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It's easy to overlook the sheer magnitude of Robertson and Caine's (R&C's) operations in Cape Town. The company's ten boat-building factories and assembly lines are dotted across the city - from Woodstock to Paarden Island to Montagu Gardens, with the latter also housing a substantial warehouse.
Other numbers, however, make it easier to appreciate the scale of the catamaran builder, including the fact that the 33-year-old company employs more than 2 400 people, with one boat rolling off an assembly line somewhere in the city almost every weekday of the year.
For this year, that will be more than 200 catamarans.
R&C is South Africa's largest boat builder for the export market, the largest builder of ocean cruising catamarans in the southern hemisphere and one of the top three in the world, with the French its biggest competition.
A catamaran can either be powered by sail and a small engine, or by more powerful engines alone.
MD Theo Loock is perhaps proudest of its most recent accolade - the 2024 European Powerboat of the Year award for the Leopard 40 PC in the powerboat category.
New Ownership
R&C is Loock's fourth turn at the helm of a company, following 15 years as the boss of JSE-listed energy storage and automotive component manufacturer Metair.
He retired at Metair in 2020, joining R&C in 2021, following a request to do so from asset manager CapitalWorks.
R&C was founded in 1991 by John Robertson and the late Jerry Caine, reaching a new scale of operations when CapitalWorks joined the business as a strategic equity partner.
Loock's brief as the new CEO included overseeing the sale of the business and facilitating Robertson's retirement last year. (John's son, Michael Robertson, remains at the company as design manager.)
Today, R&C is owned by Vox Ventures, a subsidiary of PPF Group, an international diversified investment firm in Europe, with its roots in the Czech Republic.
The new owners have a singular ambition for R&C - that it continues to expand globally while remaining based in Cape Town.
Small Beginnings
Before Robertson and Caine started the company, Robertson built monohulls - including one used by South Africa's champion sailor Hanno Teuteberg to win the Cape to Rio race in 1993.
This gold medal attracted the attention of charter companies in the US, which asked Robertson if he didn't want to consider building catamarans.
Multihulled catamarans offer more stability on the water than monohulls, which means they are better suited to tourist activities.
"The charter market is all about comfort," notes Loock, quipping: "You don't want the children sliding off the deck."
Robertson accepted an order for ten catamarans, ultimately leading to the birth of R&C.
Today, R&C's product line-up includes sailing catamarans (42 ft, 45 ft and 50 ft) and power catamarans (40 ft, 46 ft and 53 ft).
"We have a good balance, with around 60% in sailing and 40% in power," says Loock.
More than 99% of R&C's boats find their way overseas; more specifically, the US East Coast, the Caribbean, Seychelles, Mediterranean, Asia, South Pacific and South America.
Covid-19 provided a noticeable sales boost, as customers with healthier bank balances found that they could isolate from the pandemic on boats in some of the most beautiful parts of the world, says Loock.
R&C's boats are handed over to the customer in the Cape Town harbour, where they undergo their final commissioning checks before either being sailed off by the owner or transported by freighter to their final destination.
If you ever want to see R&C's boats make their trek to water, get up between 02:00 and 04:00 when they are transported to the Cape Town harbour on specialised trucks and under metro police escort.
In essence, every boat sold by R&C is a Leopard-branded catamaran. However, they are only branded as such should ...
