The other multihull country
There is no doubt that with their large industrial groups, the French currently dominate world multihull production. With their huge market, the United States is the industry’s engine. We admire the Aussies and Kiwis for their passion for everything that sails (quickly ideally) on two or three hulls. But who ever mentions South Africa? This is a country where boat culture and production (particularly catamarans) have been firmly entrenched for decades. Behind the giant Robertson & Caine, there are lots of smaller shipyards which, when taken as a whole, make the Rainbow Nation the “other multihull country”. Multihulls World took a closer look.
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Publié le
24/01/2020
Par
François Trégouët
Numéro :
170
Parution :
Mar.
/
Apr.
2020
Despite their world cup winning exploits in 2019, South Africans aren’t just great rugby players. Among their other qualities (resilience being one of them) they have carved out a substantial niche in the multihull construction industry. So how does a country that was shunned for decades because of its apartheid regime manage to succeed in its export markets? And how does a country that is far from the well-sailed wake of the favored sailing regions and with minimal internal demand become the world’s second biggest catamaran builder? At 35 degrees south, the climate is pretty good, but the swe…
