ROBERTSON AND CAINE: Set Sail with SA’s World-Beating Boat Builders

Established by John Robertson and the late Jerry Caine in 1991, Robertson and Caine has become known for its sailing and power catamarans, produced for some of the most discerning boat enthusiasts in the world. “Robertson and Caine catamarans set global standards in ease of sailing, comfort and style,” the company begins, “providing discerning customers with affordable ocean enjoyment.”

Available in 40ft, 45ft, 50ft and 58ft and 43ft and 53ft respectively, these vessels then set sail for the world’s premier and most important sailing grounds: the US East Coast, the Caribbean, Seychelles, Mediterranean, Asia and South Pacific. “We, at Robertson and Caine, pride ourselves on being an international leader in the manufacturing of top-quality sailing and power yachts,” the company says, “and we manufacture the most power catamarans across the globe.

“Our vision is to diversify and develop a range of marine products for the global market, in order to secure a stable and rewarding environment for all stakeholders.”

BUOYANT HERITAGE

Robertson and Caine was the product of a heritage of producing bespoke racing yachts and production cruisers, ranging from basic 36ft fiberglass mono-hulls to state-of-the-art carbon-fibre racing boats of up to 70ft. “The team of John Robertson and Jerry Caine produced an impressive list of racers,” the company details, “globally recognised and all hand-built by master craftsmen in the Cape-based boatyard.”

Two crafts in particular drew the attention of international racing enthusiasts on the world circuit, the 70ft Cape to Rio International Yacht Race winner Broomstick in 1993, and Orion Express, a Fast 42. This then led to the company making sizeable waves internationally, catching the eye of world leaders The Moorings, which entered into an agreement with Robertson and Caine to manufacture sailing catamarans for its global charter fleet.

“To date,” the company continues, “Robertson and Caine has evolved into a serious competitor in the international catamaran market and continues to enjoy a market leader position in the significant North American market.” Its subsidiary company, Robertson and Caine Inc based in the Tampa Bay area in Florida, brings the company closer to its market in order to enhance sales and after-sales service, and additionally offers an in-house technical and design department.

Robertson and Caine has built thousands of quality boats over a period of 35 years, and today at least three boats are launched each week from the company’s construction facility located in Woodstock, Cape Town in South Africa. “Cape Town is the birthplace and unrelenting testing-ground of leading-edge multihull production,” the company recognises, and its facility is ideally set between the docks of Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil’s Peak, just a few kilometres from Cape Town’s city centre and its harbour with over 1,300 employees forming the team that makes this all possible.

In the 29-year relationship which the South African yard has enjoyed with THL Marine, which encompasses the two largest yacht charter companies in the world – The Moorings and Sunsail – it has supplied more than 2000 catamarans. Leopard Catamarans are also bought privately through THL Marine’s Private Leopard Sales divisions, with agents worldwide.

“After an extensive amount of research,” The Moorings expands, “we decided that Robertson and Caine would be the most qualified builders to provide a rugged catamaran up to the challenge of crossing the Atlantic Ocean during their deliveries to the BVI at first, but eventually crossing all oceans to various charter bases around the world.

“These yachts had to be well-constructed, easy to handle, simple to maintain, spacious and fun to sail.” For five years Robertson and Caine built these catamarans exclusively for The Moorings charter fleet, but an influx of enquiries from customers and the fast-growing popularity of these ruggedly-built, easy to maintain and exciting to sail catamarans, led to the natural evolution into their private ownership.

CREST OF A WAVE

This is but one example of how, within the highly selective and perspicacious sailing world, the sought-after seafaring vessels constructed by Robertson and Caine have gained the type of popularity only garnered by the very best. A whole host of reasons are behind it, a fierce combination of the lifestyle experiences of the charter industry, the functional design by renowned naval architects and the hand craftsmanship of Robertson and Caine boat building. 

“We build people,” Robertson and Caine states, “that build award-winning catamarans, safely, in a sustainable, low environmental impact methodology and united by the belief in and pride of building globally recognised products on the southern tip of Africa.

“We have tremendous craftsmen and women here. The skill they seem to have learned over generations, and their ability to work with their hands is just incredible,” adds Peter Giliam, former Robertson and Caine MD, of a workforce which has been integral to delivering the company a litany of industry awards.

Among the remarkable credits to its name have been the crowns of Best Overall Import Boat in the USA 2005, Best Multihull 40 feet and Under and Cruising World magazine’s Charter Yacht of the Year 1998 for the Leopard 45 Catamaran. The Leopard 39 was named the Best Multihull Cruiser as well as the Import of the Year in the 2010 Boat of the Year awards, and the Leopard 44 was a triple winner in 2012.

More recently, the Leopard 50 was a winner in the 2019 Cruising World Boat of the Year Award for Best Charter Boat, while the Leopard 53 followed up in 2020 by scooping the Multihull of the Year Award. Synthesising all the know-how and expertise gained in Robertson and Caine’s nearly 400 powercats built to date.

“These awards endorse our reputation as the number one selling catamaran in the USA and Caribbean, and entrenched our position as the largest manufacturer in the southern hemisphere,” the company declares, with Africa forecast to be the second-fastest-growing boat-building region in the world over the next four years.

The Global Boat Building Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2030 report illustrates an industry value of nearly $34,757.8 million in 2020, a CAGR of 3.4% since 2015. This is expected to further swell from $34,757.8 million in 2020 to $48,358.0 million in 2025, at a rate of 6.8%, and reach $62,678.1 million in 2030. The recreational boats market was the largest segment, accounting for 73.8% of the total in 2020 and expected to dominate through to 2025.

With more than eight million bluewater ocean miles of deliveries from Cape Town alone and millions of satisfied cruising miles chalked up, there is no shortage of glory on the horizon for Robertson and Caine. “We take pride in our role as the global leader in the production of sail and power cruising catamarans,” the company sums up.

“Building to stringent international production standards, we pride ourselves on construction techniques that are first in class, with progressive technology integration and precision handcrafted workmanship delivering a globally recognised product.”