Some film boats are built to impress. This one is built to get you across the water. The Sunseeker Sovereign 17 is a small open runabout, 5.18m from bow to stern, and in Quantum of Solace it carries Daniel Craig’s Bond to Mathis’ villa without fuss. It is also, in our view, the most sensible way into Sunseeker’s history: a boat with no outlandish modifications and nothing to prove.
In the film
In Quantum of Solace (2008), Bond is taken by a Sovereign 17 to Mathis’ villa in Italy. Sunseeker’s founder, Robert Braithwaite, appears in a cameo as the boat’s skipper. Sunseeker Brokerage identifies the boat used as hull #033, and describes it as a sports tender in the film.
The details of the Sunseeker Sovereign 17
Where Sunseeker began. Poole Powerboats bought the moulds from an American builder, Owens Cruisers, and the first Poole-built Sovereign 17 appeared in 1969. Motor Boat & Yachting has described it as the first Sunseeker. It is the boat that set Robert and John Braithwaite on the road to the yacht builder we know now.
An open cockpit. There is no cabin: just a cockpit, a helm and a foredeck. That simplicity is the appeal. It is a boat for a lunch across the bay or an evening run to the next harbour, and little else is asked of it.
Small enough to keep simply. At 5.18m it is a boat that can live on a trailer. The example currently listed by Sunseeker Brokerage, a 1970 boat, is sold complete with its De Graaff trailer and is described as a garage find, in the same family since 1981.
Ask about the engine. The Brokerage example is described as totally original, with a Volvo Penta AQ115 petrol engine of 115hp fitted in 2020 and 25 hours of use since. Whatever the boat, a buyer should ask what is original, what is not, and who did the work.
Owning it now
A Sovereign 17 suits a man who wants a boat in the way he wants a good old car: for the pleasure of using it, not for display. It is at its best on flat water in warm light, with a few people aboard and a short passage ahead. Keep the rest plain. Linen, canvas and a good pair of sunglasses are all it needs.
Which one to look for. The film boat was hull #033, a different hull from the Brokerage example, which is #032. What you can buy is another Sovereign 17, and condition and documentation matter more than any film connection. We would prefer an unrestored, well-kept boat with a clear history over a heavily rebuilt one, and we would ask for its ownership record first.
How to buy. The Sovereign 17 has long been out of production, and the button on this page is an eBay search for one. Vintage boats like this also come through brokers. Start with Sunseeker Brokerage’s Sovereign 17 Hostess listing to see how such a boat is presented, then enquire about what else is available.
Specifications
| Model | Sunseeker Sovereign 17 (Sovereign 17 Hostess) |
|---|---|
| Builder | Poole Powerboats, later Sunseeker |
| Length overall | 5.18m (per the Sunseeker Brokerage listing) |
| Model year | 1970 for the Brokerage example; the first Poole-built boats date from 1969 |
| Layout | Open cockpit |
| Engine | Volvo Penta AQ115, 115hp petrol (Brokerage example, fitted 2020) |
| Film boat | Hull #033, according to Sunseeker Brokerage |
| Price | No RRP; vintage boat. The Sunseeker Brokerage example is priced on request (October 2026) |
Questions
Is the Sunseeker Sovereign 17 the boat Bond rides in Quantum of Solace?
Yes, a Sovereign 17 is the boat that takes Bond to Mathis’ villa in Quantum of Solace. Sunseeker Brokerage names hull #033 as the one used in the film.
Who drives the boat in the film?
Robert Braithwaite, Sunseeker’s founder, appears as the skipper in a short cameo. Bond is the passenger.
Is the Sovereign 17 really the first Sunseeker?
Motor Boat & Yachting has called it the first Sunseeker. Poole Powerboats built its first Sovereign 17 in 1969, using moulds bought from the American firm Owens Cruisers.
Can you still buy a Sunseeker Sovereign 17?
Not new. It is a vintage boat found second-hand. Examples are listed through brokers and boat-sale sites, and the Sunseeker Brokerage example is priced on request, so you will need to enquire.
More from the film is on the Quantum of Solace page, with the rest of Bond’s transport in our vehicles section, and more on Daniel Craig.
