A NEW powerboat manufacturer is hoping to leave other ventures in its wake when it launches next month.Morgan Powerboats, based at Lee Mill, is planning to host a trade stand for 10 days at the Southampton Boat Show.Such has been the level of hype surrounding the company’s Morgan 260 prototype, the owner is confident of generating a great deal of interest.

Word of mouth over the new product has resulted in international enquiries.”I think it will cause quite a stir,” said business owner Andy Morgan.”I like to think we are bringing back the British quality that the country was once renowned for.”We have gone very top end of the market with the materials we have used.”I believe it is one of the best quality products out there for its size.”The setting up of Morgan Powerboats is the realisation of a 20-year dream.

Mr Morgan’s father owned and ran a boat building business in Norfolk and he says boat building has always been in his blood.While his main skill and trade was restoring E-Type Jaguars and Aston Martins, he always found time to work on boats.When he divorced last year, Mr Morgan saw the change in his life as a time to alter his goals and so moved to Plymouth to fulfil his dream.”I had always kept my hand in the boat building side of things,” added the 48-year-old, who now lives in Ivybridge.”I saw Devon as the home of boat building and decided to give it a go.”I set up a workshop at Plymouth Yacht Haven and began working with a Guernsey architect on what would become the Morgan 260.”Twelve months ago we moved to our new site in Lee Mill and it has grown from there. We now employ four people.”We’re now ready to launch at next month’s boat show.”The Morgan 260 powerboat, a 26ft four-berth weekend power cruiser, is fitted with a 300hp diesel engine and is capable of reaching speeds of around 40 knots.

Prices start at £71,000.It took four years to get the powerboat ready for production.The Southampton Boat Show will be staged between September 12 and 21. Last year’s show was attended by more than 127,000 people.