Ovington Boats is one of the worlds most successful small boat building businesses specialising in the high performance dinghy market. We have an enviable reputation for quality and service across a wide range of products including the manufacture of the Olympic Class 49er, the ISAF and RYA Youth Asymmetric 29er Class, the new 29erXX, Musto Performance Skiff, B14, Flying Fifteen and International 14. The business distributes its boats and spares throughout Europe. Ovington Boats are also able to build and design & develop boats to specific requirements.
Ovington Boats was founded by Dave Ovington in 1975. Dave started off building traditional wooden boats and in particular race winning Enterprises. With the search for lighter boats Dave progressed to using glass fibre and developed the application of vacuum bagged foam sandwich construction. Sadly, in March 2005 Dave died suddenly - but his legacy lives on in the business and the people who have worked at Ovington Boats for many years.
In 2005 the business was taken over by the current management team of Chris Turner and Veronica Brown and the company continues to prosper and grow.
 |
Chris Turner – Managing Director
Chris joined Ovi Boats in 2005, this enabled the company to continue after the sad loss of Dave Ovington. Chris deals with boat building and any technical issues. He has wealth of knowledge of composites and boat manufacture. He’s well known in the International 14 and Scorpion fleets both as a sailor and a builder. Chris designs and manufactures all new tooling requirements and deals largely with the internal politics of the 9er builders.
|
 |
Veronica Brown – Finance Director
Veronica first became involved with Ovington Boats in 1993. Her background is financial but she has always worked in industry, and in particular in manufacturing companies. She deals with all the administration, finance, accounts and logistics.
|
 |
Ray Outterside - Production Manager
Ray joined Ovington Boats in 1996. He manages the production scheduling, and ensures boats are built at correct weight, on time and meet quality standard. Ray comes from an industrial background of works management and originally became involved with Ovi’s through the mast side of the business. |
 |
Peter Hobson - Technical Advisor
Peter joined Ovington Boats at the end of November 2009. He’s the ‘technical boffin’. If you require any technical advice Peter can usually help. He’s also the best person to ask when you want something fixed – Peter likes fixing things!! He’s a sailor and is a qualified Naval Architect, with a first class honours degree in Small Craft Technology. He has worked with the renowned Owen-Clarke design office and also has experience building offshore sailing boats, including Oman Sails’s Arabian 100 Trimaran.
|
 |
Nathan Batchelor -Sales & Marketing Exec
Nathan joined us in November 2010. Yet another Southerner!! He’s currently office based, but as we’re fed up of him ‘whining’ about how cold it is up here in the ‘bleak north’ we’re going to send him out ‘on the road’. Come spring 2011 we’ll be packing him off to support the Ovington classes at regattas throughout the UK and Europe. You may even see him on the water – well he tells us he can sail!
|
 |
Kathryn Wheatley
Kathryn arrived in January 2010 to work in the Ovington Office. Kathryn processes the payroll – so we’re all nice to her! She is also responsible for paying the suppliers – so they’d best be nice to her too!!!
|
 |
Mark Lashley - Foreman
Mark came to Ovington Boats in March 1997. He is a key member of the Team and switches with ease from laminating in either epoxy or polyester. He also ‘trims’ the boats and helps out with the mouldmaking. Mark is number 1 ‘morale officer’, encouraging and motivating his fellow workers.
|
 |
Joe Stephenson
Joe came to help Dave Ovi out for six weeks in September 1986!! He’s been involved with fibreglass composites since he left school and the rest he learned from Dave Ovington. He’s one of the most experienced members of the team and has been invaluable to the company, particularly over the recent few years.
|
 |
Davey Carr (‘Carzee’)
Davey has been here since April 1995. Carzee’s our ‘foil man’, he makes the foils for 49er’s, 29er’s, International 14’s and MPS’s. He’s useful to have around as he’s also a dab hand at laminating and trimming.
|
 |
Alex Brenner
Alex arrived at Ovington Boats in February 1997, initially to build Mumm 30’s. He now works mainly with Joe concentrating on epoxy laminating of 49er’s and MPS’s.
|
 |
Bryan Ward
Bryan joined Ovi’s in March ’97 as a ‘wee nipper’. He’s one of our main fitters concentrating on the 49ers and Musto Skiffs. Alongside this he makes and finishes a lot of our products, always to a high standard. If needed he’s also a dab hand at laminating- making him a key member of the team.
|
 |
Steve Kirby
Steve came to Ovington Boats in January 2001. He’s one of our main laminators and over the years has been involved in laminating all types of boats, in particular Flying 15’s and 505’s.
|
 |
Drew Wakenshaw
Drew joined Ovi Boats in December 2004. Our man with the spray gun. Drew concentrates on repairs and finishing. From minute defects to a complete boat, he derives great satisfaction from producing a high standard of finish. If you want a good finish on your bottom Drew’s the man who can achieve it.
|
 |
John Conroy
John started in May 2006 and is the loudest member of staff! He comes from a background of industrial composites, he fits in well with the Team and gets the 29ers out at the pace and quality required.
|
 |
Wayne Craven
Wayne originally came to Ovington’s in 1997. He left several years later, only to find out ‘the grass isn’t always greener on the other side’, so Wayne rejoined Ovi’s in October 2006 an ‘older and wiser’ man. Wayne does most of the 29er fitting out and is useful to have around as he can also laminate!
|
 |
Joe Hamilton
Joe came to ovi’s in September 2009 (when he was a ‘bairn’), straight after leaving school. He’s a laminator, and has become an integral part of our laminating teams.
|
 |
Shaun King
Shaun returned to Ovington’s in October 2010. He’s an experienced laminator having worked here previously, building the 29ers.
|
 |
Sonny Mulligan
Sonny came to Ovi’s in May 2010 as an apprentice laminator. He’s learning fast and very quickly becoming a valuable member of ‘the team’.
|
 |
Richard Pearson
Richard joined us in May 2011, and is our main mast builder. Coming from a background in aerospace manufacturing, Richard is a perfect candidate for the accuracy required when working to tight tolerances.
|
 |
Michael Legge
Michael started in February 2011 as an apprentice laminator. He’s been working on a variety of boats and is quickly picking up the skills needed to become a useful addition to our team.
|
 |
Lee Sunderland
Lee is part of our fitting out team concentrating mainly on 29ers since he started in May 2011. He’s fitting in well, and we don’t hold the ‘Sunderland’ element against him too much.
|
 |
Trevor Brown ………
……… is the youngest member of staff. He started work in August 2007 at the tender age of 8 weeks! He’s now big and bold and acts as the office guard dog to keep away those unwanted sales reps. By the way – he’s a Manchester Terrier.
|
