Robert Braithwaite (12 May 1943 – 7 March 2019) was a British entrepreneur, marine engineer and Founder and President of the luxury powerboat manufacturer, alongside John Macklin, Sunseeker.

Biography

Born in Otley Moor, Yorkshire, Braithwaite left school at 15 with no qualifications and moved to the Hampshire coast where his parents became proprietors of a village store near Christchurch. Following his dream to build boats he spent a few years servicing outboard engines and did an engineering course before completing a six-month apprenticeship at marine engine suppliers OMC in

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. Originally importers and distributors of boats from

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and the

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, Poole Powerboats, as Sunseeker was formerly known, created the foundations for its future luxury powerboats. Braithwaite and Macklin borrowed £5,000 to build their first boat – a 17 footer and then following collaboration with hull race-boat designer Don Shead, Sunseeker quickly expanded into the growing Mediterranean market. Braithwaite grew Sunseeker by continuing to expand its shipyards in Poole and create a widening global distributor network. In 1992 he was awarded an

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for his services to the marine industry. In 2002, Braithwaite was awarded Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year and he was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honors in 2007. After Sunseeker appeared in four consecutive

James Bond films James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, Bond has been portrayed on film in twenty-seven productions by actors Sean Connery, David Nive ...

, Braithwaite was asked to appear in a cameo role in the film '' Quantum of Solace''. The scene with Robert Braithwaite was filmed on location in Italy in April 2008, and features James Bond in a Sunseeker Sovereign 17, one of the company’s very first open cockpit speedboats. In June 2013, it was announced that the Chinese conglomerate

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had agreed to buy a 91.8% stake in Sunseeker for £320m. Robert Braithwaite continued as president whilst supporting and growing his personal charitable foundation The Autumn Trust.

Personal life

Braithwaite lived in Devon and Poole , was married,he had two daughters and four grandchildren

Death and legacy

Braithwaite died of complications arising from Alzheimer's disease in the early hours of 7 March 2019, aged 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braithwaite, Robert 1943 births 2019 deaths Engineers from Yorkshire Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset British marine engineers 20th-century English businesspeople