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 Sunseeker International is a Chinese owned British luxury performance motor yacht brand. Originally named Poole Power Boats, the company was founded by brothers Robert and John Braithwaite in 1969. The company changed its name to Sunseeker In ...

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

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. Originally importers and distributors of boats from

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, 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 MBE 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 Niven ...

, Braithwaite was asked to appear in a cameo role in the film ''

Quantum of Solace ''Quantum of Solace'' is a 2008 spy film and the twenty-second in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sequel to ''Casino Royale'' (2006). Directed by Marc Forster and written by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, and ...

''. 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

Dalian Wanda Group Wanda Group (), or the Dalian Wanda Group (), is a Chinese multinational conglomerate founded in Dalian, Liaoning and headquartered in Beijing. It is a private property developer and owner of Wanda Cinemas and the Hoyts Group. With inves ...

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