What’s it like coming into the business as CEO and owner, and also taking over at such a critical time for the company?

I originally approached Oyster as an owner, I enjoyed sailing and I think I know what owners want in a luxury cruiser. If you’d asked me in January would I ever own a boat business, I’d have said, “Are you mad?” It was completely spur of the moment. I believe – in fact I wholeheartedly am sure – that this company can be made profitable. In the last two years, for various reasons, it wasn’t, but it will be again.

I like to think I know what I’m doing when it comes to “What does an owner want?” I feel I can make sure that that is maintained in the DNA of all Oyster yachts going forwards. Because I’m not a boat builder it’s important to build a team around me that know what they’re doing. When it comes to people around me that are selling the boats and doing the marketing and the financial side of it, I’ve got an amazing C-level team.

When I bought the business, everyone had been made redundant except for 11 people. Everyone, the guys on the front line and at the yards as well. Over 200 employees are now back.

Since Oyster’s ‘holiday’ as we’re now referring to it, what we’ve done in the last six months is actually quite a good list. We have expectations and we’re really working hard in every area.