Captains and crew vote Coral Sea Marina ‘best in world’

Coral Sea Marina Resort on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef won ‘World’s Best Superyacht Marina’ 2022 in the recently held ACREW Superyacht Business Awards. Over 15,000 captains and crew around the world cast their votes in the competition.

“When I purchased the marina from the receivers in 2013, my vision was to create the Monaco of the South Pacific,” explained marina owner Paul Darrouzet. “I expected the transformation to take five years. I did not envisage enduring a major natural disaster or a global pandemic but, throughout it all, we have survived and thrived. Coral Sea Marina Resort has been awarded Australia’s Marina of the Year in 2017/2018 and 2019/2020, and we were entered into the Hall of Fame in 2021.”
“Being awarded the World’s Best Superyacht Marina just as we have entered our tenth year of operations is not only the ultimate accolade, it is a vision realised,” he added.
The other international marina finalists in this category were Porto Montenegro, Rhodes Marina, Marina Genova and Limassol Marina.
Arnold Mbiydzengeh, head of B2B sales for ACREW, congratulated Coral Sea Marina Resort: “Winning this award goes to confirm the hard work of the Coral Sea Marina Resort team towards assisting yachts and yacht crew. Keep up with the good work, the superyacht industry needs more like you.”
As runner-up in the last two ACREW Superyacht Business Awards for Best Superyacht Marina 2021 and Best Superyacht Marina Australia 2020, taking out the ‘World’s Best’ win against such strong international competition is deemed a significant win for the Australian superyacht industry as a whole.
David Good, CEO Superyacht Australia, agrees. “Coral Sea Marina Resort is one of the jewels in the crown of Australia, located at the heart of Australia’s best cruising grounds, the Whitsundays Islands in the Great Barrier Reef. The marina is a destination, with outstanding infrastructure, customer service and attention to detail that is truly at superyacht standard,” he said.
Coral Sea is Queensland’s first 5 Gold Anchor Platinum accredited marina and has facilities for megayachts up to 80m (262ft). Recent marina developments have specifically been focused on the needs of superyacht captains and crew and include significant three-phase power upgrades, in-berth pump-out facilities and a top notch crew lounge with modern gym that overlooks the superyacht berths. In 2021, the marina launched its Platinum Crew Club specifically designed to immerse superyacht crew in the region. Through hosting events and developing an interactive yacht crew community, the Club aims to create strong advocates for yachting in Queensland’s premium island destination.
“The past few years have dealt our business some major losses, which makes this win all the more meaningful,” explained Coral Sea Marina CEO Kate Purdie. “I could not be more proud of the dedicated and passionate team I have the privilege of working with every day and their seamless delivery of transformational guest experiences.”
“As we plan for our tenth-anniversary celebrations, we will most certainly be celebrating not only our outstanding team but also our key partners with whom we share this award. Our mission is to ensure our service is second to none, and we are grateful to our loyal captains and crew for this global recognition of our collective efforts,” she added.
The increase in domestic superyacht charter demand over the last two years has seen unprecedented visits to the marina and an increased requirement for Australia-based superyacht crew. The marina’s on-site crewing and concierge agent, Champion Crewing and Concierge – another ACREW award-winner – successfully caters to this demand.