The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) has always been a showcase of global shipbuilding strength, but in 2025 the Southern Hemisphere contingent has stepped up like never before. Australia and New Zealand’s premier builders have crossed the Pacific with flagship vessels, fresh launches, and bold statements about innovation and range.
This year’s event—marking the show’s 66th edition—features more than 1,300 boats and 1,000 exhibitors, reaffirming Fort Lauderdale’s status as the world’s largest in-water boat show. Among the European superyacht titans and American centre-console fleets, four Southern Hemisphere names stand tall: Maritimo, Riviera, Palm Beach Motor Yachts, and New Zealand Yachts. You might be wondering who New Zealand Yachts are; to be honest, that caught us by surprise too.
Maritimo: Engineering meets endurance
Australia’s Maritimo brings a commanding lineup to the Bahia Mar docks with the M75 Flybridge, M60 Flybridge, and S55 Sedan on display. Built on the Gold Coast and engineered for true blue-water range, these models underline the brand’s philosophy of long-distance capability with straight-shaft simplicity.
At FLIBS 2025, Maritimo also revealed global updates on the upcoming M50 Flybridge, due to debut at Palm Beach 2026, plus a first-look at a new long-range design currently in development. While details remain under wraps, although we hope to get more details to you soon, it signals a further push into efficient, ocean-ready yachts for owner-operators who prioritise mechanical reliability and offshore confidence.
Riviera: Big fleet, bigger ambitions
Just a few slips away, Riviera has mounted its largest-ever Americas showcase, with 12 luxury motor yachts from 39 to 78 feet across the Sport Yacht, SUV, Sports Motor Yacht, and Belize lines.
Three models make their Americas premieres:
- the 4300 Sports Express, a versatile new platform combining outdoor living and overnight comfort;
- the refined 64 Series II Sports Motor Yacht; and
- the 72 Series II Sports Motor Yacht, extending Riviera’s blue-water range.
Owner Rodney Longhurst calls the 4300 Sports Express “amazingly versatile”, highlighting its lowering swim platform, alfresco barbecue, and full-beam accommodation.
Riviera also hosts its Festival of Boating onsite, offering seamanship and maintenance workshops for owners—another sign that the brand views the Americas as a vital long-term market.
Riviera showcases its largest fleet at Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2025
Palm Beach Motor Yachts: New flagship, new era
Palm Beach Motor Yachts—also born on Australia’s Gold Coast—used FLIBS 2025 to unveil its new PB85, the largest and most technically advanced yacht in the company’s 30-year history.
Designed by Mark Richards, the PB85 introduces Palm Beach’s proprietary V-Warp® Technology to a 27-metre platform, offering remarkable efficiency and stability. Configurable in Sedan, Flybridge, or Skylounge layouts, the PB85 carries 10,000 litres of fuel for 700-nautical-mile passages, while maintaining a draft of just 1.5 metres.
With a top speed of up to 35 knots and the craftsmanship expected from Palm Beach, the PB85 signals a serious entry into the upper luxury market.
Palm Beach Motor Yachts launches the PB85: a new flagship for a new era
New Zealand Yachts: Wave-piercing comeback
Rounding out the Southern Hemisphere lineup, New Zealand Yachts has quietly re-emerged under founder Allen Jones, showcasing its revived wave-piercer catamaran platform.
The yard, once recognised for the award-winning 35-metre Spirit, is back in Auckland developing fully custom power catamarans that use its proprietary Wavepiercer Transition-Tubes hulls. These deliver smoother motion, lower wake, and improved fuel economy—technologies first proven two decades ago.
Though not displaying a new hull in the water, the shipyard’s leadership team is in Fort Lauderdale meeting clients and suppliers, marking a symbolic return of New Zealand craftsmanship to the global superyacht arena.
Exhibiting from the edge of the world
For boatbuilders from Australia and New Zealand, exhibiting at Fort Lauderdale is no casual marketing trip. It’s a 12,000-kilometre supply chain exercise that demands months of logistics, customs coordination, and trans-Pacific shipping to land boats in the world’s biggest in-water show.
The reward, however, is access to one of the most influential audiences in boating. FLIBS connects Southern Hemisphere builders directly with American dealers, global media, and the top end of the superyacht ownership market. For companies like Maritimo and Riviera, it’s a statement of strength; proof that their boats, built for real offshore conditions, stand confidently alongside North America’s and Europe’s finest.
For New Zealand’s re-emerging builders, it’s about visibility. Being part of Fort Lauderdale’s 66-year legacy signals that Antipodean craftsmanship still has a place on the world stage, even from the far side of the Pacific.
