Director of Peters and founder of Opal Marine, Barrie Stillwell said: "A major influence in our decision to choose Kip Marina was the ability to inherit an existing successful sales organisation with experienced key personnel in place.

According to Stillwell, all the staff have been retained and he hopes to create further job opportunities over the coming months.

"This is a significant step in our future strategy to offer regionally based sales and service centres for all our product brands including sail and power, " he said.

A new sales and service centre will be built at Kip for the Opal operation, with completion due in summer 2003.

Martin Latimer, managing director at Kip Marina, was equally enthusiastic about the change. "Peters are among the best in the business and this move allows them to handle sales while we concentrate on improving the facilities and services on offer."

The knock-on effects of this change in Kip's business model are significant. Out goes the Moody agency, which Kip has held for over 30 years, and the Elan agency, which had established a firm foothold in the Clyde cruiser-racing scene with around 30 yachts sold last year.

Boating Business talked to Glasgow-based Bill Mackay, who is the Elan representative in the UK, about the situation.

"This came as a complete surprise to me, so I have to move quickly to re-organise our sales strategy, " he said. "At the very least we will need a new Scottish outlet."

Elan yachts are currently sold on the South Coast by Moodys, and throughout Ireland by Whiterock Yacht Services.

However, Bill did not waste any time in arranging new business links, with the result that Moodys will now be selling Elan yachts throughout Britain.

To facilitate that arrangement in Scotland, Moodys is to set up office, shore space and demonstrator berths at Troon Yacht Haven to sell both marques, with Bill Mackay in charge of the operation.

A Moody 47, and Elan 333 and 40 models are now in position at Troon as demonstrators, bringing new boat sales activity back to Troon after an absence of some years.