TEAM HOLT

Quality and innovation has been the key throughoutthe history of Jack Holt Ltd. In this way we have keptthe company at the forefront of the market. Today weare as active as Jack, Beecher, Tony and Glen were inthe pioneering days of the post war era. Working withthe worlds top sailors and designers we are constantlycreating new fittings while updating existing productsto meet the demands of modern sailing.HOLT60 YEARS 04_0560 yearsOF HOLTThis season Jack HoltLtd celebrates 60 yearsof trading in the marinebusiness. It was backin 1945 that Jack Holtand Beecher Moore setup a partnership todesign and build a newbreed of sailing dinghy.The Merlin Rocket, asit became known, soonbecame the fastestracing dinghy aroundand showed theinnovative potential ofthe new partnership.The companyestablished itself inPutney, from where itsinfluence began tostretch worldwide.The success of the Merlin inspiredYachting World to commissionJack Holt to design and build anew low cost dinghy that wouldallow children to enjoy sailing.Built using a plywood chineconstruction the Cadet began arevolution in sailing, reducing thecost while broadening the sportsappeal. The GP14, which followedin 1950, was the first boat to besold in kit form. These new boatsmade sailing available to moreand more people. The dinghymarket was expanding rapidly,however, all the fittings had to becustom made for each boatbuilder in the small quantities theyrequired. Jack and Beecher foundthis very frustrating, often findingit very difficult to obtain thetype and quality of fittings theyneeded. It was not until the early1950's and the developmentof the International Enterprisethat the idea of making dinghyhardware on a commercial basiscame about.Jack and Beecher were inspiredby Glen and Tony Allen, Essexbased engineers with a passionfor sailing, who produced a smallamount of dinghy equipment intheir spare time. It was quicklyagreed that the Allen Brotherswould make a range of die cast‘alloy’ fittings for Holt. This was arevolutionary step moving awayfrom the old standard of heavycast bronze hardware.Initially they supplied these newfittings on their own boats butword of the lighter, more efficienthardware quickly spread andthey soon found there was agreat demand for their products.The hardware side of the businesswas so successful that it quicklyovershadowed the boat buildingdivision. The Holt range nowruns to well over 1,000 itemsand is probably the mostcomprehensive available.www.holtallen.com1960’s 1970’s 1980’s1990’s 2005