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From their beginnings in 1965, over 17,000 Princess Yachts have been manufactured. Now, they build an amazing average of 270 yachts a year. This means that every few days another yacht is completed which is incredible!

Over 21 miles of cable go into a 40 M yacht. If you laid the cable along the road, it would take you all the way from Plymouth to Totnes.

In the furniture factory, the team processes 500 sheets of wood a day. The sheets of walnut or oak are produced in Holland and the trees they are taken from are hand-chosen for Princess.

Around 7 times each month, roads in Plymouth are closed between 2.30am – 4.30am so the yachts can be pulled around the roundabouts and down streets in the wrong direction!

The biggest boat has only 13 mm height clearance under the Marsh Mills flyover and in warm weather the tyres need to be deflated to make it under and through.

Princess Yachts own 4 police cars which are driven by police officers (on non-emergency duty) to escort the boats during the early morning moves.

Princess Yachts

Princess Yachts are famous for building some of the world’s finest and most luxurious yachts, which they manufacture at their  5 different sites in Plymouth and sell all over the world.  The company is extremely proud of their Plymouth heritage – their logo includes the words “Crafted in Plymouth”. 80-85% of everything you see on a Princess Yacht has been made in-house by the company’s Plymouth teams.

“Where there’s warm weather and water, you will find Princess Yachts. There’s always a carefully crafted part of Plymouth floating around some of the most beautiful places in the world”   Antony Sheriff, Executive Chairman, Princess Yachts

Princess Yachts is also honoured to be the first luxury yacht manufacturer to officially partner with the Marine Conservation Society. Since 2016 they have worked together to support marine environments, preserving reefs and sea life for present and future generations.

Typical job roles include: Marine Engineering, Fabrication/Welding, Carpentry, Computer Aided Design,Composites, HR, Learning and Development and Finance

Apprenticeships: Princess Yachts has a variety of four year apprenticeship courses available each year including; Marine Engineering, Carpentry/boat building, CAD Development, Fabricating and Welding, Business Administration, HR, Finance, IT and Composites. Find out more about the company’s Apprenticeship Scheme below in the Get to Know Princess Yachts section.

Princess look for potential apprentices with the right attitude, the right qualities and the desire to fulfil their potential – people who can stand out from the crowd and deliver the high standards of quality and service expected in the luxury yacht business. Applicants need to be dedicated, eager to learn, and keen to combine hands on work with study in their own time.

University Placements  are available in the CAD department.

Graduate Programme : Princess Yachts also offers a graduate programme for those who are leaving university, with opportunities in Accountancy and Finance, Business Operational Management, Commercial, Sales, Human Resources, Naval Engineering, Naval Architecture, Marketing and Communications, Development

Princessyachts.com

3000 Employees Worldwide

5 Plymouth Manufacturing Sites at Stonehouse, Coypool, South Yard, Langage, Lee Mill.

Distributors in over 100 countries.

Get to Know Princess Yachts

Princess yachts apprenticeship scheme (section 1 of 2).

Princess works in partnership with the South Devon Marine Academy which has a dedicated Princess Yachts workshop, equipped with a V40 hull where apprentices can learn skills in all aspects of the business, offering a truly immersive experience.

The Scheme offers a mix of classroom-study with practical work and real experience and gives participants the chance to work with world-class boat-builders and other professionals who are passionate about passing on their knowledge.

The first year of the apprenticeship programme, is undertaken at South Devon College where apprentices complete additional marine qualifications such as RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA Sea Survival, RYA VHF Radio Operators Licence and RYA First Aid as well as taking part in off water activities.  SEE NEXT SECTION FOR MORE INFO…

PRINCESS YACHTS APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME (Section 2 of 2)

In the third week of an apprenticeship, the apprentices can undertake a week long residential programme at Heatree, Exeter with activities such as canoeing, rock climbing and abseiling to learn new skills including team working, self-motivation and leadership.

Apprentices’ are also taken to the Southampton Boat Show where they enjoy attending the Princess Yachts stand to really help them grasp the bigger picture and understand the exceptional global luxury brand that they are now part of.

After their first year is completed, each Apprentice is assigned to work at one of Princess Yachts’ five sites around Plymouth where they will be fully trained in their specialism.

Find out more about the Apprenticeship Scheme here

LUXURY MOTOR YACHTS AND SUPER YACHTS

Princess Yachts craft a range of highly developed luxury yachts, which are said to be the envy of the yacht manufacturing and retail community.

At 40 metres long, the Princess 40M is the company’s largest yacht to date and is classed as a super-yacht. It has the luxury price tag of £18 million! Across the yacht’s three decks, there are sunbathing hideaways, a spa bath, dining areas and even a walk-in beach club.

Click here to take a 360 tour of the Princess 40M and see the amazing craftsmanship of the Plymouth yacht building teams.

The M Class super-yachts are constructed in one of Plymouth’s most historically important areas at South Yard, which is a former naval yard dating back to the 17th century and where the city’s dockyard originally began.

CAREFULLY DESIGNED INTERIORS

As you can see here, the Y85 caters for relaxation as well as speed. The flybridge has a fantastic deck for enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean and marinas while the saloon creates an elegant space for seating and dining.

There is a careful design process for every element of a Princess Yacht. Each newly designed yacht goes through a Mock-Up stage. This is a one-to-one scale replication of the final yacht to test exactly how the new layout works, to check head heights, door way functionality, and how the furniture and materials will feel in the space. You can watch a film about the Mock-Up Stage here.

NEW PERFORMANCE SPORTS YACHTS

The R Class is the brand new range of performance sports yachts by Princess. The R35 pictured here, is a revolutionary yacht which was designed in conjunction with Ben Ainslie Racing Technologies (yes – Ben Ainslie – one of the most successful Olympics sailors of all time!) and legendary Italian car designers, Pininfarina.

This yacht can reach a top speed of 50 knots. Only the fastest swimming fish in the world could keep up with the R Class yachts.

To confuse the eye and help conceal its design until its official launch, the prototype R35 was actually covered in dazzle camouflage which was created by Plymouth College of Art student, Katie Sheppard. Take a look at the sea trial of the prototype R35 in its dazzle camouflage design here.

SEE INSIDE PRINCESS

If you would like to see more inside Princess Yachts, watch some of their manufacturing processes, find out how the yachts are tested on water and understand the company’s amazing history and craftsmanship – visit the Princess Yachts webpage here  “Inside Princess” and scroll down to watch their interesting video.

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New Luxury Yachts for Sale

View our selection of new princess luxury yachts for sale.

The Princess name has become synonymous with all the finest in luxury yachts design, high quality yacht manufacture and the very best in luxury yachting, including aftersales service and support for all Princess luxury yacht owners. Regardless of size, every craft will exceed your expectations for a yacht in her class. Tailored to meet your specific requirements and fitted with only the very best components and recommended accessories, the Princess range of yachts set the very highest standards in motor yacht luxury and performance.

On the water, the Princess range of luxury yachts is instantly recognisable for their graceful lines, beautiful silhouettes and timeless, classic elegance that will never date. Clean uncluttered lines and a muscular deep-V hull give Princess yachts an undeniable presence which is instantly recognisable in yacht marinas around the world. Not only that, but when underway, a Princess yacht takes the ocean waves in her stride with excellent sea-keeping, high-powered engines, and in some models a long-range distance allowance. On board our sporty models, you can except to reach speeds of up to 38 knots, whilst the long-range cruising X Class superyacht range maintains a steady 25-knot speed – however you travel, you can ensure a comfortable ride in sheer luxury.

When buying a yacht you can have confidence in the brand and the team who will ensure that your needs and desires are not only met but exceeded. The Princess name and reputation means that you will not be disappointed.

Discover our new luxury yacht classes and models below, including the F Class of flybridge yachts, Y Class , X Class superyachts , S Class , V Class and R Class . Each Princess class range represents a different style of yacht unique to Princess, from the long-range cruisers of the X Class to the revolutionary sports yacht Princess R35 of the R Class, and the popular mid-range luxury yachts in between.

There is sure to be something for everyone within the range – visit the online catalogue below or contact our sales team, who are on hand to answer any questions you may have and offer expert advice on your new yacht purchase:

Call +44 (0)1489 557755 or email [email protected]

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Princess Y80

Princess s80, princess x95 vista, princess x80, princess x95 vista coming soon, princess y95, princess y85, princess y72, princess f65, princess f55, princess f50, princess f45, princess s72, princess s65, princess s62, princess v65, princess v60, princess v55, princess v50, princess v40, buying a luxury yacht.

We are experts when it comes to luxury yachts, luxury yachting and yachts for sale. We offer the ultimate in incredibly beautiful luxury yachts for sale, superyachts and megayachts. With such a wide variety of luxury yachts for sale, at Princess Motor Yacht Sales we fully appreciate that while a yacht purchase is a thrill, it’s also a big decision – something you want to get right first time. Here’s our common sense guide.

Discover large yachts and superyachts

You’re not alone – We help you buy a yacht with confidence

We know the luxury yachting world inside out, of course. It’s what we do. But at the same time we’re aware that our clients need all that necessary technical knowledge at their fingertips to make an expensive, important decision that’s also properly informed.

There’s a bewildering choice when considering new luxury yachts for sale , which is why we provide support throughout the decision making process. We’ll be with you all the way, from start to finish. We’ll give you the information you need to make a wise decision. We’ll explain the tech in language you’ll understand and because our enthusiasm for these remarkable luxury yachts shines through, you’ll find the process a real pleasure.

Click here for our guide on owning your first yacht.

It’s good to know we never use hard sell tactics. In our experience there’s really no need – we treat you with the respect and consideration you deserve, giving you plenty of time and space to consider every new yacht buying option carefully, in exactly the right amount of depth and detail.

Our yacht buying clients benefit from speaking to the knowledgeable professionals on our team, experts who are delighted to spend as much time as you like answering questions, providing support and guidance and ensuring the luxury motor yacht model you choose is exactly what you want and need: the optimum size, speed, layout, interior, engine, you name it. The idea is to tick all your boxes so you’re perfectly, completely happy.

Ask Us for Yacht Details

If you’d like to find out the details about new boats for sale, please contact us . We’ll be pleased to discuss your dreams and provide the information you need. Our sales teams are on hand to answer all of your questions so don’t hesitate to give us a call, drop us an email or fill in one of our online enquiry forms for a fast, friendly response.

What’s more, our Princess sales team boast a wealth of experience and knowledge within the luxury yachting market, as well as with current and past Princess models, so can offer you the best advice when it comes to choosing the right yacht for you and your family.

Luxury Yachts Finance

We can provide top class specialist yacht finance for private individuals and professionals, a choice of advantageous fixed and floating rate marine mortgages plus flexible loans available on new boats. If you’d like to explore the potential, we’ll be more than happy to discuss your specific financing requirements so please contact us.

We are proud to now offer an in-house finance and insurance service, for more details please contact our in-house Finance & Insurance Manager, Bruce Hastie on +44 (0)1489 557755 or email  [email protected]

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British luxury yacht builder Princess Yachts manufactures fibreglass yachts ranging from 13 to 40 metres in length. French luxury group LVMH is the parent company of Princess Yachts. The shipyard is headquartered in Plymouth, UK.

History of Princess Yachts

Luxury yacht builder Princess Yachts was founded as Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd in 1965, in a region of England known for its seafaring tradition. The first Princess GRP luxury motor yacht, featuring a flybridge, launched in 1974.

In 1995, Princess Yachts formed an alliance with luxury yacht builder Viking Yachts of New Gretna, New Jersey, to market Princess yachts in the U.S. Today, Princess Yachts America (formerly Viking Sport Cruisers) remains a major distributor of Princess Yachts.

Throughout the late 20th century, the size of Princess luxury yacht models continued to grow. In 2001, the luxury yacht builder entered the megayacht market with the launch of the Princess 25 Metre motor yacht. Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH acquired Princess Yachts in 2008.

Notable Princess Yachts

Luxury yacht builder Princess Yachts introduced its M Class superyacht range in 2011, with the launch of the Princess 32M motor yacht.

The shipyard launched its new flagship, the 40.16-metre Princess 40M Solaris , in 2014. Superyacht Solaris features exterior styling by Princess Yachts and Bernard Olenski, Ltd. , and interior design by Mark Berryman .

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Plymouth's Princess Yachts likely to be sold to US private equity giant

A deal to sell the UK's largest luxury boat maker could be struck as soon as this week

• 12:56, 13 FEB 2023

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Speculation is mounting that Plymouth-based luxury boat-builder Princess Yachts is about to be sold to a US private equity business. The company has told PlymouthLive that it is unable to comment at this point but it is understood a deal could be struck this week.

In May 2022, PlymouthLive reported that Princess Yachts’ private equity owner L Catterton had hired bankers to find a buyer . Now it seems US private equity investor KPS Capital Partners is in the frame to acquire the UK’s largest luxury boat maker.

For more than 30 years, KPS has been acquiring manufacturing businesses in sectors producing such as branded consumer goods, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and in general manufacturing. The New York-headquartered business has about UD$14.1bn of assets under management.

KPS’ portfolio of companies generates total annual revenues of about US$22bn, operates 232 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries and combined have about 53,000 employees. KPS said it creates value “almost exclusively through operational and performance improvement”. It bought Tiger Woods-backed TaylorMade Golf from Adidas in 2017 for US$425m and sold it four years later to South Korean private equity firm Centroid Investment Partners for US$1.7bn.

In 2008 Princess Yachts was acquired by L Capital 2 FCPR, an investment group co-sponsored by LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) and Groupe Arnault. In January 2016, L Capital merged with Catterton to become L Catterton, now recognised as the largest global consumer-focused investment firm.

Last year, there was intense speculation that L Catterton had hired bankers at Macquarie to find a buyer for the Plymouth manufacturer. At the time, Princess Yachts told PlymouthLive it was looking to start discussions with potential investors. It said this was to provide financial support needed to build a huge new factory at its Devonport operation. In late 2021, PlymouthLive revealed Princess Yachts wants to build another factory in Plymouth’s freeport area in the South Yard so it can produce more vessels, employ more people and fulfil a US$1bn order book. The company was also undergoing a sales boost, now selling more than 300 boats annually.

Princess Yachts has just returned from Europe’s largest boat show Boot Düsseldorf , in Germany, It used the show to debut its new S72 vessel and also showed off seven vessels at the eight-day show, including the X80, F65, Y85, V40, F45 and S62.

In 2022 Princess Yachts said it was embarking on a three-year plan to launch lots of new models as its order book remained packed and its factory unable to take on any new work until 2024. The Stonehouse-headquartered company said it will be further investing in new products and has “bold plans” to increase capacity, having already announced it wants to build a new plant at Devonport.

In December, the company entertained potential customers in Plymouth when they showed off the new £12m Y95. Potential customers flew in from the USA, Middle East, Asia and across Europe to tour the vessel while it was moored at the Royal William Yard’s marina.

At 95 feet in length the boat is just short of superyacht status. The first Y95, known in the industry as “slot 1”, was moored at the marina prior to being collected by its new owner and transported to Asia on a cargo ship. Princess Yachts took the opportunity to show it off to invited guests - and received orders for more Y95s.

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Plymouth's Princess Yachts reveals record billion dollar order book

UK's largest luxury boat builder says it is selling yachts faster than it can make them as it recovers strongly from Covid hit 2020

• 11:21, 1 OCT 2021

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The UK’s largest luxury boat builder Princess Yachts has revealed a US$1bn order book and said production is struggling to keep up with demand.

The Plymouth manufacturer’s financial update has revealed a “record-setting commercial performance” with sales rate surpassing production rate, driving record low distributor stock levels.

It said almost all production through to the end of 2022 and more than 60% of 2023 production is already covered by orders. This year it has already sold 20 of its flagship Superfly X95 and has 57 orders for the new Y72 model which launched this summer.

More about Princess Yachts

The company is now poised for further growth with the new Y95, X80,and V50 already in production, as well as five further new model launches by the end of 2022.

And, despite being in a Covid-19 recovery phase, intensive recruitment continues with increased investment in skills training and award-winning apprenticeship programmes.

The firm, which employs about 3,200 people in Plymouth, said it has faced challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing supply chain issues affecting the UK. Turnover and profits dipped in 2020 as the company was affected by a temporary Covid-related closure.

But it has bounced back strongly and despite ongoing challenges retail sales have grown to the highest levels in the history of the company, with an order book exceeding US$bn.

With record low distributor stock levels globally - equivalent to one to two weeks of stock - and production almost completely covered by orders into the second half of 2023, the company said it is in a unique commercial position.

Antony Sheriff, Princess Yachts executive chairman and chief executive, said: “As expected, in a Covid-19 year when we stood down our 3,200 strong team for Q2 2020, turnover reduced to £244m from 2019’s full year turnover of £314m.

“The combination of our unique vertically integrated manufacturing process, the investment required to make it Covid-19 compliant and our decision to not cut new product development or make staff redundant resulted in an understandable drop in profits during 2020.

“However, these decisions have put us in an excellent position during 2021 and onwards. Although Covid-19 continues to bring interruptions in the supply chain and government mandated self-isolation of staff, we significantly improved financial performance in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020 and we expect even stronger results in 2022 .”

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He added: “We continue to move forwards with an ambitious new product launch plan and innovative new ways to engage with our customers . The company now has a retail order book worth over US$1bn with the sales success of new models such as the X95, X80 and Y72 exceeding expectations. We have had over 20 orders for the X95, and 57 orders for the new Y72 model, the majority of these orders received off plan. All production slots are now filled for 2021, over 95% of 2022 production and over 60% of 2023 production is covered by orders.”

A return to many of the global boat shows this calendar year saw Princess Yachts attend Palm Beach International Yacht Show in March 2021; Cannes Yachting Festival 2021; Southampton International Boat Show 2021; with plans being finalised for the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in October 2021 and the much-anticipated return to Boot Düsseldorf in January 2022.

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Princess Yachts

Crafted in Plymouth, England Perched on the edge of the English Channel lies the city of Plymouth, where we established our home in 1965. Today Princess shipyards cover an area of over 1.1 million square feet, an area rich in British maritime heritage. In fact, South Yard, where our M Class Superyachts are constructed, is a former naval yard dating back to the 17th century. From the outset, our goal has been to meticulously sculpt our yachts around our owners’ enjoyment of them. Such dedication and attention to detail resonates deeply with our Plymouth craftsmen. Over 2,050 people, each possessing a mastery of their skill, fastidiously realise this vision in our shipyards. Through a culture of innovation, our yachts are not only some of the most technically-advanced in the world but also the most beautifully realised. History 1965 In 1965 David King and two friends fitted out and chartered their first boat. Instantly a success, the boat was sold, marking the beginning of what is today one of the world’s leading shipyards. In fact over 130 were produced and sold between 1966 and 1969. David has remained with us and to this day is deeply involved in new product development. As for our original boat, she has been lovingly restored with pride and passion in our Plymouth shipyards as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations. 2016 Over 10,000 boats later, taking pride of place in our fleet is the latest addition to our S Class series – the S60. Towering above and over twice the length of our first boat, with captivating performance and luxurious beauty she is a proud symbol of our spirited dedication, experience and expertise and the sheer will to create the pinnacle of motor yachting. The new Princess S60 is everything we’ve learned distilled into the ultimate experience. Beauty is always in the detail We are determined to develop ever more ingenious ways to ensure every last millimetre of your boat is ergonomically sound, highly practical, and spatially perfect. Once our team of naval architects, designers and engineers have determined a design, our craftspeople fastidiously bring it to life. Every beautiful detail is crafted and finished within our Plymouth shipyards. This enables us to consistently monitor quality throughout each build. Seeing is believing though, so we invite future owners to pay us a visit and see beauty in progress through their own eyes. Deeply ingenious, the Princess deep-V hull Our pioneering deep-V hulls are born from our naval architect’s obsession with exceptional seakeeping and voluminous space. Their sculpted form is shaped from a lightweight, resin-infused hull composite which can create greater internal volume compared to standard hull production methods. This ingenious design ensures it requires less power and burns less fuel to achieve its maximum design speed. Such precision thinking gives rise to the most exhilarating performance, defined by its efficiency, agility and poise. So whether you’re slicing through the seas at 40 knots or navigating stormy waters – a foundation of superior engineering rides with you.

Princess Yachts Limited

Newport Street PLYMOUTH Devon PL1 3QG United Kingdom

T: 01752 203888 F: 01752 203777 E: [email protected]

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