South Africa’s fleet of blue water catamarans looks to expand with the addition of the inaugural Onyx 10.5, due to launch in the first quarter of this year.
Newly-established Onyx Marine, based in Botrivier outside Cape Town, says production of their debut vessel is well advanced. The company was founded by engineers and lifelong sailors Francois van Dyk and Chris Gooding in response to a shared vision of a new compact ocean-ready catamaran for the cruising market.
“The global market increasingly wants smaller, more affordable multihulls that still deliver true offshore capability – Onyx set out to fill this gap,” the pair says in a launch statement. “As the global sailing community’s demand for smaller, more accessible, and affordably priced multihulls continues to grow, while still seeking robust offshore performance, Onyx Marine responded by developing its flagship product, the ONYX 10.5, designed to meet this emerging need.”
“We built the ONYX 10.5 for people who dream of sailing further, with less complexity and more confidence. Our goal isn’t to make the biggest boat — it’s to make the smartest one,” the statement says.
Key features of the new model include a space-efficient layout, mini-keels and shallow draft, forward-slanted windows & watertight scoop bulkheads, an easy-handling rig, and hydraulic propulsion.
Onyx’s boutique-scale production and ‘material-efficient platform’ would help mitigate any negative impacts of global market changes (such as US tariffs) and currency fluctuations, the statement said.