X-Yachting - X-Yachts

The 10,000-mile
connection
Discover a partnership that spans
the globe, between Australian
hardware experts Ronstan and
X-Yachts in Denmark
At the beginning of the 21st century, when Australian
hardware manufacturer Ronstan wanted to expand into
the big-boat market, they looked up from ‘down under’.
Up towards the Danish brand Frederiksen Boat Fittings,
which had a range of blocks, traveller and batten systems for larger
boats. It was the perfect complement to Ronstan’s successful
small-boat hardware range. The two companies shared a similar
commitment to design, quality and performance, and were already
working together in a strategic alliance in the southern hemisphere.
When the opportunity came to take that collaboration a step further,
Ronstan acquired Frederiksen Boat Fittings, which then became
Ronstan Denmark, half a world away in the Danish town of Vejle.
Ronstan’s long-standing relationship with X-Yachts actually
pre-dates the Frederiksen days. Over the years, Ronstan has
provided deck hardware and sail-handling solutions as standard
equipment for virtually the entire X-Yachts range. This heritage
goes back to the legendary Three-Quarter Ton and One Ton Cup
winners of the 1980s and continues with the performance onedesigns,
Xc and Xp models of the present day. The prestigious
Danish boat builder is located less than an hour away from
Ronstan Denmark’s base in Haderslev, Denmark, helping to
Above: State of the art CNC
manufacturing at the Ronstan
Denmark and Australian plants.
Left: Custom ball-bearing main
traveller with high performance Orbit
sheet blocks for the Xc 42.
foster a unique working partnership between the design and
production teams of the two companies.
To further strengthen its position in the big-boat segment,
Ronstan recently acquired Andersen Winches. Well-known for
making beautifully polished stainless steel winches, Andersen has
long been the benchmark for high-end winches aboard top quality
yachts. By coincidence, they also happen to be located in the same
town as Ronstan Denmark, just a few minutes away on the north
side of the fjord.
Andersen winches are an easy fit with Ronstan’s deck hardware
and sail handling systems. Both brands have built their reputations
on the quality and long-term reliability of their products, and their
combined manufacturing expertise represents a wealth of knowhow
that is now shared within one organisation.
Within a few months all Danish manufacturing operations for
Ronstan hardware and Andersen winches will be consolidated into
a single facility on the north side of Vejle fjord, retaining all the
highly skilled employees who previously worked in the two separate
factories. From design and manufacturing, right through to sales,
service and product delivery, Ronstan Denmark will now offer a full
service from this new location.
The X-Yachts design team and Ronstan have been working closely
together to create advanced deck gear and sail-handling systems
for the latest models in the X-Yachts range. In addition to hardware,
winches, furlers and batten car systems delivered for the Xc range,
fittings are now being supplied for the hot new Xp models.
Ronstan, a company with a strong Australian heritage, is proud to
be such an integral part of the Danish boating industry. With a long
history of creating exceptional sailing yachts, the Danish maritime
tradition moves into the next chapter with a little collaboration from
‘down under’.
Above: Andersen full stainless
self-tailing winches are standard
equipment on the Xc 45.
Right: Ronstan hardware is used
on the latest hi-tech racing
dinghies to bluewater cruisers.
130 X-YACHTING 2012 X-YACHTING 2012 131
X world