Yachting: Record one of many for Southern Spars

New Zealand yachtie Tom Dodson was probably a little more nervous than most watching Ellen MacArthur's record-breaking attempt.

Dodson is president of Auckland company Southern Spars, which designed and manufactured the boom and the 30.6m carbon-fibre mast for MacArthur's 23m trimaran B&Q Castorama.

"You tend in the early stages not to get too excited. I would have been like most of the world and started following it in the last few weeks," Dodson said.

"It got a bit hairy at the end ... the longer the attempt goes on and the more likely it looks like an important record is going to be broken, your mind starts to work a little bit even though you know you have done everything with your product. You still hope you are not going to let the team down."

The rotating wing mast was designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency to assist performance.

While there was a need for speed, Dodson said that since the race was a solo effort the company had to ensure the mast and sail handling functions could be carried out as easily as possible.

Within days of MacArthur's triumph, fellow Briton Mike Golding finished third in the Vendee Globe Race, also with a Southern Spars rotating wing mast.

The company's masts have featured in a number of record-setting passages, including catamaran Cheyenne's outright record for the fastest circumnavigation (fully crewed) and the Mari Cha IV transatlantic record.

Dodson said the company had a number of projects lined up, including the construction of masts for American's Cup syndicates Emirates Team New Zealand, Oracle and K-Challenge. However, it was crying out for staff.

" We are losing business through lack of hands. It is very critical, actually," Dodson said.