Robert Braithwaite

That's sad news. He must have been immensely proud of the brand that he created but I always got the impression that he was happier taking his dog for a walk to the pub than spending time on one of his larger boats.
 
Yes he passed away early hours this morning.
I found him a brilliant man. What a legacy he has left behind.
I know a lot of people in Poole will be very sad today.
 
Very sad, he was such a nice guy very easy to talk to. He came to an owners event last summer even though he looked very frail. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family
 
A sad day for his family, friends and the thousands of people in Poole, the UK and elsewhere in our industry that have benefitted from his vision and drive. Condolences to all those close to him.

Poignant that the 'relaunch' of the Hawk name, synonymous with Robert himself, should come so soon before he passed on. I hope he saw the announcement. His legacy lives on.

I've said on here before that I think it shameful that he and a couple of others have never been knighted as they put British boatbuilding and Boats at The Top of The Class worldwide --- their contribution to Britain so much greater than others who have collected gongs.

RIP Robert Braithwaite
 
I met him once he came over and shook my hand and said “ thankyou for buying one of my boats “ @ the factory .
He didn’t have to but I thought it nice a personal touch from a nice bloke .
Condolences.
 
All flags at sunseeker buildings in Poole are at half mast today, such a sad day.

I met him a couple of times and always found him a very genuine person who never looked down on anyone. We were working as contractors at their Poole sales office and later at his daughters house, nice man.

RIP Robert you will be missed.
 
It was around 1983 that I did my work experience from school, at what was then Poole powerboats in the unit along West Quay Road.I was there for two weeks and got really well looked after. When I had finished my work experience I was called into the office by the foreman who I think was called Sef and in the office was a man who always walked around the floor and said hello....Robert.
Robert and Seth gave me an envelope and in it was a hand written letter from Robert inviting me to have an apprenticeship along with £80.00 which Robert suggested should be used to buy tools. I didn't take up the apprenticeship however I did buy tools, some of which I have today.
My Mother recently received cancer treatment at Poole Hospital .The treatment was done by £3.5 million Da Vinci Robot donated by Robert.
I also echo EME comments.
 
Despite being a Princess rather than a Sunseeker man I've always had immense respect for Robert. The fact that people ask, "Is it a Sunseeker" when they find out I own a motor boat bears testament to the marketing genius of the guy. Little touches like ensuring provision for people with mobility problems at the boat show. They're probably never going to buy a boat but they get treated like royalty as I discovered when our daughter had a problem in the run up to Southampton one year which saw her going round the show in a wheel chair. I know he made substantial donations in his lifetime.

His name will forever be synonymous with Sunseeker.
 
His name is Sunseeker.

Surely one of the brands that every Joe and Mary knows about. Back in the early eighties he was the first of the Brits to go to the Med get inspirations and transform them in floating plastic gins.
The rest Fairline second with the Targa and the Princess third with the Riviera followed.

The early models with stripes blue and red and a two S going a top of each other going along the stepped shear line was a sweet signature know I am a Sunseeker touch.
 
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