WE ARE
ENGLAND
THE SPIRIT
YACHTS STORY
Leading yacht design and build company Spirit Yachts is the focus of a BBC documentary titled Making Waves: Building Boats airing on BBC One on Friday 11th November at 7.30pm.
As part of the wider BBC series ‘We Are England’, the programme tells the story of Ipswich-based Spirit Yachts; from its beginnings in a humble cow shed to the award-winning modern classic yachts being launched by the company today.
The series has a sustainability theme running throughout, highlighting companies lowering the carbon footprint of their products. Spirit Yachts has won several awards for its environmental innovation and initiatives, which are explored in the documentary.
Spirit Yachts’ founder and CEO Sean McMillan commented, “We are looking forward to watching the programme as a team, it is a proud moment for all of us. The creation of a Spirit yacht is down to an extremely talented group of individuals working together to design and build a person’s dream. The documentary opens our doors to the public to share an insight into how we create each one of our custom wooden yachts.”
Karen Underwood, Spirit Yachts’ Managing Director, added, “With COP27 highlighting the need for global climate action, we are proud to be part of a series championing British companies lowering the carbon footprint of their products.”
The documentary will feature another Suffolk-based firm, OneSails GBR (East). Based on the River Orwell at Levington, OneSails has been Spirit Yachts’ sailmaker partner since Spirit Yachts was founded in 1993.
Owner of the OneSails GBR (East) sail loft John Parker added, “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be included in the documentary alongside a great British brand like Spirit Yachts. Even if you are not a sailor, the craftsmanship, technology, and expertise that go into making a Spirit yacht and her sails are truly fascinating.”
Making Waves: Building Boats aired on BBC One at 7.30pm on Friday 11th November. The programme will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer here
RELATED ARTICLES
25 YEARS OF SPIRIT YACHTS
This year Spirit Yachts celebrates its 25th anniversary.
A FESTIVE VISIT FROM HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL
A keen sailor, HRH regularly enjoys exploring the Inner Hebrides on her yacht and is known for having an appreciation for wooden boats.
MEET THE BOATBUILDER
Boatbuilder James Oxley joined Spirit seven years ago after completing his Traditional Boatbuilding course at the International Boatbuilding Training College in Lowestoft.