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RUGBY WORLD CUP BUZZ T BOAT SHOW CATCHES he organisers of the Auckland International Boat Show say they are optimistic their exhibitors will reap the benefits of holding the show to coincide with the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The show will be open from September 15 to 18 at the Viaduct Harbour over the same weekend Australia meet Ireland at Auckland's Eden Park. The cup organisers have estimated there will be an additional 85,000 visitors to New Zealand during the tournament, which runs from September 9 to October 23, so the show should buzz with excitement. Organised by the New Zealand Marine Industry Association, it is already rated among the top 40 in the world by the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers. It will be the first major consumer show to use the new Viaduct Events Centre, with its 6000m2 of exhibition, meeting and hospitality space and panoramic windows offering spectacular views of the Waitemata Harbour. Another new development will be the Wynyard Crossing, on Te Wero Island. The popular cruising and safety seminars will be held on Saturday and Sunday and visitors can take time out and grab a coffee or beer at several venues, including the New Zealand Marine Café. The new look will make it easier for professional mariners to navigate around. One significant change is that the Big Engine Court has been disbanded, primarily to allow potential clients to seek advice from exhibitors while not under the observation of a competitor to whom they may have just been speaking. The engine boys will be spread throughout the show, and they remain more than willing to discuss repowers, or new builds with new engines, with potential clients. Likewise, the electronic folk will alll be unveiling their latest products at new-look stands for the show. All this means the new mix-and-match layout will make it more exciting for visitors. They will be able to explore a diverse range of products and services and the latest developments in the marine industry, including the large on-water boat exhibits, making the effort worthwhile to get along on the open or trade days. Professional Skipper magazine will once again be there, this time on stand 107 in the new pavilion, with heaps of back issues on display, along with the latest edition. About 200 boats, ranging from trailerboats to sailing dinghies, yachts, launches and motoryachts up to 30m will be on display, many of them at the special marina. New Zealand brands will feature prominently. The four pavilions will be packed with other boating equipment and fishing gear. For the first time in New Zealand, Volpower will display the larger IPS 2 and IPS 3 drives, along with the new D6 300kW (400hp) stern-drive, said to be the most powerful stern-drive available in the world. To complement these, Volpower will have an interactive display to demonstrate its latest control systems, software options and dash display options. Visitors to the stand can select the options they wish to view and a video will run the features and benefits. Hercules Tanks Ltd is a CE-accredited company that manufactures custom-made fuel, water and waste tanks. The fuel tanks are made from polyethylene and are built to ISO 21487 standard. The water and waste tanks are made from 24 Professional Skipper September/October 2011 polypropylene, a food-grade material. For larger craft, Cummins MerCruiser Diesel has expanded its Zeus propulsion system to include QSM 11-litre engines rated at 533kW. CMD's Zeus pod drive system offers joystick control for the drive-by-wire steering and throttle and shifting in an intuitive manner, so hand movements are translated into vectored thrust. Novice boaties are able to manoeuvre even large vessels sideways or diagonally, or spin, for easy docking in all conditions. Hamilton Jet has waterjet propulsion and control units to suit almost every commercial application, including fast tourist boats and large patrol craft. Alloy Cats designs and builds aluminium Kingfisher powercats from 8m to 16m, and Kingfisher trailer boats and dinghies. It also builds Roger Hill's aluminium powercats and Naiad rigid inflatables for Coastguard units and superyachts. The design department uses the latest 3D CAD design software to ensure accuracy and efficiency throughout the design and build process. While many of the powercats have been built for the commercial market, Kingfisher also has cats in recreational use with luxurious finishes. The rugby won't be the only international sporting event taking place at the same time as the show. The International Boatbuilding Competition features national teams made up of apprentices and boatbuilders working in the New Zealand marine industry competing to build catamarans in just 90 minutes before racing them under sail, paddle and motor. Classic craft, including restored boats up to 110 years old, will be on display, and superyachts will be berthed nearby, preparing for their summer cruising season in New Zealand. Superyacht owners and captains will hold their own Superyacht Captains' Forum on September 15-16, hosted by the New Zealand Marine Export Group to coincide with the show. The chairman of the forum committee, Garry Hassall, says captains who attend the forum will be able to hone their skills, learn from the experiences of other captains and have "time out" to think about their business of running a superyacht, rather than being inundated with normal daily activity. "It will suit captains with a scheduled visit planned to New Zealand or those who may visit in the future," says Hassall. "In designing the programme, we canvassed 40 superyacht captains to identify their most important issues." The programme will range from executive-level topics such as contract management, tax and legal matters, to navigating the South Pacific. "While New Zealand is recognised as a South Pacific hub for superyacht cruising, refits and maintenance, the forum will also represent other Pacific countries which support vessels transiting through the region," Hassall says. "The South Pacific is free of piracy but the captains rated the topic highly for inclusion on the agenda." The forum will end with a match race using the 11-strong MRX fleet. And from early September to late October, international visitors may join the New Zealand marine national yards tour of selected boat yards or join New Zealand company-hosted events. The show will be open from 1000 to 1800 daily, with special trade days on the Thursday and Friday. An adult day pass will cost $20 and a four-day pass $30. See www.aucklandinternationalboatshow.com