The real horsepower is at 2015 Gold Coast International Marine Expo

by Gold Coast Marine Expo on 10 Apr 2015 2015 Gold Coast International Marine Expo - The world’s leading marine engine and generator brands have been confirmed for the 2015 Gold Coast International Marine Expo – ensuring it will once again be a true showcase of ‘all things aquatic’.

The powerhouse marine marques will have corporate and high-horsepower engine displays at the four-day Expo (21-24 May 2015), spanning over 50 hectares in the heart of the Gold Coast Marine Precinct at Coomera, Queensland.

Among the major brands to be represented are Cummins, Caterpillar, MTU, Kohler, Volvo Penta, and Westerbeke, to name but a few.

“The marine industry, much like the Expo, really has come a long way in terms of technology in just a few short years and this will all be on show at Expo,” said Event and Marketing Manager Emma Milne.

Now just six weeks out from the start of the 2015 Expo, organisers have added to the growing list of major announcements with news that this year the event will stage an international food court, that National Australia Bank customers will receive red-carpet treatment at the Expo and also that exhibitor space is nearing capacity after the last-minute rush of site bookings.

Ms Milne said it all points to a fantastic four days of fun on the Gold Coast featuring everything from luxury motoryachts to jet skis, kayaks to fishing equipment and now fine food … and everything else in between.

“Expo visitors will be able to tantalise their taste buds with a cosmopolitan culinary cruise around the world with our new international food court featuring pop-up food vendors offering delicious degustation delights from very popular dining destinations,” she said.

“Featuring a huge range of culturally inspired vendors with distinctly Spanish, Italian, Greek, Indian, Japanese and Venezuelan flavours, there’ll be something to suit everyone’s individual tastes.”

“We’ve also renewed our partnership with NAB which provides their customers with a unique VIP Expo experience, including red-carpet entry and exclusive access to a corporate marquee right on the edge of our new interactive on-water zone and adjacent to the Club Marine Main Stage.

“And we are very excited to announce that a last-minute rush of exhibitor bookings has us reaching a milestone 90 per cent of last year’s hardstand space being booked, with a massive array of diverse exhibitors and now on-water berths are also in strong demand.”

For real boaties, and lovers of high-performance engines, the confirmation of the major marine engine and generator brands at Expo provides an ideal opportunity for boat owners.

“To be able to see large marine engines displayed outside of boats is a terrific chance to fully appreciate all the unique features and technology that each has to offer,” said Ms Milne.

“Expo’s informative marine engine displays will draw a great deal of interest not only among those boat owners looking to repower their current vessels, but also those researching the best source of power for their new vessels.”

The Gold Coast International Marine Expo – now in its fifth year – is staged within the largest recreational shipyards in the Southern Hemisphere, at Coomera on Australia’s Gold Coast, where over 13,000 boats are manufactured and where over 6000 yachts and boats are slipped, serviced, refitted and repaired each year.

“There is a considerable re-powering aspect to our industry, so Expo is an ideal opportunity for the larger marine engine brands to reach out to a genuinely engaged audience of yacht and boat owners,” said Ms Milne.

“Cummins will showcase its new 6.7 litre QSB engine for pleasure boats which has a top rating of 550hp and is billed as having the best power density in its class,” she said.

“And Expo will also be the boat show to showcase the new Cat C8.7 supercharged 650hp diesel engine, which is designed for pleasurecraft, commercial applications and large sailboats.”

Also at Expo, the latest in innovation from MTU and Kohler will be on display in conjunction with the new Whitehaven Coupe 6000, which makes her world premiere at Expo.

“The Coupe 6000 features twin MTU Series 60 engines that deliver 615kW at 23000rpm, making them the ideal power-plant for long or short-range cruising performance,” said Ms Milne.

Additionally, 2015 also marks 10 years since Volvo Penta introduced its revolutionary IPS pod propulsion technology that enabled a quantum leap in boat design and maneuverability – and that game-changing achievement will be celebrated at Expo.

“Volvo Penta will have all its latest marine propulsion technology on show as well, including a range of diesel engines and pod drives which have made boating so much more fun and accessible – enabling the introduction of features like joystick steering, sport-fish and clear-wash modes and the Glass Cockpit system developed in conjunction with Garmin,” said Ms Milne.

“The Volvo Penta display will include the new IPS-1200 which delivers a massive 900 horsepower and is creating so much interest amongst owners of larger yachts around the world.”

Westerbeke has been providing reliable power solutions for over 75 years to meet the challenges of commercial and recreational marine applications. The company today manufactures diesel and petrol generators, propulsion systems, climate control systems and specialised sound enclosures.

“It’s extremely exciting we will have such a wide range of manufacturers coming to ‘Australia’s Only Working Boat Show’,” said Ms Milne.

Other marquee marine brands such as Raymarine, Twin Disc, Seakeeper, Garmin and GME, BEP, P & W Marine and Veem are among the large array of respected marine equipment and technology manufacturers that will also be represented at the Expo.

“We invite big boat enthusiasts to come and see how the introduction of exciting innovations – such as joystick controls for both pod and shaft-drive boats, digital switching systems for all onboard electrics, touchscreen controls, auto-pilot, global positioning systems and the game-changing gyroscopic stabiliser – are making boating even more enjoyable and accessible than it has ever been,” said Ms Milne.

She said there were more major marine brands and exciting announcements to be revealed over the next six weeks in the countdown to Expo (21-24 May 2015).

Love boating? You’ll love the Gold Coast in May!