Friends, families, sailors, staff and local residents gathered together on Friday evening to celebrate the transformation of Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding’s creekside HQ at Tregatreath in Mylor Bridge.

Representing an overall investment of more than £1.1M, including £491,825 from the European Regional Development Fund, a 21-week project to replace an outdated collection of sheds has culminated in a purpose-built, low environmental impact HQ that will empower this multi-award-winning global brand, which is at the technological forefront of specialist marine manufacture, to expand and innovate.

Comprising 1,058sqm of modern, accessible, solar-powered workspace, this impressive new facility will enable office staff and all the trades to work together to provide both new build and refit customers with a seamless service to superyacht industry standards at a competitive price.

Following record-breaking sales of its custom-built motor launches and luxury superyacht tenders in recent years, this development is designed to provide a solid platform for innovation in the development of new products and services, and stimulate the long-term growth of the business.

It will also enable the company to exploit potential market opportunities for high quality, advanced engineered craft and compete at the very highest level both in the UK and internationally.

“I am a boatbuilder through and through; it is where I started and where I shall probably end,” explained Founder & Managing Director, Dave Cockwell, in his welcome speech. “When I earned £50 a week, I spent half of it on tools and I am still doing that today.

"I would like to thank everyone who has made this development possible including the incredible team that creates our world-renowned boats, which are the choice of the professional sailor. Retired captains who have sailed the seven seas buy our Duchy 27s and 35s. We custom build luxury tenders for some of the world’s most glamorous superyachts and are proud to help maintain the local fleet in Falmouth and Mylor.

"From our landlord to local villagers and the architect who transformed a sketch into this stunning reality to the builders who constructed it to the highest standard, I thank you all for enabling us to increase production, create jobs for local people, raise our profile yet further within the international boatbuilding industry and elevate the company to a higher plane.”

This development will also create a sustainable model for the future through which traditional skills that are unique to wooden boat building, known only to a small and decreasing number of experts of progressing age, are shared with the next generation of boat builders through Cockwells’ apprenticeship scheme.