The St Francis Team
At St Francis Catamarans we have a small and dedicated team of highly skilled artisans who take great pride in the outstanding quality of our boats.
Each of the employees, whether in management, admin or production, are extremely proud to be part of the team, and contribute to the continuing success of the company.
Every St Francis Catamaran is custom made to suit the requirements of our clients and we are always willing to discuss and implement new and exciting concepts and ideas.
We operate a system of continuous improvement and strive every day to improve, whether it is in quality, equipment, productivity or housekeeping. We listen to feedback from our customers and are open to suggestions and ideas that could help us offer an even better product.
Our aim is to be the best in everything we do, never compromise on quality and to make each boat better than the ones before.
Cal Tomlinson - Chief Executive Officer
Cal is a highly experienced marine professional whose career spans yacht construction, project and production management, and professional sailing at the highest level.
He has held senior positions at leading shipyards, including Discovery Yachts (UK), Devonport Yachts (UK), Southern Wind Shipyards, and Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing, bringing extensive expertise in high-end composite construction, export production, and large-scale team leadership.
Cal holds Yacht Master qualifications with both SAS and the RYA, as well as SAMSA Deck Officer certification. He studied marine electrical engineering and later yacht design at Westlawn (USA), and has accumulated decades of hands-on experience across all sectors of the yachting industry.
With approximately 220,000 nautical miles of ocean sailing — largely as skipper — Cal’s sailing achievements include:
• Winner of Rothmans Week 1993 (in a yacht he built).
• Class wins in the Round the Island Race in 2000, 2001, and 2003.
• Class winner of the 2003 Fastnet Race.
• Crew and engineer aboard the J-Class yacht Velsheda for the 2001 America’s Cup Jubilee.
• IMOCA 60 sail trials in La Rochelle.
• Numerous Atlantic and Indian Ocean passages.
Cal has also made a significant contribution to sailing development as former Commodore of Hermanus Yacht Club and as a national youth sailing coach across multiple international dinghy classes.
Passionate about sailing, innovation, and collaboration, Cal brings strong leadership, technical depth, and a truly international perspective to St Francis Marine as it enters its next chapter.
Morton Beckley - Chief Financial Officer
Morton Beckley has taken over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of St Francis Marine. Morton is responsible for financial negotiations, costing, electronic media and advertising.
Morton is a qualified engineer with a BSc (Eng.) from the University of Cape Town. After working in both the construction and consulting environments he founded IT companies that produce programs for both the aviation and engineering industries. He is a keen sailor and has crewed on many St Francis 50 delivery trips along the South African coast.
Long Service Employees
At St Francis Catamarans we are extremely proud of our small and dedicated team of 38 highly skilled artisans, with a high percentage of our staff having faithfully served the company for many years.
The following top 10 longest serving employees have a combined total of over 200 years service between them:
Eric Grootboom
Martin Adams
Rodney Jamaar
Riaan Strydom
Anton Swanepoel
Hansie Vermaak
Gavin Botha
Martinus Ruiters
Clifford Skosana
Godfrey Sysaar
29 Years
27 Years
27 Years
24 Years
20 Years
18 Years
17 Years
17 Years
17 Years
14 Years