One of the oldest sailboat brands in the world

Quality leader since 1827

In 1827, John Moody set up a repair yard for fishing boats in Swanwick, near Southampton. The fisherman’s outstanding reputation preceded him, with the condition of his own boat impressing his colleagues so much that they approached him with requests to service their trawlers. In addition to his repair services, he quickly began to build small dinghies. This laid the foundations for the company’s future endeavours in the construction of recreational boats.

The final transition from a simple repair yard to a sailing yacht manufacturer was completed around 100 years later by the founder’s grandson, Alexander Herbert Moody. His mission was to ensure that only the very highest-quality products would leave the shipyard – a mission that MOODY pursues to this day. In 1935, he delivered his masterpiece: the Vindilis yacht. The customer, Harrison Butler, was so impressed that he commissioned MOODY to build three more yachts. The Vindilis is still in existence, more than 80 years after it first took to water.

In the 1960s, MOODY finally achieved cult status on the European market thanks to two key developments. The boat-builder was quick to recognise the potential of the then newly developed composite material GRP (glass-fibre-reinforced plastic). In 1965, the Solar 40 became the first GRP yacht to be built by MOODY. Cruising sailors were quick to praise its offshore long-distance sailing performance and high level of liveaboard comfort. In 1969, MOODY unveiled its first deck saloon yacht. The Carbineer 46 offered the kind of luxurious sense of space and comfort that could previously be found only on catamarans and heralded the development, construction and sale of deck saloon yachts – a tradition that MOODY continues to this day. With renowned yacht architects such as Laurent Giles, Angus Primrose and Bill Dixon on board, the shipyard grew into a leading European sailing yacht manufacturer.

HanseYachts AG acquires MOODY Yachts

In 2007, MOODY was acquired by HanseYachts AG. ‘MOODY expands our sailboat portfolio to include a range of deck saloon yachts and one aft cockpit model. I’ve been sailing a MOODY yacht myself for the past ten years. My family and I love it,’ says Dr Jens Gerhardt, CEO of HanseYachts AG. In 2007, MOODY began building its yachts in Greifswald. ‘The company still relies on the workmanship of skilled shipbuilders – as it did 100 years ago. After all, devotion and experience are crucial to the end result. But we also employ computer-assisted systems to ensure high-precision finishes right down to the last millimeter,’ says Sven Göbel, CFO of HanseYachts AG.

Living on one level

MOODY’s range encompasses four models – the most recent being the MOODY DS41, which will be unveiled in January 2020 at the BOOT trade fair in Düsseldorf. This model complements the two highly successful deck saloon yachts, the MOODY DS45 and MOODY DS54, which won first prize in the 2015 Adriatic Boat of the Year competition. As an aft cockpit yacht, the MOODY AC41 occupies a special place in the market. ‘With the spaciousness of a deck saloon yacht and the open-air expanse of an aft cockpit model – both concepts conjure up a magical sensation of freedom and leisure,’ says Katja Siegel, head of marketing for HanseYachts AG. ‘This attitude to life is rounded off by highly exclusive on-board luxury features.’