A boat with a pedigree that draws heavily from a long line of commercial usage has taken out the 2004 Boat of the Year Award, which was announced at this year’s Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

The Powercat 2600 Sports Cabriolet with its familiar profile was just too much boat for the competition. Made slightly narrower to meet towing requirements, at 26 feet, it has far greater interior space and flexibility of accommodation than any other boat of this size. And with the deep twin hulls making for probably the most comfortable ride in its class, it swept all before it. See the full report and read about all of the category winners in the article on page 106.

In other news, Mercury also took advantage of the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show to introduce to the Australian public its new Verado engine range. These supercharged four-stroke engines have brought outboard engine technology into the 21st century and have once again put Mercury’s competitors into the position of playing catch-up.

The article on page 115 provides more detail as well as some of the first pictures of these radical engines.

And as is now the case; the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show heralds the beginning of the boat show season, with the next major show being in Melbourne commencing the 1st of July.

This year’s Sydney International Boat Show (29th July – 3rd August) will feature the largest display of boats both on and off water ever showcased in Australia. There is no doubt that this show has become the most important show of this type in the Australasian region. Its size now reflects the standard of product available both locally as well as internationally. I strongly recommend that you take the time to attend at least one of these shows. You won’t be disappointed.

At Club Marine we have committed ourselves to providing an industry leading e-commerce solution for our clients. At different times over the last two years I have announced in this column the various upgrades to our internet site. I am now extremely excited to announce that from the 22nd of June, not only will you be able to buy and pay for your new insurance policy or renewal on-line, but as an incentive for doing so, you will receive a 5% discount!

Over the next few months, we will be progressively rolling out ‘Nav Stations’ (dedicated computer terminals) to various marine dealerships so that you can visit the dealer of your choice and complete your Club Marine transaction there. We will also be installing ‘Nav Stations’ in each of our branches, so that if you prefer to pay for your policy in one of our offices, you can still take advantage of the 5% discount. If you like, bring your renewal or boat details along with you to your state boat show, as we will have ‘Nav Stations’ available on our stand for your use. Regrettably, there will be some boats that, due to age or type, will not be able to transact on-line but by all accounts they are in the minority.

Also in this magazine we take a look at Beneteau’s range of powerboats now being imported in Australia; Bob Wonders test drives Sea Ray’s new 455s; Warren Steptoe ventures out to the fishing paradise known as the Capricorn Bunker Group and we visit Tasmania’s spectacular east coast with Bill Bachman.

Enjoy the magazine and remember that your safety is our top priority.