Sydney International Boat Show 2022
SIBS 2022 was five perfect days of sunshine, boats, fun and dreams
The Sydney International Boat Show once again shone as a glistening showcase of the best of Australia’s boating lifestyle. Tim Simpson reports on what again proved to be a must-see event.
After two long years of waiting due to COVID, in late July the Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) returned to the picturesque waters of Cockle Bay in downtown Sydney’s glorious entertainment precinct of Darling Harbour. The 53rd Sydney International Boat Show delivered a five-day celebration of all things boating, including watercraft from paddleboards to multi-million-dollar floating palaces, all inviting inspection from a constant procession of buyers and dreamers.
Visitors and business representatives flew in from as far afield as Europe, the US and Tahiti. Over the five days of exhibition, more than 45,000 people enjoyed the inspiration of one of the world’s greatest showcases of boating – and the weather could not have been more perfect.
SIBS 2022 in all its glory
Since the last Sydney Boat Show in 2019, the Darling Harbour vista has been transformed with new hotels, new shops and restaurants, and a new skyline with the stunning 271m-high glass pinnacle of Crown Sydney at Barangaroo on the Harbour Bridge end, and a huge construction underway over the old Imax Theatre site at the head of Cockle Bay.
In the weeks preceding the event, the Boat Show set-up crew transformed Cockle Bay into a temporary marina, with floating walkways and berths securely moored in place. Broad enough to easily handle the bustling crowds, the walkways streamed visitors to spacious brand displays, many featuring comfortable seating for prolonged discussions, and all manned by knowledgeable company representatives eager to explain the features and benefits of their wares.
Adjacent to the floating marina, in the halls of the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, two whole floors of boats, motors, electronics, fittings, accessories, fishing tackle, chandlery, marine clothing, destinations, services and more were also on display, each with representatives to explain, demonstrate and guide you to the right purchase for your boating endeavours.
SIBS 2022 was well attended
Free Stage Shows
The ground floor also featured a stage and seating area where a team of leading anglers delivered a continuous stream of presentations every day, explaining how to achieve faster and better results from your fishing. With TV’s Step Outdoors personality Paul Burt as the Master of Ceremonies, the team included fellow TV show host and rugby league legend Andrew Ettingshausen, along with Trade-a-Boat Editor Tim Simpson, Brett Thomson on the Supertank full of live barramundi, Peter Johnson, Greg Reid, Justin Duggan and Rhys Creed.
Also making a daily appearance was Lisa Blair, whose presentations were truly breath-taking. Lisa had only recently returned from a successful bid to circumnavigate Antarctica non-stop and single-handed in world record time aboard her small sailboat. Her tale and videos of hardship and life-threatening challenges was as chilling as it was awe-inspiring.
Tim Simpson hard at work
Shopping Opportunity
As always, the Sydney International Boat Show provided an unrivalled opportunity to easily and conveniently research the boating industry to find the product best suited to your needs and budget. With many stands manned by designers and company executives, and others with trained representatives who know their product inside-out, the Show provided a rare opportunity to learn the features and benefits of each product from the most qualified of all.
Show visitors obviously appreciated this buying advantage as sales were brisk. In fact, the Show provided buyers a great service by grouping all the vendors that had, or were soon to have, stock to be able to deliver purchases. Supply problems is a common theme in the industry at present – affecting the sale and delivery of boats, motors, electronics and accessories. Even boat-builders in Australia are affected, saying they would like to build more boats as there is a backlog of buyers waiting for them, but there is no point investing in the build of a hull when they can’t get an engine to go in it, or the fittings, or the electronics. Many businesses have a waitlist of up to 18 months to get a boat.
Industry Trends
A recent report from the Boating Industry Association (BIA) shows strong growth in the marine industry, with NSW turnover growing by nearly 10 per cent over the past year, and the national turnover rising to $9.55 billion for 2021-22. Ownership of personal watercraft (PWC) has increased by a staggering 29.2% over the past five years.
Boats less than six metres in length form 85 per cent of Australia’s recreational fleet, 75 per cent of which is less than ten years old.
Australia now has more than 925,000 registered boats, with the past five years showing the strongest growth in vessels of six to eight metres in length (12.7%), followed by craft of five to six metres (7.1%).
Enjoying significant sales during the Show, Allan Blake of Blake’s Marine – one of Sydney’s biggest trailerboat dealers – commented on the growing popularity of larger centre-console boats. Particularly in US-made imports, he said it had become an industry-wide trend now that larger centre-console boats came with central cabins, or at least a toilet cubicle beneath a hatch on the front of the console. When queried about the lack of weather protection on a centre-console, Allan observed that this had not been a problem. He said the market appreciated the benefits of an open configuration, which is perfect for fishing and for enjoying the sunshine, and whenever the weather is bad you simply postpone your trip to the following weekend.
Having displayed at every Sydney Boat Show since its inception, Jon Hunt of Sydney dealer Hunts Marine said sales and interest were very strong this year, especially in their larger Quintrex and Yellowfin boats, and across the Revival fibreglass boats. He also commented that the average dollar value of sales was way up.
Award-Winning Displays
Making the most of five days of perfect weather, the Short Marine display was awarded Best Stand on Marina, and directors Sam and Ryan Short said the Show was one of the most successful events their family-owned company had participated in. The brothers said they are already looking to expand the size of their stand next year to include an even larger range of Grady-White and Valhalla outboard-powered sportfishing boats, plus Capelli RIBs and Viking game fishing motor yachts.
Inside the main building, specialist marine electronics company Navico provided interactive displays of Simrad, Lowrance, B&G and C-MAP, and was awarded Best Small Stand in Halls. With a focus on education and support, the Navico team were kept busy with hundreds of boaters, anglers, divers and sailors.
New Models
As is usually the case, many companies launched their new range at the Show. Sydney-based eYachts premiered the RAND range of luxury electronic dayboats at SIBS, which are Danish designed and European-built. The company has big ambitions to make electric and sustainable boating accessible to everyone. Ross Turner, general manager of eYachts, says they are the boating equivalent of a Tesla sports car. The range includes powerboats from 18-feet to 30-feet (5.5m-9.1m) and every model can be configured with either a 100 per cent electric drivetrain or a traditional internal combustion engine – for those not yet ready for the leap to electric. The fully electric models offer speeds up to 45 knots and make great day-boats, which are charged overnight after returning home each day. Forty of the smaller boats in the range are already in service in Australian charter fleets. The larger 28-foot (8.5m) and 30-foot (9.1m) models will be in stock in early 2023.
Making an imposing presence at the entrance to the marina, Horizon Yacht Australia showcased hull #7 of their Horizon FD80, which they claim has the largest volume of any 80-foot (24.4m) motor yacht on the market. It certainly boasts enormous space, with six cabins (including an on-deck Master) and seven toilets. The ‘Beach Club’ inside the rear hatch features a lounge, galley, toilet and shower – making life easy for family fun in and out of the water. At a leisurely cruise of 12.5 knots, the vessel uses only 9.4 litres per nautical mile.
A Horizon motoryacht on display
Multi-Million-Dollar Sales
The on-water stand of Multihull Solutions featured global release of the 18.95m Iliad 62, with buyers flying in from around Australia, the Asia Pacific region and the US to inspect. Offering a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 3,500nm, this robust world-cruising power catamaran gathered much attention, with buyers praising the interior finish, design and layout as the best in the multihull market, and the fact that customisation is possible. By the close of day two, the boat on display had been sold to clients from the US, and two additional orders were placed by Australian buyers. Two of the new Iliad 53 were also sold.
Also showcased on the floating marina, Flagstaff Marine featured the Australian premiere of the 11.42m Excess 11, the only large-scale production boat on the market for this size of sailing catamaran. Although the entry model of the Excess catamaran family, she benefits from all the comfort attributes needed for enjoyable cruising, including a 2-metre x 2-metre bed in the owner's cabin and bathrooms with separate showers. On deck, she offers a large open cockpit and twin helm stations.
Beneteau displayed one of the largest fleets at the Show this year, including the Oceanis 40.1 and Oceanis 46.1 sailboats, and the world’s first production foiling monohull sailboat, Figaro Beneteau 3 (10.85m). And featuring Beneteau’s powerboat range, NSW dealer Chapman Marine showcased their inboard-powered Gran Turismo 36, and the outboard-powered Gran Turismo 36 and 32 models, plus the Flyer 9 SUNdeck and Flyer 9 SPACEdeck versions. Also on display was Beneteau’s Antares 11 Flybridge and the 9.12m Antares 9, with its Airstep hull offering a large saloon with excellent views and seating for four, plus two cabins for spacious weekend experiences.
The Iliad 62
A Must-See Event in 2023
The 54th Sydney International Boat Show returns to the ICC Sydney and Cockle Bay from 3 to 7 August, 2023. Subscribe to sydneyboatshow.com.au for updates and news.