United Kingdom

A+T Instruments Ltd

Established in 2012 by Richard Tinley and Hugh Agnew, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T Instruments</a> is headquartered in Lymington, England. The company specialises in advanced yacht instrument systems such as wind speed, heading, position, depth, and various load and pressure sensors for superyachts, classic yachts and racing boats. Co-founder Hugh Agnew has a lifelong involvement in the marine industry and has made significant contributions, including the development of the first TV tracking system used in the 1987 America’s Cup and the Yeoman plotter. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/323351/image/large-8763faa22d37751970e7b252168322ba.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/323351"><a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">SuperYacht Times</a> Features writer Enrico Chhibber sat down with Hugh Agnew to discuss the decision to set up <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T Instruments</a>, and the company's distinctive business model.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/323357/image/large-36eb197f02bb6d461c0c05b33a8306da.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/323357">From competitive sailing to designing navigation systems you’ve amassed extensive experience in the industry, but what inspired you to set up&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T Instruments</a>?I’ve been a professional sailor since I was 20 and my entire career has revolved around either navigating boats or developing navigation equipment for them. When we started <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T</a>, the market was dominated by three main yacht instrumentation companies: <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7820" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="B&G (Company)">B&amp;G</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4062" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Raymarine UK Ltd (Company)">Raymarine</a>, and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7819" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Garmin (Company)">Garmin</a>. These companies were primarily focused on reducing costs, increasing volume, and catering to the production yacht market. This made it clear there was a significant opportunity for us at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T</a> to stand out by addressing the frustrations users often experienced with existing market products, especially in terms of support services. Our goal was to differentiate ourselves by offering high-end, user-focused products and services, directly responding to those unmet needs.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/323352/image/large-c4c79ba138a483e48ba34ef70f196df0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/323352">Which product currently stands out as your bestseller?Our best-selling product has been the Big Format Display (BFD). This display uniquely utilises colour to contextualise data, significantly enhancing readability and functionality. For example, when monitoring the running backstay load, the display transitions from green to amber and then to red as the risk level increases. One of the technical challenges we've faced is ensuring that these displays remain clear even in bright sunlight. The powerful backlighting necessary for this clarity generates considerable heat, which poses a challenge for maintaining the unit's waterproof integrity and overall durability. However, we’ve successfully engineered a solution that dissipates heat through the screen itself, effectively preserving both the functionality and the durability of the display.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T instrument</a>&nbsp;systems are aimed at high-end sailing yachts, but we know the market portion of large sailing yachts is in decline. How does that affect a company like yours?&nbsp;The decline in the market for large sailing yachts hasn't significantly impacted <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T Instruments</a>. A substantial portion of our business thrives on upgrading existing yachts, many of which require modernised equipment and enhancements. Furthermore, our business is not limited to just sailing yachts; we also have a substantial presence in the motoryacht segment, which diversifies our client base and buffers us against fluctuations in any single market. Examples of superyachts that have our equipment installed include the 126.2-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a> and the 46.8-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Royal Huisman</a> sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10110" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nilaya46.8m (153'7&quot;)Royal Huisman2023">Nilaya</a>. Beyond these larger projects, our clientele includes owners of smaller boats who demand high-quality marine instrumentation. Moreover, we are actively involved in three new-build superyacht projects. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/320752/image/large-4e636e6d8630e5b70e87bcbb55ba9df0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/320752">How crucial is it to your business model that all your products are designed, assembled, and tested on-site in Lymington?Having all design, assembly, and testing operations located in Lymington is vital for us. This centralisation allows us to maintain quality control and adapt swiftly to design changes. This approach contrasts with some of our competitors who have outsourced parts of their production to countries like Mexico, where the primary focus tends to be on minimising costs. Such strategies can often compromise the quality control of their products.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/323349/image/large-d5fe486a44056888da39d3826d8e90fe.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/323349">Moreover, by handling our manufacturing in-house, we can swiftly address any design improvements or issues as they arise. Outsourcing production, especially overseas, poses significant challenges. For instance, if a flaw is discovered after thousands of units have already been shipped, resolving this issue becomes complicated and problematic. With all our products being produced and tested on-site in Lymington, any necessary modifications can be implemented much more rapidly and efficiently.As for our testing protocols, each unit undergoes evaluation to ensure its durability and reliability under various conditions. We subject every unit to a pressure test of one bar above and below the standard range to address potential stresses from heat and air transport. Additionally, to confirm watertight integrity, each unit is operated for an hour while submerged one metre underwater.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/323350/image/large-d062ed9e6e14d157cc71fd8b1946ae70.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/323350">Are there any upcoming plans or developments at&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7029" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A+T Instruments Ltd (Company)">A+T Instruments</a>&nbsp;you would like to shareLooking ahead, we’re actively exploring new product developments, but our primary focus remains providing quality customer service and deepening our involvement in new-build projects. This article was originally published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-5" target="_blank">Issue 5 of How To Build It</a>. You can read all the articles from this edition&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-5" target="_blank">here</a>, and stay up-to-date with all previous editions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine" target="_blank">here</a>.

CEO in conversation: Hugh Agnew of A+T Instruments

Established in 2012 by Richard Tinley and Hugh Agnew, A+T Instruments is headquartered in Lymington, England.