They initially produced the successful Cavalier 32 as well as the Coronet Trailer Sailer and the Corsair 36 launch.
[3] Smith introduced two new partners, Pat Sullivan as administrator and accountant, and Grant Bennet as floor and production manager.
Under pressure from the New Zealand government, a sophisticated fibreglass production unit was developed in Glenfield, Auckland to meet the new health and safety regulations for fiberglass construction.
In 1979, Prime Minister Rob Muldoon introduced a sudden 20% sales tax surcharge to the New Zealand boat-building industry[4] which priced Cavalier out of the international market, leading to cancelled orders and precipitating the collapse of the business.
Cavalier Yachts was one of the New Zealand boat-building industry's early successes, the largest in the southern hemisphere at the time.