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Sanctuary Cove Boat Show 2026 Wrap-Up | 36° Brokers

Another Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show has come and gone, and after four days on the docks, countless conversations and more boat tours than we can count, we're heading home with plenty to be excited about.

Leading into the show, it looked like Mother Nature might have other plans. The Gold Coast experienced some serious rain and flooding during setup week, making life pretty difficult for exhibitors and contractors trying to get everything ready. Thankfully, the weather turned just in time. While it remained a little windy throughout the event, the rain stayed away, the sun came out, and Sanctuary Cove was back to looking exactly as it should.

One thing that stood out this year was just how much effort Beneteau put into its display. Visitors were welcomed through a dedicated Beneteau exhibition space before making their way down to an impressive on-water showcase featuring eight models. It created a great experience for visitors and gave people the opportunity to compare a wide range of boats in one place.

For us, one of the standout boats of the show was undoubtedly the new Beneteau Oceanis 52 making its APAC debut. Arriving as BEeneteau celebrates 40 years of the Oceanis range, the new model attracted plenty of attention throughout the week.

What impressed us most was the cockpit layout. It's quite different to previous Oceanis models and feels like a genuine step forward in the way the space is used. Whether you're entertaining at anchor, sailing offshore or simply enjoying time with family and friends, the layout just works. It was one of those boats that had people staying onboard longer than they planned because there was always something else to look at.

The Beneteau First 44 continued to attract plenty of attention from performance-minded sailors, while the Swift Trawler 48 reminded visitors why it remains one of the most popular long-distance cruising boats in the range.

Over in the multihull world, the Australian premiere of the Excess 13 proved to be another major talking point.

For us, it was particularly rewarding to see the response the boat received. Earlier this year, we delivered an Excess 13 to New Zealand owners through the European Delivery programme, with the owners now enjoying the Mediterranean cruising season and making the most of everything the model was designed for.

It was easy to see why the Excess 13 generated so much interest throughout the show. The boat offers a refreshing mix of sailing performance, practicality and modern living, appealing to owners who still enjoy being actively involved at the helm while wanting the comfort and space expected from a modern cruising catamaran.