A yacht ( / j ɒ t / ) is a sail - or motor -propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a yacht , as opposed to a boat , such a pleasure vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and may have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities.
50-564: Sunseeker International is a British luxury performance motor yacht brand. Originally named Poole Power Boats, the company was founded by brothers Robert and John Braithwaite in 1969. The company changed its name to Sunseeker International in 1985 and has since become a global icon. Its headquarters and main assembly facility is in Poole Harbour, at Poole in Dorset , England . The majority shareholder has been Wanda Group since 2013. It
100-739: A large yacht as one that is 24 metres (79 ft) or more at the waterline and is in commercial use for sport or pleasure, while not carrying cargo or more than 12 passengers and carrying a professional crew. The code regulates the equipping of such vessels, both at sea and in port—including such matters as crew duty times and the presence of a helicopter on board. The code has different levels of standard for vessels above and below 500 gross tons . Such yachts may be considered superyachts and are more commonly at 40 metres (130 ft) or more in length. Other countries have standards similar to LY2. Whereas commercial large yachts may carry no more than 12 passengers, private yachts are solely for
150-483: A steam auxiliary engine . Early examples, driven with paddle wheels, had a railed platform from which the person conning the vessel could walk across the vessel above the main deck, the origin of the bridge . In the late 18th century, steam engines became more efficient, spars were removed and screw propellers became standard. Steam yachts evolved with the development of the steam engine . Ultimately, engines employed pistons driven by steam within cylinders, connected to
200-431: A 600-foot (180 m) yacht, REV Ocean , was under construction, which when launched would replace the 590-foot (180 m) Azzam as the longest superyacht. As superyachts have grown size, the distinction between a yacht and a ship (perhaps converted for personal use) has become unclear. A proposed definition for calling a vessel a yacht rather than a ship would if it was constructed solely for personal use and has
250-767: A business for profit. As of 2020, there were more than 15,000 yachts of sufficient size to require a professional crew. The term, yacht , originates from the Dutch word jacht (pl. jachten ), which means "hunt", and originally referred to light, fast sailing vessels that the Dutch Republic navy used to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries . The history of pleasure boats begins with rowed craft in Pharaonic Egyptian times, and other vessels in
300-665: A category, apart. Design considerations for a cruising yacht include seaworthiness, performance, sea kindliness, and cost of construction, as follows: Multihulls offer tradeoffs as cruising sailboats, compared with monohulls . They may be catamarans or trimarans. They rely on form stability—having separate hulls far apart—for their resistance to capsize. Their advantages include greater: stability, speed, (for catamarans) living space, and shallower draft. Their drawbacks include: greater expenses, greater windage , more difficult tacking under sail, less load capacity, and more maneuvering room required because of their broad beam. They come with
350-473: A combination of diesels and gas turbines with a combined 47,000 horsepower (35,000 kW). Bournemouth Crown Court The Bournemouth Combined Court Centre , also known as Bournemouth Courts of Justice , is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth , Dorset , England. Until
400-632: A combined occupancy of less than 100, including crew. The United States Coast Guard classifies motorboats—any vessel less than 65 feet (20 m), propelled by machinery—in four classes by length: A motor yacht's style can both be functional and evoke an aesthetic—trending towards the modern or the traditional. Among the styles, mentioned in the literature, are: There are three basic types of motor yacht hull: full-displacement , semi-displacement , and planing , which have progressively higher cruise speeds and hourly fuel consumption with increased engine power: A typical semi-displacement yacht has
450-530: A contest between the yacht, America , and its English competitors. Both countries had rules by which to rate yachts, the English by tonnage and the American by length. In the late 19th century, yacht owners would base their choice of vessel upon preferred lifestyle and budget, which would determine the size and type of vessel, which would most likely be a fore-and aft, two-masted sailing vessel. A treatise on
500-407: A crank shaft, which drove a propeller. Near the end of the 19th century, compound engines came into widespread use. Compound engines exhausted steam into successively larger cylinders to accommodate the higher volumes at reduced pressures, giving improved efficiency. These stages were called expansions, with double- and triple-expansion engines being common, especially in shipping where efficiency
550-518: A higher-aspect ratio fin keel with hydrodynamically efficient bulbs for ballast. On some racing yachts, a canting keel shifts angle from side to side to promote sailing with less heeling angle (sideway tilt), while other underwater foils take care of leeway (sideways motion). Motor yachts range in length from 33–130 feet (10–40 m) before they are considered super-yachts or mega-yachts , which are 130 feet (40 m) and longer. They also vary by use, by style, and by hull type. As of April 2020
SECTION 10
#1732783677545600-491: A hired crew and have higher construction standards. Further classifications for large yachts are commercial : carrying no more than 12 passengers; private : solely for the pleasure of the owner and guests, or by flag , the country under which it is registered. A superyacht (sometimes megayacht ) generally refers to any yacht (sail or power) longer than 131 ft (40 m). Racing yachts are designed to emphasize performance over comfort. Charter yachts are run as
650-486: A more prevalent type of power plant in the 20th century thanks to their low cost of operation and reliability. The Recreational Craft Directive requires that all vessels sold in the European Union and United Kingdom satisfy one of four design categories, based on the wind force and seas that they are designed to encounter: The Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY2) of Great Britain and its dominions defines
700-610: A navigation station that allows planning the route. Onboard systems include: Modern yachts employ a suite of electronics for communication, measurement of surroundings, and navigation. Sailing yachts for cruising versus racing embody different tradeoffs between comfort and performance. Cruising yachts emphasize comfort over performance. Racing yachts are designed to compete against others in their class, while providing adequate comfort to their crews. Cruising yachts may be designed for near-shore use or for passage-making. They may also be raced, but they are designed and built with
750-407: A new category of pleasure craft. The power plants started with the steam engine and transitioned to the internal combustion engine. Whereas sailing yachts continued to be steered from the after portion of the vessel, power yachts adopted the bridge in a forward cabin structure that afforded better forward and sideways visibility. The history of steam yachts starts with large sailing yachts with
800-773: A resident judge at Bournemouth Crown Court. In June 2019, Bob Biggins was found guilty of 46 counts of indecent assault, relating to the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal . He was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. In January 2012, Michael Edward was sentenced for the attempted murder of police officer PC Craig Bartlett, having been convicted in December 2011. Edward had stabbed Bartlett on Surrey Road, Westbourne , in February 2011, whilst police were conducting an investigation into Edward possessing drugs with
850-418: A unique facility which vertically integrates every detail of the yachts from the initial concept designs through to the finishing details including furniture, complex electrical systems, helm consoles and soft furnishings, thereby maintaining quality control and craftmanship standards. In October 2002, Robert Braithwaite , the founder of Sunseeker International, was named Ernst & Young 's UK Entrepreneur of
900-492: A variety of sleeping accommodations and (for catamarans) bridge-deck configurations. Gaff rigs have been uncommon in the construction of cruising boats, since the mid 20th century. More common rigs are Bermuda , fractional , cutter , and ketch . Occasionally employed rigs since then have been the yawl , schooner, wishbone , catboat . Sailboats employ standing rigging to support the rig, running rigging to raise and adjust sails, cleats to secure lines, winches to work
950-548: A wedge-shaped bow, which promotes penetrating waves, that transitions to flatter, wider surfaces aft, which promotes lifting the vessel out of the water—the "deep vee" hull, designed by Ray Hunt, found in approximately 75% of modern power boats. Cruising motor yachts are available in a range of styles as two-engine catamarans , ranging in length from 40–150 feet (12–46 m) with top speeds ranging from 20–60 knots (37–111 km/h). Motor yachts typically have one or more diesel engines . Gasoline-powered motors and engines are
1000-550: Is the largest UK-based luxury yacht maker measured by 2012 revenues. The main operating company's (Sunseeker International Limited, company number 00675320) registered office is Sunseeker House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1JD. Sunseeker describes the nature of its business using the Standard Industrial Classification number 30110: 'Building of ships and floating structures'. A holding company , Sunseeker International (Holdings) Limited ,
1050-616: Is undertaken mainly in Poole , in eight production plants and shipyards where it employs c. 2,600 people and produces around 150 boats every year ranging from 38 to 161 feet. An additional deep-water shipyard in Hythe is used to build the 105 yacht and larger vessels. In March 2007, the company announced a 500 job expansion programme, with a new site on the Isle of Portland . Poole is also home to Sunseeker's dedicated Design & Technology Centre,
SECTION 20
#17327836775451100-427: The 1960s fiberglass became a prevalent material. These materials and others continue in use. Whereas yachts of 79 feet (24 m) and below may be constructed of fiberglass , larger yachts are more likely to be constructed of steel, aluminum or composite fiber-reinforced plastic . Depending on size, a cruising yacht is likely to have at least two cabins , a main salon and a forward stateroom . In smaller yachts,
1150-424: The English crown, Charles was presented with a yacht and later commissioned a series of royal yachts, which included at least one experimental catamaran . The first recorded yacht race between two vessels occurred in 1661, followed by the first open sailing competition in 1663 in English waters. Starting in 1739, England found itself in a series of wars—a period that saw a decline in yachting. In Ireland, however,
1200-914: The North American and European luxury yacht markets. In November 2024 Sunseeker was fined £358,760 by Bournemouth Crown Court for 11 illegal imports of Teak wood from Myanmar , costing the company about £60,000 at the time. The imports violated the United Kingdom Timber Regulation, successor to the European Union Timber Regulation . Sunseeker boats have featured in the James Bond film series since The World Is Not Enough (1999), and continued through Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). The 1999 outing featured Sunseeker's then new offering of
1250-576: The Sovereign 17. A BBC Two documentary about the brand, Britain's Biggest Superyachts: Chasing Perfection , shows the building of the Sunseeker 131 yacht. In the feature film Logan , James ( Wolverine ) is shown trying to secure money to buy a Sunseeker and live with Charles Xavier and Caliban on the ocean. Yacht The Commercial Yacht Code classifies yachts 79 ft (24 m) and over as large . Such yachts typically require
1300-591: The Superhawk 34, in a boat chase within the pre credits sequence with James Bond in a jet boat along the River Thames , culminating in the Sunseeker beaching near the Millennium Dome . This latest outing showed Sunseeker's new 37m Yacht and the Superhawk 43; it also featured a cameo role for Sunseeker's then managing director, Robert Braithwaite, in one of Sunseeker's very first open-cockpit speedboats,
1350-548: The Year. In 2006 Robert Braithwaite led a £44 million MBO of the company, backed by Bank of Scotland . The company features in the 2008 Sunday Times list Profit Track 100 of the most profitable non-listed companies and in the Top Track 250 list of mid-sized non-listed companies. In 2010, Irish private equity firm FL Partners took over ownership of Sunseeker through a debt restructuring deal after Sunseeker posted losses
1400-749: The closure of Dorchester Crown Court in September 2016, all cases that would have been heard in Dorchester were also referred to Bournemouth Crown Court. The old courts in Stafford Road in Bournemouth closed completely after the Coroner's Court moved to Bournemouth Town Hall , also in September 2016. On 3 May 2022, His Honour Judge William Mousley KC was appointed resident judge for Bournemouth Crown Court. His Honour Judge William Mousley KC
1450-464: The comfort and amenities necessary for overnight voyages. Qualities considered in cruising yachts include: performance, comfort under way, ease of handling, stability, living comfort, durability, ease of maintenance, affordability of ownership. Cruising sailboats share the common attribute of providing overnight accommodations. They may be classified as small (easy to haul behind a trailer), near-shore and off-shore . Multihull sailing yachts are
1500-518: The company's new chief executive officer. In June 2019, Sunseeker announced that Andrea Frabetti, formerly Chief Technical Officer at Sunseeker, replaced Christian Marti as CEO. Prior to his time at Sunseeker, Frabetti worked at Italian superyacht manufacturer Ferretti Group for over 25 years, including time as vice president of product development, as well as at Diesel Center SPA as CEO. Marti came on board as Sunseeker's CEO in November 2018 following
1550-605: The departure of Phil Popham. In 2024, Sunseeker changed ownership again two private equity firms, Lionheart Capital from the U.S. and Italy’s Orienta Capital Partners, acquired the company from Dalian Wanda Group. The deal was officially announced at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2024 . This acquisition by Lionheart and Orienta Capital aims to further strengthen Sunseeker's brand globally while expanding its reach in both
Sunseeker - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-528: The gentry enjoyed yachting and founded the first yacht club in Cork as the Cork Harbour Water Club in 1720. English yacht racing continued among the English gentry who founded England's oldest yacht club in 1775 to support a fleet at Cumberland . With maritime peace, starting in 1815, came a resurgence of interest in yachting. Boatbuilders, who had been making fast vessels both for smugglers and
1650-406: The government revenue cutters , turned their skills again to yachts. The fast yachts of the early 19th century were fore-and-aft luggers , schooners , and sloops . By the 1850s, yachts featured large sail areas, a narrow beam, and a deeper draft than was customary until then. Racing between yachts owned by wealthy patrons was common, with large wagers at stake. The America's Cup arose out of
1700-429: The intention of supply them . Edward, using a 16cm kitchen knife, stabbed Bartlett, causing him to suffer two stab wounds - a 12cm wound above his hip and a 10cm wound on his shoulder. The injuries were described as 'serious and potentially fatal'. Investigation on Bartlett's coat revealed that at least another attempt to stab him had been made. Bartlett was treated at hospital for a few days before returning to duty. Edward
1750-613: The mid-1990s, all criminal court hearings in Bournemouth were held at the Law Courts in Stafford Road, which were completed in 1914. However, as the number of court cases in Bournemouth grew, it became necessary to commission a more modern courthouse for criminal matters: the site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department was occupied by open land to the east of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital which
1800-454: The pleasure of the owner and guests do not carry the passenger restriction. Yachts may be identified by flag—the country under which a yacht is registered. An industry publication categorizes superyachts by size, by speed, as "explorer" yachts, as sailing yachts, and classic yachts. Originally, all yachts were made of wood, using a wooden keel and ribs, clad with planks. These materials were supplanted with iron or steel in steam yachts. In
1850-511: The previous year. On 19 June 2013 it was announced that the Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group had agreed to buy a 91.8% stake in Sunseeker for £320M. As reported, it has been promised that the day-to-day running of Sunseeker in Poole will be unaffected, with its 2,500-strong workforce keeping their jobs. The deal was completed mid August 2013. In January 2015, Phil Popham was appointed as
1900-416: The provenance of outboard motors and racing boats , due to their power-to-weight ratios . Two engines add expense, but provide reliability and maneuverability over a single engine. Motor yachts in the 42-foot (13 m) range might have the following hull, horsepower, cruise speed, and hourly fuel consumption characteristics: Superyachts may employ multiple 9,000-horsepower (6,700 kW) diesels or
1950-407: The salon is likely to have convertible berths for its crew or passengers. Typically the salon includes a dining area, which may have a folding, built-in table. The salon is typically contiguous to the galley . A cruising yacht is likely to have a head (bathroom) with a marine toilet that discharges waste into a holding tank. Larger yachts may have additional staterooms and heads. There is typically
2000-445: The sheets, and more than one anchor to secure the boat in harbor. A cruising yacht's deck usually has safety line to protect the crew from falling overboard and a bow pulpit to facilitate handling the jib and the anchor. In temperate climates, the cockpit may have a canvas windshield with see-through panels, called a "dodger". Steering may be either by tiller or wheel. Cruising yachts have an auxiliary propulsion power unit to supplement
2050-433: The subject, A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing , provided detailed information on selecting, equipping, sailing, seamanship, management of the paid crew, and racing such vessels. It included a brief section on steam yachts, the recirculating coil steam engine just having made such yachts efficient enough for leisure travel on the water. While sailing yachts continued to exist, the development of reliable power plants created
Sunseeker - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-552: The use of sails. Such power is inboard on the vessel and diesel, except for the smallest cruising boats, which may have an outboard gasoline motor . A 31-foot (9.4 m) sailboat might have a 13-horsepower (9.7 kW) engine, whereas a 55-foot (17 m) sailboat might have a 110-horsepower (82 kW) engine. Racing yachts emphasize performance over comfort. World Sailing recognizes eleven classes of racing yacht. High-performance rigs provide aerodynamic efficiency and hydrodynamically efficient hulls minimize drag through
2150-470: The water and sideways motion. Racing yachts have a wide selection of weights and shapes of sail to accommodate different wind strengths and points of sail. A suite of sails on a racing yachts would include several weights of jib and spinnaker, plus a specialized storm jib and trysail (in place of the mainsail ). Performance yachts are likely to have full-battened kevlar or carbon-fiber mainsails. Underwater foils can become more specialized, starting with
2200-485: The waters of Burma, India, Mindanao and Japan. Anglo-Saxon royal pleg-scips (play ships) of the 8th-century featured ornamented bows and sterns and had the capability of cooking on board. The history of sailing yachts begins in Europe in the beginning of the 1600s with the building of a pleasure vessel for the son of King James I of England . While other monarchs used naval ships for transportation and conquest, James I
2250-776: Was called to the Bar in 1986, appointed as a Recorder in 2009, before taking Silk in 2011. On March 27 2020, Queen Elizabeth II appointed His Honour Judge William Mousley KC as a Circuit Judge. This was on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable Robert Buckland KC MP and the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon . Prior to becoming
2300-430: Was a doorway on the ground floor and a Royal coat of arms at first floor level. The wings of seven bays each were faced in yellow brick and fenestrated by casement windows on the ground floor. There were continuous rows of glass panes on the first floor. The bays were separated by stone columns supporting a ridged roof which leant forwards. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate nine courtrooms. Following
2350-507: Was completed in 1989. The new building was designed by Napper Collerton in the Post-modernist style , built by John Laing Construction in yellow brick and glass and was completed in 1996. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of 15 bays facing south west towards Castle Lane East. The central bay featured a semi-circular portico , which was projected forward and contained a curved stone-clad entrance at its centre. There
2400-512: Was founded in 2006 using an off-the-shelf company . There are other companies in the group, including specialist entities for chartering and mouldings manufacturing. Debt financing is provided to the group by HSBC Bank plc through a revolving credit facility agreement originally dated 8 July 2015, as subsequently amended and restated, pursuant to which the group has mortgaged and charged various assets, including (inter alios) its shipyards , intellectual property , and goodwill . Manufacturing
2450-817: Was important to reduce the weight of coal carried. Steam engines remained the dominant source of power until the early 20th century, when advances in the design of the steam turbine , electric motors and internal combustion engines gradually resulted in the replacement of reciprocating (piston) steam engines. Large steam yachts were luxurious; their staff included a captain , engineer , and stewards, as well as deck hands. Nicolaus Otto and Gottlieb Daimler developed practical four-stroke gasoline engines, starting in 1876. Beginning in 1898 engines increased in horsepower from 25 horsepower (19 kW) to 500 brake horsepower (370 kW) by 1906. Some were destined for speedboats , other for motor yachts. Diesel power plants for boats were demonstrated in 1903. Diesels became
2500-488: Was the first English monarch to commission the construction of a yacht—for his son Henry, Prince of Wales in the early 1600s. Pleasure vessels acquired the name yacht after the time of Charles II , who spent time exiled in Europe and visited the Netherlands, where a variety of jachten were already well developed as pleasure boats for the elite classes since the beginning of the 17th century. Upon his restoration to
#544455