It's hard, in fact, to think of a better way to spend the kids' inheritance than to order one of its S600s - the first sedan model in Maritimo's new generation of Offshore Motor Yachts. Head north for the winter, land a marlin or two en-route, or take advantage of the trans-Tasman bubble by cruising across the ditch.

The Offshore MY series exemplifies everything that the Gold Coast builder stands for - efficient performance, excellent economy and supreme seaworthiness, backed up by officially accredited construction integrity.

In the sedan's case, it shares a hull design with the M600 Flybridge model announced earlier this year, itself a manifestation of Maritimo's extensive experience with shaft-drive technology. It has variable deadrise with sharp bow entry and flatter sections aft, married to a keel that protects the running gear and improves tracking and stability.

Spinning the straight shafts are twin, inline, six-cylinder Volvo Penta D13 diesels generating 800 horsepower, fed by 4500 litres of fuel from three tanks. Power options include 1000-horsepower Volvo D13s or Scania V8 Di16-1200-horsepower units.

The sedan configuration has a number of attributes that help offset the loss of flybridge space. Being lower slung, they have a nicer motion at sea when the gyro isn't operating, and they can squeeze under bridges in waterways like the Gold Coast's Broadwater.

Maritimo has gone further by providing access to the hardtop roof, via a hatch and ladder. It then serves as utility deck space for dinghy storage, using a 350-kilogram davit.

This means there's no wastage of cockpit or foredeck space.

Instead, you get room to roam when fishing, diving or entertaining.

The hardtop deck can also store kayaks, paddleboards or a liferaft, on the proviso that you're agile enough to scale the vertical ladder and it's safe to do so.

If you're serious about fishing, and lots of bluewater folk are, the S600 can dispense with its rear boarding platform. There are also various game tower designs that integrate with the sedan's superstructure.

The aft deck offers two distinct cockpit areas, one that's fully open and brimming with fishing functionality, the other elevated and sheltered from the elements by the moulded hardtop.

All up, you get almost 20 square metres of outdoor living space.

The cockpits, in turn, flow seamlessly into the saloon area, either through sliding or bi-fold doors. Here resides the S600's starboard-side aft galley, which is residential in its proportions and presidential in appointments.

Further forward are twin lounges and a helm station with dual pedestal seats, benefitting from what Maritimo calls "unique, two-stage vista sliding windows" to let both air and light into the saloon space.

Below decks, the home-style luxury continues with three staterooms and two en-suite bathrooms.

Owners get a full-beam cabin with king-size island bed, plus there's a forward stateroom with an unusual offset queen bed, and a starboard guest cabin comprising twin singles.

"We've gone to incredible lengths in creating free-flowing spaces that best utilise the hull's enormous volume," Maritimo's Tom Barry-Cotter says.

"That means maximising height and minimising the number of steps in the floors and ceilings.

"The three staterooms feel like they could be within vessel's much larger in size, thanks to the interior's innovative floorplan melded with the high-volume hull."

Maritimo's order pipeline is currently at record levels for the Gold Coast, with many families placing orders from the plan, Barry-Cotter adds.

Hard to believe but it's a happy 50th anniversary to the Laser dinghy in Australia, with Sydney's Double Bay Sailing Club hosting a celebration and exhibition on Sunday.

Legendary yachting scribe Rob Mundle, who's attending the event, launched the 4.2-metre one-design class here after discovering it during a working holiday in the US as a lad.

"I jumped on what was Laser number 35 and belted across the bay. As soon as I got back to the beach I said I wanted it for Australia," Mundle recalls.

He ordered two container loads of Lasers and returned to Sydney to establish Performance Sailcraft as a manufacturing base. At its height, the company built 15 Lasers a week.

"Brand awareness is everything in marketing, so I put the word out and got the boat in front of people," Mundle adds. "The price was right - $695 - and what stunned everyone was the performance compared to simplicity."

The Laser suited the no-nonsense Aussie way of sailing, requiring both tactical ability and physicality to succeed. Mundle also built a great social culture.

Since then, Australia has virtually dominated the class at international and Olympic level. Lake Macquarie sailor Tom Burton won gold in Rio while 2012 Olympic champion Tom Slingsby - albeit from Gosford - is close enough to claim as our own.

Locally, Lasers continue to race at Belmont 16s, Toronto, South Lake Macquarie, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and Bay Sailing Centre.

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