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The first SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW without Robert Braithwaite to kick off proceedings on the Sunseeker stand was always going to be a muted affair. Gone were the burlesque performers strutting about in skimpy costumes while Rule Britannia blasted out across the pontoons, replaced by a middle-aged man with a thick Italian accent wearing designer jeans and trainers.
Andrea Frabetti may not be the obvious choice as SUNSEEKER’S new CEO (pictured below with Sean Robertson and John Braithwaite) but I have a feeling he might just be the right one. First and foremost he’s a boat guy so he really understands what makes customers tick. He also knows a thing or two about boat design, having spent many years as Vice President of Product Development at the Ferretti Group. But most of all he understands the Sunseeker brand – not just what it means to people now but how those stripes were won and how to keep adding to them.
It was particularly good to see him invite Robert’s brother and former head of design John Braithwaite onto the stand to ensure the new models still have that “Sunseeker magic.” Judging by the new SUPERHAWK 65,
65 SPORT YACHT and 133 SUPERYACHT on p10, he doesn’t have too much to worry about on that front!
DON’T MISS OUT!
Hold onto your hats folks, the new F//LINE 33 is here at last and we’ve been crawling all over it at its UK launch next to Tower Bridge (pictured above) and enjoying a quick run out in it during the Cannes boat show a few days later (see p28). We’ll publish a full MBY test once we’ve carried out a thorough sea trial later this month, but in the meantime check out our video review of this and many of the other stars of the boat show in this issue, including the PRINCESS V55, MAREX 360, JEANNEAU NC37, BRIG EAGLE 8, NIMBUS T9 and IGUANA X100 on any of our digital channels listed below.