14 Boating New Zealand
BOATWORLDBOATWORLDBOATWORLDBOATWORLDBOATWOR
OPRO
UPDATE
A
proposed new marine refit facility
for Wynyard Quarter has been
given the green light following the
signing of an agreement between
the city’s redevelopment agency (Panuku
Development Auckland) and marine services
company Orams.
The facility – on a location known as Site
18 on the corner of Beaumont and Jellicoe
streets – will feature a marine haul-out
and refit centre, commercial buildings and
a residential tower on the northern end. It
will target vessels up to 620 tonnes, which
account for 85 percent of the world marine
refit market.
The development also aims to
provide increased maintenance facilities
for Auckland’s ferries, fishing vessels
and commercial vessels. The majority
of existing marine business on the site
will be accommodated within the new
development.
Panuku chief executive Roger
MacDonald says the development
“has the potential to deliver significant
economic benefits, not only for Auckland
but for the country as a whole. Only last
week Queensland launched a five-year
superyacht strategy with the intention to
become a key superyacht hub in the Asia-
Pacific region by 2023.”
Orams proposes to complete the marineelements of the site in advance of the
residential development to enable the facility
to be up and running for the next America’s
Cup in 2021.
Orams marine services managing director
Craig Park says the marine sector is an
important economic contributor to New
Zealand and Auckland, and the refit facility
will create more than 500 jobs and generate
significant income for the marine and tourism
industries.
“The 620-tonne travel hoist will allow us
to triple our capacity for vessels out of the
water. This project will put Auckland and New
Zealand at the forefront of the world refit and
maintenance industry.”
The NZ Marine industry has welcomed
the news, forecasting greater apprenticeship
numbers, an increase in jobs and the ability
to take full economic advantage of having
the America’s Cup in local waters. Limited
facilities in New Zealand for adequately
hauling out vessels of this size means local
companies are regularly turning away work
due to lack of space.
“This move is a step towards a long-term
strategy the marine industry has held dating
back to 2000,” says NZ Marine executive
director Peter Busfield.
As part of the development the existing
seawall will be replaced and contamination
remediation works undertaken.WYNYARD’S
NEW MARINE
FACILITY
The O-Pro featured in Boating
NZ a few months ago –
where the conventional
Optimist dinghy received a
major performance upgrade with a
streamlined, clip-on bow and bigger
sail – is now making waves in Europe.
Professional sailor Matt Mason –
who developed the concept – says
the O-Pros are already being sailed in
Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands.
Matt is visiting Europe to explore the
establishment of production facilities,
a move designed to eliminate shipping
costs. The clip-on bows are currently
being manufactured in Asia.
“We’re very enthusiastic about the
O-Pro’s European reception. People
see it as a logical, easy extension of
the Optimist – for a minimal cost. The
fact that the transformation kit turns
the Opti into a two-child yacht seems
to be particularly appealing.”
In most European countries, he
points out, kids go straight from the
Optimist into the Laser 4.7 – a fairly
significantly leap in both costs and
skills. The O-Pro conveniently bridges
the gap.
Several New Zealand clubs have
also expressed interest in rebuilding
their Optimist fleets for next season.
For more information visit
http://www.opro.co.nz
or follow Facebook-Opro.