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We quickly powered past Tiritiri, pausing only briefly to catch a couple of livebaits under a small workup of birds.

2 knots over the usual Auckland harbour chop we hardly felt the swell, with the deep-vee hull easily slicing through the chop. Spray was kept well out from the boat, and even powering through a few big swells (which got us airborne) produced no spray on the occupants. We quickly powered past Tiritiri, pausing only briefly to catch a couple of livebaits under a small workup of birds. It s a soft ride with no thumping, and with the trim tabs we were able to level out the ride as members of the party moved around. In deference to the newbies on board, we didn t push the boat, but it s certainly capable of going significantly faster. A slight tenderness to people moving about was in part due to the over-large trim tabs, another feature Clapp will be rectifying. Arriving at Flat Rock just off Kawau Island, we soon had a livie out under a balloon. Unfortunately this prototype boat had been hurriedly finished for the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show and the electronics weren t fully connected. The lack of a depth sounder made finding the right spot on the rock difficult, but the fully automatic winch took all the pain out of raising and lowering the anchor a couple of times. Then it was down to serious fishing. Six people standing on the down-current side of a boat could be expected to cause a disconcerting lean, but the Atomix remained well within safe levels. We were able to stand side by side with space to spare, and never felt concerned about the boat s angle. Even an annoying sideon swell (wind opposing tide) caused little problem. Tangles were rare thanks to the space between lines, though a kahawai on one line would no doubt have been interesting. June

TAB BWB 155 Specializing in: Re-tubing Customizing Repairs/Restoration Cleaning Annual servicing Free pick up and delivery on the North Shore All workmanship guaranteed Phone Andy

3 TAB BWB 155 Specializing in: Re-tubing Customizing Repairs/Restoration Cleaning Annual servicing Free pick up and delivery on the North Shore All workmanship guaranteed Phone Andy 0800 inflate ( ) Osmosis Solutions Ltd PO Box 148, Whangaparaoa, North Shore 0943, New Zealand Ph Fax

atomix boats Local design, offshore production Right from the start the founders of Atomix planned to focus on the international market.

They made the hard decision and established a purpose-built composite factory in China s Jin Hua City and produce the hulls offshore.

Engineering expertise from High Modulus oversees every step of the progress, and the design and management team are on hand right through the manufacturing process.

Founded in 2005, the NZ-owned company uses local designers to develop models suited to local conditions. Its boats are based around several core hull designs including an 8.2m RIB, an 8.

4 atomix boats Local design, offshore production Right from the start the founders of Atomix planned to focus on the international market. Although boats designed and built in New Zealand are respected world wide, they realised that with the strong Kiwi dollar, production costs are not always competitive. They made the hard decision and established a purpose-built composite factory in China s Jin Hua City and produce the hulls offshore. The moulds used in the factory were built by New Zealanders, who also trained the local staff. Engineering expertise from High Modulus oversees every step of the progress, and the design and management team are on hand right through the manufacturing process. The result is a wellcrafted boat, built to local standards but at a price that is extremely competitive. New kid on the block in the local inflatable market is Atomix boats. Founded in 2005, the NZ-owned company uses local designers to develop models suited to local conditions. Its boats are based around several core hull designs including an 8.2m RIB, an 8.2m full GRP hull and a 5m RIB. The boats are brought into the country in a semi-finished state and local expertise is used to prepare each boat for sale. The same local expertise helps to trial new models and customises the boat to suit the requirements of the purchaser. It also means that service and support is guaranteed from a local supplier, something local purchasers are often wary of with imported models. May

atomix boats Atomix launched its range in Auckland in 2006 with the 820 series, including the massive 820 RIB. Earlier this year it added the versatile 500 RIB centre console. With a beam of 2.

05m hull weighs only 360kg, so power requirements are modest.

5 atomix boats Atomix launched its range in Auckland in 2006 with the 820 series, including the massive 820 RIB. Earlier this year it added the versatile 500 RIB centre console. With a beam of 2.30m the 500 RIB is wider than most comparable boats on the market. This makes it extremely stable, both at rest and underway, while the 23-degree deadrise gives it a smooth ride through a chop. The 5.05m hull weighs only 360kg, so power requirements are modest. An 80-litre underfloor fuel tank gives a healthy range, while additional underfloor compartments hold the battery as well as anchor, chain and warp. The layout of the boat is a centre console with a bench or jockey seat layout. A comfortable seat hinges up to reveal a storage compartment while the front of the console provides a further forwardfacing seat. A bimini top is available as an optional extra, as are rocket launcher, fishing rod holders, ski pole and other accessories. Although the centre console does not have much dash space, a rev counter is standard and additional electronics can easily be fitted. The hull is hand-laid GRP composite, and the build quality is good. The tubes are manufactured from PVC fabric and carry a two-year warranty, while the GRP hull has a five-year warranty. Hypalon is an option for all RIB boats at a slight price premium for those wanting additional durability. The tubes have been designed for safety May 2007

Each boat has at least six separate inflatable compartments, ensuring that in the unlikely event that one is punctured the boat can still be driven safely.

A number of grab handles are positioned around the edge of the boat, and this would be an ideal dive tender or safety boat for a watersport club.

The GRP boats come standard with V6 or V8 Mercruiser engines, while the 820 RHIB has a Mercury 150hp outboard.

6 Each boat has at least six separate inflatable compartments, ensuring that in the unlikely event that one is punctured the boat can still be driven safely. A sturdy rubber fender strip is positioned on the outside of the tube to protect against damage, and textured reinforcing pads are glued along the top of the tube to act as seats. A number of grab handles are positioned around the edge of the boat, and this would be an ideal dive tender or safety boat for a watersport club. Atomix has established a relationship with Mercury and Mercury engines are standard on all boats. The GRP boats come standard with V6 or V8 Mercruiser engines, while the 820 RHIB has a Mercury 150hp outboard. The 500 RIB has a recommended power range of 40-90hp, with the Mercury 60hp Big Foot two-stroke recommended. The boat is supplied on a multi-roller, hot-galvanised trailer for easy launching. Atomix produces its own trailers at the factory in China, and they conform to all local regulations. Fully-submersible LED lights are standard, and the larger models are tandem axle with disc brakes. While the company is working on increasing its profile in the local market, it has chosen to sell the boats directly through its design offices in Takapuna rather than a using a dealer network. This enables prospective buyers to meet and discuss their requirements directly with the designers, who can incorporate any market feedback directly back into the next design. As Atomix s presence in the market develops, the plan is to offer a full range of boats in New Zealand. These will include a variety of sizes and configurations between 5m and 9.5m. Atomix boats are also being sold in Australia and throughout Asia, and the company has just signed a dealership in Norway which has pre-ordered 10 boats. In addition to boats, Atomix is looking to utilise its new production facility for other GRP and inflatable products. It produces a range of smaller inflatables and water toys and these will soon be available locally. It also uses its trailer facility to produce farm and utility trailers. h For more information visit For more boat tests visit May

p r o pe el lle l r e r m am ga gz ian ze i n e B O AT tte es st t Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Freddy Foote E x p a n d i n g Your Options Boat Test Atomix is certainly not a name that has been

What sets the company apart from others is its production methods, with the boats designed, engineered and funded from New Zealand, but manufactured on the other side of the world, in China!

7 p r o pe el lle l r e r m am ga gz ian ze i n e B O AT tte es st t Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Freddy Foote E x p a n d i n g Your Options Boat Test Atomix is certainly not a name that has been widely known in the New Zealand marine scene; understandably so, since the company has only been around for about six months in New Zealand. What sets the company apart from others is its production methods, with the boats designed, engineered and funded from New Zealand, but manufactured on the other side of the world, in China! Freddy Foote checks out a couple of the first prototype models. Top: The Atomix 820 comes in a number of configurations; the Sport Cruiser is seen here. Above: The 820 Centre Console model is targeted towards the serious fishing market.

Boat Test Top: The open layout of the Centre Console has plenty of space for fishing or gearing up for a dive. Above: The Sport Cruiser has an accent on entertainment.

cost effective viewpoint. Originally we had an opportunity to go to China and manufacture pretty much anything we wanted.

8 Boat Test Top: The open layout of the Centre Console has plenty of space for fishing or gearing up for a dive. Above: The Sport Cruiser has an accent on entertainment. Atomix Boats originated in New Zealand and is a New Zealand owned company, and stemmed from some kiwi boating enthusiasts who wanted to manufacture their own range of trailerboats, all from a more cost effective viewpoint. Originally we had an opportunity to go to China and manufacture pretty much anything we wanted. We worked through a set of criteria to find a product that there was an international market for not just here, but also in Europe, Australia, North America, and domestically in China. A product that could take advantage of New Zealand s existing expertise and reputation and also take advantage of China s lower production costs via labour and materials, says Joseph Clapp, managing director of Atomix. It was at that point that the company decided to venture into the world of boat manufacture. They got well known kiwi designer Brett Bakewell-White onboard, who has recently enhanced his reputation amongst the offshore powerboating fraternity for designing the 2007 championship winning boat Sleepyhead and third placegetter, Pro Floors, both 34ft Phantom catamarans. Bakewell- White soon drew up designs for a number of new models. Atomix also drew on the expertise of High Modulus, a world-leading supplier of composite technology and structural engineering services to the marine industry. High Modulus consulted in relation to the required structural engineering, composites materials. The directors of the company have certainly copped a lot of scepticism from other New Zealand boat builders about quality, with the derogatory made in China comment. However, this has not deterred them from attempting to make their mark on the New Zealand and world markets. At the end of the day there are boat builders in every country in the world and we ve chosen to work with New Zealand designers because we want to keep promoting the whole New Zealand marine industry alongside us, says Clapp. Currently Atomix has a number models available here with more to come. At the moment a 5m RIB has been produced as well as a sport cruiser, centre console, RIB and bowrider from the 8m range. In the near future and as the company plans to gather momentum they will introduce more models through into the 5-7m range, including some smaller bowriders, RIBs and cabin boats. Surprisingly, we ve had huge demand and enquiry for our 5m RIB, which has been fantastic. We ve tried to make our one a little bit beamier and heavier than those that are already on the market, says Clapp. The Atomix boats are quite different dimensionally from what has traditionally been the manufacturing norm. The boats are a bit narrower that what you d expect; this is primarily due to the fact that they have to be a certain width to be able to fit into a shipping container and to make them trailerable. The Atomix design team have tried to turn this into a positive attribute; giving the boat pretty good rough water handling characteristics. The first thing we had to tackle was designing an 8m trailerable powerboat that would fit into a container. The second parameter was designing a boat for New Zealand and Australian users; we looked at typical boating conditions in both countries and set about designing the boat to suit, commented Bakewell-White. The end concept was to go with quite a deep vee and also no strakes; acknowledging that having no strakes means the boat will absorb a bit more horsepower, but you get a much softer ride. Obviously with the boat being quite a bit narrower; they have tried to make up some of the dynamic stability by giving the boat quite wide chine flats. In the 8m range, the one hull shares a number of different layout configurations; the sport cruiser, bowrider, centre console and RIB, so Bakewell-White has designed the hull in a way that it can be multi purpose and suit all the different layouts. For our test we had two of the first prototype models on the water, the 820 Sport Cruiser and the Centre Console model. Understandably, the Sport Cruiser offers all the amenities and layout to make it a great day/entertaining boat with overnighting facilities included

There is a teak trimmed boarding platform and the port corner of the transom has a walkthrough with a closing door. The teak finish continues right through the cockpit.

All the seating incorporates storage underneath. On the starboard side a large moulded unit houses a 25L fridge and icebox, while above there is either a gas stove or an optional BBQ.

9 There is a teak trimmed boarding platform and the port corner of the transom has a walkthrough with a closing door. The teak finish continues right through the cockpit. For passenger seating an L-shaped lounger runs down the starboard side from behind the helm and then across the transom, providing more than enough room for six people to sit. All the seating incorporates storage underneath. On the starboard side a large moulded unit houses a 25L fridge and icebox, while above there is either a gas stove or an optional BBQ. There is another option to have the galley area further forward in the cabin area. Helm and passenger seating consists of two pedestal seats which can swivel. The driving position was quite comfortable, allowing you to sit below the profile of the windscreen and out of the wind. If you wanted extra forward visibility there is more than enough room around your feet to be able to stand comfortably. The forward cabin area can be locked up with the door in place. A V-berth is standard, with the head located to starboard. The cabin is reasonably roomy, but of course limited in the number of people you can have down there. The Centre Console model has been thought out to make it a big volume and roomy fishing boat, with more than enough room for a multitude of anglers to fish right around the boat. The 820 Centre Console has a large boarding platform aft, with a walkthru in each aft corner, giving plenty of room for divers to climb aboard or to drag that stripey into the cockpit. A large helm console provides plentiful storage space underneath, while there is seating for two people behind the console at the helm seat. Further seating is located forward of the helm console; albeit a little more blustery when underway. I would have liked to see a bit more seating, as after all this is a big volume 8m boat, so it is to be expected that there will be more than three or four people going out at once. Perhaps a fold-down bench seat aft would be a nice option. Both boats were running Volvo Penta petrol sterndrives. The Sport Cruiser was powered with the 270hp 5.0L V8, while the Centre Console had the 225hp 4.3L V6. The boats definitely had a soft ride; Top: A lockable door for the cabin is a great feature. Above: The forward cabin is roomy; the head is located to starboard. Boat Test

Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Model: Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Prices as Tested: SC - $105,995, CC - $82,995 Designer: Brett Bakewell- White Material: GRP Type: Sport Cruiser/CC LOA: 8.2m Beam: 2.

0 mph 2000 rpm 9.0 mph 2500 rpm 13.5 mph 3000 rpm 22.5 mph 3500 rpm 28.5 mph 4000 rpm 33.5 mph 4500 rpm 38.0 mph 5000 rpm 40.

10 Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Model: Atomix 820 Sport Cruiser & CC Prices as Tested: SC - $105,995, CC - $82,995 Designer: Brett Bakewell- White Material: GRP Type: Sport Cruiser/CC LOA: 8.2m Beam: 2.37m Deadrise: 25.8degrees Hull Config: V Trailerable Wt: 2150kg Max. Power: 300hp Power Options: Sterndrive only Fuel Capacity: 280L Performance 800 rpm 4.4 mph 1000 rpm 5.5 mph 1500 rpm 8.0 mph 2000 rpm 9.0 mph 2500 rpm 13.5 mph 3000 rpm 22.5 mph 3500 rpm 28.5 mph 4000 rpm 33.5 mph 4500 rpm 38.0 mph 5000 rpm 40.0 mph Speeds recorded on a Lowrance GPS and rounded off to the nearest 1/2 mph. Notable Standard Equipment Fridge, toilet with holding tank, capstan, carpet, underfloor fuel tank, twin v-berth, gas cooker/bbq, tandem braked trailer, navigation package, Tallon fixtures. Notable Options on test Boat Tek Dek finish Engine Make: Volvo-Penta Model: 5.0L Power: 270hp Cyl. Config: V8 Max rpm: 5000 Propeller: 19 pitch Trailer Make: DMW Model: Tandem Axle Braked: Yes Rollers: Multi Std Equipment: Jockey Wheel; two-way coupling. Manufacturer: Atomix Boats Ph although it was hard to get the full picture given the flat conditions on the day. Given the narrow hull design, trim tabs are a major necessity; and it does take a lot of getting used to when you first drive the boat; as it handles quite differently to anything I ve driven before. Atomix Boats New Zealand is a distributor/retailer of the product and has every intention of keeping it that way. We don t see many advantages in getting a dealer network established at this stage, as that would just add a level of cost. Our aim is not to come back here and make the boats really expensive and make as much money as we can. We ve built the boats in China and we know how much it costs to land them, we add our margin to that, and that s what we sell them for. So in some cases we re running to almost half the price of some other boats out there, said Clapp. For a first effort and obviously taking a big gamble to start manufacturing boats offshore, the Atomix team haven t done too bad a job. The hull work is top notch, but a few of the smaller finishing touches let the boat down. However, these are just cosmetic things and are easily fixed. The concept of the Atomix is to provide the type of boat that kiwis love and adore; but at a significantly lower price. I don t think the brand will impact the market greatly as far as taking sales from other builders is concerned, but rather open up the market to a broader range of buyers, offering a more cost effective option. Top: The transom area has plenty of room for access, also note the grab handles. Above: The boarding platform on the Sport Cruiser is finished in teak. Boat Test

Next Generation BY FREDDY FOOTE. OVER the last few months, the entire

Next Generation BY FREDDY FOOTE Not content to be on of the leaders of alloy boat building in New Zealand, Surtees have given much of their range a full revamp. Freddy Foote heads along to check out the