Sunseeker founder to go after five decades

ONE of the brothers behind Sunseeker is retiring after nearly 50 years at the British luxury yacht firm.

John Braithwaite ( pictured) will step down next month, the Dorset-based company has revealed.

The 69-year-old founded the boat maker with brother Robert in 1969 and its yachts have featured in four James Bond films, attracting celebrity buyers such as 007 star Sir Roger Moore and Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan. Braithwaite, who heads Sunseeker’s in-house design team with his brother, was involved in the development of several ground-breaking boats, including the Manhattan 52, the company’s fastest-selling model. His departure from Sunseeker – which was sold in 2013 to Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group for more than £300m – was described as the end of an era. Phil Popham, chief executive, said: ‘What he has achieved is truly momentous.’