Australian Sailing has signed a six-year global partnership with Southern Pacific Boats, making the Australasian manufacturer the official rigid inflatable boat (RIB) supplier of Australian Sailing and the Australian Sailing Team (AST) through to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
Under the agreement, Southern Pacific will supply PerformR and SeekR RIBs for the AST coaching fleet, which supports Australian sailors during training and competition. The coaching team will use the boats at the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
The partnership also gives Australian Sailing Affiliated Clubs access to exclusive club pricing on Southern Pacific RIBs. The boats can be used for race management, coaching, safety operations and other on-water support.
Affiliated Clubs can choose from three RIB models under the initiative – Vortex, SeekR and PerformR. Southern Pacific Boats also produces other models outside the programme.
The partnership follows an agreement between Australian Sailing and Mercury Marine, under which Affiliated Clubs can access discounts on outboard motor purchases through participating dealers.
RIBs have a role across sailing operations, from club-level coaching and safety work to support for high-performance programmes.
‘A reliable, high-performance platform’
AST technical director Michael Blackburn OLY says Australian Sailing has welcomed Southern Pacific Boats as a long-term partner.
“We’re delighted to partner with Southern Pacific Boats through to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Their RIBs provide a reliable, high-performance platform for our coaches to take on all conditions while they support Australia’s leading Olympic class sailors in training and competition.
“We are also grateful that Southern Pacific are also providing an important benefit to our Australian Sailing Affiliated Clubs through access to high-quality RIBs at exclusive prices.”
Southern Pacific Boats designs and builds RIBs for marine applications, with its boats used by sailing clubs, coaches and sailors. The company says its boats are based on naval architecture principles focused on stability, durability and performance on the water.
The New Zealand-domiciled company produces RIBs for applications including training fleets, race support and coastal patrol duties.
The post Australian Sailing signs six-year RIB partnership with Southern Pacific Boats appeared first on Marine Industry News.