Few boat builders can boast about being featured in a James Bond movie. But for Spirit Yachts in Ipswich, it’s happened twice. The company’s distinctive yachts marry classical wooden design with cutting edge sustainability.

Their journey hasn’t been all glitz and glamour though, with the company starting from humble beginnings. Owner Sean McMillan built his first boat when he was just 12, before following his dreams and starting a boat building company in the 1980s. 20 boats later, he lost everything in the recession of the early 1990s - including his home.

In 1993, Sean started a new company with a boat building friend, Mick Newman. Their first site was a cow shed in rural Suffolk. Here, they began restoring old boats. Two decades later, the company is based in a large boat yard on the marina of Ipswich. They have around 80 wooden boats to their name, winning global awards for their designs and employing over 55 people. Show less