PROGRESSIONS & JOB POSTS…
DUFOUR, DEL PARDO PURCHASED BY BAVARIA
According to a report from IBI, a purchasing deal was reached between the ISB group, owner of Dufour and Cantiere del Pardo (Grand Soleil) brands, and German boat builder Bavaria, backed by the majority shareholders the private equity investors Oak Tree Capital and Anchorage Advisors and announced at the Paris show.
Negotiations had reportedly been underway the past three months to bring together the Italian, French and German brands under single ownership. Oak Tree and Anchorage completed the deal against competition from an Italian consortium and a late management proposal.
The combined group is expected to build 2,000 sail and powerboats from 30’ – 67’ during 2010, with total sales of close to €300 million.
Formal ratification of the deal is anticipated in four to six months time. Bavaria also had to ensure French trade unions and the department of trade that it would maintain existing employee numbers and retain Dufour’s production in France.
The new group will employ some 1200 -1400 staff in the three locations and will become second only in size to Group Beneteau in the world sailboat market.
Trailerable trimaran manufacturer Corsair Marine has recently been acquired by leading Aussie manufacturer Seawind Catamarans.
In an article posted by Michael Verdon in IBI, Seawind Managing Director Richard Ward said, “This is a marriage made in heaven. The two companies have products and manufacturing processes that strongly complement each other. For both Seawind and Corsair, it will signal new growth opportunities in both the manufacturing and sales areas."
The Selden Reversible Winch produced by Selden Mast AB took home the gold as the overall winner of the METS Design Award in Amsterdam, which was presented by Bill Dixon, chairman of the DAME jury. The 20th annual competition reportedly included 132 products from 19 countries.
Congratulations Selden!
SAIL MAGAZINE NAMES 2011 “BEST BOAT” AWARD WINNERS
SAIL Magazine recently announced the Best Boats Awards for 2011, which is featured in the December 2010 edition and available on video. The competition is sponsored by Raymarine: A Flir Company.
SAIL's Best Boats judges including Nigel Calder, Adam Cort, Charles Doane, Tom Dove,Peter Nielsen and David Schmidt judged the nominees on the docks at the Newport and Annapolis shows, sailing many of the finalists firsthand as part of the process.
"Every year, builders raise the bar in terms of innovation and build quality," said Editor Peter Nielsen. "This made for some serious deliberation among the judges and means better deals for new-boat buyers."
Congratulations to the 2011 Best Boats Award Winners!
CRUISING WORLD ANNOUNCES 11 BOTY WINNERS
Cruising World magazine recently announced winners of its 18th annual Boat of the Year awards.
Topping this year’s list of winners for the most anticipated awards in the sailboat industry were the Catalina 355 which won the “Domestic Boat of the Year” award, while the Discovery 50 was named “Import Boat of the Year.“
Four other boats also won awards from an independent panel of experts, who inspected and tested 19 nominated boats following the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md. According to the publication, decisions were based on extensive dockside inspections and sea trials of the boats. All of the winners, along with the rest of the 2011 BOTY nominees and several other boats reviewed by the magazine’s editors, will be featured in the January issue of Cruising World.
In addition to claiming the Domestic Boat of the Year award, the Catalina 355 was also named “Best Midsize Cruiser,” 30 to 39 Feet.
“The judges were impressed with the 355’s sailing performance, accommodations, and overall construction quality,” said Boat of the Year director and Cruising World Senior Editor Bill Springer. “This boat strikes a good balance between cruising comfort and sailing performance in a 35-foot package.”
The Discovery 50 cruising catamaran from England was named Import Boat of the Year as well as “Best Catamaran.”
“The Discovery 50 is well suited to withstand the rigors of offshore passagemaking, and the judges thought it had the best owner’s cabin of all the boats they tested,” said Springer.
CRUISING WORLD 2011 BOTY WINNERS
Best Midsize Cruiser, 30 to 39 Feet, and Domestic Boat of the Year
Catalina 355
Best Catamaran and Import Boat of the Year
Discovery 50
Best Small Cruiser, 30 Feet and Under
Beneteau First 30
Best Cruiser, 40 to 49 Feet
Dufour 45e
Best Full-Size Cruiser, 50 to 55 Feet
Beneteau Sense 50
Best Premium Cruiser Over 55 Feet
Hylas 56
Cruising Spirit Award
Presto 30
For complete information on the winners and other nominees, visit Cruising World’s website at www.cruisingworld.com
SAILING WORLD ANNOUNCES ITS 2011 BOAT OF THE YEAR WINNERS
Sailing World magazine announced the winners of its 25th annual Boat of the Year awards. Topping this year’s field of winners as the Boat of the Year is the RS100 by RS Sailing (Hants, England).
The RS100 and five other new boats won awards from an independent panel of experts, who tested 17 nominees following the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md., in October. Selections were based on extensive inspections and sea trials of all the boats. Sailing World’s January/February 2011 issue will feature all six winners.
“Other builders have tried to design the ultimate singlehanded dinghy with an asymmetric spinnaker, which is a challenge given the need for one sailor to handle a lot of sail-control systems,” said Sailing World editor and Boat of the Year director Dave Reed. “But over two years of prototype development, the engineers at RS Sailing refined every little detail of this boat, and it shows. It’s an impressively technical 14-footer designed by and for avid performance sailors.
Other winners in Sailing World’s 2011 Boat of the Year competition are:
- Best Crossover: Beneteau First 30 (Beneteau USA, Marion, S.C.)
- Best One-Design Keelboat: J/111 (J/Boats Inc., Newport, R.I.)
- Best Daysailor: C.W. Hood 32 (C.W. Hood Yachts, Marblehead, Mass.)
- Best Recreational: Hobie Mirage Tandem Island (Hobie Cat Co., Oceanside, Calif.)
- Best Grand Prix: Gunboat 66 (Gunboat, Newport, R.I.)
More information on all the winners is available at www.sailingworld.com.
FRANK BUTLER WINS 2010 MEL BARR AWARD
On the heels of his roast and toast during the Annapolis Sailboat Show, the National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) recently presented the Mel Barr Award to Frank Butler, president of Catalina Yachts. Named in the memory of marine rep Mel Barr, one of the founders of NMRA and its first president, the award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the improvement of the industry.
Kathy Johnson, national sales manager of Boating Industry magazine, and NMRA president Rick Silverlake made the presentation. Pat Black with W.M. Black and Company, the NMRA member rep who nominated Butler, accepted the award on his behalf.
"At the age of 82, when most people are enjoying their retirement, Frank Butler is still building boats, contributing to the marine industry and loving every second of it," Johnson said in a release. "Over his career, Frank has probably manufactured over 75,000 boats."
Congratulations Frank!
C&C YACHTS ADDS NEW ENGLAND DEALER
Bluenose Yacht Sales & Brokerage is now representing C&C Yachts in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine.
"This is a great brand here in the Northeast for nearly 50 years," Bluenose Yacht Sales managing partner Glenn Walters said. "The Tartan/C&C company has completely reorganized itself with new ownership and a solid commitment to quality and customer service. We intend to support existing C&C customers with our brokerage skills, and for our new buyers we will make sure the after-sale support exceeds expectations."
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