Fairline to start building at Hythe in 2018

Fairline Yachts has signed to take on its new facility at Hythe, with boatbuilding due to start in the late summer of 2018.

The five-acre site – formerly used by Green Marine – will enable Fairline to build larger yachts, which has not been possible at the boatbuilder’s existing Oundle, Northamptonshire, base.

“As the global yachting market evolves, clients from across the world are increasingly demanding larger yachts than we’ve been able to create,” explained Fairline Yachts MD Russell Currie.

“Our new site, to be named Fairline Marine Park, will boast state-of-the-art facilities, giving us room to expand and create bigger boats, whilst making the most of the existing boat building skills in the location.”

It is expected the new facility will initially create up to 200 jobs in the Southampton area.

This base will continue to operate and build boats up to 60ft with testing, commissioning and customer handover taking place at Hythe.

The new facility has large vessel deep water berths and more than 200,000sq ft (18,000sq m) of undercover manufacturing space.