‘Trump bump’ boosts US yacht-timismopinion Rob Hodgetts 2 Dec 24 0Wall Street’s ‘Trump bump’ in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential election win is showing signs of spreading to yachting, according to Raphael Sauleau, CEO,… Read more
Cantiere delle Marche aims to beat Stairway to Heavenopinion Rob Hodgetts 26 Nov 24 0Losing the family fortune could lead to ruin for some, but Vasco Buonpensiere says he is thankful for it. His family was wealthy and privileged,… Read more
Prospecting for white gold in Aspenopinion Rob Hodgetts 15 Nov 24 0He knew he was on to a good thing when one of his brokers got chatting to someone in a restaurant while waiting to pick… Read more
Why ‘cherry picking’ is on the horizon for insurersopinion Rob Hodgetts 12 Nov 24 0Superyacht incidents of fire, groundings and sinkings were a narrative of this northern hemisphere summer causing speculation that insurance premiums will skyrocket next year. A… Read more
Abeking & Rasmussen: The ’boutique’ yard on ‘full power’opinion Rob Hodgetts 31 Oct 24 0It sounds like the first line of a joke: “What starts with the management and ends with the welder?” But for Björn Benecke, sales manager… Read more
How candid calls got ‘job done’ for brokersopinion Rob Hodgetts 23 Oct 24 0As a snapshot of life as a yacht broker it told a good story. Several unanswered calls, multiple messages left and then eventually the pick-up.… Read more
Why ‘old war horses’ need to ‘wake up’ to cryptoopinion Rob Hodgetts 17 Oct 24 0Yacht companies need to “wake up and address” a growing tide of clients keen to use crypto for sales and charter transactions, according to Giles… Read more
Kicking fenders amid Monaco madnessopinion Rob Hodgetts 1 Oct 24 0Chatting on the saloon deck of Kismet, Chris Cecil-Wright’s eyes crease into a smile. Not at the sight of the drizzle dampening the Monaco air, but… Read more
Peter Wilson: Insights from the original owner’s repopinion Rob Hodgetts 20 Sep 24 0He says he has signed so many non-disclosure agreements he can’t talk to himself anymore. It’s a good line, and it encapsulates the secrecy of… Read more
Cannes: Insights from the casting couch and market moodopinion Rob Hodgetts 16 Sep 24 0Doing his best to look calm, he shuttled up and down the stairs between the two clients. It was a popular boat and the show… Read more
The Cannes Complex: Easy as A, B, Copinion Rob Hodgetts 9 Sep 24 0Noted wit Groucho Marx once said he doesn’t want to belong to any club that would have him as a member. The same logic pervades… Read more
‘Inwardly bullish’: Jaffa on reinvention & the American dreamopinion Rob Hodgetts 2 Sep 24 0You might imagine yacht and jet lawyers to be pedants in power dress or air-conditioned attack dogs. But spend any time talking to James Jaffa… Read more
Hard to build, easy to break?opinion Rob Hodgetts 23 Aug 24 0What is very hard to build and very easy to break? It is a good riddle and you can probably think of umpteen scenarios that fit… Read more
CEO chat: Fraser’s Kurten on impact, goals & leadershipopinion Rob Hodgetts 2 Aug 24 0Anders Kurten describes himself as a “pathological optimist” whose role is to “nurture and protect the trust” of his people and clients. He became CEO, Fraser Yachts in… Read more
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