Sunbeam Yachts opens new production facility in Austria

Sunbeam Yachts has opened a 12,000-square-metre production facility in Klagenfurt, Austria, following an investment of more than €18 million. The new factory increases the sailing yacht manufacturer’s production capacity and brings several stages of boatbuilding under one roof.

Sunbeam Yachts is an Austrian family-owned sailing yacht manufacturer whose boatbuilding operations began in 1950, growing out of the Schöchl family’s carpentry business, founded in Mattsee in 1838.

The new factory (pictured left) houses hull construction and laminate engineering alongside interior fitting, rigging and quality assurance.

Each yacht is handcrafted in Austria, using construction techniques developed over the company’s more than 65-year history.

The company is led by managing director Andreas Schöchl, who took over in 2020 as the third generation of the family to run the shipyard. It produces sailing yachts for day sailing and weekend cruising, with models including the Sunbeam 22.1 and 32.1, alongside the 29.1 and its lighter GT version.