Fairline on the way out?

JennyMorgan · December 3, 2015

Fairline is a brand of boat that we often see down at Oulton Broad. Wouldn't be my first choice in the event of winning the lottery but I have to admit that they are smart bits of kit and there is a local connection in that Fairline has an Ipswich testing yard. Seemingly they are in an unfortunate financial position, very regrettable. I wonder if the masses of similar boats that are for sale as secondhand has anything to do with their tenuous position?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/12029848/Powerboat-builder-Fairline-collapses-shortly-after-sale-by-Better-Capital.html

Paul · December 3, 2015

Dad hailed from Corby, and two of my cousins have, at different times worked for Fairline at Oundle. They have been struggling for years. There have been several rounds of redundancies. Sadly it appears that they cannot, for whatever reason keep pace in a market which is supposedly still quite bouyant (excuse the pun)

NeilB · December 3, 2015

Sad news but not unexpected, they have been struggling for a few years now. Several people I’ve known for quite a long time have departed over the past couple of weeks, only one to a new job.

I’ve lost count of the amount of CEO’s since Derek Carter left and there’s been 3 different investment groups involved who had no knowledge or experience of the marine world. 3i, Better Capital and lastly Wessex Bristol who’s not really a group, just a single person who no one has managed to speak to!!

Hockham Admiral · December 3, 2015

I'm sure that Fairline was sold to a German company a few years ago?

NeilB · December 3, 2015

That was Sealine. Hanse Yachts brought a couple of the moulds when Sealine went into receivership.

Not sure if this would happen to Fairline as they do not have any relatively new designs like Sealine had at the time. The new 53 is just a re-hashed 50 and has received a few negative comments.