SYI’s Next Big Thing: With Will Christie, founder and CEO of Christie Yachts
Welcome to Superyacht Investor’s (SYI’s) Next Big Thing. In this series, we ask industry insiders to identify the next big thing in superyachting, what challenges the industry may face in dealing with the topic and how they can be overcome.
For our second episode in the series, we are joined by Will Christie, founder and CEO, Christie Yachts. Founded in 2021, the firm specialises in advising and representing clients in the purchase, sale and construction of large motor and sailing yachts.
Christie spoke at Superyacht Investor London 2022 on the ‘Selling in a boom’ panel along with Jamie Edmiston, Edmiston and Raphael Sauleau, Fraser Yachts.
In the interview, he speaks about the potential for more glass being incorporated into superyacht designs. “Clients want more and more of that connection with the ocean,” he said. “We will see more use of glass in the design and in the structure [of superyachts].”
After a youth spent racing sailing boats, it is no surprise that Christie has ended up working in the yachting industry. After three years at investment bank Cazenove, he joined yacht brokerage Edmiston. He moved on six years later to join competitor yacht broker, Y.Co, where he worked his way up to become its head of sales.
Having accumulated two decades’ worth of experience in the industry, he founded Christie Yachts. To date, Christie and his team have completed brokerage and new construction transactions valued at over €1.4bn ($1.5b), on yachts totalling more than 2,670m (8,757ft) in length.