March 28 was a bittersweet day at Fairline’s factory in England. It saw the 115th hull in its Squadron 78 series emerge from her build shed. It also saw that same series come to an end. But, it’s for good reason. Fairline intends to build bigger boats.
Consider, for a moment, that the Fairline Squadron 78 debuted in 2003. The British builder’s flagship, she was knocking on the door of the megayacht market. LOA: 79’10” (24.37 meters). You could even argue that she was a megayacht, since the long-accepted entry-level measurement is 24 meters. Regardless of definition, Fairline kept the series alive for a nearly unprecedented run.
Russell Currie, Fairline’s managing director, acknowledges as much. “The Squadron 78 is a yacht which offered power and style in abundance,” he comments. “It has had an amazing production run and has certainly paved the way for the next generation of large Squadron models.”
Fairline is keeping details of those new megayacht models close to its vest. However, it does plan to reveal details in the coming months. In addition, they’re a natural progression. “As the global yachting market evolves, clients from across the world are increasingly demanding larger yachts than we’ve been able to create,” Currie explains.
Currie’s comment points to the limitations of Fairline’s longstanding yard. It’s in Oundle, north of London. In simple terms, the facility can’t build bigger, nor does it have the deep-water, ocean access more suitable for megayachts. Therefore, last year, Fairline acquired a site in Hythe, Southampton. Situated along the southern English coast, it now bears the name Fairline Marine Park. The builder revealed the plans for Fairline Marine Park at last September’s Cannes Yachting Festival, elaborating more in December. Covering five acres (20,000 square meters), the site has more than 200,000 square feet (18,000 square meters) of covered construction sheds. It should see the first hulls begin building toward late summer this year, too.
Fairline will also move some of the large-yacht production from Oundle to Hythe. Specifically, all models larger than 60 feet (about 18 meters) will shift there. Furthermore, Fairline Marine Park will serve as the customer-delivery point.
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