Fort Lauderdale's 66th International Boat Show has a reputation for drawing the world's finest builders to its docks, but the 2025 edition has seen the Southern Hemisphere make its most emphatic statement yet. Australia and New Zealand's leading yards have made the trans-Pacific journey with flagship launches, significant reveals, and a collective argument that their boats belong among the very best on the planet.
The show remains the world's largest in-water boat show, with more than 1,300 boats and 1,000 exhibitors spread across Fort Lauderdale's famous marina precinct. Alongside the European superyacht giants and American centre-console fleets, four Southern Hemisphere names have secured a meaningful presence: Maritimo, Riviera, Palm Beach Motor Yachts, and New Zealand Yachts. That last name may raise an eyebrow or two, and to be fair, it caught us off guard as well.
Maritimo has arrived at the Bahia Mar docks with three vessels that speak directly to the brand's long-held blue-water philosophy. The M75 Flybridge, M60 Flybridge, and S55 Sedan are all products of the Gold Coast operation, engineered around straight-shaft drivetrains and the kind of genuine offshore range that owner-operators demand.
FLIBS 2025 also gave Maritimo the opportunity to share updates on what comes next. The M50 Flybridge is confirmed for a debut at Palm Beach 2026, and the brand has offered a first glimpse of a further long-range design currently in development. Details are being held back for now, though more information should follow in due course. Maritimo's push toward efficient, ocean-capable yachts for serious owner-operators shows no sign of slowing.
A short walk along the docks, Riviera has staged what it describes as its largest-ever Americas showcase, filling the water with 12 luxury motor yachts ranging from 39 to 78 feet. The lineup draws from the Sport Yacht, SUV, Sports Motor Yacht, and Belize collections, and three of those vessels are making their Americas premieres at this year's show.
The 4300 Sports Express is a new platform that blends outdoor living with overnight comfort. The 64 Series II Sports Motor Yacht brings a refined update to an established line, and the 72 Series II Sports Motor Yacht extends Riviera's reach further into blue-water territory. Owner Rodney Longhurst has described the 4300 Sports Express as "amazingly versatile", pointing to its lowering swim platform, alfresco barbecue, and full-beam accommodation as highlights.
Riviera has also used its FLIBS footprint to run a Festival of Boating, offering owners practical seamanship and maintenance workshops on site. It is the kind of initiative that points to a long-term commitment to the Americas rather than a fleeting marketing exercise.
Palm Beach Motor Yachts, another Gold Coast operation, used the 2025 show to unveil what is comfortably the most significant yacht in its 30-year history. The PB85 stretches to 27 metres and introduces Palm Beach's proprietary V-Warp® Technology to its largest platform yet. Designed by Mark Richards, the yacht is offered in Sedan, Flybridge, or Skylounge configurations and carries 10,000 litres of fuel, giving it a range of 700 nautical miles. A draft of just 1.5 metres and a top speed of up to 35 knots round out a specification that positions the PB85 as a genuine contender in the upper end of the luxury market.
The fourth Southern Hemisphere name at Fort Lauderdale is the one that will be least familiar to most readers. New Zealand Yachts has re-emerged under founder Allen Jones, returning quietly to the international stage with a revived wave-piercer catamaran platform developed in Auckland. The yard was once recognised for the award-winning 35-metre Spirit, and the technology being advanced today draws on hull design principles proven two decades ago. The proprietary Wavepiercer Transition-Tubes hulls promise smoother motion, reduced wake, and better fuel economy than conventional alternatives.
New Zealand Yachts is not displaying a new hull in the water at this year's show. Instead, the yard's leadership team is in Fort Lauderdale for meetings with clients and suppliers, a deliberate step back onto the global stage that carries its own significance.
The simple act of being at Fort Lauderdale is no small matter for builders from this part of the world. Getting boats to the show requires a 12,000-kilometre supply chain exercise, months of logistics planning, customs coordination, and trans-Pacific shipping, all before a single visitor sets foot on a deck. The effort involved is considerable.
The return, however, is access to an audience that is difficult to reach any other way. FLIBS connects builders directly with American dealers, international media, and buyers at the very top of the superyacht market. For established names like Maritimo and Riviera, a strong showing here is a declaration of confidence, confirmation that boats built for genuine offshore conditions can hold their own against North American and European competition on the world's most prominent stage.
For New Zealand Yachts, the calculation is somewhat different. Visibility is the goal. Returning to Fort Lauderdale's 66-year-old event, even without a hull to splash, sends a clear signal that Antipodean craftsmanship retains its place in the global conversation, regardless of how far the Pacific stretches.
