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Tich Mitchell wins South African Boatbuilding Industry Legend Award
Tich Mitchell wins South African Boatbuilding Industry Legend Award
Tich Mitchell wins South African Boatbuilding Industry Legend Award

Michael John Mitchell, known to the world boat building industry as Tich, has finally after forty years in the rigging and mast building industry, decided to take his foot off the gas.

Mitchell spent his time during the hard COVID lockdown in South Africa in Sedgefield, where he procured a retirement home. Tich and his wife Denise will be relocating to their new home before the end of this year.

Tich has been hands on managing Sparcraft Masts in South Africa for owner Craig Hulbert for the last four years. During this time, the company has grown from strength to strength.

Sparcraft Masts was purchased from the New Zealand outfit Southern Spars in January 2017 and moved back into the Bolt Avenue factory in mid 2018. The Sparcraft Masts location at 22 Bolt Avenue has since become a bit of a boat building industry hub: Du Toit Yacht Design and Harken SA are based upstairs and Fused Composites has also recently moved in.

As of September, this year, Chris James, a long-time sailor and experienced rigger, purchased 50% of Sparcraft Masts South Africa and is taking over the day to day running of the operation.

Tich will still be involved with Sparcraft Masts and will be servicing the boat builders in the Southern and Eastern Cape region.  Tich’s four decades of experience and expertise that will not be lost to the industry and will be consulting for Sparcraft Masts going forward.

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