Sparcraft Masts’ Ian MacRobert has won the prestigious Rising Talent award in the Rigging and Sails category at the annual South Africa Boatbuilders Export Council industry awards,
On Wednesday 30th May 2023, the South African Boat Builders Export Council held their annual formal awards dinner attended by 300 industry professionals.
We could not be prouder of Sparcraft Masts senior manager, Ian MacRobert, who was awarded the Rising Talent award in the Rigging and Sails category. He was presented his award by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth for the City of Cape Town.
The theme/title of the 2023 awards was “On the Shoulders of Giants”. The South African Boatbuilders Export Council 2023 Annual Industry Awards Dinner recognises people who are masters in their field who have nurtured talent (Giants) and to recognise the rising talent who have made that expertise their own, got to see further and opened new doors to possibility.
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton
The Rising Talent category celebrates this innovation and acknowledges emerging talent that has built upon the expertise of their predecessors, enabling them to see further and open new doors to possibility.
With 22 years of tenure, Ian’s role spans design, operations, project management, and business development. He acts as the main point of contact for customers, understanding their needs and translating them into the design and production processes. He has gained extensive knowledge working alongside industry legends and played a pivotal role in growing the business and introducing carbon mast production. With specialised experience and valuable intellectual property, he is recognized as a rising talent in the field of spars and mast manufacture, with significant potential for future contributions.
Ian grew up sailing, initially on dinghies and them moving onto big keelboats, where he first became interested in the world of spars and rigging. He was recruited to join Sparcraft Masts after he finished school, where he started working on the factory floor, getting a thorough understanding of mast and spars manufacturing. That was in 2001. Ian learnt the industry through some of South Africa’s mast building legends. Over the years, Ian’s roles developed from the factory floor to production support, then to quality assurance, and then onto managing the quotes and costings and then project management.
As a passionate sailor, Ian has a deep understanding of spars and rigging and their design and function, which is critical in his role and his extensive liaison with the customers in the design and production of a rig package. Ian has sailed extensively since leaving school. In addition to local keelboat racing, Ian has completed two Antigua Week Regattas, with as well as a Cowes Week and a Cape to Salvador South Atlantic Yacht Race. He also has many shorter local distance races like Cape Town to Walvis Bay under his belt, has been part of the winning Lipton Cup Team, has received provincial colours for sailing and has competed in the Hobie Tiger and Fireball Worlds. He enjoys sailing keelboats and dinghies alike.
To quote the citation read out for Ian’s award: “With specialised experience and valuable intellectual property, he is recognised as a rising talent in the field of spars and mast manufacture, with significant potential for future contributions.”
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