Palmer Johnson Sports Yacht 170 sea trialled in the Solent
MBY have exclusive sea trial images of the new Palmer Johnson 170 Sports Yacht in the Solent.
Their brand new 170 Sports Yacht could be the first and last superyacht launched from the UK base, however, as they plan to close the UK site.
Production will move to Wisconsin, USA with the loss of 110 jobs at their Hythe site in Southampton.
The company had been planning to extend their UK manufacturing presence with a new purpose built site at Woolston, Southampton which was forecast to provide 800 local jobs.
Palmer Johnson president Mike Kelsey says: “We have decided that with the world economy as it is, along with excess capacity offered by our base in the United States at the Wisconsin Shipyard, that we would wind down the UK operations at this time and move the entire Sports Yacht programme to the Palmer Johnson facility in Wisconsin.”
There is still hope for a UK site however, the design team will remain in the UK and Palmer Johnson haven’t completely discounted a new yard in Southampton.
Kelsey says: “Palmer Johnson are still in discussion with S.E.E.D.A to develop the Woolston site when the need arises.”
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