Celebrating achievements in the boatbuilding community

SABBEX’s annual awards dinner showcases greatness

SOUTH AFRICA: Friday night’s SABBEX Awards Dinner attracted a large crowd of close to 350 people who donned their finest to celebrate the accomplishments within the boatbuilding sector over the last year at Pigalle Restaurant in Cape Town.

With ten awards and a special chairman’s award, there was a lot of applause to go around as colleagues and peers cheered and whistled as the nominees were read out ahead of the winners being revealed.

There was significant competition for each award as every category included scores of worthy nominations representing a total of 111 submissions. Faced with tough decisions, the judges identified a runner-up in most of the categories.

Companies such as Du Toit Yacht Design, Nexus Yachts, Robertson and Caine and Southern Wind walked away with numerous awards, highlighting why the South African boatbuilding sector continues to be internationally recognised for delivering a high quality and value-for-money product.

The depth of talent was acknowledged by Sean van Rensburg, accepting the award for Architect of Change. “There are so many gurus out there that I look up to and so much depth in the industry. I am thankful that we have this knowledge and that we can pass it on to the next generation,” he said.

Acknowledging the impact of recent tariff announcements by President Trump, winner of the Big Thinker Award, Theo Loock praised the efforts of Vanessa Davidson and the SABBEX team to speak on behalf of the industry.

“Speaking directly to President Ramaphosa, they endeavoured to get boatbuilding on the agenda for US trade talks and deliver a message to the USA that harming the South African boatbuilding industry also harms their local industry,” he said, highlighting that companies like Robertson and Caine don’t just sell boats to the US market, but actively invest in jobs and offices in the country.

Recognising the importance of infrastructure, Bruce Tedder called out the team at V&A Waterfront for their role in supporting Cape Town’s boatbuilders as he presented the Chairman’s Award to Andre Blaine at the end of the proceedings.

“These are the guys that look after and manage the water space. There are more and more boats, but the same amount of water space,” he said highlighting how the Marine and Industrial Division manages to juggle boats, berths, events and infrastructure for the benefit of the industry.

The night ended with a packed dance floor as guests took the opportunity to let down their hair and show off more than their boatbuilding skills.

WINNERS AND SPECIAL MENTIONS:

Architect of Change

■ Winner: Sean van Rensburg (Du Toit Yacht Design)
■ Special Mention: Jonathan Paarman (Nexus Yachts)

Artisan Answering the Call

■ Winner: Tony Strutt (Ullman Sails)
■ Special Mention: Andrew Butler (Nexus Yachts)
■ Special Mention: Francois van der Merwe (Hammer Yachts)

Big Thinker

■ Winner: Theo Loock (Robertson and Caine)
■ Special Mention: Stef Marcia (Du Toit Yacht Design)

Collaborative Impact

■ Winner: Craig Garrow (Pronto Clearing)
■ Special Mention: Quinton Sass and the Robertson and Caine Representation Committee
■ Special Mention: Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery

Crafting Tomorrow’s Legacy

■ Winner: Silvia Sacchi (Southern Wind)
■ Special Mention: Brandon Oelofse (Nexus Yachts)

Diversity of Achievement

■ Winner: David Loots (Nexus Yachts)
■ Special Mention: Greg Bertish (The Little Optimist)

Environmental Stewardship

■ Winner: Michael Bridgens (Southern Wind)
■ Special Mention: Daryl Staples (Nexus Yachts)

Small Steps to Big Wins

■ Winner: Andrew Sickler (Yacht Haulers)

The Career Lattice

■ Winner: Karlene Onkers (Robertson and Caine)
■ Special Mention: Bradley Wassung (Jo Fensham Upholsterers)

Unique Contribution

■ Winner: Antony Key (Robertson and Caine)