Cutting edge ocean racing for Whangārei

Drevillon Yvan, from France, doing third-party quality assurance at Core Builders Composites, of Warkworth, for the F50 catamarans.

They're like the Formula 1 racing cars of the ocean - they are the new foiling F50 catamarans.

Core Builders Composites, of Warkworth, a boatbuilding and carbon fibre composite manufacturing company, is well into production of the high-tech sailing machines that will be sea-trialled off Bream Bay then sailed around the world in a new sailing compeition.

The boats are like a giant jig-saw and can break down and fit into a custom-built container. The electronics on board are similar to those on the flight deck of an aeroplane and the beautifully sculpted daggerfoils are cutting-edge technology.

Reporter Kristin Edge and photographer Tania Whyte were given a tour of the factory and had a look at how the fastest boats in the world are being made.

Apprentice Rhys Jones, left, with Callum Jones, a composite boatbuilder working on daggerboard cases.

Kai Skowronnek working on a rudder that is nearly complete.

Andrei Djovlai in control of the FDM printer that makes the smaller parts needed on the F50s.

Manager Susan Lake gives the sailwings a sense of scale. The wings break down into three sections.

The mould for the high-tech daggerfoils.