Insider's guide to superyacht success

Five years ago, Robinson Marine Interiors started business in Onehunga, Auckland. Today the company, with 36-year-old Stuart Robinson at the helm, has a staff of more than 50 and is doing multi-million-dollar business internationally.

This success has been achieved by marrying the latest computer technology with the work of highly skilled tradespeople to deliver a product that meets the demands of clients who require, and will pay for, perfection.

From the beginning the company has specialised in marine interior development and manufacturing, working with some of the world's top yards and designers.

"We take a designer's concepts, convert them to working drawings and computer models that are then cut out and hand finished to be fitted into each new build or refit projects," says Robinson.

One project the company is working on is the interior fit-out of a 50m tri-deck superyacht for Trinity Yachts, based in New Orleans. It is the biggest builder of superyachts in the United States and Trinity executives came to Auckland to check the Robinson operation before signing the deal.

Robinson won't disclose how must the contract is worth, but he has 40 people working on the job and will send 15 people to New Orleans to do the fit-out. This involves the three interior decks, a large flybridge, four guest cabins, an owner's suite and accommodation for eight crew. It has to be completed by January.

Robinson has been promoting his business at the two big superyacht shows at Monaco and Fort Lauderdale. His sales pitch was boosted two years ago when Spirit, the 33m Wavepiercer built in Whangarei by New Zealand Yachts and designed by Brett Bakewell-White and Ken Freivokh, won the international superyacht design award. The winner's interior was by Robinson.

Robinson emphasises the importance of computer-aided design to the success of his operation. He has five design stations, each costing more than $20,000 to set up.

The interior of a project can be modelled in three dimensions to ensure every item fits the space. The master model is broken down into individual components, which are converted into machine programmes for processing through the computerised processes. Robinson also produces 3D photo-realistic images to give clients a greater understanding of the intended design and output before starting manufacturing.

An indication of the lengths the business goes to to get it right before work starts takes up a good deal of space in the Onehunga factory. It is a full mock-up of a 40m motor yacht. The owner can walk around, check space and layout and make alterations before building begins.

"It's expensive," Robinson says, "but a lot cheaper than making changes once the job is under way.

"The interior is a big part of the cost of a superyacht, so it makes sense to get it right from the beginning."

Everything is done in house, with skilled teams working alongside designers at every stage. Components pass through an exacting polishing, painting or staining, and finishing process. After final quality checking the components are packed and dispatched to the build site where installers complete the fit-out in the shipyard.

Robinson says the company was structured from the beginning to operate internationally and to be competitive.

"To be successful we have to operate wherever superyachts are being built and the trend at present is for even bigger boats, both sail and motor yachts, either under construction or on the drawing boards," he says.

"New Zealand will continue to be a player in the sector, but we have to go after the big international contracts. The Trinity association will be vital to our future expansion and continued success."

Robinson Marine Interiors is a member of the Marine Industry Association, the Boating Industry Training Organisation and the NZ Marine Export Group.

The company was also a gold sponsor of Yacht Vision 2005 and Robinson believes this level of industry co-operation is vital to the future of the marine sector.