Alfa Nero: ‘Not everyone can land a blue whale deal’opinion Rob Hodgetts 25 Jul 24 0She's a celebrity with a notorious backstory but one buyer was willing to take the risk. Read more
The ‘$1bn marina’ hoping to address an ‘acute crisis’opinion Rob Hodgetts 19 Jul 24 0He describes it as a “billion-dollar plus” project but Ra’anan Ben-Zur insists the “overwhelming” demand for his planned Habacoa superyacht marina in the Bahamas will answer an “acute crisis”.… Read more
‘I wasn’t a great yacht broker’ – Bob Denisonopinion Rob Hodgetts 15 Jul 24 0He was a reluctant yacht broker, but his father insisted. He quickly realised he wasn’t much good at it either, despite an illustrious yachting name.… Read more
‘The word yacht management is completely misunderstood’opinion Rob Hodgetts 8 Jul 24 0The world of yacht management needs an overhaul to better educate owners and ensure the experience matches their dreams, according to a panel of industry… Read more
Goldsworthy: ‘I thought I’d been absolutely brilliant’opinion Rob Hodgetts 5 Jul 24 0He thought yacht broking was an “absolute doddle”. It had to be. Four months in the game and he had already landed his first sale,… Read more
Feeling the fear, doing it anyway – Ikonic risesopinion Rob Hodgetts 21 Jun 24 0Clambering over the guard rail of the Perrine bridge 500ft above the Snake River, every nerve ending screamed at him not to do it. This… Read more
Why nuclear could be the viable nuclear optionopinion Rob Hodgetts 14 Jun 24 0A nuclear option is an extreme and unlikely course of action, but in superyachts the future could be, well, nuclear. It might induce a cold… Read more
Why yacht brokers are braced for revolutionopinion Rob Hodgetts 7 Jun 24 0Antiquated industry ripe for disruption or relationship business reliant on human connections? Superyacht brokerage could be at an inflexion point, but change might not come… Read more
Bankers spy ‘green shoots’ for yacht financeopinion Rob Hodgetts 3 Jun 24 0Yacht finance has come through a “bumpy” period but there are “green shoots” of recovery according to bankers speaking on a panel at Superyacht Investor… Read more
Why openness with innovation can change attitudesopinion Rob Hodgetts 28 May 24 0New-build innovation could spark a seismic shift in the public perception of superyachts but only if old-school practices of secrecy and silos are swept away.… Read more
Edmiston’s advice and market snapshotopinion Rob Hodgetts 20 May 24 0Buying a superyacht that you can’t afford to give away is not the smartest plan for an investor, according to Jamie Edmiston. “There is zero… Read more
Owner Vonk’s journey to net his dream yachtopinion Rob Hodgetts 10 May 24 0Erik Vonk puts much of it down to Dutch stubbornness. It helped him drive through his decades-long dream to convert a North Sea fishing trawler… Read more
Manna seeks ‘eccellenza’ at Antonini Naviopinion Rob Hodgetts 3 May 24 0The Italians call it “eccellenza”. In English it means “excellence”, but it doesn’t sound as cool. For Aldo Manna, partner and sales director of Antonini… Read more
Pitasso: ‘There’s always a buyer somewhere on the planet’opinion Rob Hodgetts 26 Apr 24 0Ignoring Eleonora Pitasso won’t work. She’s just not the kind of person to take “no” for an answer. “I like to open doors. If I… Read more
McCartney’s ticket to ride brings breakfast with movie staropinion Rob Hodgetts 19 Apr 24 0He’s no stranger to the uber rich but even Vincent McCartney was starstruck when he was invited to have breakfast with a movie legend. McCartney,… Read more
Alfa: Why investing in time reaps biggest rewardsopinion Rob Hodgetts 12 Apr 24 0As an investor in time, Anton Foord hopes to reap perpetual rewards. Foord, of Ocean Independence, has recently represented the buyer in the purchase of… Read more
Why new-builds need operational design inputopinion Rob Hodgetts 8 Apr 24 0A dive at Belize’s famous Blue Hole was to be the crowning moment of the owner’s trip but captain Lee Stevenson had a serious issue.… Read more
Heesen’s Drontmann bullish despite headwindsopinion Rob Hodgetts 2 Apr 24 0Spring is a time for fresh hope and green shoots, tempered by the knowledge that storms are still possible. That certainly seems to be the… Read more
Jim Evans on the good, bad and ugly of yacht brokingopinion Rob Hodgetts 15 Mar 24 0Jim Evans knew the game was up when the captain took him aside. “You’re too clumsy, too rubbish to be a deckhand. You should be… Read more
Why tea and biscuits can beat AI yacht surveysopinion Rob Hodgetts 8 Mar 24 0Plain or covered in chocolate? That’s a choice you don’t get with artificial intelligence (AI) but you do with deluxe oat biscuits such as Hobnobs.… Read more