Multiple Bids Under Review for Fairline Yachts

Administrators seeking a buyer for luxury Northamptonshire boatbuilder Fairline Yachts are understood to be reviewing multiple bids that have been submitted, according to local news outlet Northamptonshire Telegraph.

The UK shipyard employs approximately 250 staff across two sites in Oundle and Suffolk. Fairline Yachts entered administration in January 2025, just two months after its acquisition by Arrowbolt Propulsion Systems Limited.

The Oundle-based company appears to have avoided closure after a funding deal enabled its 250 employees to remain in their roles while new financing was secured. Joint administrators of Fairline Yachts Limited arranged funding through its existing specialist lender, DF Capital, and have been working to find a buyer to take the brand forward.

Northamptonshire Telegraph, which broke the story, says it understands that multiple bids have been submitted and are currently under consideration by administrators Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP.

Last month, in a statement following Fairline Yachts entering administration, Michael Magnay, joint administrator at Alvarez & Marsal, described the firm as “an iconic brand with a committed and passionate team of experts who have established deep relationships with dealers and end customers over many years.”

Magnay added that administrators “expect that it could have broad appeal to international investors as well as domestic.”

Alvarez & Marsal has been approached for comment.

Fairline Yachts was founded in 1967 and has four yacht ranges, from 10m to 21m models, which are sold globally both directly and via local dealerships.

Fairline has faced financial turbulence before. In 2015, under the ownership of private equity firm Wessex Bristol, the company went into administration, resulting in 380 job losses before being acquired by Russian investors the following year. More recently, despite experiencing supply chain disruptions during the pandemic and a labor shortage, Fairline maintained a strong order book, which was valued at £100m in early 2024. However, its latest accounts indicated a decline in turnover, dropping from £48.3m in 2022 to £41.1 million in 2023, though forecasts for 2024 had anticipated a rebound.

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