On-water culture celebrated in Queensland

The inaugural Sunshine Coast Marine Festival was a huge hit with Queensland’s vast and varied boating enthusiasts. Held in November at the Mooloolaba Marina, the event attracted 47 competitors whose wares included trailerboats, large boats and yachts, marine electronics, sailing gear and tackle.

Marine Queensland’s Event Manager, Jason Plant, said whether kayaks or yachts, there was something at the festival for every boating lifestyle and every budget.

The festival was created by Marine Queensland as part of its strategy to promote the local marine industry. And it worked, Marine Queensland says.

“This is an enormous success for both the marine industry and us as a marine body,” Mr Plant said.

“We started planning this event three months ago in response to requests from Marine Queensland’s members to have an opportunity to showcase their product before the year’s end,” he said.

“The success is a tribute to the tremendous support and involvement from local dealers and manufacturers who threw themselves behind this event to get it up and running. We are confident that this event has definite place on our annual events calendar for years to come.”

As well as fishing demonstrations, on-water displays and electronics demonstrations, other festival highlights included the newly released 150hp Mercury and 2012 Four Winns.

The festival ran in conjunction with Yachting Queensland’s Sailing Expo, which ran along the marina’s waterfront. The expo allowed local sailing clubs to promote their sport, and even gave punters the opportunity to sample a short sailing trip across the Mooloolah River.

Many credited the festival’s success to its on-water location, with the various activities and displays demonstrating not only the products themselves, but the on-water lifestyle at large. Looks like the Queensland marine industry had better pen this one in the diary from now on.

Visit www.marinefestivals.com.au for the full wrap-up.