Boating Industry Veterans Launch New Brand in Luxury

A team of highly experienced boat builders and designers including Queensland-based naval architect Mark Williamson is using a display at the Cannes boat show this week to launch Explorer Motor Yachts, a new brand of luxury trawler-style cruisers.

Team leader and industry veteran Mark Campion says: “Explorer Motor Yachts is taking the trawler-style cruiser to a new level of sophistication and style.“

Mark explains: “My team and I share a philosophy to create boats with best hull forms to explore offshore in total comfort and safety. We enjoy an excellent 10-year working relationship with our shipyard at Ningbo in China and work in partnership with them to ensure the highest quality.

“We have brought together a team of people with exceptional skills and experience to build Explorer motor yachts and each one of them takes great pride in what they do.

“Australian naval architect Mark Williamson is responsible for designing all our new models and I am fortunate to have Steve Fitch working with me to oversee quality control at our factory.”

The company will unveil its flagship Explorer 60 pilothouse motor yacht at the Cannes show and has announced plans for Explorer 55 and Explorer 50 pilothouse models.

“Unlike many mass produced motor yachts on the market, each Explorer motor yachts is handmade by a team of highly skilled craftsmen,” says Campion. “So we are able to offer bespoke custom features for our discerning clients.”

Mark Campion began his career as a ship broker in England before moving to Asia. He changed from sales to overseeing quality control at Ocean Alexander in the luxury boat builder’s factory in Taiwan for 10 years.

In 2001 he entered a partnership to re-establish the Clipper Motor Yachts brand and set up production in a factory in China where he was responsible over 10 years for developing all new moulds and overseeing production to the point of delivery.

Seeing an opportunity to design and build quality bespoke pilot house motor yachts for discerning cruising clients, Mark set up Explorer Motor Yachts in 2012.

Explorer Motor Yachts will unveil its first model, an Explorer 60 pilot house motor yacht, at the Festival de la Plaisance de Cannes beginning on Thursday, September 11.

Explorer Motor Yachts has already assembled a dealer network around the world, stretching from Norway and the United Kingdom to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada.