HanseYachts AG purchases Sealine GMBH

by Thorben Will on 7 Dec 2013 HanseYachts from Greifswald, the second largest manufacturer of sailing boats in the world, has taken over Sealine GmbH and entered the motor boat market ranked number 12.

This move marks the consistent expansion of the HanseGroup multi-brand strategy and the acquisition of Sealine is a quick way to gain a share of the motor boat market. 'The motor boat market is not only larger than the sailing boat market, but has also been experiencing growth for some years now contrary to the trend in the sailing sector. Motor boats are also a good way of opening doors to the newer nautical markets, such as China and Brazil. I am sure that the sales of both our Fjord motor boats and our sailing boats will benefit from adding the Sealines to our range', states Dr. Jens Gerhardt, CEO of HanseYachts AG.

Following the acquisition of Moody in 2007, Sealine is now the second traditional English brand and the sixth brand overall in the company: Hanse, Dehler, Moody, Fjord, Varianta and now Sealine. The motor boat market was previously covered by the sporty Fjord boats within the HanseGroup. Sealine now marks a step into the mass-market. For over 40 years, Sealine has been a leading manufacturer of luxury motor yachts on the market. The company recently achieved a turnover of around 40 million Euro. A weak capital base meant the company was forced to file for administration in spring 2013.

The production of Sealine is a key element of the restructuring currently underway at the HanseGroup, as there will be major synergies with the existing brands. The production of Sealine will further improve the workload of the HanseGroup and the resulting fixed costs can be spread over even more products, as the existing production capacities will be utilized more effectively. After the start-up costs, the critical production mass will be reached faster in future and our competitive edge will increase. A deferred order cycle between sailing and motor yachts will also mean that overcapacities in summer can be used for motor boat production.

This means that the continued existence of the Sealine brand is secure following the move to one of the most state-of-the-art yacht yards in the world. Production will take place in the production halls in the Hanseatic city of Greifswald situated on the Baltic Sea in Germany. Customers will be able to save on transport costs in future and collect their product straight from the yard, as, in contrast to the old site in England, production in Greifswald takes place close to the water. The F380 model announced by Sealine will also be completed and is due to celebrate its world premiere at the 'boot 2014' boat show in Düsseldorf. There are plans to expand the product range even further in 2014 and details will be announced after Düsseldorf.

'Sealine has over 40 years of tradition and, like Hanse, stands for modern boats in Nordic design with a high level of practical functionality, which stems from a wealth of experience. A boater’s boat! It fits perfectly in the HanseGroup product range!', states Dr. Jens Gerhardt, 'Sealine will benefit from our development expertise in the future and our customers can look forward to a wide range of new models.'

Worldwide sales will take place mainly via the existing Sealine dealers. In regions where Sealine was weak in the past, the global HanseGroup network with representations in over 95 countries will also help the Sealine brand.