Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

UKNEWS

NEWS

Strong sales stem losses

Strong sales helped Princess Yachts

make significant progress in its

financial results during 2016.

Last year, the yard made a loss of

£7.0 million on an increased turnover

of £216.7 million, a significant

improvement on 2015’s figure of £18.

million on a £201.2 million turnover.

Speaking at the Cannes show

executive chairman Antony Sherrif

also announced that the company

was now ‘trading profitably’.

The company says that ‘having

endured a challenging trading

environment – in common with other

luxury yacht builders – Princess

began 2016 by developing an

aggressive business strategy.’

A five-year £100 million investment

programme is intended to strengthen

the range and improve its production

facilities, with a new model launched

on average every two months.

Princess moves

back into profi t

British university’s sub optimal!

Sunseeker turns BLUE

Boatbuilder announces charity partnership

Human-powered submarine wins awards

Sunseeker International has

announced its new long-term

partnership with Blue Marine

Foundation (BLUE), a charity

dedicated to protecting the oceans.

BLUE is a UK-based charity

established in 2010 by the team

behind the film The End of the Line,

which brought the world’s attention

to the crisis of overfishing. Vital

projects undertaken by BLUE

include the creation of a marine-

protected area around Ascension

Island, restoring natural shellfish

populations to the Solent,

introducing sustainable fishing

in the Aeolian Islands and aiding

in the clean-up of ocean plastic

waste in the Mediterranean.

Sunseeker will also be working

with BLUE to support the Blue

Marine Yacht Club (BMYC).

Launched in 2012 by His Serene

Highness Prince Albert II of

Monaco, the club was formed

to unite the global yachting

community in a clear mission

to protect the ocean.

Phil Popham, CEO of Sunseeker,

commented, “We are delighted

to announce our partnership with

BLUE. I was particularly impressed

with the energy and motivation

of the charity which is evident in

the fantastic work that is carried

out across the world.”

A British human-powered submarine,

HPS-Godiva 3, entered by Warwick

University has won three awards at

the International Submarine Races.

Held this year at the US naval base

NSWC Carderock in Washington DC,

universities from all over the world

came together to compete against

each other. The challenges included

a presentation to a panel of judges,

submission of a design report and

racing on a 100m course.

600,

THE MONTH

IN NUMBERS

Total horsepower of MTU engines

installed by shipyard Heesen

Yachts. The engines have been

installed in over 600 of its boats.

60

10,

Crewsaver is celebrating 60 years

since it was founded in Gosport

in 1957. The company pioneered

the design of gas-operated

air-only lifejackets in 1980.

This year saw the 57th year of

the Cowes-Torquay Offshore

Powerboat Race, taking the

total race mileage to 10,870.

This year’s team comprised seven

final-year masters’ students at the

University of Warwick, studying

either mechanical, manufacturing or

electronic engineering. The students

were supported by two students doing

research projects on the submarine to

improve its hull and powertrain.

The 2.8m submarine was

sponsored by 3M and spent two

weeks at the company’s Automotive

Refinish Centre in Atherstone where

it gained its distinctive livery. The fifth

human-powered submarine to be

built by the university, HPS-Godiva 3

won Best Use of Composites, Best

Design Outline and achieved third

place in its speed award category

for 2.52 knots, the highest recorded

for any Warwick University submarine.

8

Sunseeker will be supporting

projects to protect the oceans

for everyone’s benefi t

The 3M sponsored

sub hit 2.5 knots on

human power alone

A rapid pace of change

has driven Princess’s

recent successes