Back in 1969, in the English seaside town of Poole, Robert Braithwaite dreamt of building a new kind of boat. Using revolutionary materials and technology, his early designs were tailored to a handful of customers, keen to embrace new found freedoms.
In the early seventies, there were simply no significant builders of boats for the sports and leisure markets in the UK. The first craft to launch was the Sovereign 17 in 1971, closely followed by the Sovereign 20. By 1972, the company was exhibiting at the Southampton Boat Show and keen to meet new customers. Into the nineties, style became an even bigger factor. With this firmly in mind, Sunseeker began to observe the softer shapes employed within automotive design.
This, combined with an awakened desire amongst owners for larger boats led to the Renegade 60, our very first production boat with twin jet drives, seamlessly fusing performance, style and exceptional maneuverability. The true recognition? Applause by the competition on its dramatic entrance to the Southampton Boat Show in 1990. This new benchmark in luxury boating combined accommodation, incredible performance, range and handling like never before, confirming a reputation not just for imaginative boat design but increasingly, as one of the world’s leading boat builders.
The turn of the century saw Sunseeker set the pace with the launch of their then-largest ever motoryacht, the 105 Yacht. Advanced composite materials and the latest construction techniques created a true triumph. Continuing apace – literally, with a top speed of 32 knots – the industry’s true innovators had delivered a motoryacht of inspirational design, winning two of the world’s most prestigious accolades at the International Superyacht Design awards.Ever larger superyachts followed such as the meteoric 37M Yacht which has inspired an entirely new generation culminating in our latest creation, the 42M Ocean.
But just fifteen short years after the 105 Yacht’s inception, a truly exceptional milestone…The delivery of our 100th luxury performance motoryacht in the 100ft+ superyacht category defined the sheer breadth of a range of exceptional yachts including our previous flagship 155 Yacht.A feat that was celebrated in September 2015, helping us to mark several decades of Sunseeker innovation and craftsmanship. Today, less than 5 years later, that number stands nearer 140 superyachts.