One-Brand Man

Gordon Hui bought his first Sunseeker in 1992 and set up Sunseeker Asia in 2003. Now, the man honoured at the 2018 Asia Boating Awards is overseeing a dynamic group of dealers across Asia trying to build on the brand’s success in Hong Kong.

- John Higginson

GORDON HUI has only ever represented Sunseeker. And the only yachts the Sunseeker Asia Chairman has owned – seven of them – have all been from the British builder.

And long before Hui bought a Tomahawk 37 from the Poole shipyard in 1992 – when he was based in the UK, but kept his boat in Hong Kong – he was already a fan of the performance-oriented hulls that helped Sunseeker break into the Mediterranean market following its collaboration with renowned racing boat designer Don Shead in 1979.

“I started boating with my parents in 1966 when I was about five and my passion really began in the 1970s when my dad owned high-performance offshore racing boats like a 20ft Cigarette that did 42 knots,” says Hui, who bought a Predator 60 in 2010 that did 44 knots.

“Don Shead designed similar racing boats and all of the amazing deep-V hulls at Sunseeker. My decision to buy a Tomahawk 37 back in 1992 was based on its hull design, sleek appearance and build quality.

“For me, hull design and integrity are really important. When you see a boat slicing through the waves without slamming or spray, you know it’s a solid hull. Interior and furniture, we can change any time, but a yacht must first and foremost be seaworthy.”

Born and bred in Hong Kong, Hui first moved to the UK in 1973 for boarding school, studied architecture in London then set up a property investment company in the capital, but still kept his Sunseekers in Hong Kong where he returned for a few months a year.

Returning to Hong Kong permanently in 2003, Hui initially started his Sunseeker business with a service centre in Aberdeen, as his brothers and friends in the city had also bought Sunseeker yachts on his recommendation and needed after-sales support.