Wanda steers yacht maker to its home shores

At the same time, Sunseeker will also ensure that manufacturing in Poole remains unaffected. He says currently Sunseeker makes about 200 boats a year and has the capacity to manufacture 400 but, if demand from China exceeds that, it makes sense to manufacture in China too.

McIntyre says there are several advantages of manufacturing boats in China, because it reduces import duties. It will also help in making speedy deliveries to customers, he says.

McIntyre says that with Dalian Wanda's guidance Sunseeker will be able to make further inroads into the Chinese market.

"There were no objections whatsoever when Dalian Wanda first approached us with the deal earlier this year. We carried out an internal review and collectively decided to go ahead with the proposal," he says.

Sunseeker established its first presence in China 10 years ago through a partnership with a Chinese distributor. Since then, it has had a challenging but fulfilling voyage in the country.

"At the time, China's marina infrastructure was poorly served. There were not big enough berths and not enough maintenance engineers, which is required for luxury motor yachts," he says.

McIntyre says Sunseeker decided to enter the market because his team saw China's improving marina infrastructure and increasing awareness for yachts.

Despite high sticker prices ranging between 400,000 pounds and 20 million pounds before tax, Sunseeker has a list of loyal customers.

McIntyre says he has met many of Sunseeker's customers both in China and in the UK, when they come to visit Sunseeker's factory in Poole.

"Most of the Chinese yacht owners are very sophisticated in their tastes for yachts. They are very exacting in what they want, in what finish they want, in what material they want, and absolutely knowledgeable about the concepts."