Seawind 1160 wins Consumer Product of the Year

by Seawind media on 18 Nov 2007 Although their share of Australia’s burgeoning recreational boating market remains small, catamarans are becoming increasingly popular – even among traditional power boat owners happily willing to trade propellers for sail.

And to prove a point of excellence, the Seawind 1160 catamaran secured the 2007 Australian Consumer Product of the Year award in Manufacturers’ Monthly’s Endeavour Awards, announced in Sydney in August.

Seawind’s managing director, Richard Ward, says the honour was greater, given the high standard of this year’s category competitors.

'It has taken a huge effort by many dedicated staffers to get where we are today, and an award like this [Endeavour Award] acknowledges the time, effort and commitment of all those involved in developing and building a product like the Seawind 1160,' he says.

The company proudly displayed the Endeavour Award onboard the 1160 displayed at the Sydney Boat Show, held literally days after the Manufacturers’ Monthly event.
Seawind’s production manager, Mike Rees, says everyone in the company is impressed with having secured the award for several reasons.

'First, it’s a national award,' he says. 'And second, it encompassed a wide range of manufacturing industries – not just boating.

'Although we’ve been securing maritime industry awards, we’re now demonstrating a broader level of technical and manufacturing excellence against some of the most innovative manufacturers in Australia.'

This year’s Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards judging panel included Dr John Blakemore, president of the Manufacturing Society of Australia; Dr Ivan Cole, deputy chief of the CSIRO Manufacturing and Materials Technology Division; Mark Goodsell, NSW director of the Australian Industry Group; Pauline Hart, associate director of TAFE NSW; Derek Lark, executive director of the Industry Capability Network; and Manufacturers’ Monthly editor, Alan Johnson.

This award caps off several successful years for the Seawind 1160, with others including:
• 2007 Most Innovative Sailboat in the US (Cruising World magazine)
• 2007 Best Multihull in the US (Cruising World magazine)
• 2006 Best Sailboat of the Newport Boat Show
• 2006 Most Innovative Product of the Illawarra (Seawind is based at Bellambi, just north of Wollongong)
• 2005 Best Australian Sailboat of the Year (non-trailerable)

'We’re finding increasing numbers of recreational sailors attracted to sail and multi-hull vessels like our Seawind 1160, and awards like these help win over more loyal members to our catamaran community,' Ward says.