Maritimo, the country's leading manufacturer of luxury boats, was pleasantly surprised by the strong sales recorded at the Sydney International Boat Show.

The company's marketing director Luke Durman says that before the show indicators suggested the boating market was moving towards mid-range cruisers -- but at the show it was the company's bigger boats that attracted most attention.

"We certainly saw strength in our brand new 440 Offshore Convertible [pictured] as well as the C47 and 470 Offshore," Durman told BoatPoint, "But we also took multiple orders for our M56 Motoryacht and C60 Sports Cabriolet."

He said it was the most successful show for the company in more than three years.

"In terms of market recovery, we still have a long way to go but all the indicators are that the next 12 months will be good for Maritimo," adds Durman.