Following their victory at this year’s Marine Trades Challenge as well as Harken Cup in Auckland in February, a team of apprentices from Alloy Yachts is heading to Sydney this week to represent New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Boat Building Challenge. To take place at the Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) on August 3, the event will be hosting the teams from around Australia and New Zealand, competing against each other for the coveted first place.
The competing team
The Trans-Tasman Boat Building Challenge is one of the most popular events at SIBS, with teams allowed two hours to build a boat, before racing their creation around an inshore course. The Alloy team has been working hard to prepare for the challenge in the past few months, with their ultimate goal to secure victory over the Australian challengers. The team is made up of apprentices Jac Hebson, Luc Whitehouse, Travis Page and Theo Finlayson, lead by team leader Tim Rattray. They will be the one’s to watch in the competition after having won so convincingly at the Auckland event, where they won Best Built Boat and the innovation categories as well as placing highly in many others.
Everyone at Alloy Yachts is extremely proud of the team, and Tony and Kristin Hambrook, and project co-ordinators Chris Brown and Simon Pierpoint will all be there to cheer them along. Alloy Yachts places great stock in its Apprenticeship Scheme, which employs more than 70 trainee shipwrights. In a testament to the overall talent of all of Alloy’s apprentices, an additional team of Alloy apprentices also came second overall in the Auckland Marine Trades Challenge Event.
Competing in Auckland in February 2013
Alloy Yachts will also be exhibiting at the Sydney International Boat Show (Stand 703, the Promenade). The yard has already enjoyed a successful first half of 2013, announcing sponsorship of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta 2013, launching the 43.9m Dubois-designed sloop, Encore yacht, and collecting a Motoryacht of the Year award for 47m Dubois-designed superyacht Loretta Anne at the World Superyacht Awards in Istanbul. Still in build is 56.4m luxury yacht Mondango (AY46) and 44m AY54 yacht.
Saturday 3rd August
10am Build – Harbourside Amphitheatre
2.30pm Race – Cockle Bay
