Southern Spar heads offshore

As part of a strategic rationalisation to better service their key European and Eastern United States markets, international mastmakers Southern Spars are consolidating their One Design manufacturing into a single facility based in Cape Town.

Southern Spars secured a licensing relationship with South African mastmakers Sparcraft two years ago.

"Because of more efficient shipping options from Cape Town to the major markets in Europe and the eastern seaboard of the US, it was always our intention to concentrate the One Design manufacturing in South Africa," says Southern Spars One Design general manager John Clinton.

The company's One Design Division builds production carbon-fibre masts for high-performance classes that are restricted to standard equipment.

The division has just been appointed official sparmaker to the Farr 40 class, one of the hottest international One Design classes with 120 boats competing from 15 countries.

Up to now, the manufacture of the company's production masts has been split between two facilities, one in Auckland, and the other in Cape Town.

The New Zealand facility has focused on the smaller masts for high-performance classes including some Olympic class development work in 49ers, Finns and Tornadoes.

The division will continue supporting New Zealand sailors Aaron McIntosh and Bruce Kendall in the Tornado Class and Dan Slater in the Finn class as they prepare for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Cape Town factory has produced the larger one-design masts in the 40ft-50ft range.

"The Cape Town operation has been in business for a long time," Clinton said.

"They have accumulated a lot of experience in production building and their processes, planning and manufacturing practices are very well established."

The Cape Town facility has just completed an expansion programme that takes their plant to 4800 sq m, spread across three large bays.

The New Zealand staff of Southern Spars One Design will move to the Custom Projects factory in Auckland, which needs more staff to handle the number of high-profile superyacht projects and grand prix race yachts projects on the go.

Southern Spars custom designed and built the masts for Mike Sanderson's ABN AMRO yacht, presently leading the Volvo Ocean Race. It is also building America's Cup masts for Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW ORACLE Racing.

Clinton will remain general manager of the One Design Division based in Auckland and will direct worldwide sales and marketing of the One Design products.

"This market has a very strong growth potential and we will be making an aggressive push to expand our business," he said.

Part of the Auckland operation includes the manufacture of smaller carbon-fibre components - such as spreaders, spinnaker poles, bowsprits, stanchions and tubing - under the name Kilwell Tubes.

This will continue to function from Auckland and will be incorporated into the Custom and Corporate premises at the Viaduct Basin.

Clinton says all New Zealand One Design customers will continue to receive full service through Kilwell Tubes.

Southern Spars was established in Auckland in 1991.

It has grown to become a major international company with divisions in the US, Europe and South Africa, as well as New Zealand.