Dear friends

When we a couple of years ago decided to build our own line of yachts for the European market, we had a few but uncompromised criteria we aimed for. The Emperor 40 must not be bigger that 4m x 12m. She must be able to cruise at a speed exceeding 20 knots. She must have the most reliable power source out on the market. The finish of the hull and wood interior must be outstanding. The living quarters must be better and bigger than the competition. All electronics and mechanical must be the most reliable on the market. The seaworthiness and maneuverability must be top notch to cope with the roughest offshore seas. Still easy enough to handle alone if necessary. And last but definitely not least, she must have a price tag  which beats everything on the market. We had a real challenge in front of us, but now a few years later, I have to admit both blood and tears has been shed along the projects progress, but we are proud to present the Emperor 40 AWC (by the way, it stands for All Weather Cruiser and the LRC mean Long Range Cruiser) at the Goteborg Boat Show 2008.

Like many of the European and American prestige yards we decided to manufacture the fiberglass hull, superstructure and wood interior in China. Not just because the production costs are low, but the Chinese workers, carpenters and engineers are very skilled, focused and proud of delivering the best handicraft you can imagine. If you look on the welding joints at the stainless steel, from Outokumppu/Avesta,  you will notice the difference, this difference is mirrored in the entire construction from stern to stem. Like everywhere else in the world there are good and bad boat yards, China is a relative new country in small yachts production but the best yards are equal to the best in Europe today, and tomorrow, well that's another day...

When it comes to electronics and mechanical, we decided to stick to the well-known brands from Scandinavia, Europe and the United States. Volvo, Sleipner, Norcold, Onan, Raymarine and Eberspraecher are just a few well-known brands found on all out yachts.

Finally there is an issue we strongly advise you to read carefully. When you order a new yacht, you will be given a unique opportunity to not just select the wood, fabrics/leather, countertop, etc. You can select number of cabins, berths, lighting and all features you want as long as it not interfere with the safety at sea which naturally is the most important issue in yachting. You can even order a built-in synthesizer in the aft cabin if you wish...Almost no limits..

 Bengt Ekehult
Fair Marin AB
Stockholm - Sweden 2007