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History

Access Dinghies and Ancillary Equipment are designed by Chris Mitchell. Chris was born in Melbourne, Australia. He was a shy little bloke, but the backyard gate opened onto the wide open expanse of Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay, and here began a career in innovative marine design, fitting all sorts of vessels with sails to save rowing out over the horizon to where the bigger fish were biting.

From rafts, canoes, to rowing dinghies, with his mother's broom handles for masts, bed sheets for sails, it was an apprenticeship in resource poor innovation, and by twelve years old, a 2.4meter catamaran had been designed and built, and then followed a series of off the beach sailing dinghies.

At the first opportunity he built a 25ft cruising yacht (a Top Hat, designed by Illingworth and Primrose) and sailed off to South East Asia where he remained on and off for 20 years. That time was spent measuring, photographing and drawing Indonesian sailing/trading craft, then designing, building and modifying yachts in Singapore and Malaysia.

During his time in SE Asia, Chris designed the forerunner of the current Access 2.3 and since his return to Australia in 1992, the company has been formed, factory set up, staff employed and trained, manufacturing processes developed and the Access Dinghy Foundation established. There are now nine models of Access Dinghy available.

Access Dinghy Sailing Systems Pty Ltd (ADSS) was established in July 1997. By January 2002 over 750 Access Dinghies have been built and they are now being sailed in ten countries throughout the world. Current production is five boats per week.