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LATEST TECHNOLOGY AT AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
18 February 2009
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The Auckland International Boat Show will continue the vibrant atmosphere in the Viaduct Harbour, following the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February. Gleaming new yachts and launches will fill specially built berths throughout the harbour, representing imported brands such and New Zealand’s top designers and boatbuilders, including trailer power boats, power and sailing catamarans, keelers, launches and superyachts. Salthouse Marine will display a world first at the show when they exhibit Halcyon VI, the 65Q, a flybridge launch with quad Volvo IPS600 power plants. Halcyon VI’s four-engine configuration delivers the most power at the highest scale of economy. Furthermore, the joystick operation makes for effortless handling of this extraordinary vessel, even for novice captains. Salthouse will also display its new 57 and 65 models, shaft-powered with Cummins and Caterpillar respectively, and with a high level of luxury customisation. Formula Boats will exhibit two Icon 54s: one will feature new interior styling and internal staircase. The other, Weaponry, will spend much of her time 200 miles off the New South Wales coast where her sports fishing cockpit and tuna tower will ensure the boat lives up to her name. They will also display Phantom Express, the Express 45 sedan style launch with wraparound windows. From Elite Marine Design and Scott Lane Boat Builders, Vanquish will have a pair of CAT C12 ACERT marine engines from Goughs. The engines have electronic control modules and data link providing communications to the helm. The C12 has outstanding performance with maximum power available from 1700rpm to 2300rpm. A first time show exhibitor will be 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. Doyles will also promote its Stratis performance sailing technology, teamed up with Leisureful in-boom systems. Good quality used yachts and launches, representing imported and local brands, will be for sale and many visitors will be interested in upgrading componentry and electronics on their existing boats and there are 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. The Widescreen C Series has an internal GPS receiver, pre-loaded Navionics charts and Super High Resolution on new optically-bonded LCD displays. With pre-loaded Navionic charts, tthis is ideal for those 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. The new Jabsco Lite Flush requires only 12V power, draws little current, is exceptionally quiet and uses only 1.2 litres of water per flush. For reliability in fuel, the new Fuel+Aid will help boaties ensure their vessel remains free of diesel bug which can stop or seriously impede an engine’s performance. The Fuel+Aid systems were designed in New Zealand by Grant Pethybridge of Fuel Bug Technologies Ltd. It uses a light source to break down any microbial growth in the fuel. The Fuel+Aid systems can be viewed on the Marine Diagnostics stand 203 in the Engine Court on Te Wero Island. 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. 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. 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 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. For the ideal cruising boat, it will be hard to go past the 45ft Ace, designed by Laurie Davidson and built by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders. Other boats by Lloyd Stevenson will be the Bill Upfold-designed Conquest Elite 16 and the Huntress 68 sports fishing boat. Auckland International Boat Show, Viaduct Harbour, Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 March 2009. 10am to 6pm daily Media contact: Kerry Ellis , Boat Show and Sponsorship Coordinator
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