Robert "Bob" Frederick CliffordAOis an Australianshipbuilderand businessman, best known for his success in building hisIncatcatamaranbuilding company into an international brand that sellswave piercingcatamaran ferries all over the world including to the US military and many European ferry operators.
Robert Clifford | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tasmania,Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Chair and founder ofincat |
Life and career
editIn 1963, Bob Clifford was awarded the apprentice of the year award for printing. He began his boat-building business in his backyard before expanding it to a commercial operation. Eventually he went into partnership withPhilip Hercus,who helped him expand Incat into a serious shipbuilding operation.
In 1994, Clifford skippered his maxi yachtTasmaniato line honours victory in the 50th anniversarySydney to Hobart yacht race.In 1994, Clifford experienced one of his blackest moments when he accidentally ran aground his $40 million catamaranCondor IIupon Blackjack Rock in the mouth of theDerwent River.He has won numerous design and manufacturing awards for his shipbuilding exploits.
Incat
editHe spent much of his early years as a fisherman and turned his passion for the sea into a backyard boat building operation. He was successful, and promoted the idea of fast commuter ferries and turned his company into one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-speed catamaran ferries. TheTasman Bridge disasterresult in high demand Clifford's ferry business.[1]Developing much of the technology locally, Incat researched and designed high-tech, high-speed wave piercing catamarans.
By September 1977,Incatlaunched their first high-speed catamaran atPrince of Wales Bay,Tasmania. Since then they have expanded their operation into 98- and 112-metre wavepiercer production.
The catamarans have proved to be one of Australia's best industrial success stories of recent years, and during the 1990s when Tasmania's economy was suffering badly, the product provided a ray of hope to the ailing state. Over twenty of the catamarans have been sold to European operators, and a higher number has been sold to the US military. At the height of their success, Incat held more than 40% of the world's high speed ferry manufacturing market. Although the market has slowed, Incat has moved into production of catamaran freight vessels, and they are developing the design for even longer, 150-metre ferries.
Honours
editClifford has been awarded theOfficer of the Order of Australia(AO) in 1995,[2]and an honorary Engineering degree (DEng.) from theUniversity of Tasmania.He was also namedTasmanian of the Yearin 1988.
References
edit- ^Mather, Anne (5 January 2015)."Tasman Bridge disaster turned to opportunity for Bob Clifford and his boats".The Mercury.Retrieved5 January2015.
- ^It's an Honour– Officer of the Order of Australia