Grant Harrison
Managing Director
BOBKATTM BOATS INTERNATIONAL Ltd in the United Kingdom is headed up by Grant Harrison.
Below is a photo of the very successful rough water BOBKATTM Spindrifter 'In XS' driven by Grant Harrison, South African 4 litre Offshore Champion, and 4 times recipient of South African national Springbok colours for offshore powerboat racing. Note in picture: How symmetrical bow is stepped back to asymmetrical tunnel on port sponson.
A close associate of Bob van Niekerk for the past 25 years. Grant is well known in World offshore powerboat racing circles, and have both raced various BOBKATTM designs since the early 80's.
Grant is extremely passionate about the BOBKATTM and due to his more than 20 years racing experience in racing the designs in all sea conditions, has absolute belief in the design and its capabilities first hand.
The above picture shows the phenominal all weather 100mph plus, foam core composite built BOBKATTM Spindrifter 'Super Cat' which went on to become a 'Legend' in the 4 Litre Class winning almost every race it ever competed in no matter what the sea conditions on the day. This deep tunnel catamaran was designed to utilize both hydrodynmic and aerodynamic lift, and utilized adjustable air gates in the aerodynamically contoured tunnel roof to regulate air compression in the tunnel.
Bob van Niekerk
Designer
J v R van Niekerk (Bob) Pr.Eng. BSc.Eng (M). FRINA. MSAIMENA.), known for his GSM (Glass Sport Motor) DART, DELTA & FLAMINGO car designs of the 50's and 60's.
Bob van Niekerk has been designing and racing these offshore catamarans since the late 1960's and has used this demanding sport to test and develop his unique catamaran designs. Offshore powerboat racing has enabled him to continually be innovative and try out risky design features in this real world high speed scenario.
Bob van Niekerk was an originator of the asymmetrical catamaran design with the use of steps in the early 70's offshore racing catamarans. He has also been an innovative and influential designer of trimarans and their development. He continues to design trimarans and currently has a 36m aluminium BOBTRI Patrol Boat design.
In the late '50's Bob van Niekerk (Senior Partner, BoatLoft), together with partners Willie Meissner and Verster de Witt developed and manufactured the first South African Sports Cars - GSM - Glass Sport Motors
Bob van Niekerk graduated from Stellenbosch University with a Bsc in Mechanical Engineering in 1953. After working for the Deutz agents in Cape Town he joined up with Willie Meissner and Verster de Wit to design and produce the GSM Dart (known in the UK as the Delta) Sports Car - about 300 cars were built in South Africa and UK.
His interest switched to high speed boats in 1964. He joined the Consulting firm of Liebenberg and Stander in 1978 to initiate a Maritime Section.
His field of professional experience includes: Design and Construction Supervision of small craft of less than 45m in length and special purpose vessels and vehicles.
He has been involved in all small craft projects for Armscor since 1983 and has designed offshore mining boats for the diamond industry, fishing craft, offshore racing boats and hotel boats have also been built to his designs.
Armscor Projects
- Project Select
Cat - 38 knot Survey Vessels - GRP - Project Latmus
Cat - 44 knot Patrol Boats - Aluminium - Project BK502
Cat - 12 man Assualt Craft - Aluminium - Project Pisces
Cat - 13m Survey Vessels - GRP - Project RHIB
MONO - Self-righting Rigid Inlatable Boat - Project RE
Cat - High Speed Military Ferry - Project Citrus
Launching Trailers for Military purposes - Project Olifant
40 ton Trailer - Project AVA
Cat - 50 knot high speed Pursuit Craft - Project BMI
Facilities for the Military - Project 4 in 1
MONO - 8m Rigid Inflatable Boat for Military Purposes
Special Purpose Projects
- Seabed Digger
TRIMARAN - Wreck Robbing - Surfjet
TRIMARAN - National Sea Rescue Institute - Paddler
Cat - Riverboat - Okavango
Cat - Hotelboat - Decadence
Cat - Advertising Boat - Penquin
Cat - Aluminium Ferries 100 pax - Paddle Cruiser
Cat - Knysna paddel wheeler - Isiponono
Cat - Corporate Cruiser - Sea Princess
Cat - Party / Entertainment Boat - Veecraft 888
MONOHULL - Aluminium Whale Watcher - Drakensberg
Rescue Vessel
Offshore Racing Boats
- Bobkat 485 Circuit Racing Tunnel hull
- Bobkat 701 Offshore Racing Cat
- Meteor III Offshore Racing Cat
- Meteor IV Offshore Racing Cat
- Meteor V Offshore Racing Cat
- Suzuki Offshore Racing Cat
- Spindrifter Supercat
- Spindrifter 'In XS'
- Miss Hennessey Offshore Racing Cat
- Miss Pickfords Offshore Racing Cat
- Team TOTAL Offshore Racing Cat
- Daniel Hechter Offshore Racing Cat
- Muffett III Offshore Racing Cat
- Sea Point Plumbing Offshore Racing Cat
- 'The Phoenix' Offshore Racing TRIMARAN
- Friedman Volvo Offshore Racing Tunnel hull
This particular boat, 'Jokers Sports Club 2' has been highly successful in the 6 litre class competing in the United Arab Emirates over the past few years, and was a design by Bob van Niekerk and Nic de Waal.
Special Fishing Boats and Patrol Boats
- 17.5m Steel Cat - MFV
- 5.6m GRP Cat - Small Game Fishing Boat
- 15m Steel Cat - MFV
- 10m GRP Cat - South African Police Services
- 12m GRP Cat - Israel Patrol Boats
- 22M GRP Cat - South African Navy
- 13m GRP Cat - UN Patrol Boats
Other Projects
- Church Steeple - Riebeeck Kasteel
- Underwater Pipeline - Robin Eiland
- Low cost Refrigerator
- Low cost Commuter vehicle - Hotel Guest carrier
- Dolos - Concrete Breakwater Construction Blocks
Ian Campbell
Technical Sales Director
Following twelve years as an engineer in the Royal Navy and subsequent experience in the offshore oil and gas industry, Ian Campbell spent fifteen years as an area sales manager of a major UK boatyard negotiating the supply of high speed ferries, military and service craft on a world wide basis. In 1992 he formed his own company, Marine and Technical Marketing Consultants, which provides market advice to UK marine exporters and advanced hydrodynamic research services to naval architects and existing vessel operators.
