William Osborne (shipbuilder)

William Osborne (1880–1931) was a British boat builder and the founder of William Osborne Ltd, a shipyard based in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Established in 1919, the Osborne yard became known for its high-quality motor yachts, speedboats, and later for building lifeboats for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Osborne-built vessels played significant roles during the Second World War – including participation in the Dunkirk evacuation – and the company’s post-war output included pioneering RNLI lifeboats such as the Arun-class.