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FAIRLINE COMPANY BACKGROUND AND BELIEFS
Life for Fairline Boats plc began in 1963 when Jack Newington, an entrepreneur approaching retirement age bought a cluster of disused gravel pits close to the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England. He transformed them into Oundle Marina, an inland marina with a tiny chandlery, small hire fleet, a boat repair and fit-out shop and simple canopy to shelter the few boats available for sale. Specializing in fit-outs and redesigns, his small yet dedicated team soon received requests from customers to build a complete boat. Thus in 1967 the first ever Fairline was launched, a 19 foot river cruiser, the Deluxe. In 1971 Jack retired, though kept an eye on the company for over a decade more, and bequeathed the business to his son, Sam, a former fighter pilot and Columbia MBA. In 1974 the ground-breaking Fairline Phantom was introduced and with turnover reaching £5 million by 1979, Fairline became the first UK boat builder publicly quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In the same year, Sam Newington’s wife, Briony joined the Fairline team to add her woman’s touch and design input to the company’s established expertise in engineering and performance. Throughout the 1980s the company’s growth continued with new sites opening up in Weldon and the Nene Valley. The first Fairline Targa was introduced in 1985. Fairline’s first yacht, the Fairline Squadron 62, was introduced in 1991. In March 1996 Sam Newington retired from executive responsibility and was replaced by Derek Carter, previously Managing Director of Lewmar Marine Ltd, one of the world’s leading marine equipment suppliers. As Chairman and Managing Director, Derek Carter instigated a new management structure, delegating greater responsibility to effect quicker, streamlined decision making and encouraging personnel to take the initiative in areas traditionally led by Sam Newington. By 1998, a network of some 35 overseas dealers represented the company worldwide and in the same year Fairline established a US subsidiary company and American sales office, Fairline Boats of North America. Growth continued and in March 2001 a new 60,000 square foot factory was opened to supply increased capacity that had resulted from strong export sales. Fairline was very proud that His Royal Highness, The Duke of York, accepted the invitation to officially open this facility. A new testing centre at Ipswich was opened in the same year to provide a year-round temperature controlled facility where pre-delivery inspections, dynamic sea trials and on-board diagnostics of electronics take place. The site has workshop facilities and a launching capacity for the full range of Fairline’s and allows the company to service dealers and customers more efficiently. The Targa GRAN TURISMO design (with powered hard-top roofs) was introduced due to huge demand during 2004. On 31st May 2005, Fairline announced a Management Buy Out (MBO) from the Renwick Group in a deal worth £40 million. The MBO by the six-strong management team is backed by Europe’s leading private equity company, 3i. As of 2007, Fairline has a network of over 60 dealers throughout the world, all carefully selected to offer the customer the very best service before and after choosing their new Fairline for the first time, or upgrading their existing boat to a new model. 2007 marks the international boat builders’ 40th year in business. The company will host a number of ’40 year’ celebrations throughout 2007, which will include the renovation of one of Fairline’s original models, a Fairline 19. Since those early days of 1967, Fairline has become one of the most revered boat manufacturers in the world and currently employs over 1200 people in the UK.
Fairline is a key export company, with around 95% of their boats being sold to export markets in Europe, the US and beyond. Export and UK sales in 2006/7 show continuing improvements over recent years. Steady, strong growth is reported for Spain, Holland, Norway, Italy, France and the UK. The US market continues to strengthen with new dealer appointments, a superb office in Fort Lauderdale for Fairline Boats of North America and recent product introductions have all helped to reinvigorate sales. Fairline is the only boat manufacturer to be a member of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Fairline hulls are designed to create excellent sea boats with the accent on safe performance. Their cutting-edge design coupled with contemporary European styling, spacious accommodation and tough sea-keeping qualities produces a strong, stylish boat designed by boaters for boaters.
Hull design unique to each model-no sharing Double gel coated hull Hull is bonded to deck then bolted Engines pre-mounted to reduce shaft realignment later Fairline’s chief test skipper consults on positioning of all deck equipment Bow thruster and blue deck lighting standard on most models Water and fuel tank capacities class-leading Self parking wipers Class-leading ergonomics/packaging derived from 10,000 boat heritage Genuine woods used on all models Real timber bulkheads with no joins/sealant Wood grain match horizontally and vertically Non-visible screws on door frames Carpets foam-backed to improve insulation Black-out linings to curtains Leathers and granites sourced globally on location by in-house team Mattresses full-length with high quality reflex foam or pocket sprung Reticulated (flow-through) foam cushions to cockpit/coach roof Large hanging lockers, fridges and heads/showers Anti-rattle door locks Crockery and waste stowage on all boats 12v sockets to helm and cockpit
The Targa, Phantom and Squadron hulls are all designed by the world-renowned naval architect Bernard Olesinski and manufactured specifically for each model to ensure that design integrity is not compromised. Flybridge boats do not share the same hulls as our express-cruisers – no 2 boats have the same hull, period Toughened glass windscreens are made to our own specifications from the same glass used by prestigious German car manufacturers All gelcoat and fiberglass is laid up by hand, with unidirectional and woven rovings to ensure uniform thickness, strength and stability. Bonding and bolting of superstructure to deliver a virtual monocoque with superior performance characteristics and inherent strength All engines are pre-mounted on flexible engine mounts before installation to ensure correct alignment of the drive shafts and minimize inconvenience of realignment after delivery So from the stunning Targa sports express cruisers to the adventurous Phantom and luxurious Squadron, Fairline offers a choice that other manufacturers find hard to match. When it comes to design quality, luxurious finishes, and inner strength with outer beauty; the choice is already made because these are the qualities that make all in the range, uniquely Fairline.
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Fairline South East
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