News just in from Hillyards.

Hillyards, the well known South Coast boatyard, has rescued Sadler Yachts by securing a deal to purchase the assets (moulds and intellectual property) of the Sadler 290 and Sadler 340, both designed by Stephen Jones. Currently five boats that were in production when Rampart Yachts, the previous builders went into Administration earlier this year, are being completed at Hillyards Littlehampton site.

Hillyards are also set to build the highly regarded Broadblue 415 Catamaran (July 2008) and take over the production, sales and marketing of the remainder of the Broadblue range, including the popular Broadblue 385 and the flagship Broadblue 500, the first of which is currently in production.

‘After extensive negotiations we are delighted to have secured both these deals,’ says Hillyards’ Managing Director Simon Cullingford. ‘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 their boat building 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 existing repair, refit and renovation work which has been the bedrock of Hillyards business for the last few years will continue out of three key strategic locations: Gosport, Chichester (opened September 2008) and Littlehampton. Portland is projected to open in 2009.

Simon continued, ‘Although everything has come at the same time it was always our intention to increase our boatbuilding capabilities but finding the right opportunities takes time. Now we can take both these names – Broadblue and Sadler – and develop high quality, tailored boats which ‘can go anywhere’ and have the build attributes of a ‘boat for life’. This is something we have more than 100 years experience of doing.’