A History of St Francis

In 1988, Duncan Lethbridge, a property developer and keen yachtsman who has sailed several classes competitively over the past 30 years and represented South Africa in three Hobie Worlds also served 25 years as coxswain on the local Sea rescue boat, commissioned Angelo Lavranos to design him a boat suitable to take his family cruising.

The first St Francis 43 was launched in November 1990 and through an unprecedented demand from friends and the local yachting fraternity, a small factory was built to meet the needs. This has grown to become a modern 3000m² building facility situated in St Francis Bay, approximatly 100km West of Port Elizabeth, where the moderatly dry climate with small temperature variations (between 16 and 25ºC) produces a naturally air-conditioned environment, ideal for GRP manufacture.

Through a program of continuous product development the original St Francis 43, has been regularly upgraded, including the incorporation of modern quadriaxel fabric, scoop sterns, raised bridge deck and coach roof, modernised sailplan, are among the many improvements which now make the St Francis 44 MK II, a modern fast cruising catamaran capable of taking on the best the world has to offer.

On a standard delivery trip to Brazil our new St Francis 44 MK II entered the Cape-to-Rio race and convincingly beat all other catamarans, including 50 footers, to be the first multihull to cross the line and first on handicap.