When the man with a foreign accent rang to ask Martin Foster to design and build him a yacht, Martin wasn't impressed.

'I thought it was one of my mates and hung up.”
Frenchman Bruno Trouble wasn't to be put off so lightly. He rang back and finally convinced Martin to take him seriously.

Left: The Zetini Haast Barchette is designed by New Zealander Martin Foster. Right: Martin Foster, of Zetini Marine, designs and builds true high performance cruising yachts.

'I was stunned. It really was Bruno Trouble, America's Cup and Olympic skipper – and the creator of the Louis Vuitton Cup.”
Bruno tracked Martin down after seeing the designs which won him the New Zealand Naval Architect of the Year Award. 'He wanted a low-tech, 57 foot yacht with a canting and lifting keel. He didn't want it built of carbon fibre, because his wife said those yachts were ‘too noisy'.” Bruno called the yacht Martin built ‘Wanaka' and ordered another for his son.
Martin didn't set out to design and build yachts. His business career, until then, had included restructuring an ailing New Zealand electronics company into a world class, rural telecommunications award winning export company, working for CSIR in South Africa, for the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise agency and the Bank of New Zealand. However, a love of learning and design led to the ‘hobby' of yacht design and the unexpected commission from one of the world's top yachtsmen.

New hobby
Now Martin has a new hobby – designing and producing a hand-built carbon fibre or aluminium bodied car he's calling the ‘Zetini Haast Barchette'.
'I had an E-Type Jaguar and loved it.” So did his mechanic. 'When he was a bit short of money he'd ring up and ask me to bring the Jag in – he knew he'd find something which needed fixing.”
So Martin decided to indulge his love of the ultra-cool retro looks of old school class and style, and build his own reliable car. The concept and design is his, enhanced by graphic designer Adrian Lamb, with suspension by Pfadt Race Engineering. 'The Barchetta is not a race car, but someone will race it one day.”
The first Zetini Haast Barchette two door convertible is currently under construction, with the aluminium body being hand tooled in Queenstown.
The custom made cars will have two ‘environmental” engine options: the E-ROD 6.2L LS3 which delivers 430hp and 424 ft.-lbs. of torque, and the E-ROD 7.0L LS7 which delivers 505hp and 470 ft.-lbs. of torque.
Transmission is a Getrag 6-speed manual transaxle. 'Using a transaxle ensures optimal weight distribution.”
High performance Brembo brakes and bespoke three-piece forged alloy wheels, with hexagon centre nuts, add to the car's classic look.
Cost for the 6.2L engine car is $215,590 (excluding any GST). Lead time is six months from receipt of deposit.

Zetini
'The progression of advance design, combined with a close relationship with our target market, will ensure Zetini will continually be leading the field in true high performance automobiles and yachts,” says Martin.
Martin Foster was among the speakers at the HortNZ Conference in Wellington in late July where he told his audience success came to those prepared to be leaders, with integrity in everything they do, without tunnel vision, who ask for help, assess the risks – and aim to the ‘best of the best'.