Australian Refit Yard Shines on World Superyacht Stage
In what has been a stellar week for leading Australian refit and repair provider Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM), the landmark facility has been recognised and awarded on both the domestic and international stage for leading the field in providing innovative refit and repair solutions for Superyachts in the Asia-Pacific region.
The 2021 ACREW Superyacht Business Awards finalists were announced this week, with GCCM in strong contention for The Best Refit Yard Award. In the ultimate endorsement, these global awards acknowledge and celebrate the best refit and repair businesses in the world, as voted by an active network of over 15,000 captains and crew. The nominations for this highly coveted award come from leading captains within the industry who put forward businesses that they believe deserve global recognition, for being the best in their field. Refit yards are judged on their knowledge and specialised efforts in shore-support to achieve efficient and high-quality outcomes for Owners and Captains.
Additionally, all nominees are passed through a panel of senior Captains prior to being accepted and recognized as Finalists for these awards. GCCM is one of only four Finalists in the refit class worldwide and the only shipyard facility in the Asia Pacific region to be recognized in the category.
Mike Gregory, Captain and Director of Operations for the Fly’ Fleet has been taking his 73 metre Silveryacht to the Australian facility since early 2018. In his personal nomination he praised the prominent South Pacific Shipyard saying, “We have been to the facility a number of times in the past few years and in my 15 years of yachting which includes 9 years of Command, a build and multiple large refits, have never been so well looked after by a professional, fun and friendly team.” Having taken out the top prize for Best Australasian Superyacht Marina in ACREW Business Awards in 2020 the results of this year’s global refit awards are much anticipated by the 800+ leading marine contractors onsite at GCCM.
In addition, the 2021 Marina Industry Association Awards were also held at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney earlier this week. Proudly, GCCM were announced as winners of the Best Innovation by A Marina or Supplier Award. In early 2020, GCCM was able to concurrently complete two of the largest on-water yacht paint and re-fit projects ever undertaken in Australian waters. Two high profile yachts, M/Y Dragonfly (74 metres) and M/Y SuRi (63 metres) required full hull and superstructure repaints. The novel solutions for these two vessels were pioneered and brought together using the outstanding contractors and capabilities onsite at the expanding 37.5-hectare yard. These two ground-breaking projects have changed the timeframes and cost of maintenance in the superyacht industry in the Asia Pacific region. 68 metre Feadship, M/Y Lady Christine is currently making good use of the expanded facilities and services at GCCM to undergo a comprehensive on-water refit program (including hull and superstructure refinishing).
Having been inducted into the MIA Hall of Fame in 2017, the team at GCCM have continued to demonstrate their commitment to continual and sustainable improvement and innovation for the benefit of the entire Asia Pacific marine industry. To learn more about the services, facilities and world-class marine trades at Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard visit https://www.gccm.com.au/