Media
Melbourne Boat Show A Successful Showcase Of Victoria’s World Class Marine Industry
The Queen’s Birthday weekend saw Melbourne come alive with plenty of recreational activity around Southgate and the Melbourne Conference & Exhibition Centre, which included the 51st Annual Melbourne Boat Show.
According to Boating Industry Association Victoria’s General Manager, Clyde Batty, the Show attracted a large number of people from the general public with an interest in purchasing a new boat or simply upgrading, as well as those looking for a great deal on fishing and marine accessories. Figures suggest that numbers however were down by approximately 10% from last year.
“This was the first time we held the show over the June holiday weekend so we were really pleased with the genuine interest levels of the visitors who came to the event.”
John Haber of Haines Hunter agreed. “We had a very high number of enquiries about our latest release, the 760R Limited which as been designed for the offshore fisherman, but can easily be customised as a family vessel as well.”
“We also found the Show an excellent venue for educating the public about some of the biggest issues at the moment regarding buying vessels, and that is undoubtedly grey imports. People just aren’t aware of the risks involved in buying a grey import. The owner is fully responsible for that vehicle and the onus is on them to registering the vessel which is often difficult.”
“Coming to a show like this means the buyer has access to a reputable brans such as ours which is backed up by authorised service centres.”
Interest was also apparent in non-traditional marine vessels such as those produced by Sea-doo. According to Sam Heyes of BRP, watercraft sales are still running strong, regardless of any dips in the industry overall. “We were showcasing our new RXT-X-260 this year which offers amazing handling features and Advanced Ergonomic Steering, along with a strictly limited number of ‘RS’ editions being made available. There was plenty of interest in the new suspension decks on the Sea-doo watercraft and we were also pleased with the level of interest in our Evinrude products.”
A spokesman for Yamaha Motor Finance noted that there were plenty of people serious about applying for loans. “We have 4.99% deals going at the moment which were very popular throughout the Melbourne Boat Show,” he said. “There is no shortage of interest in people wanting to either get into boating or upgrade at the moment.”
Although overall visitor numbers were down slightly, Mr Batty said there was a high level of interest in boating and fishing products on offer. Many good sales were made by exhibitors with genuine enquiries to follow up. The stage activities wer also hugely popular and gave the public an opportunity to ask the experts plenty of questions.
Winners of the 2011 Melbourne Boat Show Stand Awards, sponsored by IC Frith & Associates included Parks Victoria (Tourism), Yamaha, Avante Marine, Rolco Boats and best stand was awared to Hobie Cat Australasia.
2011 Marine Award Winners Say Positivity In Current Climate Is Key To Success
Under the backdrop of the opulent Crown Casino and in conjunction with the 2011 Melbourne Boat Show, this year’s Marine Awards were presented to a group of deserving winners in front of 160 industry guests.
In addition to attending this year’s Show, The Hon Dr Denis Napthine - Minister for Ports, Regional Cities, Major Proejcts and Racing - assisted with the award presentations, showing his genuine interest in the state of the marine industry in Australia.
Additional guest speakers for the IC Frith and Associates sponsored event included Darren Vaux, Chairman Boating Industry Alliance Australia, David Heyes, President Boating Industry Association Victoria and Clyde Batty, General Manager BIAV.
Ronstan Internationalk’s Managing Director, Alistair Murray sait they were thrilled to win the awards for manufacturer and exporter of the year for their line of fittings for sailing boats, from small off the beach dinghies through to around the world racing yachts.
“It is always positive for our staff and customers to see us being recognised in this way. Ronstan prodcuts are renowned for being light weight, high strength, efficient, corrosion resistant and visually appealing. The Ronstan “Orbit” range, for example, is a world leading design breakthrough, and has won numerous design awards,” he said.
Mr Murrya, who is President for AIMEX, the peak body for Australian marine exporters, also noted the importance of receiving an award in the current difficult climate.
“With the depressed world markets and high Aussie dollar, it is definitely not going to be any easier in the future for Australian market exporters.”
Retailer of the Year, Paul and Leon Savage of Streaker Boats, however said that they were pleasantly surprised at both the interest they received in their products on home soil at the Boat Show, as well as receiving the award for the second time.
“We do try very hard in this business,” Leon said. “We’ve been going for 38 years and are one of only a few BIA Accredited Dealers. We are also a Yamaha Platinum Dealer.”
“It hasn’t been easy over the past year or so for the industry, but on the positive side, the dams are full of water and interest rates are good.”
“We offered three new Streaker products during the course of the GFC and have continued to promote our business, as well as maintain a fantastic show room with 30 new boats.”
Jarred Parson of Parks Victoria said they were also very excited to receive the best stand award in the tourism category for year’s Melbourne Boat Show.
“The Melbourne Boat Show is always a great opportunity for Parks Victoria to promote many of the amazing boating destinations on Victoria’s bays and rivers.” He said.
“Our rangers were very busy answering the many questions about boatinf from recreational boat operators, particularly on Port Phillip, Western Port and the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers.”
“In particular, our waterproof boating guides were popular with the public and it was great to receive such positive feedback for the brand new Western Port Recreational Boat Guide which was released just in time for the show this year.”
2011 Marine Award Winners
- Apprentices of the Year - Regional Apprentice - Wayne Tomlinson, Metropolitan Apprentice - Hudson Mitchell
- Safety Initiative by an Organisation - VMR Mornington
- Marine Manufacturer of Vessels - Haines Hunter
- Marine Manufacturer of Marine Related Products - Ronstan International
- International Exporter of the Year - Ronstan International
- Retailer of the Year - Paul and Leon Savage Streaker Boats
2011 Boat Show Stand Winners
- Tourism - Parks Victoria
- Fishing - Big Al’s Tackle
- Open - Yamaha Motor Australia
- Wake/Ski Stand - Rolco Boats
- Shell Scheme - McQuarrie Fibreglass
- Power Boat Display - Avante Marine
- Best New Innovation - Hobie Cat Australasia
- Best Stand Overall - Hobie Cat Australasia
Australian Engineering And Innovation At Its Best At The Melbourne Boat Show
“I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me”.So said physicist, mathematician and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton who amongst many other key inventions, created a reflecting sextant for observing the distance between the moon and the fixed stars. This technology is still in use at sea today under the name of Hadley’s quadrant.
Would Newton be surprided at how far the marine industry has come in regards to navigation and other gadgetry now available on modern vessels?
To the modern fisherman and boating enthusiast, such technology is now common place and is certainly within reach of their budgets.
The latest in these products will be showcased at the Melbourne Boat Show scheduled for the Queen’s Birthday weekend at “Jeff’s Shed” with a number of small Australian owned companies showing off their manufactured goods.
Boatcatch is one such company, offering a unique coupling device that allows boat owners to quickly and efficiently launch or retrieve a boat onto its trailer without setting foot on the boat ramp.
Made of 100% marine grade stainless steel this incredibly strong and robust innovative product has only three moving parts so it requires little maintenance.
The levered catch allows full control over the launching and retrieval procedures. A strong sliding pin secures the boat on the trailer until the boat is in the water and the engine is started. A tug on a simple pull-cord released the boat so the driver can depart. On return, the operator simply dirves up the trailer - the spring-loaded slide will automatically activate when the boat comes up to the winch post and securely fastens the boat.
Fitting one is relatively simple, requiring a simple bolt on the trailer’s winch post, plus the installation of a separate bow eye on the stem of the boat.
Australian designed and assembled, it’s available in two sizes and comes with a universal mounting bracket and a lifetime warranty.
According to company founder Greg Staples, there was a need to improve the way trailer boats are launched and retrieved.
“As a professional diver with over 20 years experience catching abalone throughout the southern waters of Australia, I was constantly towing a 23′ Edencraft Formula over 12,000 miles yearly and launching from surf beaches to ramps”.
“For me, saving time on the water meant more money in my pocket, but even for the recreational boater, the device means having more time on the water”.
GME, Australia’s premier communications company will also have plenty of new products on display at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.
GME’s founder, Ted Dunn, was an enterprising young engineer and avid sailor who had a vision to design and manufacture world-class radio communication equipment in Australia; products that would address medium volume niche markets both domestically and internationally.
Since the early 1970’s GME has been the leader in Australian marine electronics. The combination or true hands-on experience with creative software engineering has produced a host of innovative GME marine products inclduing the world’s firsh VHF radion with totally integrated direct dial telephone facility, the award winning COSPAS/SARSAT Accusat™ emergency beacons and the ‘GR’ series of marine entertainment systems.
New products available at the Melbourne Boat Show will include the GME G-Series navigation and fish finder units including a Chart Plotter, Fisher Finder and Combo unit all with a 5.6 inch colour display, as well as the G-Com handheld waterproof VHF radio and the GD9600 DVD/CD marine stereo system.
The GME G-Combo offers an easy to use intuitive menu and incorporates a 16 channel internal GPS antenna and digital sounder technology. The unit comes complete with a 600 watt dual frequency transom mount triducer which incorporates depth, temperature and a water speed paddle wheel.
The GX660 is a feature packed 5/1 watt IPX7 rated handheld radio that floats. The unit has a large backlit LCD and large clearly labelled buttons that maximise simplicity of operation, even when wearing gloves.
The GX660 is ideal for dinghie or tenders that need to keep in touch with the ‘mothership’ or small boats that don’t have electrical systems or sufficient space for a fixed mount radio. Taking its lead from the mobile phone industry, the GX660 uses a 1400mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable battery pack that will deliver more than sufficeint power for a day’s boating between charges.
The GD9600 DVD/CD marine stereo system has all the attributes expected in a superior DVD/CD/MP3 player. Furthermore, it boasts the inclusions of SD and USB inputs and iPod compatibility. All of the circuitry is conformally coated, whilst exposed metalwork is protected against the harsh marine environment and contained in a UV stabilised water resistant polycarbonate housing.
Visitors to this year’s Melbourne Boat Show can see these and other innovative Australian made marine products, as well as a huge array of vessels.
Australia’s Biggest Names In Fishing To Light Up The Stage At Melbourne Boat Show
It’s not every day that your average fisherman and boating enthusiast can get up close and personal to some of the most fascinating media personalities and well respected industry experts in the marine and boating business.
Those industry stars will literally be on show at the 51st Melbourne Boat Show this Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Iconic celebrities including Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner will be making appearances on the “Fishing Getaways” state to talk about the most pressing issues and trends in the industry today.
A huge roster of additional speakers will cover topics such as interpreting sonar and electronics, maintaining personal flotation devices, theft prevent, trailer maintenance and much more.
“We’re thrilled to have such big names in the industry available for the benefit of our show visitors,” said Boating Industry Association Victoria’s Clyde Batty.
“Anyone who is interested in boating and fishing, regardless of their point of view will want to come hear these guys speak as they won’t find anyone more knowledgeable within Australia.”
Lee Rayner will appear three times each day of the show to discuss squid fishing, snapper and game fishing whilst Rex Hunt will make one special appearance only at 6.00pm on Friday to talk about general topics in fishing.
With his colourful and entertaining style, Rex is a well know fishing and football broadcaster and, after many years calling for 3AW, continues to showcase his unique talents on MMM radio as well as his television show, Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures.
Rex is a dedicated conservationist and founded his own fish foundation in 1999. He single handedly changed the public views on releasing unwanted fish with his “Fish Kissing” and promotion of “fish for the future”.
In addition to presenting on radio and television with Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures and co-hosting IFish for two years on Channel 7 and Channel 10, Lee Rayner has presented numerous high selling DVD’s including Tuna Tactics and Fishing for Whiting. He has authored a number of books and is a regular feature writer in some of the top fishing magazines in the country.
Lee’s newest venture is to host the successful, long running series Adventure Bound, an extreme fishing program that provides tips, information and entertainment for everyone from the lounge chair anglers right through to the hard-core fishing enthusiasts.
In fact, Lee’s offsider, Scott Gray of Adventure Bound, will be talking about kingfish on the stage at 2.00pm Saturday and Sunday.
“We really do have something for everyone this year,” Mr Batty said.
“In addition to the big names we have a number of experts presenting on safety and regulations, fishing for kids, use of equipment and much more.”
“The great thing is these experts will be on hand for visitors to ask questions of during or after their presentations”.
Charlie Micallef will be launching his new DVD at this year’s show and will be talking on the main stage about many fish he encounters as a fishing guide, joining Charlie will be many of his friends including Merv Hughes who has fished with Charlie and rates Gummy Shark as one of the best fighting species we have in Port Phillip.
Mark Harnett of Lowrance & Simrad will be conducting a Q&A session on Interpreting Sonar & Electronics covering equipment such as sounders, GPS, auto pilot, VHF and engine integration.
Additional sessions will be held on lure fishing, boating guides and destination fishing by Parks Victoria, understanding how to use your fish finder, and importantly, new regulations presented by the Victorian Water Police Squad.
The 2011 Melbourne Boat Show will also feature the latest boats including everything from the family runabout, inflatable craft and PWC’s to the larger cruising vessels.
The show’s “Accessory Alley” offers plenty of great bargains on fishing gear, rods, tackle, fish finders and much more.
Younger members of the family can enjoy Flathead Fred’s Fun Fishin’ Show, Yamaha Super (Fish) Tank and Lulu Kids’ Activities whilst mum and dad check out the myriad of other activities taking place.
Melbourne Show To Parade Most Sought After Models
Regardless of what is exhibited, industry shows worldwide all have the common objective of putting the most innovative and interesting products and services on parade.
With the wave of marine technology continuing to streak forward, this year’s Melbourne Boat Show to be held on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend is gearing up to offer an exciting array of cutting edge models and new equipment.
One of those exhibitors - Melbourne based Streaker Boats - will be exhibiting with a variety of new vessels including the Streaker 5250 Sports model.
What makes this model unique is that amongst the plethura of bow riders hitting the market, Streaker has designed and released a product aimed squarely at the family.
‘The runabout market is significant and the release of our Streaker 5250 Sports model brings a contemporary look and feel to a timeless configuration. This is a good, honest boat that will serve families exceptionally well for many, many years,’ said designer and Streaker Director Leon Savage of the award winning design.
The traditional family runabout is ideal for open water boating and is rated to carry six adults. It features an open, carpeted cockpit and a roomy rear lounge complemented by a walk through ‘screen to the bow - a common feature of the Streaker runabout range.
The rig comes with a comprehensive factory fit out including a bimini canopy, marine CD stereo, navigation lights, bilge pump, SS boarding ladder, bait board, SS ski pole and boarding platforms.
The Streatker 5250 Sports is available for less than $45,000 making it a realistic addition to the recreational stable, and comes with a Yamaha 130hp V4 Saltwater series oil injected outboard.
Streaker Boats will also be showcasing the Raptor at the Melbourne Show, a pocket rocket marketed as ‘more fun than a PWC’.
The Raptor is capable of carrying four people, and offers 200hp of hi-tech Mercury OptiMax Sport Jet.
‘If you want to run hard and fast on calm water, then this is the spirited jet boat for you,’ said Mr Savage.
‘While Streaker is renowned as the manufacturer of fishing boats, bow riders and runabouts, we decided that the boating world needed a serious injection of spirited fun so we have unleashed the Raptor.’
Although small in length (4.4m) and beam (2.10m) the Raptor can seat three whilst reaching speeds in excess of 90 km/h.
It features striking exterior graphics, crisp, sharp lines and a dash with a full set of engine monitoring gauges.
Streaker Boats is a leading Melbourne marine retailer, being authorised dealers for Quintrex, Streaker, Lewis Ski Boats and Yamaha outboards, all of which will be on display at the Melbourne Boat Show.
Leading marine services provider Nautek Marine will also be at the Show with a number of interesting new pieces of equipment for visitors to inspect and purchase.
Nautek recently moved to new purpose built 700sqm premises close to Australia’s busiest boat launching facility at Braeside in Victoria, and has expanded to provide full mechanical servicing across all engine brands.
Show visitors will have the opportunity to chat with Nautek’s highly experienced staff about those electrical and shipwright services such as the supply and installation of electrical and electronic equipment; repair, restoration and modification of fibreglass, gel coat and stainless steel; engine fit-up and servicing; vessel inspections and assessments; insurance claim appraisals and advice; project and refit management; full vessel wiring/rewiring; pre-purchase appraisals and more.
According to Managing Director, Adam Davey, Nautek is the only only approved Haines Hunter approved Service Centre outside of the factory.
‘We very much pride ourselves on offering the highest and most specialised levels of service in the industry. In fact, Nautek offers over 30 years marine and aviation engineering experience, and our staff have been formally- trained by factory technicians of represented brands.’
‘This year, show visitors can expect to see the latest in Marine Electronics technology such as Sounders, GPS/Chartplotters, LED lighting and Marine sound systems.’
‘New to our line-up is the latest Echo Series fishfinders from Garmin Marine and everything is on special,’ Mr Davey said.
As the Victorian distributor for Aqualuma underwater LED lights and Lenco trim tabs, along with being the state’s largest retailer of Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin, Fusion, Stress Free anchor winches, Reelax fishing accessories and many other leading marine brands, Nautek’s manufacturer-authorised installations are fully-backed with manufacturers’ warranties along with the support of factory engineering and technical staff.
The 2011 Melbourne Boat Show will feature a multitude of exhibitors as well as an ‘Accessory Alley’, Marine Tourism who will be providing information on making the most of enjoying life on the water, Government agencies including Marine Safety Victoria (TSV), Parks Victoria and NSW Maritime, Flathead Fred’s Fun Fishin’ Show for Kids, Yahama Super (fish) Tank, cooking demonstrations with Club Marine and much more.
