Industry Excellence Celebrated at the 2025 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards

The best, brightest and proudest of the marina industry were recognised on Tuesday night at the 2025 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards, held at Sydney’s picturesque Middle Harbour Skiff Club.

While the Awards have traditionally focused on facilities, 2025 saw the introduction of two new categories designed to spotlight and promote the achievements of individual contributions and rising talent. The inaugural Emerging Talent Award recognised future leaders under 35, with Jacob Morris, Director at Marine Structures, taking home the honour from a strong field, recognising his innovation, operational excellence, and forward-thinking leadership.

The new Industry Woman of the Year Award also made a strong debut, receiving a wave of impressive nominations. Six finalists were selected from across the industry, reflecting both the strength and diversity of women in marina roles. The winner, Stephanie Trounce, WHS Property and Compliance Manager at Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard, was acknowledged for her deep expertise in safety systems and her leadership in maintaining high standards of property and compliance.

The flagship Marina of the Year categories were more competitive than ever. The recently redeveloped Jones Bay Superyacht Marina in Pyrmont, Sydney, emerged victorious as the Marina of the Year under 140 boats. Managed by Scope Marine’s Nairn Johnson CMM and Scott Cotton CMO (also an Emerging Talent finalist), the facility accommodates vessels ranging from 20 to over 100 metres, offering advanced features such as 500-amp shore power and in-berth black water pump-out—hallmarks of a truly world-class superyacht destination.

It was a standout night for Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM), which claimed the Marina of the Year Award (over 140 boats), Boatyard of the Year (over 20 boats) and Dry Stack Facility Award. Celebrating 25 years of trailblazing excellence, GCCM has transformed former farming paddocks into a world-class marina and shipyard, playing a pivotal role in the development of the Coomera marine precinct.

The marina boasts 200 berths, a 300-vessel dry stack and a shipyard incorporating 50,000 sqm of hardstand, multiple vessels lifting options up to 300 tonne, sandblasting bays, keel pits and undercover sheds. Underscoring its commitment to sustainability and service, the marina is Gold Anchor, Superyacht Ready and Clean Marina accredited and delivers premium customer amenities including a customer lounge, laundry, ample parking and waterside restaurant and bar.

Trent Gay, owner of GCCM, said that “while my family had built the business from the ground up following the purchase of the site in 1996, the award is important recognition of our team, who continue to deliver for customers day in, day out.”

Innovation was also in the spotlight this year, with Bellingham Marine taking home the Industry Innovation of the Year Award for its reimagined Unifloat system.

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) once again claimed the coveted Club of the Year from the highly commended Sandringham Yacht Club. Accepting the honour, Marina Manager Glenn Scott expressed his enthusiasm: “We are very proud of this award, especially when we are so aware of the other great clubs that we were up against. We see so much more opportunity and growth ahead. It’s wonderful to experience the camaraderie and mutual respect in our industry tonight.”

This year, a first-time entrant has narrowly taken out the International Marina of the Year Award. Dubai Harbour Marina beat its closest rival, Westhaven Marina in Auckland, by only a couple of points. Dubai Harbour Marinas General Manager Wayne Shepherd CMM was at the awards to receive his trophy and made a point of recognising the investment of his owners and went on to name each member of his leadership team and said, “This award is theirs and I look forward to presenting it to them on Thursday when I am back at the marina”.

The competition in the Boatyard of the Year category for yards servicing under 20 boats was equally fierce. Three outstanding finalists—Boatyard by d’Albora The Spit, Royal Prince Alfred Boatyard, and White Bay 6 Marine Park—were announced, with White Bay 6 Marine Park taking the win. Industry veteran Lorraine Yates CMP reflected on the honour, “We’re grateful for industry recognition through awards like these. We have a beautiful facility in a stunning location, and I’m privileged that the owners trust us to manage it every day.”

The MIA Environmental Award was highly contested, with Royal Phuket Marina (RPM)—Asia’s first and only carbon-neutral marina—taking top honours for its all-round commitment to sustainability. Marina Manager Balan Aramagan was on hand to accept the award and noted how proud he and the team are of their achievements. As a leader in sustainable practices, RPM was also the first marina to sign the MIA Sustainability Pledge. Adding to the night’s recognition, Woranart Wongwanich of RPM was named a finalist for Industry Woman of the Year Award.

Two facilities were inducted into the Marina of the Year Awards Hall of Fame, recognising their continued and consistent success. These included two-time International Marina of the Year winner, One15 Marina, Sentosa Cove, Singapore and the outstanding Dry Stack Storage Facility of the Year multiple award winner, Sydney Harbour Boat Storage.

Midway through the evening, a special presentation was made to Ocean Marina Jomtien, Thailand, which was recently accredited as a 5-Gold Anchor Platinum Marina and Superyacht Ready. To celebrate the marina’s achievement and to recognise nine team members who have completed 30 years of service, 13 members of the Ocean Marina team came out for the awards and proudly joined Scott Finsten CMM, Marina Manager, on stage to receive the 5 Gold Anchor Platinum & Superyacht Ready flag. Suzanne Davies, MIA CEO, commented, “The pride on that stage was overwhelming and quite emotional. The marina team worked so hard to achieve the accreditation, and it was lovely to see them all here to celebrate.” It was also fitting that Marina Supervisor Min Sawangphong received a highly commended award in the Woman of the Year Award.

Representatives from Birkenhead Point Marina, Coral Sea Marina & Resort, Sanctuary Cove Marina, and ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove were also recognised on stage. These standout marinas all hold Platinum 5 Gold Anchor, Superyacht Ready & Clean Marina accreditations, reflecting their ongoing commitment to excellence in marina standards and sustainability.

The full list of Award winners for 2025:

About the Marina Industries Association (MIA)

The MIA is the peak body representing the interests of club, recreational and commercial marinas, boatyards and industry suppliers in Australia & the wider Asia-Pacific region. Working closely with other marina associations around the world, the MIA works in support of developing sustainable marina industries through the delivery of strong leadership, industry guidance, education, accreditation and research. The MIA has approximately 340 corporate members and connects over 2,000 industry leaders and decision makers. 75% of members are marinas, clubs and boatyards and over 85% of larger marinas (over 100 berths) in Australia are members of the MIA.

The Awards

The Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate excellence and leadership in the industry and provides important benchmarks for industry and the wider community. Categories for submission cover up 10 categories with award winners announced at a gala dinner event attended by the industry representatives from across the globe. The awards are highly sought after and provide finalists and winners great promotional and marketing opportunities.

Global Gold Anchor Accreditation

Gold Anchor is an international accreditation and rating program that indicates the level of services and facilities provided by a marina. The accreditation benchmarks 86 criteria across all areas of the business, including service, the provision of on-and-off-water facilities, and management practices. The rated assessment option provides a professional and independent evaluation of the operation and incorporates an externally conducted customer survey. The accreditation process provides significant business benefits, including establishing benchmarks, standards and improvement pathways. It serves as a useful tool to share with insurers, regulators and other stakeholders to demonstrate levels of compliance and operational management. The international program has accredited over 200 marinas across 27 countries and is a joint venture initiative between the Marina Industries Association (MIA) and The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA). TYHA delivers the Program in the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean. The MIA delivers the accreditation in Australia, Asia-Pacific and in the USA. A complete listing of all Gold Anchor marinas can be found at www.globalgoldanchor.com.