Superyacht UK Tour of Excellence

Over 70 UK companies benefited from the Superyacht UK Tour of Excellence.  26 international Superyacht representatives completed a successful four-day visit to companies along the South Coast, which involved site visits, networking events and exhibition showcases.  The tour is organised by Superyacht UK, an association within the British Marine Federation, and supported by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

The delegates, made up of yacht management companies, project managers, yards, brokers and designers, visited a number of UK businesses including eight yards; Pendennis Shipyard, Devonport, Southampton Yacht Services, Endeavour Quay, Hythe Marine Park, Ocean Quay, Fairlie Restorations and Cockwells, as well as a number of equipment companies including Raymarine, Flagship Training, Lewmar and Oceanair.

Tom Chant, International Commercial Manager at the British Marine Federation said: "The Superyacht sector is a British success story, worth over £300 million and employing in excess of 3,000 people.  It is important to continue to promote this sector and last week's event was a fantastic showcase and a great opportunity for British companies to network with potential buyers."

Similar events organised over the past five years have resulted in millions of pounds of business for UK marine companies and early signs from this visit are equally as positive.

Sam Crockford, a delegate from project management company Saranna said;

"The Superyacht UK Tour of Excellence is not only an excellent forum to learn more about what UK sourced products and services can be provided to our industry, but is also a first rate opportunity for networking and meeting like minded professionals."

Another delegate, Rod Hatch, Captain added: "The event was a very worthwhile experience, allowing quality time with serious people."

Julie Tucker from Design Unlimited, who hosted the delegates said;

"We were really pleased with the meetings we had for the Tour of Excellence. We got some very good feedback from the delegates who had visited our offices and are hopeful that this will lead to some future projects."