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 Mark "leading the Contender fleet" at Lake Garda, Italy
The Dinghy Sports StoryDinghy Sports was established in 1979 to cater for an emerging gap created in the youth sailing market. This niche primarily arose in response to the social changes which began in the 1960's and 70's. No longer did large numbers of dads build wooden racing dinghies each weekend in their garage, as the kids pitched in excitedly. The age of outsourcing had begun and with improvements in fibreglassing technologies, a market began to develop for well designed and locally manufatured junior racing dinghies.
Mark was the first builder in Australia to use foam sandwich techniques in production sail boats, in order to achieve a light weight and stiff high performance racing dinghy. Mark grew up on the shores of Sydney's Pittwater and by the time he entered university, he had developed a distinguished and rewarding sailing resume. Until he established Dinghy Sports, Mark had various careers in architectural design, boatbuilding and restoration in the UK. Unable to withstand the cold winters of Northern Europe, Mark returned to Australia determined to turn his passion for competitive sailing into a life long career. After employment as Sales Manager of Performance Sail Craft Australia, Mark resigned in order to fully devote himself to the establishment of Dinghy Sports Australia Pty Limited. Armed with the latest technologies and construction techniques acquired from his restoration and boat building business in the UK, Mark set out to provide a fleet of superior racing dinghies to the junior Australian market. The businesss has developed over the last 30 years into a well respected outfit. In addition to catering to the youth racing market, Dinghy Sports has developed a sail training boat, the Envy 4.3, which has been sold extensively to the Navy Cadets, the Sea Scouts and to sail training programs all over Australia. As competition from China has encroached on the youth sailing market, the developement of the sail training dinghy, restoration, repairs and rigging aspects of the business have filled the breach. Mark is a highly skilled and expereienced technician. He is one of the last remaining boat builders operating in the Sydney metropolitan area, of which he is very proud. After successfully operating for over 30 years, Mark and the Dinghy Sports team are well placed to meet all your sailing needs. |
MARK PHILLIPS, OWNER, DINGHY SPORTS Mark's Sailing Achievements1968/9 Mirror Dinghy NSW Junior Champion 1969/70 First Place Mirror Dinghy Australian Junior Champion 1972/3 Fireball NSW Junior State Champion 1974/5 Laser NSW Junior Champion 5th in open Aust Champs 1977/8 Laser NSW Champion and 6th in Laser European Championships and qualified for Laser worlds in Brazil 1980 Olympic trial list (470 class) Moscow Games 1992 Olympic trial List (Soiling) Barcelona Games 1993 Third Apprentice Laser World Masters Championships (USA) 1994 Second Apprentice Laser World Masters Championships (Greece) 1997 Competed in Sydney to Hobart on Terra Firma 1998 Competed in Sydney to Hobart on Terra Firma 1997 NSW International Contender Champion 1998 NSW International Contender Champion 1999 NSW International Contender Champion 2002 World International Contender Masters Champion 2005 First International 5.5 World Championships Evolution Division (crew) 2008 Ninth Laser World Masters 2009 Third Grand Master Laser World Masters Games Sydney 2010 Third Place Mirror Nationals (Hugh Phillips Crew) 2010 First NSW Laser Grand Master 2010 Third National Laser Grand Masters 2010/11 Thirteenth Mirror World Championships (Hugh Phillips Crew) 2011/12 Second Place Mirror Nationals (Crew Hugh) 2012 5th Place Heron Nationals 2012 7th Laser Grand Masters 2012 5th Heron Nationals (Crew Hugh) 2014 5th Heron Nationals (Crew Hugh) 2015 2nd Heron Nationals (Crew Hugh and Layne) 2016 2nd Heron Nationals (Crew Hugh and Layne) 2016 1st Grand Master Heron Nationals |
