KEY POINTS:
A couple of stunning local creations are going head-to-head with the best the rest of the world has to offer at this week's 2007 Auckland International Boat Show.
Veteran designer Max Carter has his new Auckland-built Carter 52 launch in the water, and from Austral Yachts in Whangarei the stunning Friendship 40 has also made its public debut.
More than 230 exhibitors from around New Zealand are showing both sail and power craft alongside the latest in boat design, electronics and chandlery at the four-day show at the Viaduct Harbour. The show starts on Thursday and finishes on Sunday.
The Carter 52 is in a class of its own and will focus the attention of show-goers looking for something in the $1.5 million range. The boat is beamy and exceptionally stable. It is powered by the Volvo Inboard Performance System instead of the traditional shaft drive or stern leg. The drives look a bit like stern drives mounted backwards about a quarter of the way up the hull instead of at the transom.
The designer says they offer performance and fuel efficiency.
The relatively heavy 17.7-tonne ship can reach just under 30 knots and cruise economically at 20 knots.
The designer may have opted for the latest propulsion system, but the Carter 52 is traditionally built. Construction is of multi-laminated timber and epoxy glass sheathed on the exterior and epoxy resin saturated on the interior. This hardens timber surfaces and prevents decay and moisture absorption.
"It's built to last and will not suffer osmosis, core shear failure, metal fatigue or corrosion," says traditionalist Carter.
Reviewing the launch in Boating New Zealand, American writer Brian Hartz discovered another plus.
"The saloon," he writes, "is Carter's masterstroke. It is simple and uncluttered yet loaded with useful features and a few touches of genuine inspiration.
"The dinette portside consists of an L-shaped settee and a table which adjusts its height from coffee table to dining table to bar at the flip of a switch. An idea that should feature on more launches."
Wrapping up his story Hartz, writes: "The Carter 52 is a prime example of forging ahead with technology and innovation while retaining the best qualities of New Zealand boatbuilding - a synthesis of past and present that isn't gimmicky.
"It is different but works well on all levels that a boat should."
The show will feature a range of imports, many also aiming at the top end of the market.
Among the most aggressive will be Yachtfinders Global, which will have six on-water exhibits and a big Azimut hospitality area.
The motoryachts on show will include the Azimut 43 and the Azimut 50. From the company's Beneteau line-up will be the First 50, the Farr-designed First 34.7, the Oceanis 40 and the new-generation Oceanis 50 designed to mark the line's 20th anniversary.
Over the four days visitors will have the opportunity to see what the industry is doing and get some pointers on where it is headed.
Last year, selling boats, marine accessories and services to the rest of the world accounted for 34 per cent of the New Zealand marine industry's total output, worth more than $500 million.
Many of the people who made that happen will be at the show.
Boats Galore
What: Auckland International Boat Show.
When: Thursday to Sunday, 10am-6pm.
Where: Viaduct Harbour.
How much: Adults $14, children $5, children under 5 free.
