Crowning glory

With its production spread over five sites across the maritime city of Plymouth in the southwest corner of the UK, it’s easy to forget the sheer scale of British boatbuilder Princess Yachts.

But, with between 250 and 300 yachts that range from the V40 to the X95 leaving the production halls each year, and more than 3,200 employees, this is no cottage industry – as is evident from the knowing smiles on the faces of my hosts during a summer visit to the builder’s Newport Street site.

The last time I was at the yard a decade ago, it was to see the build of the 40M – the marque’s 40-metre foray into superyacht territory as part of its M Class range. Things have changed since then. Princess has reverted to its roots and focused on models under the 24-metre load line boundary, just as it has undergone a transformation under the leadership of Executive Chairman Antony Sheriff, formerly CEO of McLaren Automotive.