First of many new designs for new GEMINI management team
Cape Town based RIB specialist Gemini Marine have released a ‘teaser’ of a new RIB design – in the form of stunning pictures of the first completed hull mould on the factory floor. What makes it particularly special is that it is the first new mould under the watch of CEO Gerhard Neethling and COO Juan Oberholzer. Neethling shared pictures of the mould on LinkedIn, much to the delight of company followers. ‘Excitement overload,” Neethling wrote in his post.
‘Fellow boat builders and colleagues in the marine industry will understand the awesome feeling of ‘popping of a new boat mould’. Lots can go wrong, but we believe that our team’s hard work and dedication on this particular project paid off.
“The plug is still 100% and the mould looks fantastic! What makes this one even more special on a personal note is that this is the first new Gemini marine Pty Ltd hull mould since I had the privilege of taking over as CEO. I am very confident that this model will be a game changer in the RIB Market,” Neethling said.
“The GEMINI HQ team has been exceptional and our in-house tooling department has taken ownership of their roles & responsibilities. Well done to all involved,” he added.
Neethling’s post garnered 126 likes and multiple comments from industry stakeholders. “Great looking mould bud! Is it a new mould to refresh an existing one, or a complete new design of hull?” asked composite builder Jon Knott. To which Neethling replied: “This is a new design / new model that we are launching soon… Exciting times.”
Talking to SABBEX Neethling said he believed there were market opportunities for a smaller RIB similar to the popular WR780 “without compromising comfort, deck space, aesthetics, reliability, or quality.”
“Our WR650 and WR880 have, in the past, been a success story for Gemini and will continue to do so in the future. However, we wanted something more, not “big” like our 780 or 880 models. We wanted to replicate the performance of our legendary 650 and 780. It is with this philosophy that Gemini has developed a new breed of boat that will follow in the footsteps of an already great brand as we pride ourselves with unwavering compromise to quality, attention to detail, safety and where our customers get what they require in a manner that they have come to expect of us,” Neethling said.
“Very important for us was to ensure that craft performance, stability & buoyancy criteria as well as the design is in accordance with current Gemini products, where both ISO regulations and our own criteria and requirements had to be met,” he said.
The proper ‘on water’ launch will be made public soon. Watch this space.