Sunseeker 131 temporarily closes London City Airport
Motorboat & Yachting: With less than 24 hours to go until the London Boat Show opens, Sunseeker has given an insight into the logistics of getting its 131 Yacht in place.
Bringing large motor yachts to the Excel Centre for the London Boat Show is no walk in the park and this year Sunseeker set themselves a mammoth challenge.
The Sunseeker 131 Yacht will be the largest model ever launched in London when it is unveiled tomorrow at the Excel Centre and the logistics of getting it in place have been considerable.
Sunseeker has revealed that it needed London City Airport to temporarily close a runway while their team manoeuvred the tri-deck yacht through King George V lock and onto its berth at the nearby Excel Centre.
And they would do well to keep the airport onside, as plans are in place to fly in potential buyers on an Airbus H135 helicopter for private viewings of the 131 Yacht.
Sean Robertson, sales director at Sunseeker International, said: “I am delighted we are launching this special new yacht, the first – and largest – of four new Sunseeker models set to debut in 2016.”
He added that five orders for the 131 Yacht have already been placed by clients based all over the world. The Sunseeker 131 Yacht will be on display at the London Excel Centre from 8-17 January and tickets are available online now, with prices starting from £10 per adult.
In other Sunseeker news, the firm has announced that it will be expanding its latest recruitment drive to offer 225 new jobs.
Phil Popham, CEO of Sunseeker, said: “We are pleased to announce these recruitment plans which give a clear signal of the positive times ahead at Sunseeker. Our forward order book for 2016 and beyond is looking very strong, currently up 55% over the same period last year.
“Expanding our highly skilled workforce is a key part of our planned investment, and with the introduction of a number of new boat lines in 2016 we are able to recruit 225 new skilled staff to support future growth.
“This recruitment drive is underway and will conclude in the first half of the year, bringing our total employee number to around 2,150.”
The announcement comes on the back of the news that rival firm Princess Yachts will be shedding up to 350 staff in a major restructure of its Plymouth headquarters.
