Boats to boast about

By ROBIN BAILEY

Just how good is the New Zealand marine industry? Many people will discover the answer to that question at the Boating New Zealand On-the-Water Boat show at the Viaduct Harbour.

The exhibition, which starts on Thursday and runs through until next Monday, will pit some of the best work of our designers and builders up against a big range of imports, both sail and power.

Among the locals is new work carrying established names, including Genesis, Formula, Oliver, Wavecrusher and Salthouse, some of the boatyards on which our reputation has been built.

Up against them in the powered segment of the market are the big-reputation Italians Azimut and Ferretti. In the wind-powered arena there are the Beneteau range of production boats from France and the Hunter yachts from the United States among the top sellers.

For something completely different there are two examples of the British Oyster range of fast cruising yachts. McDell Marine, at Glendene in Auckland, has been building Oysters for the world market under an exclusive agreement with the parent company. Now they are introducing them to the South Pacific.

The Ferretti 480, being marketed by Lysaght Marine, of Whangaparaoa, is an import aimed at the top end of the power sector. The flybridge 15m craft is powered by twin MAN diesels and cruises at 28 knots fully loaded. The Ferretti range includes boats priced from $2.2 million to $9 million. The 480 is the first in New Zealand.

The biggest line-up of imports is exhibited under the Yachtfinders-Global banner. The company's Beneteau range includes the 10.3m Oceanis 331, the Oceanis 393 at 11.9m, the Beneteau First 31.7 (9.66m) and the Bruce Farr designed First 36.7. This 11m comes in both cruising and regatta (IMS) versions. The yacht was named Boat of the Year for 2002 by Sailing magazine and has had a string of race successes. Another Farr is the First 47.7 (14.8m) comes with a choice of five interior options.

There are also two Italian motor yachts in the Yachtfinders line-up, the Azimut 46 at 14.93m and big sister Azimut 55 at 17.5m. Both are tipped to attract huge interest.

The Luhrs Marine Group in Florida builds the well-established Hunter range of yachts and will have an 11m Hunter 356 at the show. This yacht won the Cruising World magazine Best in Class award for 2002. Geoff Fraser from the Collins office says the boat has become a rallying point for Auckland yachties who always felt that anything over 12m was a waste of berth space.

A local that is bound to attract serious interest is the 16m Roger Hill-designed Power Cat from the Whitianga yard of Motor Yacht Exports. It has a cruising speed of 20 to 25 knots and a top speed of 30 knots and the builders say it has been finished to a luxury standard that will compete with the best of the imports.

Boating Industries Association executive director Peter Busfield says this year's show will go a long way toward establishing the event and its location as one of the premier marine exhibitions in the South Pacific.

"In the past up to 30 of this country's top boatbuilders have had to exhibit at the Sanctuary Cove show in Brisbane to get exposure to the international boating press and top brokers," he says. "With this expanded location on Auckland's doorstep that is no longer the only option. We have the opportunity to showcase our best work in the water and the support industries ashore on Te Whero Island."

Look out Sanctuary Cove.