US-based Dudley Dix will introduce his racing and cruising designs to the Indian market through an agreement with XS Marines. The South African yacht designer is reporting increased demand from India, considered the ‘sleeping giant’ of global boat building. US-based Dudley Dix last week confirmed he had signed a deal with India’s XS Marines to introduce his racing and cruising designs to the Indian market. Dix said the move stemmed from an earlier deal with XS Marines’ owner, Sheri Bamboat, who has bought plans for one of Dix’s plywood designs as well as rights to build that design in fibreglass.

 

“The Indian market is still small and boat builders like XS Marines will grow along with the expanding market as sailing gains popularity,” Dix told IBI. “XS Marines is a small builder but growing. Until now they have been building sailing dinghies of fairly basic design and sophistication by Western standards and have recently embarked on a cruising powerboat project. “Their construction methods are also relatively unsophisticated, so they are doing
solid fibreglass construction with top-hat section stringers,” Dix adds. “I expect that as their skills develop they will adopt more sophisticated methods. At present that is restrained to some extent by limited availability of hi-tech materials.”

 

The XS Marines deal involves Dix’s Didi 38/40/40cr series designs, which he described as “a mixture of racing and cruising”. Potential builders had then requested a design version with more comfortable/private two-couple  accommodation – resulting in the Didi40cr design. Dix is a solo designer specializing in the small- to medium range
up to 55ft.

 

CONTACT 

5/4 RustomBaug
SantSavta Road
Byculla
Mumbai
Maharashtra
400 027
India
Phone: 0222 3701418
Email: xs.marines@gmail.com
Website: www.xsmarines.com