UK boatbuilder and yacht repair firm Hillyards is to take over the
production, sales and marketing of the entire Broadblue range of catamarans,
including the Broadblue 385 and the flagship Broadblue 500, which is now in
production. The news follows an announcement earlier this year that
Hillyards was to begin building the Broadblue 415 at its yard in Ipswich,
Suffolk.

The company has also rescued the UK’s Sadler Yachts by securing a deal to
purchase the moulds and intellectual property of the Sadler 290 and Sadler
340, both designed by Stephen Jones. Five boats that were in production when
the previous builder, Rampart Yachts, went into administration earlier this
year are now being completed at Hillyards’ Littlehampton site.

“After extensive negotiations we are delighted to have secured both these
deals,” says Simon Cullingford, managing director at Hillyards. “We have
acquired two brands which both lead their respective sectors and both in
their own way possess many of the attributes synonymous with Hillyards ?
proven design; excellent sailing abilities; spacious, well planned interiors
and reputations for having loyal customer followings.”

In the future Hillyards will move all production to Portsmouth to maximise
the productivity of its boatbuilding workforce and spread administrative
overheads. Orders for a projected 10 boats are secured for 2009 and the
company will begin actively marketing the new range to fill its planned 2010
schedule.

The company’s existing repair, refit and renovation work will continue out
of three key locations: Gosport, Chichester (which opened in September 2008)
and Littlehampton. Another location in Portland is projected to open in
2009.