starshoot
New Member
Anyone know whats happening with Portway???? Loads of rumours but no facts surfacing.
Portway Yacht
- Thread starter starshoot
- Start date
alldownwind
Well-Known Member
Saw this on the 20th May:
Dufour terminates UK dealership agreement
By IBI Magazine
Dufour Yachts of La Rochelle, France, has ended its dealership agreement with Portway Yacht Sales in the UK.
"The decision made this week by Dufour and its shareholders to end our long standing agreement has come as a complete surprise to the family and to the whole team at Portway," says Alan Porter, founder and managing director of Portway. "We have sold over £30 million of Dufour yachts into the UK over recent years."
Portway Yacht Sales is a family-run business that specialises in the sale of new and used sailing yachts. The company, which has been selling Dufour yachts on the UK market for more than 10 years, also serves as a UK broker and dealer for Sunbeam, Allures & RM Yachts. Its turnover for 2006/07 was in the region of £4.5 million.
Dufour terminates UK dealership agreement
By IBI Magazine
Dufour Yachts of La Rochelle, France, has ended its dealership agreement with Portway Yacht Sales in the UK.
"The decision made this week by Dufour and its shareholders to end our long standing agreement has come as a complete surprise to the family and to the whole team at Portway," says Alan Porter, founder and managing director of Portway. "We have sold over £30 million of Dufour yachts into the UK over recent years."
Portway Yacht Sales is a family-run business that specialises in the sale of new and used sailing yachts. The company, which has been selling Dufour yachts on the UK market for more than 10 years, also serves as a UK broker and dealer for Sunbeam, Allures & RM Yachts. Its turnover for 2006/07 was in the region of £4.5 million.
starshoot
New Member
That explains a lot. They were closed today and only one Dufour remains on site at Hayling Island. A couple on brokerage but no sign of life. Obviously from your transcript they were victims of their own success. This scenario seems to be more common place now, whereby manufacturers are pulling plugs on successful dealers/distributers and creating turmoil for end-purchasers. Perhaps it is a case of the manufacturers preferring to do business with a series of minnows rather than one big fish to limit exposure in uncertain times.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Personally I am pleased. I have met quite a few happy Dufour owners but who were not so happy with Portway.
alandee
Well-Known Member
With all the problems I had with Alan Porter after buying my boat from Portway Brokerage all I can say is "what goes around comes around". Repairs were never carried out and when I came to register the boat I was told that the previous owner still had a marine mortgage on the boat. He told me to sort out my own b***** problems as he was to busy. Maybe now he'll have more time! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
grama
Member
Can't say I've been that happy either. Poor communication within and with the outside of the company.
Sailfree
Well-Known Member
I have bought 2 new Dufours from Portway and can only comment that having heard various things about them I concluded that they were very hard business men.
Mathew Porter gave me lots of good advice when I bought our 1st boat but I got the impression that they were there to sell boats and that aftersales service was the minimum they were compelled to do.
I am aware of many who felt the need to count their fingers after shaking on a deal but personally had no problems in that respect.
I suspect that Dufour may have been a little unhappy about the complimentary range of other yacht makes they were selling but be interested to know more.
Mathew Porter gave me lots of good advice when I bought our 1st boat but I got the impression that they were there to sell boats and that aftersales service was the minimum they were compelled to do.
I am aware of many who felt the need to count their fingers after shaking on a deal but personally had no problems in that respect.
I suspect that Dufour may have been a little unhappy about the complimentary range of other yacht makes they were selling but be interested to know more.
alldownwind
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
And here's the follow-up:
Dufour appoints new UK dealer
By IBI Magazine
Dufour Yachts of La Rochelle, France, has appointed Marco Marine as its new dealer in the UK's Solent area. The company has just opened an office at Hamble Point Marina and is expected to conclude a deal in the next few days for a showroom within a 10-mile radius of Hamble Point.
Marco Marine will be run by Richard Poulsen, who previously served as director of Wessex Yacht Sales, Dufour's southwest dealer. "We are very excited about this new challenge and committed to serve current and future owners of Dufours in an unprecedented refreshing way," says Poulsen.
Dufour Yachts offers a 10-model range of sailing yachts, including the Dufour 34 Performance and the top of the range 525 Grand'Large. Just last week, the company terminated its dealership agreement with longstanding partner Portway Yacht Sales, which had been selling Dufour yachts on the UK market for more than 10 years.
And here's the follow-up:
Dufour appoints new UK dealer
By IBI Magazine
Dufour Yachts of La Rochelle, France, has appointed Marco Marine as its new dealer in the UK's Solent area. The company has just opened an office at Hamble Point Marina and is expected to conclude a deal in the next few days for a showroom within a 10-mile radius of Hamble Point.
Marco Marine will be run by Richard Poulsen, who previously served as director of Wessex Yacht Sales, Dufour's southwest dealer. "We are very excited about this new challenge and committed to serve current and future owners of Dufours in an unprecedented refreshing way," says Poulsen.
Dufour Yachts offers a 10-model range of sailing yachts, including the Dufour 34 Performance and the top of the range 525 Grand'Large. Just last week, the company terminated its dealership agreement with longstanding partner Portway Yacht Sales, which had been selling Dufour yachts on the UK market for more than 10 years.
Chris_Robb
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
So a friend of mine has just taken delivery of his brand new 365 today. There is a substantial amount of work not yet done, which has been paid for. Are they insolvent, or are they expected to be able to complete stuff?
Perhaps he took delivery in the nick of time.
Any background info will help hime decide how to approach this little wrinkle.
So a friend of mine has just taken delivery of his brand new 365 today. There is a substantial amount of work not yet done, which has been paid for. Are they insolvent, or are they expected to be able to complete stuff?
Perhaps he took delivery in the nick of time.
Any background info will help hime decide how to approach this little wrinkle.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
Marco Marine will be run by Richard Poulsen, who previously served as director of Wessex Yacht Sales, Dufour's southwest dealer.
I used Wessex Yacht Sales to sell my Dufour 365. They were excellent. Best wishes to Richard with the new dealership.
Marco Marine will be run by Richard Poulsen, who previously served as director of Wessex Yacht Sales, Dufour's southwest dealer.
I used Wessex Yacht Sales to sell my Dufour 365. They were excellent. Best wishes to Richard with the new dealership.
Sailfree
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone know whats happening with Portway???? Loads of rumours but no facts surfacing.
[/ QUOTE ]
Anyone know any more?
I can only speculate that Dufour are unhappy about current yacht sales numbers and consider Wessex will do better promotion/publicity and/or better aftersales service and/or put a smaller mark up on the boats.
Not sure whether the fluctating exchange rate may also be a factor with Wessex being prepared to pre order a certain number of boats by pre ordering the Euros.
With 18% loss of value to the £ I am pleased I bought my boat when I did.
With Europe such a large currency area its obvious that the Euro was going to be a strong currency for other investors and would only go one way.
Anyone know whats happening with Portway???? Loads of rumours but no facts surfacing.
[/ QUOTE ]
Anyone know any more?
I can only speculate that Dufour are unhappy about current yacht sales numbers and consider Wessex will do better promotion/publicity and/or better aftersales service and/or put a smaller mark up on the boats.
Not sure whether the fluctating exchange rate may also be a factor with Wessex being prepared to pre order a certain number of boats by pre ordering the Euros.
With 18% loss of value to the £ I am pleased I bought my boat when I did.
With Europe such a large currency area its obvious that the Euro was going to be a strong currency for other investors and would only go one way.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
"With Europe such a large currency area"
Yerbut the USA is a large currency area, 'cept the currency has got a bit smaller.
Yerbut the USA is a large currency area, 'cept the currency has got a bit smaller.
Chris_Robb
Well-Known Member
All I can say is thank god it was one of Mr Browns only good decisions - (or was it a no decision time for him? ) to keep us out of the euro. It is a least giving our exporters a chance - even if the next booze cruise is going to cost more!
grama
Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
Portway has now gone into Administration......
Portway has now gone into Administration......
jonic
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
Thanks Talulah
I shall be working closely with Richard now he has Marco Marine and continuing my relationship with the team at Wessex.
Thanks Talulah
I shall be working closely with Richard now he has Marco Marine and continuing my relationship with the team at Wessex.
jonic
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps it is a case of the manufacturers preferring to do business with a series of minnows rather than one big fish to limit exposure in uncertain times.
[/ QUOTE ]
In this case, not true.
Perhaps it is a case of the manufacturers preferring to do business with a series of minnows rather than one big fish to limit exposure in uncertain times.
[/ QUOTE ]
In this case, not true.
TiggerToo
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
I don't know about new Dufours because I never bought a new one. But the guys at Wessex (Jonic one of them) have been A* in helping me out with advice and help - even if I have never bought anything off them. Tigger is a Dufour 35C and I am extremely happy with her. If past performance by the Wessex team is anything to go by Dufour have made the right choice there.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
I don't know about new Dufours because I never bought a new one. But the guys at Wessex (Jonic one of them) have been A* in helping me out with advice and help - even if I have never bought anything off them. Tigger is a Dufour 35C and I am extremely happy with her. If past performance by the Wessex team is anything to go by Dufour have made the right choice there.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
jonic
Well-Known Member
Re: Portway Yacht....new Dufour agent now appointed
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Cheers Tigger, see you for a beer at SIBS /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Cheers Tigger, see you for a beer at SIBS /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
