Winning marinas

While outstanding facilities are important, it’s the people who deliver the excellence we celebrate tonight.”

“Drawing a parallel with the Nautilus Marine Insurance values, Mullholland went on to say, “It’s about putting your customers at the core of everything you do and building trust through integrity and reliability.”

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 it was my family who 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, ad 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.”