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Our Story

The Original Craftsmen

Greatness,

it takes time. A passion for craft, a commitment to do things the right way, the aim of perfection countered by the constant need to improve - there are no shortcuts to these things. After all, we’ve been leading the way since 1996, and we’re just getting started.

1977

From bulbs to boats

Two brothers begin their working life selling fresh produce. But it’s the go-kart they made to sell it from that really inspires them, beginning a lifetime of craftsmanship. Over 40 years later, they’re still working together - but selling boats instead of bulbs.
Two brothers

1996

Like all the best stories, it starts in a shed.

The spirit of that go-kart lives on as John and Mathew begin building boats in their converted shed. When they can, they source materials from the UK. When they can’t, they build them from scratch. A sign of things to come.
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1997

A Maiden Launch.

The Tahoe 20
The Tahoe 20, ‘Jade’, emerges from the Williams Oxfordshire workshop. Powered by a single V8 inboard engine, she’s based on the classic Italian and American runabouts of the 1950s and 60s.

1998

Jade takes to the stand.

The first Williams tender, the first Williams boat show. The immaculate Jade features at Henley-on-Thames with a display stand and boat trailer built by the boys. (Would you expect anything less?)
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1998

Jade gets a sister - Izana.

Jade isn’t an only child for long. Work begins on her sister, ‘Izana’, a 33-footer powered by twin V8s running through Z drives. She echoes the classic Italian lake boats of the 1960s but has a new engineering configuration and modern hull shape, created by award-winning naval designer Tony Castro.

1999

To sunnier shores.

After appearing at the London Boat Show, Izana is delivered to her new owner in Antibes, France. She sails the glittering Côte d’Azur for a decade before sailing onto Montenegro.

2002

The dawn of a jet-powered era.

The Tahoe 20
To spread the joy of tenders to a wider audience, we create the Ski Rib. Fast, nimble and built to fit the most popular powerboat of the era, the Fairline Targa 43, the Ski Rib is a hit. Over 100 of them are built in two years.

2004

Jetting off.

The Tahoe 20
Williams was officially founded and registered as a company on 10th September 2004 by Roy Parker and brothers, Mathew and John Hornsby.

2005

Transforming the industry.

Fuelled by the Ski Rib’s success, ‘Williams Marine’ becomes ‘Williams Performance Tenders’. We build the first of a new, groundbreaking generation of jet tenders. It starts with the TurboJet 325, which, with its innovative design and powerful 4-stroke Weber engine, changes everything.

2005

Production goes turbo.

When the TurboJet hits the European boat shows, demand rockets. We expand the TurboJet range, adding the 285, 385 and 445 to the crew. This allows us to offer a tender for most yachts between 45ft and 100ft. Production soars to 900 tenders a year.

2009

The dawn of diesel.

We launch our first diesel tender, the TurboJet 505D. This sees us expand into superyacht territory and start a unique, long-standing relationship with one of the finest engine makers in the world - Yanmar.

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2012

Ready to launch.

The Tahoe 20
Understanding that a tender needs to work seamlessly with its yacht, we create the Tender Launch System. Now, owners can easily move their tender from their yacht’s garage to the water and back again.
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2013

Inspiring next-gen boat builders.

We launch the Powerboat Workshop, an annual course for 14/15-year-olds where they build a radio-controlled powerboat using the same techniques employed on Williams tenders. Every year, we pick one pupil to join our apprenticeship programme. Alan Sugar, eat your heart out.
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2018

An icon remastered.

Launched back in 2005, the TurboJet changed tender travel forever. Now in 2018, we make it even better. Powered by the industry leading 90hp BRP Rotax ACE 903 engine, the TurboJet reaches blistering speeds. And with its new upholstery and slash-cut tube profiles, it looks the part doing it.
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2020

A greener future.

We open our in-house resin-infusion moulding facility, so we can produce lighter and more environmentally friendly mouldings.
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2021

10,000 tenders.

Another milestone reached. We launch our 10,000th tender – a testament to our dedication, our expertise, and to the sheer joy our boats bring to the open water. So that’s 10,000 tenders down – now, onto the next 10,000.

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