Rudolf Jonker
The hands-on experience gained from building yachts to fixing them gave Rudolf insights into how to prevent the issues and address the needs of real-world cruisers that few designers have. When it came time to combine that knowledge with his fine art talents in a design role, it expressed itself in highly functional designs that expressed an aesthetic liberated from the confines of naval tradition.Â
As the head designer of the boatyard, Rudolf personally ensures that every detail you’ve spoken to us about makes it into the production yard. You’ll experience the fruits of his current ideas in your yacht and notice his future ideas out at sea someday soon.
Joe Heywood
His earlier years as a racing yachtsman with a marine engineering education make Joe the obvious choice to work within every department to create a production line for the new XSC60 yacht, and to manage Phoenix’s sails and rigging department. He brings the hands-on passion of a competitive sailor to project management.Â
Joe is mostly on the production floor getting things done but he’d also be able to advise you on tweaking your yacht to your needs and getting it sailing well both before and after you become a customer.
Denzil Julies
Denzil learnt the yacht building business from the ground up, driven to building his management skills along the way. As the production manager, much of his time is devoted to keeping the company operating into the future but his greatest fulfilment comes from being able to reward everyone for contributing to a successful year and to keep creating employment.Â
You’ll likely meet Denzil if you visit the boatyard, where he knows every process and everyone. Ultimately, he keeps your yacht coming out on schedule.
Clinton Johns
Clinton has an eye on the future and a vision of how yacht-building and yachts will evolve. He’s been connected to the boat-building industry for decades through special expertise in composites but as founder of the boatyard, his background in electronics engineering has had the most marked influence on Phoenix.Â
You’ll find the trace of some of his ventures into the bleeding edge of technology integrated into your yacht and perhaps in new sustainable materials incorporated in future builds. If he’s in town, you may also meet him at the boatyard, where he is proudest of the certificates of achievement that people obtain.
Meet Our Artisan Builders
Artisan Boat Builders with decades of experience.
