New Zealand boating industry showing strong growth
by Isla McKechnie on 19 Sep 2014
The very versatile 565 SUV is the best of both worlds - the cruising entertainer's or avid angler's dream. Riviera at Auckland On Water Boat Show.
Riviera .
http://www.riviera.com.au
The Auckland On Water Boat Show runs from the 25 to the 28 September and this year’s edition indicates good health within the market. Exhibitors have chosen to go big, with luxury brand, Riviera, displaying $10,500,000 worth of boats in the Viaduct Harbour and four boats designed by local company Roger Hill Yacht Designs, worth $5,500,000 on show.
The four Hill-designed yachts are the striking 17-metre Voodoo, built by Pachoud Yachts, 14.95-metre Tribute, 13.1-metre Notorious and an 8.9m ArrowCat.
The show is increasingly making its presence felt as the place for industry to meet, be seen and do business. Australia’s Multihull Solutions have chosen it as the right environment to stage the New Zealand launch of their award-winning Summerland 40 Long Range. The Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts vessel recently won Boat of the Year in the liveable boats category at the 2014 Moteur Boat Awards, and Multihull will be looking forward to seeing how the local market responds to the catamaran with exceptional space and stability.
Strong signs then that retailers believe the upper end of the market has the oomph to support big ticket items, and in the specialty vessel market there’s good indication of growth too.
Three major brands, Stabicraft, Sealegs and Yamaha, have combined their complementary technical expertise to create a new super-vessel which will be released at the show. The iconic marine companies have teamed up to create an amphibious vehicle with the exceptional power of a lightweight Yamaha engine, the latest Sealegs SLG-61 amphibious technology and the stability and soft ride of a Stabicraft hull.
It will be on display at the show alongside 200 vessels in the Viaduct’s marina. That number easily makes this New Zealand’s largest on-water boat show and, when added to the 200 exhibitors at the show, makes for a very impressive industry gathering.
While the show caters for the recreational boating public, it also serves an important function as a yearly focal point for local industry, as well as those from around the Pacific to meet, compare notes and forge new partnerships. The show’s organisers promote the importance of b-to-b partnerships and provide opportunities to meet and discuss the year ahead at events like a sit down breakfast before doors open at North Wharf restaurant, Jack Tar.
New Zealand superyacht stalwart, Yachting Developments, diversified when the GFC hit and as a result has ridden it through exceptionally well. The Hobsonville company which has built globally-lauded superyachts quickly adjusted its approach before the superyacht order book slowed down, and is now pulling smoothly through as markets accelerate away from the downturn, with the refit and commercial building services it added to its bow.
The result of that adaptation will be on display at the show. Yachting Developments was responsible for the refit of Steinlager 2, Ngataki and Lady Shirley, all boats which form part of the fabric of the nation’s maritime history and all of which are on display at the show, and was also responsible for the striking silver feature topping the ASB building seen behind the Viaduct Harbour.
Local boat builders and designers are displaying industry development in strides at the show. Salthouse Marine will have its Corsair Cabriolet 44, which blends classic design with modern technology in a perfect luxury package on display while Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders will have two boats in the show: an Elite 16m and Elite 17.8m. Warwick Yacht Designs, known for award-winning designs in both the smaller and superyacht sectors, will have its timeless 1990 Warwick 56 build, Manessa, on display. Scott Lane Boatbuilders have 12.2m Elite sedan Odysseia, built for the Lane family, on show, which is the perfect showcase of custom yacht building in this size Event website
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