Sunseeker Yachts, Poole Harbour's Performance Motor Yachts

The Braithwaite brothers and Poole Power Boats

Robert and John Braithwaite started Poole Power Boats in 1969 on the south coast of England, and the company took the Sunseeker name in 1985. Their boats were fast, sexy and very much of their time, and Sunseeker became a household name when its boats appeared in James Bond films, starting with the Thames chase in The World Is Not Enough in 1999.

Ownership has changed hands several times. A 2006 management buyout was followed by a debt restructuring in 2010, then Dalian Wanda Group bought a controlling stake in 2013 for about 320 million pounds. In 2024 US-based Lionheart Capital and Italy's Orienta Capital Partners acquired the company. Through all of it, Sunseeker has continued to build in Poole, with a deep-water yard at Hythe for larger yachts.

Manhattans, Yachts and the boats we cover

Sunseeker's range splits into recognizable families. Predators are the sport yachts, Manhattans are the flybridge yachts aimed at owner-operators who entertain, and the numbered Yacht series covers larger crewed flybridges. The Ocean and Superhawk lines broaden the offering. We cover eight models, most of them flybridges, and they fall into a few clear lines of succession.

Among the Manhattans, the Sunseeker Manhattan 55 is two boats under one name: an original built from 2013 to 2016 and a restyled version of the Manhattan 52 hull sold from 2021 until the Manhattan 56 replaced it in 2026. The Sunseeker Manhattan 68, launched in 2020 as a development of the Manhattan 66 and refreshed in 2025, adds four cabins, a crew option and a transom locker sized for a Seabob. The Sunseeker Manhattan 73 was the big Manhattan of 2011 to 2014, a four-cabin flybridge with crew quarters and MAN V12 power.

The 75-foot slot shows how Sunseeker reuses names. The first Sunseeker 75 Yacht ran from 2003 to 2007 with four en suite cabins. The name came back in 2014 on an all-new boat that replaced the Manhattan 73 with very similar dimensions and MAN V12s, and that second 75 Yacht gave way in 2017 to the Sunseeker 76 Yacht, a CE Category A flybridge with a forward cockpit that is still built today.

Higher up, the Sunseeker 80 Yacht of 2009 to 2015 put a 20-foot beam, four guest cabins and a choice of deck plans into 80 feet, and it now sells for roughly $1.45 million to $2.4 million. The Sunseeker 90 Yacht of 2006 to 2009 was the 28-meter model of its day, a 30-knot boat with four en suite cabins and room for four crew, later followed in that size by the 95 Yacht. At the top, the Sunseeker 100 Yacht, launched in 2022, pushes into superyacht territory with five staterooms, a beach club and an owner's suite that opens onto a private foredeck terrace.

Sunseeker hulls are deep-V and fast for their size, built for open-water performance rather than pure volume. That means slightly less interior space than some rivals of the same length, but a dry and confident ride.

Ownership, resale and US support

Sunseekers depreciate in line with other European yachts, with the strongest demand for well-maintained, US-spec boats with complete service histories. That depreciation is what makes the discontinued models interesting: a Manhattan 73 or a first-generation 75 Yacht can cost a fraction of a new 76, though older boats bring older systems and bigger refit budgets. Sunseeker has US dealers and service in Florida and the Northeast, but support quality depends heavily on the specific dealer.

• Confirm US electrical specification or plan for conversion costs.
• On 2000s yachts such as the 90 Yacht, check stabilizer service and whether the boat was built to US 60 Hz specification.
• Review MAN, MTU or Volvo engine records and generator hours.
• Inspect teak decks and hull windows for leaks and wear.
• Check hydraulic swim platforms and garage doors.
• Get a full survey of flybridge structure and hardtop seals.