BOAT SAILING
SAILING REVIEW AT
SANCTUARY COVE By Caroline Strainig
Anyone for a boat? Would-be boat owners were spoilt for choice at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, with plenty of sail and power options. The show was held on the Gold Coast in May 2021, considered to be the best one in 32 years, attracting almost 52,000 visitors and recorded more than $250 million in sales across four days.
Even early in the day, the crowds were out in force to see the latest models.
M
y mission seemed simple: check out what’s new in sailing yachts at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show and write a short article.
“No problem,” I thought. “There will be only a handful. I can whiz around and have time for a nice lunch with friends.” Wrong. While Sanctuary Cove is renowned for power boats, it has a small but impressive sail contingent. Distributors turned out in force this year after the 2020 show was cancelled because of COVID, so there were a lot of new sailing yachts to see. The crowds were also massive. The Leopard 42 was another popular cruising sailboat.
My first stop was the Multihull Solutions display. Marketing manager Rachel Crook always has a smile on her face, but this time it was even bigger than normal, as was the case with all the distributors I spoke to. All are experiencing bumper sales because people with disposable income are spending big on recreational activities while overseas travel is curtailed. Multihull Solutions imports several ranges, including the French-built Fountaine Pajot catamarans. Their sailboat showcase included the Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 catamaran, as well the Asia-Pacific launch of the Dufour 470 monohull. Dufour is a sister company to Fountaine Pajot, and Multihull Solutions recently took over the Australian distributorship. Rachel told me the Dufours and pre-owned monohulls were being marketed under the banner of The Yacht Sales Co. The Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 catamaran is an elegant, roomy bluewater cruiser set up to be sailed two-handed.
The Dufour 470 was on display at the show.
The Dufour 470 monohull is a roomy, well-thought-out cruising yacht. One innovation was the outdoor galley-cum-barbecue tucked away under a lift-up seat in the transom. A couple who had purchased a 470 were at the show and could not get the grins off their faces. “I love it,” new owner Christina Robinson of Brisbane said. “It’s so well built and the finishes are great. The main cabin has a fantastic-sized bed with great access and the whole boat has a lovely airy feel to it, almost like an apartment on water.” Next for me was the Lagoon catamarans display. I spoke to Marnie Ebeling, marketing manager of Eyachts and the Multihull Group, distributor of the French-built Lagoons in Australia. Lagoon is part of the Beneteau group of companies. Marnie said sales during the past year had been exceptional and interest at the show had also been keen. “We are seeing more and more people buying to sail Australia, which is really exciting,” she said.
Show-goers flock to inspect the Lagoon catamarans at the Multihull Group display.
140
Her company was showcasing the Lagoon 42 and 46. The 42 is the best-selling catamaran in the world and the 46 is a newer model. Both were the three-cabin versions, which have a stunning owner’s suite taking up an entire hull. “Both are the next-generation models. This means they have the aft set further back; hence, a smaller boom but larger mainsail due to a square top, so they are better performing and the headsail can be self-tacking,” Marnie said. JULY - SEPT 2021
