Please select your home edition
Edition
Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca 2025

Leading sparmakers Southern Spars and Nordic Mast to merge

by Southern Spars and Sail-World on 21 Jul 2010
Southern Spars provided the superbly engineered new rig for Alfa Romeo Richard Gladwell www.photosport.co.nz

The Directors and Shareholders of Nordic Mast and Southern Spars have announced the merger of Nordic Mast and Southern Spars.

The move gives Southern Spars a significant presence in Europe.

The merger will create a combined entity with over 350 staff that will be better equipped to compete on the world stage, supplying a comprehensive range of high quality carbon fibre masts, booms and carbon rigging to meet the demands of all market sectors. Taking effect from 19 July 2010, the merger is a timely combination of two highly regarded mast companies that have operated in different geographic and market sectors.

David Glen, Group General Manager, comments 'At Southern Spars we have been looking for some time to both increase our presence and commitment to the European market, and expand our product offering in carbon masts and carbon rigging. Southern Spars is a market leader with innovative mast and carbon rigging concepts for the grand prix race, ocean racing, and performance superyacht markets. We now will have the opportunity to collaborate with the team at Nordic Mast who have considerable experience and presence in the European smaller race boat, performance cruiser, and production cruiser markets.'

Southern Spars has strong design technology and tools developed through its involvement in America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and other international race boat programmes. 'Southern’s design software, Rig Calc, has the added advantage of integrating into the North Sails design software to produce an optimum rig /sail package, and this technology will now be available and of benefit to all customers of yachts from the foiling Moth and Olympic classes through to production cruising yachts, race boats, grand prix race boats and superyachts' says Mr Glen.

Nordic Mast also has extensive experience in manufacturing quality carbon masts for comparatively smaller race boats, performance cruisers, and cruising yachts in Europe. The existing Nordic Mast premises and all staff will be retained, and the operation will continue to be managed by Lars Netterstrøm, who will also assume a wider Group role.

Nordic Mast’s Lars Netterstrøm comments 'We are proud to have the opportunity to join with Southern Spars and to expand our business, ultimately bringing even better carbon masts and booms to our clients in Europe. The expansion into carbon rigging products will also be new for Nordic. It is very exciting for our team at Nordic Mast to become part of a truly global sparmaking and rigging group, and benefit from all the design and technological resources available within Southern Spars.'



Southern Spars is based in Auckland, New Zealand and employs in excess of 300 people. The company is made up of five key business units: NZ Masts, Cape Town Masts, Composite Rigging which manufactures the innovative EC6 carbon rigging, and Rig Pro, its specialist service business with centres strategically located in Palma, USA, New Zealand and South Africa. A carbon rigging and small boat mast production facility is now also operational in Sri Lanka.

Nordic Mast was founded in 1979 and is based in 6230 Rødekro, Denmark. It employs 30 people and has concentrated on building carbon masts for race boats, performance cruisers and cruising boats up to 100’.

North Sails Loft 57 PodcastAllen Dynamic 40 FooterPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Footer

Related Articles

New footage of the Nautitech 44 Open & Bavaria C46
Have a look at the latest from Ensign Yachts, plus the J/40 wins under ORC at Pasquavela in Italy In this edition, we highlight a new Yacht Charter service in the Mediterranean, showcase new footage of our award-winning Bavaria C46, and highlight a walkthrough of the Nautitech 44 Open. Plus the J/40 wins under ORC at the Pasquavela in Italy!
Posted on 30 Apr
McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet battles Pacific
In historic 4,300-mile test of endurance Solo Sailors Face Doldrums, Equipment Failures and Avian Invaders in Unprecedented Small Boat Challenge - week five of leg 2
Posted on 30 Apr
Don't Risk Your Keys on the Water!
Keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box Don't risk taking your keys on the water... keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box.
Posted on 30 Apr
21st Sandberg PalmaVela kicks off tomorrow
With the spectacle of the Maxis in Palma Over one hundred teams representing 19 nationalities will gather in the Bay of Palma for the first major multi-class event of the season: the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela. The impressive Maxis will be the first to take the stage.
Posted on 30 Apr
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup Day 1
Light winds prove insufficient to start racing Although the 11 boat fleet went afloat until mid-afternoon, crews filled with hope and anticipation, the wind refused to build enough for racing to take place on the first day of the new 52 SUPER SERIES season at the 52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup.
Posted on 30 Apr
Transat Paprec Day 11
The Battle of the Leaders Now past the halfway point and sailing through the heart of the Atlantic, the competitors in the Transat Paprec are still locked in an intense battle. A windless zone expected later this week is drawing everyone's attention and forcing tough decisions.
Posted on 30 Apr
Pip Hare joins Canada Ocean Racing
Sailing alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer for The Ocean Race Europe Canada Ocean Racing is excited to announce that British offshore sailor Pip Hare will join their Be Water Positive campaign for the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe.
Posted on 30 Apr
Antigua Race Week Day 3
Superb racing delivered Sailors ranging from newcomers to veterans of multiple America's Cup campaigns enjoyed Caribbean sailing at its best in today's racing at Antigua Sailing Week, with lots of sun and moderate tradewinds of 10-12 knots.
Posted on 30 Apr
Australian Hobie Cat Nationals Entries Open
To be hosted by the HCAWA, with Geographe Bay Yacht Club Entries are open and the Notice of Race is live for the Pitts Design and Construction 53rd Australian Hobie Cat Nationals to be hosted by the HCAWA, with Geographe Bay Yacht Club, in Undalup Country, Busselton, Western Australia.
Posted on 29 Apr
WOW at Gippsland Lakes as actions accelerate
Getting on board with the UN International Women's Day 2025 theme "Women on Water" at Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club (GLYC) has wasted no time in getting on board with the UN International Women's Day 2025 theme to #accelerateaction for gender equality in the sport.
Posted on 29 Apr