Martin Redmayne made his way across the pond last week to visit the Whitsundays and instantly fell in love.
Originally from London, Mr Redmayne is the editor in chief of one of the biggest media groups in the yacht market, Superyacht Report.
Although he had visited the region before, this time around Mr Redmayne finally had the chance to properly witness its natural beauty.
“I come here every year for the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show and this year I asked to see more of Australia, to see what the superyacht capacity was and what the structure was like,” he said.
“I flew to Cairns for three days and had a few trips then was invited down to have a tour and look at this (Abell Point) marina and it’s pretty spectacular.”
Last week, Mr Redmayne chaired the Superyacht conference in Sanctuary Cove.
“It was a two-day conference where we talked about how the industry can mature and grow and become more stable, and we want to get the message out to the market what the opportunities are here,” he said.
Owner of Abell Point Marina Paul Darrouzet said bringing Mr Redmayne to the Whitsundays was a chance to showcase the beauty of the region.
“We wanted to give him a first-hand look at what’s around us and what can be viewed by superyachts coming down from Asia, North Pacific or the States,” he said.
Mr Darrouzet and his marina manager, Luke McCaul, took Mr Redmayne to explore the Whitsunday islands, which he described as an eye widening experience.
“If you get 100 boats coming here, it makes a significant impact and I don’t think many owners realise what they can do when they’re here,” he said. “This place has phenomenal potential and from the marina point of view, the value of boats coming here is expediential.”
Mr Darrouzet said they wanted to see more superyachts visiting the Whitsundays.
“It’s about trying to get as much publicity in other parts of the world about what can actually happen and the beauty of the Whitsundays,” he said.
“Out of all the yachts today, there are about 10,000 Australian crew out there and we want them to bring their boats home and enjoy the lifestyle.”
SOURCE: WHITSUNDAY TIMES
Nerida Conisbee Ray White Group Chief Economist The latest population projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have just been released. While getting long term projections correct is notoriously difficult, the reality is that in the next 48 years we are very likely to have a much bigger Australia. … Read more
Nerida Conisbee Ray White Group Chief Economist The number of single people purchasing homes is falling but becoming more evenly matched by gender. Increasing cost of housing has meant that the proportion of single people purchasing homes is falling. In 2014, an estimated 26.2 per cent of purchasers were single. … Read more