I have to be honest - 2025 was a year I would rather forget from a business perspective!
It started with the Fairline factory issues, which dragged on for most of the year. That was a real challenge - full of hassle and changes - but I have to say, working with Oliver and his team at Fairline is now a pleasure. They’ve really turned things around. New boats are being delivered as normal, the factory is still supporting older models, and there are new launches on the horizon - which is pretty exciting.

Secondly, I felt like a tape player with someone pressing the pause button every month or so, depending on what the government said - or didn’t say! Frustrating to say the least.

Mallorca: A Shining Beacon

However, there is still a huge demand for quality used boats and this has driven most of our business this year. Mallorca has been a shining beacon of prosperity as customers flock from all over Europe to the boating paradise of the Balearic islands.

My brother Nick and his team have been flat out all season, preparing and delivering boats non-stop. We now have a brilliant team of around 20 skilled professionals out in Mallorca, along with a fantastic yard that holds about 20 boats. We’ve also built a great relationship with Cala d’Or Marina (thank you, Jan!) and the other marinas across the island. If you're thinking about dipping your toe into boating in Mallorca - we're the experts. No question about it!

What’s Coming in 2026?

Looking ahead, I feel optimistic. The waters look calmer, and we’re already gearing up for some exciting things:
In January, we’re hosting a Fairline Factory Showcase in Palma, with a massive lineup including the World-wide debut of the exciting Targa 47.
We’re also expecting the new Targa 58 to arrive just in time for Southampton Boat Show, which should turn a few heads!
And later in the year, we’re rolling out a fresh new look for Boats.co.uk to make it easier for customers worldwide to buy, sell, and work with us.
So watch this space...

The Rise of the “Personal Shopper” Experience

We’re also finding that more and more customers are choosing to use our ‘personal shopper’ service, which gives them one point of contact (usually me!) to help find the boat of their dreams. We’ve been sourcing all types of beautiful boats through this service, and it typically works best for boats in the £1m to £30m range. We know the dealers, we know the boats, and we know the prices - so we can cut straight to the chase, make it fun, and save the buyer a lot of money (and yes, we get paid too!). It’s a real win-win, and it’s gone very well so far.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, email me personally: james@boats.co.uk

Did we ring the bell in 2025?

Not quite. But we’re going full steam ahead into 2026 with optimism, a strong used boat market, fresh Fairline launches, and exciting changes at Boats.co.uk. 

Here’s to making 2026 a year to remember - for all the right reasons.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who's watched and supported our YouTube channel - we can’t quite believe it ourselves. One of our recent videos hit 400,000 views in just 3 days! Who's out there watching? 😄

Fair winds to you all,

James