By Nangamso Mabindla
6 February 2007

TALKS of building a marina in East London have excited inflatable boat builder Rowan Hawkes, who is a two times surf boating national champion.

This follows a visit to the city by a French businessman, Christophe Vieux, who looked at options for changing the face of the beachfront.

Vieux is the organiser of Grand Povois, one of the biggest water boat shows in the world. He was in the city in January, when he met Premier Nosimo Balindlela, the City's executive mayor Zintle Peter and other businessmen, including Hawkes. They discussed the possibilities of a marina in East London.

Hawkes, who owns Aquarius Inflatables in Buffalo City, said a marina would open up many business opportunities on the East London beachfront. "If a marina were to be built I would also support it, maybe by opening a retail store. By doing that I would be playing my part in the economic development of the city."

Looking at the benefits of having a marina in East London, Hawkes said that it would create work opportunities. It would also be in line with other developments, including the upgrading of the East London Airport, the Port and the Buffalo City Development Agency which, among other things, aimed to improve the face of the city's beachfront.

Hawkes believes that a marina would also encourage inflatable boating sports in East London. "Since I started my company in the early 1990s I have been supplying clients outside East London and in overseas countries like New Zealand, Australia and Trinidad. This shows that not many people here take part in the sport," he said.

His company also supplies boats to Buffalo City's disaster management unit and Netcare 911, the private emergency medical service.

Hawkes says that aims to develop the sport would benefit from having a marina; it would also encourage poor people to take up the sport.

"There are people from disadvantaged areas taking part in the sport already, but I do feel that a marina would play a bigger role in influencing them to race inflatable boats."