QLD FIRM UNVEILS NEW 40FT SUPER YACHT TO INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE
Published Friday, 25 May, 2007 at 05:30 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
An Australian yacht 20 years in the making was unveiled today to the global marine industry at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS).
Member for Broadwater Peta-Kaye Croft represented Minister for State Development John Mickel in congratulating Queensland company Pacific Blue Super Yachts on its new Cruisecat 40.
Speaking at SCIBS earlier this morning, Mr Mickel said Queensland was responsible for 80 per cent of Australian boat exports and is becoming internationally renowned as a marine industry powerhouse.
Ms Croft said Pacific Blue Super Yachts’ new 40 foot Cruisecat was a commercial 12 berth vessel designed for the charter market with input from Whitsunday Private Yacht Charters.
“Pacific Blue Super Yachts designs, manufactures and markets fibreglass vessels for customers all over the world from its Yandina premises,” Ms Croft said.
“The Cruisecat 40 is the company’s most ambitious boatbuilding project to date. As well as featuring luxury fittings, they say it has been designed and constructed to have more accommodation space than any other 40 foot charter boat currently on the Australian market.”
Pacific Blue Super Yacht production manager James Keay said the boat, first an idea more than two decades ago, had been manufactured over the past four months by a team of more than 30 people on the Sunshine Coast.
“The Cruisecat will first be used by the Whitsunday Private Yacht Charter company in Airlie Beach, which we met when we showcased a smaller version of the vessel at SCIBS last year,” Mr Keay said.
“Since then we’ve worked with the company to come up with a superior custom design specifically for chartering, which included overcoming some of the maintenance problems common in charter boats such as water leakages and toilet failure.
“The result is a boat that is robust and is easier to maintain. We’ve just started work on a second boat which will be shown at the Sydney International Boat Show in August.
“After establishing the vessel in the Australian marine industry, we’ll work on creating exports by targeting Miami boat shows and Caribbean markets.”
Whitsunday Private Yacht Charters managing director Len McCall said it was a major coup to add the Cruisecat 40 to its fleet of luxury charter yachts, sailing boats and catamarans.
“We’ve had the boat on our website for three weeks and we’ve already secured more than $100,000 pre-bookings for people who want to hire it to skipper themselves around the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef,” Mr McCall said.
“It’s no surprise that the Cruisecat 40 is already very popular: It has been custom designed for chartering, unlike other charter vessels which are often re-configured after being built. It’s basically the ultimate charter boat.”
The Cruisecat 40 sells from $680,000.
Mr Mickel said super yachts were a particular growth sector being targeted for development by the Queensland Government.
“The international super yacht fleet today numbers well over 7,000 and with our growing capacity to build, service and refit these vessels Queensland is becoming an attractive alternative destination to the Caribbean and Mediterranean.”
For more information contact Pacific Blue Super Yachts Production Manager James Keay 0432 331 480
Member for Broadwater contact: 5529 6000
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
25 May, 2007
Member for Broadwater Peta-Kaye Croft represented Minister for State Development John Mickel in congratulating Queensland company Pacific Blue Super Yachts on its new Cruisecat 40.
Speaking at SCIBS earlier this morning, Mr Mickel said Queensland was responsible for 80 per cent of Australian boat exports and is becoming internationally renowned as a marine industry powerhouse.
Ms Croft said Pacific Blue Super Yachts’ new 40 foot Cruisecat was a commercial 12 berth vessel designed for the charter market with input from Whitsunday Private Yacht Charters.
“Pacific Blue Super Yachts designs, manufactures and markets fibreglass vessels for customers all over the world from its Yandina premises,” Ms Croft said.
“The Cruisecat 40 is the company’s most ambitious boatbuilding project to date. As well as featuring luxury fittings, they say it has been designed and constructed to have more accommodation space than any other 40 foot charter boat currently on the Australian market.”
Pacific Blue Super Yacht production manager James Keay said the boat, first an idea more than two decades ago, had been manufactured over the past four months by a team of more than 30 people on the Sunshine Coast.
“The Cruisecat will first be used by the Whitsunday Private Yacht Charter company in Airlie Beach, which we met when we showcased a smaller version of the vessel at SCIBS last year,” Mr Keay said.
“Since then we’ve worked with the company to come up with a superior custom design specifically for chartering, which included overcoming some of the maintenance problems common in charter boats such as water leakages and toilet failure.
“The result is a boat that is robust and is easier to maintain. We’ve just started work on a second boat which will be shown at the Sydney International Boat Show in August.
“After establishing the vessel in the Australian marine industry, we’ll work on creating exports by targeting Miami boat shows and Caribbean markets.”
Whitsunday Private Yacht Charters managing director Len McCall said it was a major coup to add the Cruisecat 40 to its fleet of luxury charter yachts, sailing boats and catamarans.
“We’ve had the boat on our website for three weeks and we’ve already secured more than $100,000 pre-bookings for people who want to hire it to skipper themselves around the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef,” Mr McCall said.
“It’s no surprise that the Cruisecat 40 is already very popular: It has been custom designed for chartering, unlike other charter vessels which are often re-configured after being built. It’s basically the ultimate charter boat.”
The Cruisecat 40 sells from $680,000.
Mr Mickel said super yachts were a particular growth sector being targeted for development by the Queensland Government.
“The international super yacht fleet today numbers well over 7,000 and with our growing capacity to build, service and refit these vessels Queensland is becoming an attractive alternative destination to the Caribbean and Mediterranean.”
For more information contact Pacific Blue Super Yachts Production Manager James Keay 0432 331 480
Member for Broadwater contact: 5529 6000
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
25 May, 2007