More than 120,000 people are expected to attend Hong Kong's biggest boat show this week in another sign of the city's improving economic fortunes.
Among enthusiasts expected to gather at the Gold Coast Boat Show 2005 to mingle, drink champagne and trade jabs about the relative sizes and merits of the boats are Olympic chief Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, KCRC chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun, former chief secretary Sir David Akers-Jones, and CLP chairman Michael Kadoorie.
More than 50 yachts will be on show. The exhibits are worth more than $150 million, according to organisers. 'This year's show will be the biggest ever,' said Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club general manager Albert Wu, adding the club had extended the event an extra day in anticipation of strong public interest in light of the economic recovery. The four-day show begins on Thursday.
The largest boat on display will be a second-hand Azimut 85 yacht measuring 86ft by 20ft with three decks and two 1,500 horsepower engines that gives it a top speed of 28 knots.
It has all the trappings expected of a pleasure yacht - including seven toilets - and could be yours for just $24 million.
Not including crew quarters, it has four cabins, each with their own bathroom. There is a full-service kitchen with a large fridge, dishwasher, stove, oven, outdoor barbecue and bar.
Both the flybridge and the cockpit are fitted with GPS and radar. The interior is lined with solid wood panelling and the boat is licensed to seat 40 people.
