America's Cup planners need to look after superyacht business
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/NZ 30 Nov 2017 05:03 PST
Emirates Team NZ former office (in the background) overlooked a superyacht rig area- Site 18, Beaumont Street, Auckland © Richard Gladwell
North Technology's President Tom Whidden is adamant that New Zealand is going to have to make the right calls if it is to maximise the benefits of the next America's Cup.
"I hope that whatever happens here with the America's Cup, winds up helping the [marine] industry because the industry in New Zealand needs a shot in the arm."
"I hope they don't take away the space for stepping masts and fixing boats," he added, in a direct reference to the America's Cup planners possible intentions for the area known as Site 18.
Currently, the land, adjoining the Emirates Team New Zealand base in Beaumont Street is used as a rigging and storage area for superyacht masts by Southern Spars, part of the North Technology Group which Whidden heads.
"They will grow jobs here, as long as the industry grows as a result of the America's Cup. If you lose the chance to work on the boats here and do refits, it would be a shame."
"Hopefully we won't lose that opportunity", he added.
Site 18 is included in the America's Cup option known as Wynyard Point, preferred by Cabinet Minister David Parker who is the Coalition Government's lynchpin for the America's Cup.
Despite rating at a score of 52, just above a "Fail" on a scorecard developed a couple of weeks ago by Council officials to rank the various America's Cup base options, the Auckland Council voted last week to ditch the highest scoring option and keep the lower rated Wynyard Basin and Wynyard Point options.
Site 18's inclusion has caused consternation amongst companies associated with the superyacht servicing. If they were to lose the area for use as America's Cup bases, it could mean the shutdown of a significant part of the industry.
Whidden a three times America's Cup winner heads up North Technology Group the worlds largest marine conglomerate employing over 2,500 people worldwide, and with substantial sailmaking, sparmaking and composite engineering businesses in Auckland.
He is in New Zealand on a flying visit their operations, and to talk with Emirates Team New Zealand about opportunities to work together on the 2021 America's Cup.
Whidden is a fan of the new AC75 class and the return of monohulls to the America's Cup. "I think the developments from the AC75 will trickle down into the sport, which we really didn't get much of from the catamarans, and our sport needs that right now."
The new AC75 yacht announced last week will see a return to the use of sails and spars from companies like North Technology. In the 35th America's Cup, North Sails provided the one design jibs used by the AC50 wingsailed catamarans, and another North Technology company Southern Spars built the hulls and wingsails used by Emirates Team New Zealand to win the most prestigious trophy in the sport.
"Southern has capabilities way beyond just sparmaking, and that was on display in the last Cup. We even surprised ourselves a little there, as once we got into helping Emirates Team New Zealand to build the boat, we realised that the capability to build almost anything was there."
"There are a lot of people in the composites engineering field, particularly in the Auckland area who have a very high capability."
Whidden says the marine industry is not booming at present, particularly with spar building, as there are not enough new boats being built. (New Zealand superyacht builders have dropped from six down to just two.)
"If you think about the Auckland economy, I imagine and hope that the America's Cup is going to be great for re-launching the New Zealand boatbuilding enterprises. Too many of them have gone away. There is so much talent down here, and worldwide there is so much need for good, well-built boats, but there just aren't enough boatbuilders around."
"I hope that bringing the Cup back down here will bring the limelight back to New Zealand. Certainly, it will bring the boats back here. Superyachts will come again, along with other large yachts."
For North Technology the superyacht market is potentially huge.
"Every superyacht built its a great thing for our company because we build masts, we build rigging, and we build sails.
"There has been a bit of a hiatus over the last couple of years with new superyacht builds, but it is a good-sized market. If there can be 10 or 20 built a year it is good for the local economy here, because North Sails NZ does a good job with superyacht sails, and Southern is almost the only game in the world for superyacht masts.
"We are very committed to the New Zealand operation. We have grown it. We've got new buildings for North Sails and Southern Spars. I'm very proud of it."
"The technology centre for sparmaking is clearly in New Zealand."
"You can find engineers, designers and composite engineers relatively easily here. I continue to be impressed with the innovation that comes out of New Zealand.
Looking at other areas were North Technology can expand, Whidden, says they have worked with Boeing on the development of the fuselage of the Boeing 787. "It always shocks me just how technology resides in yachting right now. But imagine a sailmaking company working with Boeing Aircraft to do a plane, and we think nothing of it, compared to the Emirates Team New Zealand boat, which is as sophisticated as anything on an aeroplane, aside from the jet engines."
Whidden points out that the sail making industry has changed from having a lot of lofts all around the world all capable of building any kind of sail.
"Today the technology cost of setting up an operation to make moulded sails is huge. It is just too big to have in every country. "
We should all be really proud of what has come out of our industry, and I am with what we have created at North.
Whidden rates the America's Cup in Fremantle in 1987 as the greatest ever. "It is the poster-child for how a Cup should be run," he says.
"If New Zealand does what they are talking about here, I think it will be the same. It will be great.
"The Cups here in the Viaduct Basin were good, well run and well managed, good sailing area, and the Kiwis were great hosts.
"The event is more than just the sailing - it is the character, the controversy and the politics and they all take on a life of their own. They are all special."