Gold Coast Boat Show 2010 – lots of boats, but no shade

by Guy Nowell and Suzy Rayment, Sail-World Asia on 10 May 2010 The Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show, held at Sino Group’s Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club, and was blessed with fine weather that helped draw the crowds. The year the show was larger than ever with 55 exhibitors, and 70 yachts available for viewing on the water. A number of International yachting brands were featured this year including Sunseeker, Azimut, Princess, Ferretti, Sea Ray, Fairline, Pershing, Riva, Cranchi, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Hanse, Oyster, Beneteau, Archambault, Leopard, and Bavaria. With a total value of HK$500 million, the 70-plus boats ranged in value from HK$200,000 to HK$77 million apiece.

Now in its thirteenth year, the event had a stormy start when heavy rain and windy conditions destroyed a number of the on-land exhibitors’ stands. Storm Force Marine, a supplier of marine equipment and products, was particularly affected - Director Simon Boyde was very grateful for the assistance given by the Gold Coast Yacht Club to get them back in action with replacement tentage. In addition, 'our laptop computer was full of water, but after a quick draining it was back in action. I now have more faith in marinised laptops, but there were, though, a number of products and displays damaged beyond repair… '

In the spotlight this year was the biggest and most expensive yacht at the show. The four-deck superyacht, Jade Explorer, was presented by Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, a Taiwanese yacht manufacturer. The yacht is constructed from stainless steel and aluminium, and is billed as 'a spectacular 5-star hotel on the sea'. Facilities on board include luxurious dining and entertaining space, and six spacious cabins.

Another highlight of the show was the $25 million luxury motor yacht SportRiva 56, which was presented by Jebsen Marine. The Riva brand has long been well-known for innovation and immaculate craftsmanship, and has long been popular among celebrities, tycoons and royalty.

Equally stunning was the British luxury yacht brand Sunseeker, that has been very well received among the tycoons in town. Two of the latest models made their first appearance at this show, the Predator 84 and Yacht 88, worth HK$47 million and HK$44 million respectively. The Predator 84 boasts a cruising speed of 42 knots per hour, making it the fastest yacht in the show. The Yacht 88, also dubbed the ‘Floating Residence’, is a stylish and elegant design that offers four ultra-spacious cabins and an ingenious layout – and in the proper Bong tradition, the Sunseekers were elegantly accompanied by an Aston Martin DBS.

Elegance was also the catchword for the Ferretti 881 RPH, the interiors of which featured the exclusive fabrics of the luxury brand Loro Piana. The winner of the inaugural Asia Marine & Boating Awards presented in Shanghai last month at the China International Boat Show, the Ferretti 881 RPH is the epitome of superior Italian style ‘gone to sea’.

A number of mid-range motor cruisers were on show included the sporty Cranchi Mediterrannee 47, the racy Pershing 50, the award winning Fairline Squadron 65, and Azimut 53, and the comfortable and classic Grand Banks 41?. Don Chow, Director of China Pacific Marine and the dealer for Jeanneau Privilege motor yachts, said that having two boat shows in Hong Kong works well in his opinion. 'It is the regular exposure to the yachting scene that helps to educate the public about what new boats are available in Asia,' he said. (The other boat Show is at Marina Cove, at the end of the year).

The sailing side of the show featured the Oyster 46, which is a relatively new brand in Asia. Bart Kimman, Director of Asia Yacht Services, said they were delighted to be looking after this quality brand which is so well known in Europe. Also at the show were the popular cruising brands of Bavaria, Beneteau, and Jeanneau. For the racing sailors, the Archambault A40 was on display, as well as boats from Salona and Hanse. Mulithulls were represented by Lagoon and Seawind, and the internationally renowned catamaran designer Gino Morelli was also at the show for Robertson and Caine, the builders of Leopard cats. Morelli was part of the design and development team for the BMW Oracle trimaran that recently won the America’s Cup.

Chartering is a new segment to the boating scene in Asia and Seanergy, Sunsail and Saffron Cruises were on hand to promote a wide variety of yacht for hire -whether for a week’s cruising in Phuket, hiring the Lady Isabel for a cruise in Hong Kong, or a chartering a superyacht in the Mediterranean,

Also on display were water toys, state-of-the-art marine equipment and accessories, marine and resort fashion wear. On Saturday afternoon the latest stylish on-board fashion from Chloe was presented on the stunning black and silver Sunseeker Predator 63, OM. And although the fashion was a visual treat, on this occasion it was the boat that was the star of the show.

The only cause for complaint about this show is the dismal lack of facilities for visitors. It is hot at this time of year in Hong Kong, yet there were no air conditioned or shady resting areas provided, very poor catering, and a sad lack of amenities (just two toilets for the ladies is woefully inadequate). The Gold Coast Marina clubhouse is empty, air-conditioned, and off-limits to show visitors. Compare Gold Coast Boat Show’s facilities and ambience with Boat Asia at Keppel Marina (Singapore), and we know where we’d rather be.

And another thing – there are no press facilities at Gold Coast, and interviews are hard to come by (we tried). Albert Wu, General Manager of Gold Coast Yacht & Country Club, was much too busy to talk to the media. We asked Christine Chong, the show’s Marketing Manager, on what basis the show claimed to be 'Asia’s largest annual mega marine event', but did not receive a reply. If this event wants be ranked as any sort of a major international or regional event then there are a few basic issues to addressed.

Website: www.hongkongboatshow.com