Creation of RS Marine Group
In the beginning was RS Sailing! The British brand, launched in the 1990s, made a name for itself in the field of light sailing. But recently, the shipyard has started to expand its fields of activity. A range of boats with electric motors, marketed as RS Electric Boats was born, then in mid-2022, it was the turn of Cheetah Marine catamarans to get closer to RS. Finally, in November 2022, Jo Richards, designer of the Pico, Vago, Bahia and Bug sailboats, broke ranks with competitor Laser Performance to seal a pact with RS to build and service these dinghies, which are well known in sailing schools and beyond. A new entity Ocean Play was created for the occasion.
It was therefore time for RS management to reorganize its activities. They announced the creation of an umbrella group, called RS Marine Group. Jon Partridge will head up the new entity for its commercial aspects, while Alex Newton Southon will handle the technical aspects.
Synergies for growth
The sales and production teams will continue to operate in the same way as before. Only the support functions will be pooled, explains Jon Partridge: "All companies will retain their individual identities, while functions such as finance, marketing, design and business growth will be shared. Shared motivations such as sustainability will be carried forward as the group expands and uses its greatly expanded network."
The group insists on its commitment to making navigation accessible to people with disabilities. The economic ambitions are strong. The group is aiming for a turnover of £25 million, compared to 5 in 2014 for RS Sailing.
