Whitsundays Cruising comes to Singapore Yacht Show

A unique marina in the Whitsundays at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef will return to the Singapore Yacht Show this year, with an increased raft of facilities to present to yachts.

While the beauty of the world heritage-listed natural wonder hasn't changed, the marina facility large yachts now have access to, has.

Airlie Beach’s Abell Point Marina is looking forward to presenting the superyacht cruising ground - with its extended services for large yachts - to the international marketplace during the show this April.

The move is an exciting one for the marina, which has undergone a dredging programme under the direction of Paul Darrouzet, who recently took ownership of the facility. The increased depth to 5m at LAT means Abell Point is able to accommodate larger superyachts, and is part of a push to increase the facilities available to yachts within the region.

To that end, the Abell Point Marina team has worked closely with local legislators to increase superyacht access to the Great Barrier Reef region, which means it’s excited to present a new cruising experience to charter and private superyachts.

“Abell Point is a great facility for yachts to prepare for trips out into the Whitsundays, or take a little downtime for the crew. The marina facilities have undergone a major revamp since their humble beginnings and now tick all the boxes a superyacht looks for when deciding where to berth,” says Captain Gavin Blade of S/Y Hemisphere, which visited the marina in late 2015.

“The Whitsundays is Australia’s premier charter ground and offers everything a superyacht needs to keep her guests entertained.”

Led by Darrouzet, the Abell Point team has worked as part of an action group with Superyacht Australia, lobbying Australian government to open up access to the nation for foreign-flagged charter yachts. The team is also working with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ease restrictions for larger yachts accessing the beautiful islands of the Whitsundays region.

Abell Point Marina will be based at the Superyacht Australia stand at the Singapore Yacht Show in the West Pavilion, presenting a united front as a destination that’s open and ready for cruising superyachts.

Berths at the marina stretch to 70-metres, with onsite concierge services, as well as helicopter transfers, provisioners, crew services and a discrete, highly-trained team among other amenities.

The Whitsundays are home to the iconic Whitehaven Beach, Heart Reef and 5 star Hamilton and Hayman Islands, and hold a private jet terminal and local airports which connect to international flights in Brisbane to the south and Cairns to the north.

The Abell Point team also works closely with Cairns Marlin Marina which sits at the head of the reef, to ensure superyachts have inclusive services throughout their time in the region.