Numbers Game

by John Curnow on 10 Jul 2016 Most things in yachting are, of course... Cost, size, IRC certificate, number of crew, bearing and range to mark, polars, number of kites, headsails, draft, displacement, I, J, P and E, bulb weight, bulb dimensions and so on. And then obviously, the devil is ALWAYS in the detail.

So taking all of that in, I wondered what the upcoming Sydney International Boat Show looked like numerically, especially as this is its last year at both Cockle Bay and Glebe Island. Importantly, SIBS is part of an AU$ 8 Billion recreational marine industry that employs 30,000 souls around the country. Nice one.

Now SIBS is already one of the world’s preeminent and the figurehead of the Southern hemisphere, but it goes a little like the following.

180 Exhibitors; 20,000m2 over four halls; 55,000 visitors expected in 2016 and some 3.4m since it all began back in 1968; 5,000 who prepare for it and/or work at it; Over 600 boats inside and just on 200 outside in the marina and if you tacked them all together, bow to stern, you would have a line that measures over 2km. Now just on half of the floating display use sails and sit on one or more hulls.

Absolutely embodying that spirit are Ensign Ship Brokers who are going to have six monohulls and two catamarans on offer from Bavaria (and two powerboats as well). Bavaria has already sold 20 Bavaria Open 46 cats in the first year of production out of the Nautitech yard in France. She is part of the newer al fresco armada that make a cat even more spacious by combining cockpit with main saloon. It will definitely be one to go and see in this ever-burgeoning sector of the market.

Also afloat will be X-Yachts’ resin-infused Xp 38 that falls into the buoyant 40 or thereabouts cruiser/racer bracket. At the same location will be Catana’s Bali 4.0, which is called ‘The Open’. Bali redefined the al fresco segment of the cruising cat, and they’re the darling of the charter companies, so to see their newest iteration will be important.

Elsewhere in the marina we’ll find Beneteau’s new Oceanis 41.1 and then for the big end of town the good-looking CNB 76. Long-haul cruisers will no doubt be investigating the Amel 55 and there are also Dufours to look at. Probably lucky Nautor’s Swan won’t have the new Clubswan 50 around. An 8.5 tonne express carbon cruiser with an integrated prodder, and also a slippery and sexy profile by the inimitable King of the VOR and creator of R88, Juan Kouyoumdjian? May not have got me off it… We’ll just have to wait for that. Doh.

Then there’s gear and services, with all the gems at Boat Books, Pacific Sailing School for both training and offshore adventures, Volvo Penta unleashing some of their new product development, and electronics from the likes of ICOM and Garmin. Yep. She’ll be a busy one with lots to investigate and report back on.

Not too long after the show will be Airlie Beach Race Week, of which Pantaenius are a sponsor. This is one company who really support the events and industry icons, Jamie MacPhail and Adam Brown will be on site to talk about boats, your boating plans and insurance, something they know very well. Next to those two their branded RIB and inflatable marks are less recognisable, but you will see plenty of them on the track anyway, so do look out.

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