The 11th annual Rivergate and Southport Yacht Club Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch hosted by Rivergate Marina & Shipyard and Southport Yacht Club saw a record number of attendees, including international experts, superyacht captains, and more. The 11th annual Rivergate and Southport Yacht Club Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch was held on May 20 at the club’s Western Deck, overlooking the Waterscape Pontoon Bar and marina, in Brisbane, Australia. The lunch welcomed 44 guests representing visiting international experts ahead of speaking engagements at the ASMEX Conference, superyacht captains, industry proponents from AIMEX-Superyacht Australia, MSQ, agents and suppliers. Some of the international guests included Theo Hooning, secretary general of Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss), Kitty McGowan, president of US Superyacht Association, and Mark Mellinger, president of Headhunter Inc. Steve Fisher, Rivergate’s director of international business welcomed guests while introducing Tom Hill, Rivergate’s director. Guests were invited to socialize and speak about the upcoming ASMEX Conference, Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, and the diverse issues and current topics of interest in international superyacht spheres. Capt. Damien Dempsey of 37-meter sailing yacht, Radiance, attended the lunch and spoke about his time at Rivergate. “Thankfully, Rivergate has been a wonderful place to base Radiance and undertake works,” he said. “Along with excellent facilities, it’s important to find a refit team who understand what we’re trying to achieve and who will look after the boat during major works. It is after all, a five-star floating hotel.” Several other captains, including Scott Carter of Southern Cloud, Mark Clacher of Batavia, Adam Conde of More, Glen Gray of Quantum, and Bruce Jenkins of Big Sky attended the lunch and spoke about issues in the industry, like Australia’s charter industry. “I would say the corporate side has dried up somewhat, but there are still busy months: February, October, December, and events like the Rugby League Grand Final in September,” Capt. Glen said. “In January, families like to head up to Palm Beach and in February, there’s an influx of celebrities into Sydney for shows, such as Pink and Taylor Swift. In August and September, it’s all about the Whitsundays, based around Race Week.” Crew retention and sourcing quality crew was a topic that was spoke about during the lunch as well. “It’s a never-ending challenge!” Capt. Bruce Jenkins said. “There’s no simple solution, you just have to persevere.” When asked if reality TV series such as “Below Deck” were helpful in attracting new crewmembers to the industry, the resounding response was “No!” Captains had found that the show gave new crew the wrong idea of the industry and they didn’t come in ready for a certain level of service and skills required for charter. Besides the conversations on topics impacting the industry, many of the captains and industry professionals were elated to catch up with old friends and make new ones, making the lunch a resounding success. “There’s no doubt that we all benefit from these social occasions. It is about networking and talking business in a casual setting, but really, the friendships that unite us over the years are the most important,” Steve Fisher said.