W W Marine Services was set up and is run by Paul Willis and Gareth Walters. In 1991 both of them were looking for new sculling boats and tried the Filippi single scull at Lucerne Regatta, they were so impressed with the boat’s feel, quality and performance that they ordered immediately and in the following April they secured the sole importing agency for Filippi Racing Boats in the UK and Northern Ireland.

As with the Filippi Brand worldwide, the last 14 years has seen a rapid growth in UK demand with imports achieving annual growth levels of 30% plus over this period. In April 1992 there were 6 Filippi boats in the UK marketplace, in December 2006 there were 600 comprising all the Filippi range, although the single scull range is still the largest import. W W Marine Services is now a private limited company.

Since retiring from competitive rowing, both the original partners remain closely connected with the sport, Gareth is Head of Coaching at St Georges College, Weybridge and Paul is Head of Coaching for the Tideway Scullers School, Chiswick. They continue to have a close relationship with the boat builder, passing information on customer feedback and market trends to Filippi thereby ensuring that the product continues to improve and remain at the forefront of boat innovation.

The firm’s office has recently moved from London to Dorchester on Thames, Oxon.