Invited guests boarded The Duchess of Cornwall – the traditional wooden Falmouth to St Mawes Ferry built by Cockwells for the Fal River Company– at Custom House Quay on a fine afternoon to follow the fleet of Duchy Motor Launches and Cockwells custom craft. The vessels showcased the diverse range of beautiful bespoke boats that the company has crafted for a discerning global clientele during the past three decades.

From early builds to the very latest models, the assembled watercraft comprised two Duchy 27s (Duchess and Kariba Blue); five Duchy 35s (Betty, Delilah, Flying Squirrel, Isolde and Ornella), the all-new Duchy 45 that recently made her world debut at the Southampton International Boat Show (Keeper), and three custom boats – Alice Rose, the elegant 38’ motor launch owned by The Nare Hotel; Ocean Fugue, a 39’ state-of-the-art yacht, and an ultra-luxurious  limousine tender crafted for Yntegra Group, the developer of private island destination, Rosewood Exuma in the Bahamas.

Guests included employees and their families, board members of the Pendennis Group, who hold a majority stake in the company, Mayor of Falmouth, Cllr Alan Jewell, owners of Cockwells’ craft and new clients with boats in build.

The celebrations continued at National Maritime Museum Cornwall where Cockwells’ many achievements were recognised and changes to the team were announced.

Pendennis Group Commercial Director, Stephen Hills said: “We are delighted to be involved with Cockwells and celebrate the team who design and build such fantastic boats – from award-winning Duchy Motor Launches and seafaring Hardy Motor Yachts to spectacular superyacht tenders that propel custom-built on-the-water luxury to the highest level.

“We are also here to raise our glasses to Dave Cockwell, the company’s eponymous founder, who, through his passionate advocacy of traditional boatbuilding skills, pioneering technical expertise and sheer hard work, has created a heritage brand that is recognised internationally for its craftsmanship, seakeeping and style.

“Following Dave’s decision to step back from the business, we look forward to working with a new team at the helm who will navigate Cockwells to its next stage of success.”

The new management team – Henry Ward (Head of Design and Sales), Jack Carr (Head of Duchy Motor Launches and Hardy Motor Yachts) and Tim Tregear (Head of Custom Projects) –

then proceeded to announce a number of awards for vessels that had participated in the event, for Best Dressed Boat (Flying Squirrel), the Spirit of Cockwells (Phil Hutch who purchased the first Duchy 27) and Seamanship (Richard Worswick, the skipper/owner of Ocean Fugue).

Pendennis Group Chairman and Founding Partner, Mike Carr, presented Dave with a 30-year-old vintage malt whisky and a bouquet of flowers to his wife, Jo, as he shared warm words of appreciation. A toast was then proposed to ‘Cockwells past and future’.

“We thank everyone who has contributed to Cockwells’ 30 years of excellence and are excited about what the future holds for the distinguished brand that Dave and Jo have created, during the next 30 years and beyond,” concluded Stephen , on behalf of the new management team.

“We also express profound gratitude to all the staff, past and present, whose dedication and skill have contributed to the company’s success; to leading naval architect, Andrew Wolstenholme with whom we have collaborated on so many of our sought-after designs, to the boat owners who participated in, or loaned their vessels for, today’s event, to Jo for organising this special occasion and to our colleagues at Pendennis for their continued support. Following strong interest at this year’s boat shows, we look forward to building on Cockwells’ reputation as an industry leader whilst pushing the boundaries of the possible as technologies further develop and new markets emerge.”