mackay dealer Sugar City Marine.

All three Southern Formula boats were on display, including the new Southern Formula 19, which made its debut at the Melbourne Boat Show back in June.

The Southern Formula 19 is a scaled-down, more affordable version of the larger Southern Formula 21 and 24 models. That said, from a distance you’d be hard-pressed to pick the difference.

The new 19 model appears to be bigger than its length would suggest thanks to the broad 2.5-metre beam and the glossy, full-bodied hull topsides.

The interior of the Southern Formula 19 is functional and utilitarian in design. You won’t find velvet-lined ceilings or soft-feel carpet in this boat.

However, anglers will be more than happy with the heightened helm position, large dash and fascia panel, uncluttered cockpit, high freeboard, position-adjustable side pockets, aft rod racks and extra-wide side coamings.

Similar to its siblings, the Southern Formula 19 has a rough water-capable deep-vee hull and can be powered by single or twin outboard engines.

As displayed with a single Mercury V6 outboard engine and dual-axle Easy-Tow trailer, the Southern Formula 19 package was priced at $110,459.

More information: www.sugarcitymarine.com.au

New Zealand’s Stabicraft launched two new centre cabin models recently, the 2250 Centrecab and the 2250 Ultra Centrecab. The former, dressed in a deep red/orange metallic paint, was exhibited on the Northside Marine stand at the Brisbane show.

The Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab has a traditional aft-facing cabin and windscreen, as opposed to the Ultra Centrecab, which has the windscreen angling forward. Otherwise the two boats are almost identical, and both are superbly outfitted for fishing.

Some of the most notable features include a surprisingly large, open-plan double berth cabin with dual helm chairs and removable iceboxes, wide cabin-side walkways, bowsprit fishing platform with concealed anchor well, semi-enclosed hardtop with glass windscreen, and a large cockpit with centre transom bait station/live bait tank.

The 2250 Stabicraft models have a 19-degree deadrise vee hull surrounded by welded alloy pontoon tubes that provide a very high degree of safety, stability and seaworthiness.

The Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab is priced from around $145,000 with a Yamaha 200hp outboard engine and a Redco dual-axle trailer. The heavily optioned display boat had a price of $172K with a Simrad electronics package, Minn Kota Ulterra 112lb trolling motor and a larger Yamaha 225hp four-stroke outboard engine.

Look out for our full review of this stunning new Stabicraft model in coming weeks.

More information: www.nsmarine.com.au