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Predator 108 |
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Story and Image : Sunseeker International |
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The luxurious Predator 108 - as featured in the latest Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’, rolled off the production line last week and is now being fitted out in Poole, England. The motoryacht is expected to be completed this month and will then be shipped to Italy to begin her life on the Mediterranean. Ian Jolliffe, manager of the Sunseeker Osprey Quay site commented: “We are all tremendously proud of the first 108 Predator to be built at Osprey Quay. It is testament to the team’s hard work, application and drive that it has taken only 10 weeks to get to this stage. During which time the hull, ring deck and superstructure have been moulded, the bulkheads, ring frames and fuel tanks have been made and installed and the ring deck bonded in place.” The team working on the site is made up of a mixture of new recruits and local workers who previously commuted to the Sunseeker sites in Poole. There are currently 45 skilled staff employed at the Osprey Quay base and this number is expected to increase to as much as 500 in the next four years. With demand for Sunseeker motoryachts growing year on year, specifically for the larger models, the need for more waterside production space has been an important issue for Sunseeker. With further investments being made at the company’s shipyard headquarters in Poole the new facilities at Portland are helping Sunseeker to meet future demand. Sunseeker is the world’s largest privately-owned builder of motor yachts of this type and is the UK’s largest producer with a current staff level of 2,000. The company launched its largest model to date, the 37 metre tri-deck yacht, at the London International Boat Show. With a number of orders already confirmed and a new range of models over 30 metres in development, the new facilities at Portland will play an important part in meeting future deliveries.
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Sunseeker International Limited has built its first motoryacht at Osprey Quay, Portland just 10 weeks after acquiring the new manufacturing facilities as part of the company’s continued planned expansion. |
Tropical Living: September 2007, Volume 7 Issue 4 |
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