Design Files

Produced by Benchmark Communications, the Design Files are a monthly look into design businesses around the North-east region. Looking into a broad ranging list of companies, this section of the website archives the stories.

Boat Building on the Tyne

Sail boat building is once again thriving on the Tyne, this growing industry is now recognised around the world.  Vincent Woods of Benchmark Communications, Organisers of Design North East opens up his mainsail to see how design has played its part.

Even as a once keen sailor, I hadn’t realised to what extent this thriving local industry had been developed in what is generally recognised in the UK as a small and quite difficult market place.  Based on the banks of the Tyne there are a number of sail and small boat makers. Not the main ocean going yachts or ships but the highly competitive area of dinghy design, your 10-16ft sailing boat.  Such is the extent of dinghy sailing around the world that it has become a huge Olympic sport with Britain leading the charge for Gold medals. This lead is reflected not just in our talented sailors but also in the region’s boat builders. 

Lightweight 29er made by Ovington Boats

These Olympic yearnings have inspired Tyneside-based boat builders such as Dave Ovington of Ovington Boats in North Shields.  They are currently preparing a number of boats for the world’s best sailors.

"It’s a great feeling to see your boats come 1st, 2nd and 5th in the Olympics, it certainly makes us more determined to keep to our winning ways."

The winning category Dave tells me is the 49ers the Olympic class 16ft two-man boat, which has ‘wings’ and twin trapezes for crew, high tech stuff indeed. 

Dave tells me that the business has grown rapidly since developing a number of new innovations into their designs. 

"The thing is not to stand still even when you have done something new and better, we always keep looking at new ways in which to improve our products. Often it’s the feedback from the sailors themselves that help us understand what can be done better.  It keeps us ahead, or at least, with the competition." 

Dave Ovington started the business 25 years ago and now produces a range of sailing craft.  His international success has been most dominant in producing two classes of boats, the International 14 and the 49er. 

"Although we must adhere to the formula design of the hull to meet the classification, that doesn’t stop us looking at the latest materials such as high performance epoxy resins and carbon fibre, which we now use on nearly all our boats.  In particular we have designed and developed our own cockpit area, which houses all the control and ergonomics of the boat.  This has certainly been a key factor in the early development of our reputation as one of the best international boat builders."  

Sounds a bit like Grand Prix racing?

"Well, I wouldn’t be exaggerating in saying that it is, maybe not the same amounts of money but it’s exactly the same approach, otherwise we would end up with an obsolete product in no time and finish at the back of each race."

Mirror boat by Trident UK

Another successful dinghy boat builder applying the techniques involved in Formula One racing cars is Trident UK who is based in Gateshead. I spoke to Jackie Gebhard, Marketing Director, who is beginning preparations for the companies 20th anniversary.  

"We have been building the Mirror dinghy as the exclusive supplier in Europe for 7 years now. Originally it was made in a wooden kit form which is a design that goes back to the 1960s by Barry Bucknell the famous DIY TV presenter from the BBC.  The design has just been given Royal Yachting Association classification for the Junior section, one of only five.  We have worked with the RYA and local sailors to develop a specialist fibre glass version which is much more appealing to families that want to get their children into sailing.  It has the advantage of needing far less maintenance than the original Mirror." 

The construction is not your basic fibreglass material as David Gebhard, co-Director explains.

"We use a sandwich of glass fibre matting, resin and high density foam to make a stiffer, lighter and more rigid material to construct the boat which is basically the same techniques used in the shells of F1 cars.  We are now exporting the Mirror around the world to Europe, Africa, America and Hong Kong as we exploit its better construction and lower maintenance features."

It’s not always plain sailing for these companies, I just had to get that in, as the seasonal nature of the demand in the UK has meant extra work to establish a wider market and year round sales. Trident introduced thermal clothing for the water sports industry and has developed this into a major part of their business. 

"When we first started we made mainly sails and then diversified to tackle this seasonal sales issue.  We examined the market needs and looked at our skills and knowledge base hence we developed the clothing side.  We quickly understood that we had to look at making something new and innovative when we designed our dry suits which we believed were the future.  We not only design our suits here but they are also manufactured in the UK, ‘Designed by sailors for sailors,’ that’s our strap line."

Trident expects to develop the boat side further alongside their dry suits.

Expansion is always part of the strategy at Ovington Boats as well, as Dave Ovington explains,

"We’ve started manufacturing larger boats, the MUMM30, which is a 30ft single-keel boat.  We have been awarded the exclusive contract on the basis of our quality of workmanship.  It is a big break for us and we have set up a separate company Ovington Marine to deal with this."

From just small beginnings I found that through the use of innovation and market knowledge these companies are bringing back an international recognition of boat building skills that lead to the great shipbuilding industry we had in the previous two centuries.  All the very best to them.

Boat and sail makers on the Tyne include: Storrar Marine  www.storrarmarine, Trident UK  www.trident-uk.com  and Ovington Boats   www.ovingtonboats.com

Royal Yachting Association - www.rya.org.uk

History

Boat construction on the Tyne throughout the ages has been heavily influenced by the skills the Vikings brought with them when they settled in Northumberland.  The simple, economic shell-clinker method of building was popular and even the introduction of steam and iron did not cause the design to be lost. Paddle-tugs and wherries were the result of this design and could be seen up and down the river for hundreds of years after the Vikings left. 

In the 1850’s changing transportation and coal shipping methods lead to changes on the river. As ferries and merchant ships became bigger, the river needed a smaller, more versatile fleet to transport raw materials and finished goods along the river and to act as lighterage to the docking ships.  The Tyne Wherries were the consequence of these changes.

As smaller ships were common on the Tyne in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, you are still more likely to see small vessels on the water in the 21st century.  However these boats are much smaller and are made from fibreglass and steel, rather than the traditional heavy and bulky materials that the wherries were made from.  Unlike the wherries these boats are used for recreation and leisure rather than trade.

Strong sailing traditions and our love of boats have lead to a keen sailing and boating community in the North East. The Northumberland Sailing Club, for example, has been in existence since 1890 and in its time has had over 100 dinghies on the club register.  The club still races for the Duke of Northumberland’s Alnmouth Challenge Cup and the race to Holy Island remains an annual event.  Similarly the South Shield Sailing Club had been sailing on the Tyne for 45 years and the Tynemouth Sailing Club, Tyne Cruising Club and the Newcastle University Boat Club are all regulars on the water.  In land sailing is also as popular as ever at Lake Keilder and Derwent reservoir to name a couple

Most of the clubs dotted along the Tyne have boat repair areas.  The interest in leisure sailing has lead to a Small Craft Technology MEng Honours course being developed at Newcastle University.  The course includes small craft technology, small craft hydromechanics, small craft science and high-speed and advanced craft modules. For more information visit the website www.newcastle.ac.uk.

This document is reproduced with he kind permission of The Journal and Benchmark Communications.