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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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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 LIMITED

Company number 00856633

• Company Overview for PRINCESS YACHTS LIMITED (00856633)
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Next accounts made up to 31 December 2023 due by 30 September 2024

Last accounts made up to 31 December 2022

Confirmation statement

Next statement date 28 June 2025 due by 12 July 2025

Last statement dated 28 June 2024

Nature of business (SIC)

• 30120 - Building of pleasure and sporting boats

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Comparing the superyacht models leading the Princess fleet

Perhaps traditionally known for its sub-24-metre boats, British builder Princess Yachts has established itself in the luxury superyacht scene with striking yachts in its M Class series. But it was when Princess first unveiled a completely new design concept with the X Class and the X95 that the Plymouth builder truly created a stir within the 24-metre-plus segment.

The design of X95 was not just a departure from anything previously created by the British yard, it also allowed for volumes you might find on a 35-metre yacht – although it remained under the flag classification rules at 29 metres. 

Today, the X95 is joined by her sibling the Y95. Yet while the 29.1-metre yachts use the same hull structure and engineering platform, the layouts are dramatically different. The Y95, typified by a beautiful, but traditional raised-pilothouse design, has an open flybridge and hence plenty of exterior space. The X95, on the other hand, has been marketed as a "space age"-styled yacht with an enclosed flybridge and a single enclosed helm.

With that in mind, it can be hard to know which of the models is the right one for you. Will it be an open or enclosed flybridge? Will it be a master suite on the main deck or an open-plan "country kitchen"? An enclosed skylounge or more exterior space? BOAT   unpacks the defining features behind the builder's iconic superyacht range.

The X95 "Super Flybridge" and the Y95 open bridge

The key difference between the X95 Vista and Y95 is the flybridge. On the Y95, there is an open flybridge area featuring a flybridge helm and a raised pilot house. This differs from the X95 Vista, which has an enclosed flybridge and a single enclosed helm, freeing up space to allow the flybridge and main deck interior to cover almost the full length of the yacht. This creates the X Class's defining characteristic: the "Super Flybridge". This layout design provides 10 per cent more outdoor space and 40 per cent more indoor space than a traditional motor yacht, making the X95 Vista perfect for those who wish to spend extended time on board and voyage further afield.

Meanwhile, architectural innovations on the Y95 create a vast, asymmetric flybridge layout. To starboard you will find the upper helm with twin helm seats, while a forward-facing L-shaped seating area is to port. Aft of this, she offers a large deck area for free-standing furniture and a dining table that seats 10 along with a fully equipped bar with twin barbecue, hob, drawer refrigerator and a large pop-up outdoor TV.

Guests can enjoy superyacht space on the X95 Vista's main deck with a line of sight, on the standard configuration, through the forward windows and new open bow design which provides panoramic views. Accessed via an internal staircase, the upper deck is where the magic happens: the fully enclosed and climate-controlled sky lounge is the perfect place to soak up sea views while being sheltered from the elements. Outdoor dining and seating can be found on the aft section of the X95 Vista together with a second sundeck forward where a large seating area and sunpad or optional spa bath is situated.

Owners who opt for the X Class can choose between a main deck master suite or an open-plan "country kitchen". If this is the case, the full-beam master can be located on the lower deck, complemented by a forward stateroom with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. Further port and starboard guest cabins can also be found on the lower deck, all on a single level which helps to make the lower deck feel enormous.

On the Y95, the full-beam master suite is found on the main deck and bathes in natural light thanks to the addition of skylights. Below deck, four further beautifully appointed ensuite cabins host guests, whilst crew accommodation is situated aft of the machinery space and includes an ensuite captain’s cabin and bunk cabin. Numerous interior configurations are possible thanks to its innovative interior layout and increased volume afforded by the new hull design.

Owners also have the choice of a beach club on both models or a dedicated garage that provides storage for a Sea-Doo Spark (or equivalent), plus numerous other water toys.

Form and function

Speaking about the company's strategy, Princess Yachts' sales director, Simon Colebrooke, explains: “The X95 was designed to appeal to a whole new generation of Princess owners and to those that might want to extend their stays on board, such is the space the layout generates. The Y95 builds on the best attributes of the X Class, appealing to our heartland, with a strong focus on elegant design and modern boating life. The Y95’s design is a classic example of form and function that beautifully come together to create our largest Y Class yacht.”

The Y95 offers spacious outdoor living spaces that are comparable to larger yachts and an interior more aligned with Princess Yachts' M Class boats. Thanks to side door access on the flybridge, the yacht feels more spacious than a typical 30-metre. It also provides guests with a simple transition to the foredeck area, the perfect place for soaking up the sun's rays.

Having an enclosed skybridge on the X95 Vista affords different benefits – including the enclosed and climate-controlled sky lounge on the X95 Vista, suitable for different weather conditions. Recently redesigned to align with Princess’ latest exterior styling, the X95 Vista also features a new single-piece hull window that stretches the length of her profile.

Also enhancing her exterior design is the redesigned bow structure, which has been opened up. Guests can now enjoy panoramic views from the forward windows of the main deck or from the sanctuary of the foredeck seating area, which provides the perfect haven to sit and take in the surroundings.

Powered by twin MAN V12-2000 engines, both models can reach top speeds of up to 23 knots.

For more information about the Y95 and X95 yachts, contact Princess Yachts today.

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Turnchapel Wharf Barton Road Turnchapel Plymouth PL9 9RQ

Tel: +44 (0)1752 393311 Fax: +44 (0)1752 893070 E-Mail: [email protected]

Based in Turnchapel Wharf on the waterfront, a former Royal Marines military installation steeped in naval history, lies our Princess service office and showroom. In this modern purpose-built facility, we can offer our owners a bespoke service no matter the query – buying or selling your yacht, upgrading features on board, general maintenance and servicing – and such close proximity to the stunning Devonshire coastline makes this the ideal spot for sea trials.

Our showroom facility has on offer a range of the most innovative and up-to-date technology available through our central Retrofit team , who are also conveniently based in Plymouth to talk through your yachting needs. From a brand-new Princess yacht being delivered from the factory, through to the rigorous onboard inspection, to the final handover and ongoing maintenance, the journey of your Princess yacht can take place all under one roof.

The site here at Turnchapel Wharf enjoys excellent access to nearby Plymouth Sound, and is an easy-to-reach point for owners in the South West and Cornwall. We have access to deep water moorings large enough for any Princess in the range, up to and including the 40M. As well as a 50-tonne travel hoist, we also have access to hardstanding storage and a 3-tonne tender crane. Our experienced and multi-skilled team of Princess factory-trained engineers here in Plymouth can assist with just about anything – from GRP paint jobs and shrink-wrapping for transport, to retrofit installations and water toys and tenders.

If you’re in need of a bespoke yacht service package, ensuring those annual checks are complete to a rigorously high standard, or if you want to upgrade your ownership experience – give us a call.

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Princess Yachts starts staff bonus scheme Project 300 after 'pingdemic' leads to £19m loss

Plymouth manufacturer sees sales rebound and losses fall and has ambitious plan after Covid period caused major problems

• 11:58, 21 OCT 2022

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Luxury yacht builder Princess Yachts has started a staff bonus scheme as part of an ambitious plan to hike production after Covid and supply chain headaches caused it to make a £19m loss. The Plymouth company was hit with a “pingdemic” nightmare in 2021 with up to 15% of staff off work and causing boat building to be delayed.

The firm has begun a new Project 300 scheme to increase boat production to 300 vessels a year and is paying staff extra as an incentive. It comes after it made a loss despite sales growing and a healthy order book.

Accounts filed at Companies House show Princess Yachts (Holdings) Ltd, the overall group which includes Plymouth’s manufacturing operation and sales offices in China and the USA, reported a loss before tax of £19.2m for 2021. But this was down from the £38.1m loss a year earlier.

READ NEXT: Princess Yachts reveals three-year plan as hunger for luxury boats grows

Princess Yachts Ltd, the subsidiary company which runs the manufacturing sites in Plymouth, made a loss before tax of £10m. But again this was down, from £25.1m.

Sales were buoyant too, with group turnover at £312.4m, up from £244.4m. The boat-making part of the company contributed £308.3m to this, up from £251.3m in 2020.

The firm launched three new models - the V50, Y72 and X80 - in 2021 and its order book grew too. In his strategic report, executive chairman Antony Sheriff said: “Compared to 2020 the order book grew from £440m to £701m, retail sales grew from 209 to 316 yachts and dealer stock fell from 23 to seven boats. As of June 2022, 99% of production in the next 12 months and 86% in the next 24 months was covered by an order.”

The problems Princess Yachts faced in 2021 stemmed from the continuing Covid pandemic. The year started with a third lockdown which restricted working conditions, and caused “unpredictable employee absenteeism and significant disruption on supply and lead times through our global supplier base”. But Mr Sheriff said: “Despite these challenges the business returned to turnover levels experienced in 2019.”

However he noted that the Covid impact on operations through 2021 was “large, disruptive and unpredictable”. He said there were “multiple waves of staff required to self-isolate due to ‘contact tracing’.”

Mr Sheriff said: “At its peak the ‘pingdemic’ experienced in the UK during summer 2021 resulted in over 15% of staff absent, with some boat lines effectively closed for a period due to these absences. Furthermore, many of our suppliers were experiencing the same disruptions with widespread delays in supply during 2021 due to material, labour and logistics shortages.”

He said that during 2022 the majority of shortages have been resolved, but those that still exist are centred around components that are complex and time-consuming to retrofit such as powertrains, generators and air conditioning systems. He said these shortages have delayed the build of many yachts and caused boats to be built out of sequence, resulting in higher labour hours and costs.

But he said a plan had been implemented to boost production and said: “In the face of a rapidly growing order book, the company is investing in facilities and processes to allow us to achieve line rates which would result in 300 boats built each year, This transformation process was officially kicked off in Q4 2021 as Project 300 and to date has delivered notable improvements in efficiency and line rates across several boat lines, often against continued supply chain headwind.”

He added: “We are introducing a new bonus scheme to incentivise the team to achieve target build cost for each boat produced.” And he concluded: “With a record order book, a transformation project to accelerate our build volumes, a full product launch schedule and confirmed financial backing, we expect to consolidate and grow our brand as the market leader despite the supply chain challenges we are experiencing.”

The annual reports for Princess Yachts (Holdings) Ltd revealed the group had increased staff to 3,066 from 2,900, of which 2,926 are production staff, up from 2,756. The wage bill had gone up to £116,544,000 from £109,940,000.

Among exceptional costs the business had faced was a consultancy bill of £589,000 from contracting consultants as part of the company transformation project and “one-off computer support”. There were also Covid costs of £748,000, including PPE and safety wear and additional cleaning costs, and £207,000 had to be paid as a legal settlement.

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