Countdown to Auckland International Boat Show

PRESS RELEASE
19 February 2009

The countdown is on to the Auckland International Boat Show

Following the excitement of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February, it’s now only weeks away until the Auckland International Boat Show kicks off in the Viaduct Harbour Marine Village from March 5th – 8th. Gleaming new yachts and launches will fill specially built berths throughout the harbour, along with some impressive Superyachts and an array of marine electronics.“The Auckland International Boat Show has become one of the largest shows in Australia. It’s great that New Zealand has such a show available right on our own doorstep showcasing the best of New Zealand and international marine,” says Executive Director Marine Industry Association, Peter Busfield.

A world-first at the show will be Salthouse Marine’s Halcyon VI, a glamorous, luxuriously fitted 18-metre flybridge launch with four revolutionary Volvo IPS600 engines. These make the boat extremely economical for its power and able to be spun and manoeuvered easily by simple joystick control, even for novice captains.  The new AiroDock from Lancer Industries will allow visitors to walk on water. Even better, you can walk on water at your holiday bach and have your private jetty just about anywhere. This temporary floating walkway rises and falls with the tide and is made to fit wherever you need it. You can walk across water to your trailerboat – no wet feet and no need for fenders.

“This year one of the most exciting products at the show is the Lancer Inflatable Doc, an instant pontoon that can be inflated either from your own home jetty or at the stern of your boat. This is a great example of the marine ingenuity that New Zealand is internationally famous for,” says Peter Busfield. Another first time show exhibitor at this year’s show is Doyle Sails, exhibiting their new Bamar agency from Italy. Bamar manufactures performance sailing hardware for all sizes of yachts, including gennaker furling systems, manual backstay adjusters, and vang systems. Bamar suits refit projects since it can add hydraulic power to an existing furler or electrify an existing winch.

For those interested in upgrading their existing boats there will be plenty of new releases in electronics and boating hardware to give boats a new lease of life. These will include Raymarine’s new Widescreen C Series from Lusty and Blundell Ltd which makes navigation easier than ever and a real bonus for people planning to cruise offshore. Also ideal for retrofitting is Jabsco’s new Lite Flush Electric Toilet which has the same footprint, fixing points, hose attachments and weighs exactly the same as a standard Jabsco manual toilet. It requires only 12V power, draws little current, is easily-operated foot switch and simple to clean with no external nuts and bolts and no hard-to-reach crannies, and is stylish. Some yachts at the show have gone well beyond retrofit into full, authentic restoration. New Zealand has one of the world’s best collections of classic yachts, always a popular drawcard at the show even though few of them are for sale. Several of the yachts are more than 100 years old and represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in restoration, well beyond their market value. A short history of each yacht accompanies its display.

The Cruising and Safety Hall in Pavillion 7 is shaping up to be one of the most interactive sites at the show, with a strong focus on encouraging people to feel more confident in their cruising and to have the best possible experience. Regular seminars will run in the hall throughout the day, covering topics such as getting the best from a weather forecast with weather ambassador Bob McDavitt – guaranteed to be as entertaining as it is informative. New technologies in communications and epirbs will be demystified by Maritime New Zealand and a seminar on good passage planning from Island Cruising Association will help make your cruising dream a reality. Coastguard Boating Education will run on-water demonstrations of powerboat and personal watercraft handling, followed by inflating and boarding a liferaft and use of inflatable lifejackets.

Auckland International Boat Show, Viaduct Harbour, Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 March 2009, 10am to 6pm daily.
The Viaduct harbour is located in Auckland’s Central Business District. Entrances to the show are from Quay Street or Halsey Street.

Britomart is the closest station for trains and buses. The Auckland central Ferry terminal is a minute’s walk from the show. There is additional car parking near the Halsey Street entrance.

Tickets are available at the gates on the day.
Adult day pass $18.00
Child (up to 15 years) day pass $8.00
Child under 5 Free
Family day pass $40.00
Adult 4 day pass $30.00

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