Latest News

December 12, 2011
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – Gold Coast Events Program

Arrival of the Clipper Fleet – December 11-13 Southport Yacht Club
Staggered arrival of the fleet at Southport Yacht Club. Be there to welcome and cheer on the Gold Coast Australia boat.

Support Sailability – Wednesday December 14 at The Boat Works Coomera
Support Gold Coast Australia's official charity partner Sailability while showing your support by a note of encouragement to the Skipper and crew on the keel and see the Gold Coast Australia boat up close and very personal.

Clippers Up Close and Personal – Saturday 17 December 2011 – Southport Yacht Club
Come along to the Southport Yacht Club between 2.00 and 4.00pm to see the Clipper fleet for the first time on the Gold Coast. Everyone is welcome to view the fleet of Clippers and meet the Skippers and crew as they make their way around the world. And while you are here enjoy the great world class hospitality and facilities the Southport Yacht Club has to offer.

102.9 Hot Tomato Carols by Candlelight – Saturday 17 December 2011 – Southport Yacht Club
Set in the park with the Clipper Fleet and Southport Yacht Club providing a stunning backdrop, the carols will be a highlight of the Clipper visit. From 5.00pm you will be treated to superb entertainment, a visit from Santa and 102.9 Hot Tomato Fireworks Show.

Celebrity Sailing Day – Sunday 18 December 2011 – Departing Southport Yacht Club
Perhaps you've had a dream to sail in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – this is your opportunity to test your skills. Limited spots on board Clipper boats are available. Be fast for this once in a lifetime opportunity…. a hot lap on water.

Official Clipper Welcome & Awards Ceremony – Sunday 18 December 2011 –
Southport Yacht Club
Join the crews at this lavish reception style event ay the Southport Yacht Club. Awards will be presented for the New Zealand to Gold Coast leg of the event. A delicious cocktail reception menu will be served with beverages over a 3 hour period.

Breakfast with the Crews – Saturday 24 December – Southport Yacht Club
Farewell the fleet with a Bon Voyage breakfast from the Southport Yacht Club. Watch and witness the boats actually leaving the SYC from their mooring and head out through the Gold Coast Seaway.

VIP 'On the Beach' view of Departure – Saturday 24 December – Southport Yacht Club
Farewell the fleet as the crews parade from the Seaway to Burleigh Heads before their race to Singapore. Enjoy the departure from an exclusive private viewing area at the Southport Surf Club with light refreshments served or farewell the fleet from the Gold Coast Surf Lifesaving Clubs from the Seaway to Burleigh Heads or better still Boaties can also join the flotilla from the Southport Yacht Club.

To find out more about the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race visit
www.clipperroundtheworld.com

December 10, 2011
The Boat Works hosts the fleet of the world famous Clipper yachts during their Gold Coast stopover next week

The Boat Works crew are busy preparing for the arrival of the prestigious 68 foot Clipper fleet currently sprinting from Tauranga, New Zealand, to the Gold Coast for Race Six of the great Clipper Round The World Yacht Race.

The ten international stripped down racing yachts are expected to reach the finish line on the Gold Coast Broadwater between 11-13 December, having departed the North Island of New Zealand on 4 December, and will be slipped and repaired onsite The Boat Works’ 9.2 hectare Coomera facility.

“The race is a very prestigious international event. We are delighted to have been selected as the exclusive marine service operation on the Gold Coast to provide maintenance and repair services to the fleet of high performance yachts during their Australian stopover,” says David Whyte, General Manager of The Boat Works.

“The stripped down Clippers are incredible racing craft, something any boating enthusiast can get excited about. They certainly have had a workout so far during the race having travelled halfway around the world to arrive on the Gold Coast later this month.”

The vessels will undergo hardstand maintenance during the stopover with use of a 70 tonne Travel Lift that works in tandem with a 45 tonne Sea Lift; the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Hull cleaning, sail repair and other general maintenance will be required to enable the yachts to continue the world’s longest yacht race.

The race was founded and is now chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail non-stop and solo around the world in 1969. The race route circumnavigates the globe and will take 11 months to complete.

The crew members aren’t professional sailors either; people from all walks of life apply and participate, all seeking adventure out of this grueling race. The journey is divided into eight legs, the crew can sign up for a combination of legs or complete the full circumnavigation.

Named after sponsoring cities and countries, the identical fleet each has a professional skipper and 18 crewmembers onboard. Gold Coast Australia’s team, skippered by 31-year- old Richard Hewson from Tasmania, has startled the international audience by pursuing and maintaining the lead for the last five races. Team supporters will be watching to see if they can continue to hold their winning streak on arrival to their hometown.

Local enthusiasts have the opportunity to meet the crew of the Gold Coast Australia and view the yacht during a ‘Signing of the Keel’ event at The Boat Works, 1 Boat Works Drive, Coomera next Wednesday 14 December, from 8 am to 6 pm and on Thursday 15 December from 8 to 11 am. Gold coin donations from the keel-signing event will go to Sailability – the disabled persons’ sailing initiative.

The public is welcome to view the yachts being removed from the water and receiving out-of-the-water maintenance during the yachts’ stopover at The Boat Works up until their departure for Race Seven on the 24 December 2011.

The former Gold Coast Marine Centre, recently re launched as The Boat Works to reflect the considerable growth and investment in industry leading marine facilities, offers an innovative boatyard, marina, storage operation and marine business leasing opportunities. The Boat Works site is located on the sheltered Coomera riverfront, and now maintains a professional marine village with a vast array of specialist marine trades and local businesses operating in one modern and efficient complex.

For further information, contact:
David Whyte
General Manager
The Boat Works
Telephone: 07 5500 0000
Email: david@theboatworks.com.au

November 18, 2011
Gold Coast business launches nationally competitive flagship marine service

Boasting new infrastructure and an expansion of services, the Gold Coast Marine Centre has unveiled their new identity and direction as The Boat Works, a comprehensive flagship marine service.

Tenants, contractors, staff and management witnessed a first look at the new name and branding with signage revealed onsite the Coomera facility within the Gold Coast’s internationally renowned Marine Precinct.

“There was an extremely positive response to our new branding. All the key players involved seem very excited about the new era for our centre,” says David Whyte, General Manager of The Boat Works.

“We believe that our new name and identity better represents the comprehensive and industry leading offering of marine services that the business now provides.”

Situated in the marine hub of South East Queensland, The Boat Works offers an innovative boatyard, marina, boat storage and business opportunities in the form of retail and factory space leasing options across 9.2 hectares of sheltered Coomera riverfront. The change comes after ten years of successful operation as the Gold Coast Marine Centre and substantial growth and investment in the onsite facility.

“With the recent completion of our new refit bays and retail factories, The Boat Works is now a complete one-stop-shop for servicing, repairs, refits, storage and new boat builds up to 85 feet in length,” says Whyte.

The first grade facilities include a conventional 70 tonne Boat Lift that works in tandem with a 45 tonne Sea Lift, which is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The purpose-built Sea Lift precisely handles wide-beam vessels like catamarans, houseboats and larger commercial craft, moving them safely out of the water so work can take place. It allows a broad range of craft to receive out-of-the-water services, including all types of commercial and pleasure craft, mono and multi hull, up to 85 feet in length.

The Boat Works now maintains a professional marine village complete with a boat supplies store and a vast array of specialist marine trades and local businesses operating in one efficient and modern space. Qualified marine engineers, plumbing, electrical specialists and talented boat builders all conduct business from the complex. The space has also seen recent growth in retail factories that include recognized brands like Lightwave, Kingfisher, Belize and Fairline.

Professional services covering all facets of the marine industry are now available onsite. One boat can receive any number of services, from simple repairs to major overhauls, engineering work, painting or antifouling. The Boat Works directly offers hardstand space, three types of storage options and berths for casual or long-term leases.

The Boat Works is a rare comprehensive solution in the Australian marine industry. It has maintained competitive prices and a longstanding philosophy of personal and genuine customer care. These core qualities have encouraged clients to travel from further afield to use the growing services the complex offers.

For further information, contact:
David Whyte
General Manager
The Boat Works
Telephone: 07 5500 0000
Email: david@theboatworks.com.au