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Malaysia ex Machina

• By Kevin Koenig
• Updated: April 27, 2017

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, home of the Grand Banks Yachts factory, is quite literally on the other side of the world from large swaths of America. The time difference between there and the U.S. East Coast is a bracing 13 hours. Undomesticated dogs that resemble coyotes trot treacherously close to highways buzzing with motorbike traffic, each bike in some wild state of disrepair. Just a single degree north of the equator, the city gets baptized by the heavens every day at 4 p.m. during the rainy season. It’s a good time to be indoors. And it’s a particularly good time to be indoors in the Grand Banks ­factory, where visitors are transported from one world back into a whole other one that is clean, modern and tech-forward — all the way through the looking glass, or perhaps in this case, the handlaid fiberglass.

The Ground Floor

The overriding theme among the workers on the Grand Banks factory floor is pride in their skills and happiness with their jobs. There’s a ­surprising amount of longevity in the careers here. The ­woman in the photograph at right is Lily Arabian Bte ­Palalwee. She has been with the company for 22 years, mostly doing paint and varnish work.

She says her favorite part of the job is the people she works with.

“I’m happy here, and my co-workers are happy too,” she says. “There is no tension on the floor. When I ­started here, I was 17 and single. Now I am married and have three children — 11,13 and 17. I don’t know if I could have done that without this job. Also, sometimes they take us out on the boats when they are finished, and this gives me a great feeling of pride in my job.”

After some back-and-forth with a translator, I was able to ascertain that the man in the photograph at left has been with Grand Banks for 20 years, doing mostly varnishing. He clearly took a lot of pride in his work. And his distinct hat keeps things colorful and illustrates the general feeling of bonhomie among the local working class. My translator ran out of English, and my Malay admittedly needs some brushing up, so I couldn’t quite get the backstory on the hat, even though I wanted to learn more. But it didn’t matter. This was a happy, focused man ­fully invested in his work. That much was obvious.

SPOKES ON THE WHEEL

Grand Banks is a much-hallowed builder with a, dare we say, grand tradition. But that doesn’t mean the company isn’t forward-thinking. That attitude was cemented when Grand Banks bought Australia’s Palm Beach Motor Yachts in 2014, in a well-founded effort to round out its product offerings. Now both Palm Beach and Grand Banks yachts, as well as the company’s Eastbay line, are all built in the same facility in Johor Bahru.

Middle of Everything

Grand Banks takes great care to make sure its manual laborers are overseen by highly knowledgeable boatbuilders, many with pedigrees that include long stints at some of the Western world’s top yards. The (mostly) men work closely with the locals to ensure build quality.

One such overseer is David Oliver Smith (at left in the photograph top right), a 54-year-old Irishman who’s been building yachts for 36 years, many of them with Sunseeker. “I train these guys personally,” he says. “You’ve got to get them to the point where you can trust them with their tasks, and I’ve gotten to that point. I trust them. I’m learning their language, and that’s a little gesture, but it goes such a long way in developing trust among co-workers.”

Smith has bounced around the world building boats, and his wife and two daughters live in Australia. So how’d he wind up so far from home, in Malaysia? The Irishman lets a wry grin spread across his face: “Just drinking in the wrong bars, I guess!”

The Tom Berenger look-alike in the photograph at right is Angus Macneil, another supervisor, who hails from New Zealand and has 20-plus years of boatbuilding experience. He echoes Smith’s take on the workforce. “The Malaysians are wonderful people,” he says. “They have the best attitudes, and they’ll do anything for you. The boats we build here are beautiful, and having a workforce like this is a big reason why. And once we get going and things really ratchet up, we’re only going to get better.”

The Grand Banks 60 is at the forefront of the company’s push in a new direction. The yacht, with classic lines, will actually be 65 feet length overall and have a 19-foot-2-inch beam, while drawing 3 feet 6 inches. Among many notable traits, the 60 will have a cruise speed of 32 knots, a top-end of 37 knots, loads of carbon fiber above the sheer line and Express Joystick Systems at three control stations. This is the boat Grand Banks is betting on to forge a bright future.

The Hand That Rocks the Boat

Grand Banks is nothing if not a top-down ­company. When you’re building yachts in a country that doesn’t have a traditionally strong yacht-building culture, you have to import that culture. And when Grand Banks acquired Palm Beach, it did just that. The culture-setting all starts with Mark Richards. At about 6-foot-4 with pale blue eyes and a ­specifically Aussie machismo, Richards is a force of nature with a boating pedigree that humbles most. The eight-time Rolex Sydney Hobart champion knows as much about boats, and boatbuilding, as anyone in the industry. And he’s not the type of CEO who spends all his time out on the golf course slapping backs and making deals.

Richards is often in the factory, greeting all the workers by name and staying on top of details.

“Within a half-hour of seeing this factory, I knew we could make it work,” he says. “It’s a big pool, but I jumped into the deep end and started swimming. We’re changing the culture here. We’re all about precision. We’ve got an eight-axis router coming in. People may have questions about building boats in Malaysia, but I believe that you can teach anyone to do anything. And I think these new boats we’re building are proving that.”

Richards’ right-hand man, Hank Compton, agrees. “I think the technical quality of these boats, particularly the Grand Banks 60, is really going to impress people,” he says. ­“Everything above the sheer line is carbon fiber. Just think about how that translates into fuel efficiency, not to mention center of gravity. It’s highly technical stuff. The people that work here are clearly proud of what they’re accomplishing, and that’s no accident.”

Singing Praises

If you’re headed to the Johor Bahru factory, you’re most likely flying into Singapore, which is just a few miles away (though traffic can be a bear). Regardless, lucky you. Singapore’s Changi Airport has been voted the world’s best, four years running, at the Skytrax World Airport Awards in Cologne, Germany. Changi Airport has luxury shops, free Wi-Fi and even a movie theater. In an airport. And if you decide to stay in Singapore for your trip — not a bad option considering that Johor Bahru, though not without its charms, is a mostly industrial city — you’re in for another treat. Or, more accurately, you’re in for a bunch of treats.

None other than world-traveling gourmand and TV show host Anthony Bourdain describes the city-state like so: “For a gastro-tourist, somebody who travels to eat, any kind of serious eater, Singapore’s probably the best place you can go for maximum bang in a minimum period of time.” High praise indeed. So there you have it. Go for the yacht but stay for the Wah Feng wonton noodles.

VIDEO: Yachting Visits the Grand Banks Yachts Factory

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Grand Banks 60 Skylounge

The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge model features an enclosed bridge for added comfort, and additional living space for you and your guests. Completely climate-controlled, the Skylounge allows for access to the bridge no matter the sun, heat, wind or dewpoint.

Infused carbon fiber construction, a low center of gravity and bold stats (top speed of 36 knots; 29 gal/hr of fuel at 20 knots; a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles at 10 knots) define the Grand Banks 60 Skylounge. And thanks to incredible stability, you’ll feel confident at the helm of this luxury yacht in any ocean conditions.

The Skylounge’s namesake space stuns with its light-filled airiness, beautiful teak detailing, and sleek, intuitive helm. And the rest of this brilliant motor yacht has the class to match.

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Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia)

Grand Banks Yachts is a company in the yacht industry, specializing in classic trawler-style yachts and modern long-range cruisers. The company uses German-made robots and proprietary V-Warp technology in its manufacturing process. Their target market includes individuals and families looking for luxury, high-speed, fuel-efficient, and stable cruisers. Grand Banks Yachts offers a wide range of fixtures, fittings, and upholstery for staterooms, heads, galleys, and entertaining areas.

Headquarters Plo 488, Jalan Suasa, Pasir Gudang Industrial Estate Pasir Gudang; Johor; Postal Code: 81700

Contact Details: Purchase the Grand Banks Yachts Sdn. Bhd. report to view the information.

Website: http://www.grandbanks.com

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Grand Banks to build bigger boats at expanded Malaysian construction site

With operational headquarters based in Singapore, Grand Banks Yachts is set to expand its Malaysian production facility by more than 25 per cent to make room for bigger boats, raise capacity and accelerate build times. 

The project is budgeted to cost approximately $9 million (SGD) and will include new machinery and state-of-the-art technology.

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Grand Banks Yachts Sdn Bhd

Grand Banks Yachts is a luxury yacht manufacturing company based out of Malaysia, and listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange as Grand Banks Yachts Ltd. ( GBY:SP ) [1]

Grand Banks Yachts began as American Marine [2] , established by Robert J. Newton and his two sons John and Whit Newton. They are regarded as influential in making recreational trawler -style yachts iconic [3] . In 2014 Grand Banks Yachts acquired a 100% ownership stake in Australian luxury yacht builders Palm Beach Motor Yachts, acquiring its CEO Mark Richards , skipper of 8 times line honours Sydney to Hobart winning SuperMaxi Wild Oats XI , to run the enlarged company group [4] .

• 2 Redirection
• 3 References
• 4 sources updated, information verified

History [ edit ]

The original shipyard in 1956 was located on a small section of waterfront [5] in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Hong Kong was at that time a British Colony . Their first boat was launched in 1957 after 6 months of building, and Robert's other son Whit joined his brother and father, and they established American Marine Ltd building heavy sailboats and large motor-yachts for some of the world's top marine architects including Sparkman & Stephens , William Garden , Nat Herreshoff , Ray Hunt and others [6] [7] .  

In 1962, American Marine commissioned their own design through naval architect Ken Smith [8] , a 36 foot trawler named Spray that would lead into the future design of the Grand Banks 36 [9] . Within 1 year of launching Spray, American Marine ceased custom building to focus on their new 8-knot wooden cruiser, and over the next few years expanded the Grand Banks fleet to include the GB32, GB42, GB48, GB50, GB57 and GB62. The shipyard moved from Singapore in 1995 [10] and now trades out of a factory in Johor Bahru [11] , Malaysia with corporate offices in Singapore.

Redirection [ edit ]

Upon its acquisition of Palm Beach and appointment of new CEO Mark Richards , the shipyard in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru , underwent substantial refitting and development and Grand Banks moved from its previous dealership sales distribution network to a factory direct sales model [12] . The company ceased production of its line of legacy models to focus on developing more efficient and modern designs using new technology and production methods utilising carbon fiber , resin infusion and multi-axis CNC . Grand Banks is due to unveil its new flagship Grand Banks 60 in 2017 to commemorate the company's 60th anniversary.

References [ edit ]

• ↑ "Grand Banks Yachts - Company Information" . grandbanks.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Top 15 Trawlers" . Yachting Magazine . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Grand Banks to Acquire 2nd Brand" . Yachting Magazine . Retrieved 2017-03-26 .
• ↑ "American Marine Ltd boatyard, Junk Bay – great photographs – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group" . industrialhistoryhk.org . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "The Making Of a Grand Banks | | PassageMaker" . www.passagemaker.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Oh Wooden Aye" . www.powerandmotoryacht.com . Retrieved 2017-03-07 .

• ↑ ShareInvestor. "Grand Banks Yachts: Renewal Of 30-Year Lease At Pasir Gudang Industrial Area For S$6.2 Million. - ShareInvestor.com" . www.shareinvestor.com . Retrieved 2017-03-06 .
• ↑ "Grand Banks Yachts Annual Report 2016" (PDF) . Annual Report . October 11, 2016 . Retrieved March 26, 2017 .

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This article "Grand Banks Yachts" is from Wikipedia . The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Grand Banks Yachts . Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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Singapore Exchange-listed Grand Banks Yachts Limited is a global brand known for its vast experience in manufacturing and selling luxury motor yachts. Headquartered in Singapore with manufacturing operations in Malaysia and marketing offices in Seattle, Grand Banks is recognized for superior quality and craftsmanship, and has built some of the most highly sought-after yachts available in the market today.

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COMPANY DESCRIPTION

GRAND BANKS YACHTS SDN. BHD. was incorporated on 1990-12-31 in Malaysia with registration number of 0210310M / 199001018641 . GRAND BANKS YACHTS SDN. BHD.'s business includes MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF FIBREGLASS YACHTS

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• V-WARP® TECHNOLOGY

Revolutions in technology are rare. More often, we see systems and processes evolve slowly over time. Improvements tend to be more incremental than fundamental.

That’s not the case with V-Warp ® technology.

While elements of this radical new approach to boat building have been refined over recent years, the combination of them is both new and revolutionary.

Watch our short film about V-Warp’s Power of Three.

The extraordinary benefits of V-Warp ® Technology are derived from what we like to call, ‘the Power of Three’ – the synergy of three design theories that have been fused into one manufacturing process.

Hull form – the development of an underwater geometry that leads to enhanced hydrodynamics and performance.

Exotic Materials – the use of superior e-glass, grade-A epoxy resins and carbon fibre to reduce weight while increasing strength.

Build Philosophy – the combination of reciprocal engineering and weight redistribution to optimise rigidity and balance.

Sit behind the helm of any model built with V-Warp ® Technology and you’ll experience a series of phenomena firsthand.

You’ll be surprised at how easily the boat reaches plane speed and how quiet and soft the ride remains. You’ll be impressed and reassured by the poise and responsive handling you experience in all conditions. And you’ll be astonished to see that the boat is using about half the fuel of any motor yacht of a comparable size.

But to fully understand the ‘Power of Three’, it’s probably best to explore them one at a time.

The inspiration for the V-Warp ® hull form is to be found in the world of competitive ocean racing.

Mark Richards, our CEO, spent ten exciting years on the match racing Grand Prix circuit and holds the unique honour of having won the Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race nine times!

His ambition was to create what he called, ‘A Sailor’s Power boat’.

While designing the hull, Mark and his team of naval architects ‘stood on the shoulders of giants’ and studied the most sophisticated concepts in the science of fluid dynamics.

Their work was informed by the research databases of both NASA and the US Navy. This high-level study led them to incorporate four key features into the sculpting of the hull’s form.

The first, and perhaps the most obvious attribute, is the fine entry of the hull into the water. The blade-like bow splits the seas, creating minimal resistance and helps maintain a level attitude.

In so doing, the hull works to maximum efficiency and delivers an unusually soft ride in all conditions.

The second design feature is the flare you’ll see amidships. This graceful curvature, clearly reminiscent of ocean racing yachts, rolls the seas away from the hull and adds buoyancy.

Beneath this section of the boat, the stem has softened and is subtly rounded to reduce the impact of the waves. This increases stability and gives greater control in rough water.

The third feature, while no means unique to V-Warp ® hulls, is the taper that runs the length of the waterline.

However, this works in concert with the flare to provide stability underway. It also reduces drag by creating lift which optimises speed and efficiency in helping the boat reach plane speed more easily.

The fourth feature is not immediately apparent. Seen from beneath the waterline, the area beneath the transom is unusually flat. This increases lift while keeping the bow engaged, reduces drag and is optimal for both shafts and pods as it reduces turbulence in front of the props.

With a deadrise of only 6-8 degrees, the hull remains stable at speed with little or no pounding and remains stable at rest with no rocking or slapping.

A hidden virtue of these features is how little of the hull is beneath the surface of the water. But this shallow draught is, in large part, attributed to the weight reduction of our construction process and the exotic materials we use.

EXOTIC MATERIALS

In choosing the materials with which we build the V-Warp hull, we have two over-riding concerns:

Minimise the weight, maximise the strength.

To achieve this, the hull is formed from a sandwich of premium grade e-glass with a closed-cell, foam core. This light and highly buoyant combination of materials is then vacuum infused with the highest-grade of epoxy resin available, a modified epoxy called Vinylester.

The result, while reducing weight, is exceptionally strong and has the added benefit of being virtually impervious to blistering caused by osmosis.

The process we follow is painstaking.

It requires a dedicated and choreographed team to ensure the perfect ratio of resin to material throughout the entire length of the hull. In so doing, we can control the necessary variability of thickness from stem to stern.

In further pursuit of weight reduction and strength, and using a similar infusion process, the deck and superstructure are formed from unidirectional and multi-axial carbon fibre.

BUILD PHILOSOPHY

With a hull form that is exceptionally efficient in the water, with materials that reduce weight while enhancing strength, it is our build philosophy that delivers the last pieces of the puzzle.

Rigidity and Balance.

While these construction techniques and processes are fundamental to the success of V-Warp technology, ultimately this is a story about synergy – the power of three design features to deliver exponentially superior results.

Unlike many other manufacturers who use a rather flimsy system of tabs and liners, a V-Warp ® hull is fused directly to all the bulkheads, to the carbon fibre deck and superstructure and to all the fixed furniture that is installed on board – beds, seating and cabinetry.

This reciprocal engineering creates a structural matrix we call a ‘torsion box’. Within this taut construction, each component strengthens the others and creates a stiffness, a rigidity that delivers our characteristically soft, quiet ride – no rattles, no squeaks.

Central to this build philosophy is the positioning of the large mass components.

The engines and full beam, baffled fuel tank are positioned to ensure perfect transversal and longitudinal equilibrium. This poise and balance are further enhanced by a lowered centre of gravity and reduction of weight – a direct result of using carbon fibre in the deck and superstructure.

This configuration leads to extraordinarily stability and responsive handling in all conditions.