With Fairline's chairman and managing director Derek Carter abroad, B A Peters, the company's distributor, said the split was by mutual agreement and was entirely amicable.

However, Louis Solomon, chairman of Marine Sales, hinted that was not entirely the case, citing restrictions on trade as his reason for giving up the valuable Fairline business. He refused to be drawn further.

Peters' managing director, Paul Fox, told us the split was caused by Solomon deciding to offer other brands of boats in addition to Fairline. He confirmed that Peters will take over the Marine Sales territory.

But Fairline orders placed through Marine Sales are safe, said Fox. "Marine Sales had contracted to take 28 boats in the current year, " he said, "and will continue to take the substantial proportion of these."

Solomon confirmed he wanted to work with other companies. "My vision is of a sales and service company able to offer various manufacturers' products and that would not be possible as an exclusive Fairline dealer."

Solomon has already tied up deals with Maiora and AB superyachts from Fipa Italiana Yachts and will be showing a new range of Italian Fiart Mare sports cruisers at Earls Court.

"We would normally have been on the Fairline stand, but this year we will be on our own stand, " he told us.