Southern Pacific Boats, the Kumeu-based inflatable manufacturer, has secured a six-year global partnership with Australian Sailing that will see its RIBs support the Australian Sailing Team through to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
The deal makes Southern Pacific the official RIB supplier to Australian Sailing and the AST, with its PerformR and SeekR models joining the coaching fleet for the build-up to Los Angeles 2028 and the home Games.
AST Technical Director Michael Blackburn, a Sydney 2000 Laser bronze medallist who has coached sailors to four Olympic gold medals, said the boats give coaches a dependable platform to work from across a range of conditions as they support Australia’s Olympic class sailors.
The partnership extends beyond the elite squad. Australian Sailing Affiliated Clubs receive exclusive pricing on three Southern Pacific models — the Vortex, SeekR and PerformR — for race management, coaching and safety duties. The arrangement mirrors a recent Mercury Marine deal offering clubs discounted outboards.
Southern Pacific has built inflatables in New Zealand since 1988, ranging from tenders to 14-metre Hypalon tubes for coastguard and military contracts. Its board includes former America’s Cup skipper Dean Barker.
All boats are built to order and lead times apply. Clubs seeking pricing can contact Simon at sales@southernpacific.co.nz.
