Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show begins

by Jeni Bone on 7 May 2010 The Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show started today with a Media, Members and Trade day, mostly setting up and mopping up following torrential rain overnight.

The event, which is staged each May at the Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club to showcase the Sino Group's residential development in the vicinity, is now in its 13th year and this year, is larger than ever with 55 exhibitors and over 70 boat brands from worldwide manufacturers: Sunseeker, Azimut, Lagoon, Princess, Ferretti, Horizon, Beneteau, Sea Ray, Fairline, Pershing, Riva, Jade Yachts and more. With a total value of HK$500 million (AUD$72m) there are boats in every price range.

The showstopper this year is the four-deck Jade 95 Explorer, A 95-ft model worth HK$77million (AUD$11m). It is the biggest and most expensive yacht in the show to make its debut in Hong Kong.

Presented by Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, a premier Taiwanese yacht manufacturer, the yacht is constructed from stainless steel and aluminium. Heralded as a spectacular '5-star hotel on the sea ', the Jade 95 Explorer provides luxurious space for dining, a full size kitchen as well as six spacious cabins. The fine craftsmanship of the boat is comparable to the most prestigious brands of Europe - as confirmed by exhibitors at the show who represent Italian and French marques.

Another highlight will be the $25million (AUD$3.6m) luxury motor yacht SportRiva 56, represented by Jebsen Marine and described as the 'Rolls Royce among the luxury yachts'. Produced by Italian builder, Riva, the SportRiva 56 boasts a Roman Bronze finish and sporty lines.

Another show feature is the contingent of Sunseeker motoryachts - which pulled in to much media attention and a little bit of drama. They're massive and the space allocated was tight. Sunseeker's two latest models will make their first appearance at the show, including the Predator 84 and Yacht 88, woth HK$47million (AUD$6.7m) and HK$44million (AUD$6.3m). Unique in Hong Kong, the Predator 84 boasts a sleek silver black hull and 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', offers four ultra-spacious cabins. Only four Yacht 88s are now available in Hong Kong.

The number of Taiwan and mainland exhibitors has increased this year. Taiwan is currently the fifth largest yacht-builder in the world. Luxury yachts built by Taiwanese manufacturers such as Horizon, Novo Marine and Ruby are positioning themselves as being more competitive in terms of price over imported yachts. For exmample, a 60ft Taiwan-made boat can cost half of those produced in Europe or Australia, and in some cases, the quality can be compared to world-class brands.

Mainland China's yacht builders are also intent on claiming a bigger share of the global luxury yacht market. Recently, mainland China has attracted a number of well-known international yacht brands, such as Aquitalia of Italy, who manufacture there, taking advantage of the low cost of labour and manufacturing incentives.

Tomorrow, a number of respected marine industry players will participate in a forum to share their views of Hong Kong and mainland China market trends, among them Mr Albert Wu, General Manager of Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club; Mr Gordon Hui, Managing Director of Sunseeker Asia Ltd; Mr Memphis Han, Vice President of Jade Yachts and Mr Lars Petersen, General Manager of Jebsen Marine.

More at www.hongkongboatshow.com