Britain's largest luxury yachtmaker Sunseeker set to be sold to Chinese property group for £300m Firm expected to be bought out by Beijing-based Dalian Wanda Manufacturer, based in Poole, Dorset, founded in 1968 has 2,300 staff Models have appeared in several James Bond films Favourite of celebs including Michael Douglas and Simon Cowell Spokesman insists company 'will remain British' if a deal goes through A Chinese property group is closing in on a deal to buy Britain's biggest luxury yachtmaker Sunseeker. The firm, whose Predator 108 model appeared in the James Bond film Casino Royale, is expected to be bought by Beijing-based Dalian Wanda for around £300million. It is the latest in a string of British companies to have been snapped up by Chinese buyers in recent years. Deal: Luxury British yachtmaker is expected to be bought by a Chinese property group for around £300million Celebrity favourite: Actor Michael Douglas with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones on board a Sunseeker yacht in Monte Carlo Success: Founder of Sunseeker yachts Robert Braithwaite, right, celebrates signing an order with former Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan Eddie Jordan's new toy 'The Snapper' a Sunseeker mega-yacht, arriving at The London Boat Show, ExCel The prestigious boat-maker, based in Poole, Dorset, is a favourite of the rich and famous with owners thought to include Simon Cowell, former French international footballer Marcel Desailly, Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan and drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nigel Mansell. Wang Jianlin, chairman and founder of Dalian Wanda, told the Financial Times: 'We bought the best yacht company in the UK.' Mr Wang is known to be fan of Sunseeker, having bought a Predator 108 Special Edition model in 2010. A spokesman for Sunseeker confirmed that the company is in discussions with a third party interested in buying a majority stake. She described the buyout as a 'significant investment' in the business but insisted 'one thing is for sure, Sunseeker will remain a British brand'. It is understood any deal would be on the basis that manufacturing and design operations remain in Poole to protect the jobs of around 2,300 people. The buyout would represent a major turnaround for Sunseeker which came to the brink of disaster as a result of the banking crisis in 2010. Sir Ben Ainslie in the cockpit of a Sunseeker Predator 92, which costs £3.9m Luxury: The premium quality of Sunseeker yachts has made the brand a favourite of the rich and famous A spokesman added: 'The potential new majority shareholder, who has no current interest in the luxury motor yacht sector, supports Sunseeker's commitment to superior products and its premium brand, both of which would be further enhanced by its investment.' If a deal is concluded, it will be fantastic news for the business, the wider Sunseeker "family" and the motor yacht industry and will allow Sunseeker to expand. Chinese companies have been buying up luxury European brands, especially in the UK, at a rapid rate in recent years. A young Paul Gascoigne tries out a Sunseeker at The Boat Show A relaxed-looking Nigel Mansell waves to the crowds at the Southampton Boat Show as he inspects the £1m-plus Sunseeker yacht. He later took delivery of an identical model British firms under Chinese ownership, or part-ownership, include MG Rover cars, Weetabix, Thames Water and Birmingham City football club. The deal would represent a major turnaround for the company, which makes around 50 boats a year, after it came close to disaster three years ago. The group made a loss of £9 million in 2010 after the banking crisis took its toll and broke the terms of its bank loan. But after a refinancing agreement backed by Dublin-based investment group FL Partners it returned to profit, announcing orders were already up for 2013. Popular with Arab royalty and Russian oligarchs, the directors said they were seeking to expand into areas including Asia, Russia and Brazil. Founded by Robert Braithwaite in 1968, Sunseeker is now an international company with an annual turnover of almost £290million a year. Its range of luxury yachts varies from sleek, speed merchants to huge vessels with rooms for five cabins and home cinema system. Customers include Arab royalty and Russian oligarchs as well as celebrities of all kinds from film stars to sports icons. Sunseeker models have appeared in several James Bond films, famously racing up the Thames in The World Is Not Enough and most recently in Casino Royale when one is owned by villain Le Chiffre. Robert Braithwaite never dreamed of having such international success when he learned his trade working for his father's engine-servicing company. Founded with a team of seven people, Sunseeker now employees around 2,300. In 2002 Braithwaite was named Entrepreneur of the Year. 'I was always a person with enormous ambition, but I never dreamed of this,' he told the BBC at the time. The company has ridden out the economic pressures of the banking crisis with profits last year set to reach £20.8million. A triumph of British manufacturing, Sunseeker says Mr Braithwaite will remain Group President of the business if any deal is concluded.