Hunton ... Sad News

'We have emerged as a leaner, healthier business...'

Yeah, because despite the collapse the same management team and chief exec stay at the helm and you can just start again without the pesky requirement to pay your bills. Anyone else smell another southerly? I wonder how long this one will last..
 
Hunton Yachts then. Does that basically mean that all the Creditors of Hunton Power Boats have just been legged over big time. If this is the case I have never understood how this can be legal. It is certainly not morally acceptable in my view
 
Bigplumbs said:
Hunton Yachts then. Does that basically mean that all the Creditors of Hunton Power Boats have just been legged over big time. If this is the case I have never understood how this can be legal. It is certainly not morally acceptable in my view
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Yes it means that in all likelihood this was a prepack administration specifically designed so that the directors/owners of Hunton Powerboats can walk away from their liabilities scot free and set up again as if nothing has happened. Yes the unsecured creditors of the old company are unlikely to see more than a few pennies in the pound if they see anything at all. And no doubt those unsecured creditors will be approached by the new company with a view to being persuaded to keep supplying the new company. Lets hope they are in a position to tell the new company to shove their business where the sun don't shine
 
How very strange. maybe we will never find out the truth here, when i have sorted my stuff from last weeks trip to asia i will make some calls and see what i can find out.

The fact that the old management team remains is in my eyes (as a former customer) a bad thing and unless there is a drastic realisation from the top that the previous strategy DID NOT WORK, then the same will happen in the short to medium term with Hunton Yachts.

i seem to recall reading that actually there are very few creditors and the investors who bought the company from Jeff lost all of their investment..

anyhow, something very odd here and In my eyes, damaged the brand image.... to be clear, Hunton traditionally have appealed to absolute enthusiasts who are prepared to forego the usual 40 ft boat comforts for performance, or those who simply have too much money to care...
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
Its been so much off and on for Hunton. Each time they reopen you would expect them to close again after five years.

They where winning races in the eighties, they could have if evolved correctly become the British Magnum or the British Itama.

Somehow it never worked out for them. Pity the hulls on the stern drive boats, are possibly the best fast hull to come from a British production builder.
But at some stage you cannot keep on building with the same recipe. At some point you have to evolve into something new.
I mean even the ribs where days boats with a small cabin.
Hunton needed to evolve in the nineties as Magnum did in the seventies, somehow it never happened. I think if the company did that it would be a legend nowadays.
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That's it they became extinct like dinosaurs because of a sudden shift in market conditions post crash 2008 .
Relying on old dated narrow beam and sterndrives .Fine for 2-300 K ,but not more .
I saw one @ Cannes a black RS ? 43 -It looked narrow and the black hull in the evening setting sun showed ripples ,vertical ripples ,the caulk between the teak was sticky too .@ £540 K plus Vat ,i thought the sticker was a typo ! -small sun pad and next to zero bathing platform -just could not see how to use it .

It was twixt Jeaneau sports cruisers @ bargain show bucket prices ,which had v straight fine gel coat hulls ,and user friendly designs for the med ,like a HT,s etc
On the other side were two Otam,s a 44 and a 60 something -thay looked like thay were hewn of a billet of solid what ever .
Today's ( that's over 10 y ago now the crash ) buyers are more fussey they want a bit more from a big open .
You can only fit the "more " in a wider beam .North of a certain amount of dosh they want shafts and 10-18 L engines caperble of sitting @30 Knots sub 2K rpm all day .
To be able to take up to 8 and all sit round a table ,more than 1 head etc .
This type of NEW buyer is in the N of £600 K - to £1-5 M is not going to take a punt on a RS 43 with a narrow beam and stern drives ,
The demograph of buyers has altered too there are not many wanting a big open for arround £1m ,preferring a FB to cover the floating appartment side -accomodation .
20 or so years ago in the 90s £2-300 K would have got folks a 40 something open -quite doable for many then .
Now it's as I say £600k to £1-5m --- not so doable ,and @ that property (unless ,if they allready have one -) will Allways beat tipping it All in a boat .

So for me it's immaterial -all this "pre pack " and Co liquidation stuff ---the fundamentals of the present range are wrong in today's Market -
Where are the buyers ?------ of the boats ?
 
Bigplumbs said:
Hunton Yachts then. Does that basically mean that all the Creditors of Hunton Power Boats have just been legged over big time. If this is the case I have never understood how this can be legal. It is certainly not morally acceptable in my view
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I agree entirely with you......unfortunately, this shady practice seems to be the norm nowadays when a business is in trouble, and I for one would never trust or do business with such a 'new' company that has the same execs as the one that went bust!
 
Hunton Powerboats made niche products. Pretty small and because of that, pretty fast. And they were pretty good in serving that modest sales arena. The 52 got no further than dream status but heading north of £1.0m if it ever got designed or into manufacture. In that price region, boat buying opportunities expand massively; you need to be in a real hurry with only a few friends for a Hunton type of boat to be an answer. So I'm lost to understand this new funding is anything more than "just" re-marketing the tried, tested, admired niche boats of yesteryear to as yet untapped markets. If desperately needed new power / drive / hull technology or new production techniques were a basis of the re-launch then (i) we'd be told to wait for such genuinely exciting news and (ii) the word "yacht" so suggestive of "expense" might be dropped for "technology" so suggestive of what actually motivates buyers of fast luxury boats. Yes, "Hunton Technology" would keep me interested and could justify tip-top pricing. But "Hunton Yachts" does not float my boat at all. Sad to say.
 
petem said:
They'd be better off building mainstream boats in the 19-35ft size range now that the big three and Fletcher have abandoned that market.
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Its a pity that this website does not have the facility like the Daily Mail where you can tick a Positive Comment or a Negative one, as someone building boats between 19 and 35 ft is exactly what we need, especially inboard diesel as with Brexit we are no longer under threat of loosing the ability to buy Red Diesel.
 
The press release says "Hunton will manufacture these superb luxury masterpieces through partnerships with the very best manufacturers and craftsmen", which suggests Hunton themselves may not be building anything, or certainly not the new models.
 
Nick_H said:
The press release says "Hunton will manufacture these superb luxury masterpieces through partnerships with the very best manufacturers and craftsmen", which suggests Hunton themselves may not be building anything, or certainly not the new models.
Click to expand...

From what I have heard that appears to be the case. Subcontract
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
I feel like putting a message in their contact box just saying 'Criminal​' !!!
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Martin only sells brokerage Hunton's he used to many years ago work for them but the link was just where I found the information.
I am on Hunton mailing list and did get full update - same as linked to
 
I have a great deal of time for Martin Payne and would not hesitate to buy a boat from him again, nor would i hesitate to recommend him, as i have done previously. He has not caused the Hunton downfall or been directly involved with this rebirth.

Reading between the lines on that press release and a little information to hand, i would give Hunton 5 years at the most in its current form and with its current management team. A massive shame and i have voiced my concerns to Hunton for the little it is worth, it will make no difference.

You would have thought that their venture into the US market would have educated some about what was necessary to be competitive but seemingly not.

I am sure Jeff is as disappointed as any in the way this has gone in the last 7 or 8 years and sadly i can't see this being a Fairline style rebirth success story.

More details will come out soon i have no doubt but for me, the damage has been done to the Hunton brand.
 
z1ppy said:
I have a great deal of time for Martin Payne and would not hesitate to buy a boat from him again, nor would i hesitate to recommend him, as i have done previously. He has not caused the Hunton downfall or been directly involved with this rebirth.

Reading between the lines on that press release and a little information to hand, i would give Hunton 5 years at the most in its current form and with its current management team. A massive shame and i have voiced my concerns to Hunton for the little it is worth, it will make no difference.

You would have thought that their venture into the US market would have educated some about what was necessary to be competitive but seemingly not.

I am sure Jeff is as disappointed as any in the way this has gone in the last 7 or 8 years and sadly i can't see this being a Fairline style rebirth success story.

More details will come out soon i have no doubt but for me, the damage has been done to the Hunton brand.
Click to expand...

So reading on another forum the factory is closed, The moulds have been moved to another unit - just for storage. A bit in the magazine this month where Fiona still believes she can perform a miracle, !! How many boats has she actually sold whilst in charge .................

Looks like a kick in the teeth for Jeff Hunton regards the 52 or 54 or what ever size it is ,

And also Looks like Martin Payne is branching out as well.

http://www.martinpaynemarine.com/news-and-events/something-fresh-from-martin-payne-marine
 
Looks like its all over for Hunton,

Heard from 2 different people over the weekend that although the moulds were moved to storage they have now been destroyed.

Has anyone heard anything else ?
 
Ian h said:
Looks like its all over for Hunton,

Heard from 2 different people over the weekend that although the moulds were moved to storage they have now been destroyed.

Has anyone heard anything else ?
Click to expand...

Why on earth would a person destroy them at this early stage

Dennis
 
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