"The Queen is dead. Long live the King!" That was the mantra in the U.K. last year, echo-ing similar declarations that have being going on for centuries: one generation passes the crown to the next, and there is immediately heated debate about the old queen versus the new king-never mind the behavior of the children and grandchildren. It happens with famous companies too, in boatbuilding as elsewhere, as a successful brand is handed down through descendants, for better or worse. Few boatbuilding brands in the U.K. are as iconic as Fairey Marine. The company made its name from 1946 onward by building a line of sailboats, mostly designed by Uffa Fox, before branching out into powerboats, including distinctive craft such as the Huntress, the Huntsman, and the Swordsman. When the company finally stopped building pleasure boats in 1975, a succession of builders attempted to emulate its success by copying those popular designs.
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