Sailing Into The Brightest Sunset
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday March 6, 2001
A Nowra plant recognised as the largest production yacht manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere may have changed its name, but is still using innovative processes to produce high performance fibreglass yachts.
Bashford International, which was originally established by the late Ian Bashford, has for marketing reasons changed its name to Sydney Yachts.
But despite the new identity it has retained the same staff, expertise and processes that allowed it to feature in the Australian Technology Showcase.
The company perfected a new technology for bonding lightweight plastic foam between two layers of fibreglass cloth, each impregnated with an epoxy or other specialised resin.
The process has resulted in stronger, lighter, roomier, more affordable boats that require less maintenance and attract higher resale values.
Sydney Yachts production manager Mark Rowed said that during the past 18 months the company had been inundated with orders on a new production racing yacht called the Sydney 38.
And it is made using a similar process with fibreglass over balsa.
``We have sold 35 of them," Mr Rowed said. ``Twenty-four were built and sold last year."
The new yacht has attracted worldwide interest.
There have been seven Sydney 38s sold in the USA and the company boasts a string of happy customers in Asia.
An added bonus has been the low Australian dollar and the reduction in sales tax resulting from the introduction of the GST.
Mr Rowed said the Sydney 38 had attracted a lot more interest than usual from Australian buyers and, although the number of international customers had grown, the percentage of boats being sold in Australia, especially between the Whitsundays and Melbourne, had increased.
``This 38 has captured a niche market in Australia," he said.
``We are doing a lot of them for charter work."
Under new ownership, Sydney Yachts has stepped up production in South Nowra to try to meet the growing demand.
Its latest objective is to build 40 Sydney 38s in 2001.
Mr Rowed said that wouldn't stop him taking orders for other boats.
The wide range of models in the Sydney Yachts stable includes the Magic 25, the Sydney 36, the Sydney 41, the Sydney 46 and the Sydney 40, which was designed after the company won an international tender to supply boats for the Admirals Cup.
Mr Rowed said Sydney Yachts was also looking at making some modifications to the Sydney 46 to build a more affordable 44 foot version.
Sydney Yachts' latest innovation is a fully airconditioned climate control room, which can control the temperature.
``It has fume extraction and dust extraction," Mr Rowed said.
``It is a good facility for keeping control of humidity and all the nasties that tend to affect fibreglass and resins.
``We can set that room up and have it at whatever temperature we like."
© 2001 Illawarra Mercury