chris cecil wright yacht broker

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Cecil Wright

A unique boutique yacht brokerage with integrity and a genuine point of view.

We treat the smallest charter through to the largest new build with respect and dedication because it's all about our relationship with you.

Chris Cecil-Wright created a bespoke superyacht brokerage company, Cecil Wright & Partners with the objective to build a “nimble” business not weighed down by a rigid structure and associated overheads. By combining new analytical technology together with a small team of specialists, Cecil Wright & Partners has already made its mark as a serious contender in the yacht brokerage world. Chris’s aim is “Fewer clients, serviced better.” The biggest challenge that Chris faced was establishing a business offering the level of professionalism of the large yacht brokers, but with the benefits only a smaller business can provide. Chris also wanted to make the process of chartering a yacht or starting a new-build project enjoyable, and chose a team with excellent contacts and a high level of integrity to facilitate that.

Chris has a very real passion for superyachts, in particular those built by the Dutch yard Feadship. He can enchant you with stories of innovation and supreme design on board some of the world's finest yachts, and has lent his hand to many of the design features most talked about in the industry - for example the first on-board squash court on the spectacular 99m Feadship, MADAME GU. Cecil-Wright explains. “We offer a discreet, highly personalised service, based on good relationships and the exacting standards that should always be expected in this industry.”

Cecil-Wright & Partners has offices in London, Monaco and Jersey.

Featured yachts for Sale & Charter

Why yacht brokers are braced for revolution

Tim Davis (centre) listens as Chris Cecil-Wright makes a point on a compelling broker panel at Superyacht Investor London.

Antiquated industry ripe for disruption or relationship business reliant on human connections?

Superyacht brokerage could be at an inflexion point, but change might not come from where you think, according to a panel of leading figures at Superyacht Investor London 2024.

WATCH: ‘What is the future for sales brokerage?’

Leading the case for disruption was Tim Davis, chief marketing officer, Burgess who said he is  “constantly amazed by how antiquated”  the industry is.

“The opportunity for this business to change, to revolutionise, to disrupt is enormous,”  said Davis, who came to yachting six years ago via consumer brands such as Virgin, Vodafone and Red Bull.

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“I don’t believe there are any other verticals out there that have the opportunity that we do. But I don’t believe there are any other verticals out there that are as slow to take that opportunity.

“So we either disrupt or we get disrupted. And I think in the next 12 to 24 months, something’s going to happen, whether that is internally or externally. It is a hugely antiquated industry with such potential.”

From left to right: Patrick Coote, Tim Davis, Will Christie, Chris Cecil-Wright.

Chris Cecil-Wright , founder of boutique brokerage Cecil Wright agreed that the business is  “fairly cottage in many ways”  but suggested that his small number of clients, generally buying yachts above 60m, often prefer the traditional methods.

“One of the things I find that my clients quite like about dealing with us is that we do go about it the old way,”  said Cecil-Wright, who began at Camper and Nicholsons and was a partner at Edmiston for 20 years.

“We do spend time in each other’s company.  We don’t just send mail.  It is that old-fashioned, relationship-driven business. So whilst I see at the higher-volume side of life, there may be ways to rev it up and disrupt, I don’t necessarily see right at the higher end of the business, when these people are used to a very, very good level of service, how that can be so disruptive. I wait to see.”

Personal attention

Will Christie , founder, Christie Yachts , suggested that at the top end of the market  “it is not a binary world”  where data can spit out a solution.

“There’s lots of data out there but it’s making sense of it all and explaining it to clients,”  said Christie.  “I don’t know any industry where the disparity between asking prices and selling prices is so big. It is a confusing and opaque market and you need someone with experience and credibility to explain that to you in person. And I just don’t think machines can do that. ”

READ: Bankers spy green shoots for yacht finance

Christie pointed to a deal he completed last year in conjunction with Cecil-Wright which was  “complicated” .  “It required personal attention and relationships and communication,”  he said.

“There are emotions, there are egos that require massaging. It’s very delicate. You’re dealing here with people who sometimes don’t need to sell. They definitely don’t need to buy. No one needs to buy a boat.   And if the environment is just a bit incorrect or something happens that just upsets them a bit, the whole deal can fall apart. That requires attention and diplomacy. That requires a broker.”

‘Winging it’

But if the personal touch is able to keep the technology at bay for now, the human element is still a variable in the system.

“One of the big headwinds I think we have as an industry is the good brokers versus the bad brokers,”  said  Patrick Coote , MD, Northrop & Johnson Europe.

“We are unregulated. Anyone can print a business card and be a yacht broker. Half the world seems to think that we are just sort of car salesmen that are just winging it and then earning a huge amount of money. I vehemently disagree with that.”

READ: Why openness with innovation can change attitudes

Coote said it takes  “minimum five years, more like 10 years”  to become a good yacht broker,  “on a par with a doctor or a lawyer or a senior accountant” .

“A broker should be at the top table of the client, sitting with his lawyer, accountant, tax advisor, with the same level of professionalism and knowledge and able to bring value to the discussion, far removed from the sort of chancers we do experience and do cause problems, particularly from a reputational perspective,”  he said.

Customer-centric

Christie, who moved from head of sales at Y.CO to set up Christie Yachts in 2021, warned owners that bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to brokerages, suggesting there is a  “great disparity”  in brokers at the bigger companies.  “You might get the sales pitch from the boss, but then get handed a junior,”  he said.   

READ: Edmiston’s advice, plus market views at SYI London

But for Coote and Davis, the scale of their businesses offer substantial benefit.

“What is a brokerage company? It is a bunch of guys with a rented office and a few laptops,”  said Coote, whose Northrop & Johnson is part of the MarineMax group which also owns Fraser Yachts.

“So we are a service business and mainly we offer knowledge, insight and experience. And when you’ve got a sale completing every 72 hours, you’re gleaning a huge amount of information about deal-making, about dealing with problems.”

Davis added:  “It’s harder to make sure that that consistency of experience is there when you’ve got more people. But I still think it is the right person on the right day. Essentially when the client says, ‘Have you sold my boat?’, they don’t give a monkey’s whether it’s 250 people or three.

“We’ve either sold the boat or we haven’t, and we may have done that through data expertise or digital expertise but being customer-centric rather than delivering great customer service, I think, is a big point.”

Despite the competition, Christie suggested that collaboration is key as a broker . “You have to choose who to pick battles with, but if you are a good broker, you realise that the other good brokers don’t need to be your enemy,” he said. “We want to be on good terms with everyone, big and small, because actually it is an advantage to our clients.”

It seems that in the near term the so-called disruption may come from  “weeding out the bad eggs”  and  “working for higher levels of professionalism” among brokers ,  as Christie puts it.

READ: Pitasso: ‘There’s always a buyer somewhere’

According to Cecil-Wright, however, the disruption is already coming from within.

“One of the key differences between big businesses and smaller businesses like Will and I, is that we keep our overheads to a relatively sensible level,”  he said.

“And obviously as businesses get bigger, you have much bigger overheads and you then need to ensure that your commission levels stay high. So keeping our costs down means we are able to be very nimble and we don’t have to charge the huge commissions that everybody else has to, so we are in some way disrupting the market.”

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Cecil Wright & Partners

A trusted, valued team of large yacht specialists with incredible depth of knowledge. Personal, discreet and reliable, we’ve worked together as a team for more than 25 years now. We’re well respected and highly trusted by a large network of fellow brokers worldwide. And because we go further for our select clients, we add significant value to their experience during the charter, sale and build of the world’s finest yachts.

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Considering a Bespoke Yacht? Chris Cecil-Wright Has Your Solution

Whether you’re looking to build, buy, sell, or charter the perfect vessel, yacht brokers Cecil Wright & Partners is on to a winning formula

As a boy who spent his childhood messing about on boats, Chris Cecil-Wright never dreamed he would grow up to become one of the world’s preeminent yacht brokers. Today he’s renowned for selling the sleekest and best-equipped private vessels available, and also for building bespoke superyachts to precise specifications.

Were it not for an accident that ended a career in the armed forces, the principal of Cecil Wright & Partners would have looked to the sky rather than the water. “After military school at Sandhurst in Berkshire, England , I served as a tank commander with 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards and was training to be an Apache pilot,” he says. “When I crashed while paragliding and broke my back, yacht brokerage was always to be my next-best career.”

Related: See Our Expert Guide to Investing in the World’s Top Sailing Locations

Surprisingly, it was the military that led Cecil-Wright back to the ocean. “They had several Nicholson 55s and I sailed in them on army expeditions,” he says. The Nicholson name is synonymous with yacht-builders boasting a brokerage arm, so he joined Camper & Nicholsons in 1994.

“After two years as a broker, their former MD, Nick Edmiston, invited me to join him in a new business he was setting up in Monaco . I was head of sales and involved in the rise of the Russian market.” While there are no formal barriers to setting up as a yacht broker, the Chris Cecil-Wright approach is all about credibility. “Being able to show you understand the many considerations an owner may not yet have thought of, and what you have done in the past.”

Those considerations range from all the technical aspects that facilitate speed and seaworthiness to ensuring sufficient space for storage and enough power to run air-conditioning units, wine fridges, and espresso machines, as well as the yacht itself. First, though, the client’s priorities are established. “They will have views on design as well as how they intend to use their yacht. I make recommendations based on my experience, but it is a partnership; building trust with the client is essential.”

Related:  View Waterfront Homes That Are Ideal for a Yachting Lifestyle

Cecil-Wright also helps clients by chartering out their yachts when not in use by the owner. “We do everything from designing a marketing campaign to ensuring legal requirements have been met.”

He will spend 2022 overseeing two big new builds, as well as managing a fleet for charter and acting as the agent for three new yachts up for sale. “Every completion ignites a shared sense of achievement; it’s about a commitment to quality, integrity, and authenticity. When I set up Cecil Wright & Partners in 2013, I built the business on the principles of strong client relationships and delivering what’s promised, and I’m convinced that’s a winning formula.”

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Banner image: Madame Gu, one of the superyachts in the Cecil Wright & Partners fleet

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Chris cecil-wright, who spent 20 years as a sales broker at edmiston and company and has launched his own firm with a handful of his former team says his charter business has been surprisingly strong.….

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YACHTTALK S4E5: MARKET UPDATE WITH CECIL WRIGHT

22 august 2023.

In our second episode of YachtTalk recorded in London, we catch up with  Henry Smith , partner of ‘boutique-style’ brokerage firm Cecil Wright.

Thanks to their client-centred approach, Cecil Wright is one of the leading yacht brokers in the ultra-luxury segment. Henry Smith updates us on the current state of the superyacht market, including how rising interest rates, the threat of a recession and the enduring war in Ukraine are affecting the global appetite for luxury yachting. What trends Cecil Wright sees from its clientele? What are the implications of generation Z entering the market? And why is Cecil Wright focusing exclusively on boats from northern European shipyards? 

HENRY SMITH

Partner & sales broker cecil wright.

Having sailed competitively since his childhood it seemed a natural progression for Henry Smith to follow his passion and work in the yacht industry. Armed with expertise in mechanics and engineering he was ideally equipped to understand and advise on more than the cosmetic aspects of a boat for purchase or sale. Smith learned the trade of selling yachts from Chris Cecil-Wright. Both men connected in their conviction that when it comes to yacht brokerage, bigger is certainly not better. Today, Cecil Wright is one of the leading ‘boutique’ yacht brokerages, with a preference for boats with a northern European pedigree. “Our clients are used to the best in life so that’s what we are looking for in a yacht for them.”

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DIRTY SECRET IV Boat for Sale

48' ocean | 1987 | $175,000.

• Yachts for sale
• Dirty Secret IV

Last updated May 17, 2024

Dirty Secret IV Boat | 48' Ocean 1987

NEW LISTING - MORE PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTION TO FOLLOW

This boat has undergone extensive refit and is ready to go with everything attended to. Additionally the boat is in a transferable slip in a marina centrally located in St. Petersburg, FL where there are long wait lists. 

In 2001, Cay Marine, renowned for their expertise in customizing sportfishers, spared no expense in an extensive refit, making this vessel a true masterpiece.

Under the stewardship of the current owner since 2015, this already stunning yacht received further enhancements. In 2017, the entire hull underwent a transformative process, including sandblasting, fiberglass reconditioning, and a meticulous application of two epoxy coats.

L-Lounge to port

Carpeting with wood flooring accents at the entry

Custom cabinetry with generous storage to starboard

Spacious dinette to starboard

Silhouette blinds and valances

Teak paneling

Entertainment center with Bose Surround Sound

Air conditioning and custom vents

Galley - Port Side:

Custom shortened galley with Corian countertops

Custom teak cabinetry

Corian sink

Custom wood flooring

New refrigerator and freezer (2014)

Master Stateroom - Forward Below Deck:

Full walk-around queen berth

Air conditioning

Exquisite teak woodwork

Custom lighting

Two cedar-lined closets

Guest Staterooms:

Port: Single twin berth with custom cabinetry and carpeting, equipped with air conditioning.

Starboard: Single lower berth, ample locker space with custom cabinetry, custom wall coverings, and a teak closet. This stateroom also features a stackable washer and dryer.

Custom Cay Marine top

Two custom helm chairs

Teak decks on flybridge

Morse control

Custom gauges

Raymarine plotter/depthsounder (2015)

New spreader lights (2020)

48-mile Furuno radar

Furuno 292 color sounder

S.S.B. radio

Engine Room - Mechanical:

6-71 Detroit Diesels with 1000 hours since major overhaul (2014)

15kW Westerbeke generator

Custom gel batteries (2020)

Inverter (2015)

Dripless shaft seals (2018)

New alternators and starters (2020)

New after coolers (2019)

Walker Air Seps

New blue silicone engine hoses (2020)

Automatic fire halon system

Battery charger

Automatic bilge pump

New air conditioning units (2017 & 2018)

Primary and secondary filters serviced in December 2020

Oil exchange system

Engine alarms

New heat exchanger (2017)

New turbochargers (2019)

New windlass (2014) 

Cockpit - Deck:

Fiberglass cockpit

Fiberglass covering boards

Teak faux transom

Custom grille in the cockpit

Freshwater and saltwater washdown

Lazarette storage

Tackle center with sink

Powder-coated handrails

Deleted bow rail

Fishbox in the lazarette

Hull and Deck:

Beautiful Awl Grip painted custom yellow hull (2015)

Custom engine side vents

Black outriggers

Upgrades (2022-2023):

Portal engine complete overhaul (2023, $30,000)

New salon floor with engine hatch access (2023, $5,000)

Garmin electronics package (2022, $40,000)

Acrylic dash

Offshore life raft

Anchor rope and chain

New boat paint

Shaft seals

New EISEN glass

This sportfishing masterpiece is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.  Listing information subject to change - contact broker for accurate and up to date information. 

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Calm Seas Yachting.

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

INQUIRE ABOUT DIRTY SECRET IV

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Dirty Secret IV HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 48' Ocean 1987
• Location: Saint Petersburg, FL
• Last Updated: May 17, 2024
• Asking Price: $175,000
• Max Draft: 3' 6''

Dirty Secret IV additional information

• Beam: 15' 2''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Fuel Tank: 1 x 580|gallon
• Fresh Water: 1 x 150|gallon
• Holding: 1 x 31|gallon

Schedule a Tour of DIRTY SECRET IV

Contact our team to schedule a private showing.

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SUPER YACHT ADVENTURES: CHRIS CECIL WRIGHT

TUESDAY, 26TH JULY 2016

There are people that have got it together. Who know what they’re good at, what makes them happy, and what success really looks like. Chris Cecil-Wright is one of that rare breed.

He embodies living life as the big adventure, whether it’s walking to the two poles or setting up one of the most exciting new super yacht brokerage companies in recent times. So we decided to pay a visit to his base on St James’s Street to find out if life on the high seas has really all been smooth sailing.

But first, a note of warning. “The thing about big yachts is that people only think there’s one lifestyle.” This is no behind-the-scenes, up-the-skirt look at a life of excess. No hedonistic odyssey of self-destruction and rehab redemption. No bronzed bikini-clad ladies of Calypso. No champagne corks bouncing off the sunburnt bellies of oligarchs. But what we can offer is an insight into the other world of super yachts – a port to the starboard of tabloid titillation 

“When you get to 60-metres-long, there’s nowhere on the planet you can’t go,” Cecil-Wright explains the definition of what he prefers to call “big yachts.” It’s a class of boat that is all about unanchored freedom, able to carry enough fuel and provisions to make a more-than-comfortable trip anywhere and back. This is a new frontier kind of luxury lifestyle, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. This is adventure yachting.

“You have to have the adventure bug.” Cecil-Wright sets the scene: Imagine, if you will, someone who’s about pushing his limits, who starts mountain climbing in the Peak District, or driving to the south of France to ski for the weekend. And then his fortunes changes dramatically – he now finds himself uninhibited by money and able to travel anywhere at the drop of the hat. The world becomes a very small place. “Time and space become much more condensed for these guys. The world is their oyster – it’s just down to imagination.”

Imagination is exactly what we might need here. “To a laymen like you and I, the difference equates to that between a Range Rover and a Land Rover Defender. The Defender isn’t about a nice smart polish – it has rivets and the panels are almost wavy. And that’s the adventure yacht too: a boat that can go anywhere – bash itself through ice, or be slammed up against commercial ports in Venezuela – yet inside has all the luxuries of a super yacht.” Going anywhere also requires a lot of equipment. Cecil-Wright lists an ark-load of off-road vehicles, mountain bikes, and support team trailers, not forgetting a landing craft to get one from t’other.

Sitting at his base in a St James’s Street mansion block apartment, he rolls up his shirtsleeves to reveal elbows swollen to the size of tennis balls. It’s the result of his most recent trip with a client and friend, where they ran and mountain biked a 600-kilometre circuitous route through the Namibian Desert. He gets out the computer and pulls up pictures of steaks cooking over a mountaintop fire at sunset, or regales of encountering a on their daily marathon – a truly incredible sight when you consider there are only a mere two thousand left covering the whole of southern Africa. 

 Cecil-Wright also remembers his first encounter with a big yacht as the real turning point. When breaking his back paragliding spelled the end of his promising army career – he had just started helicopter training at Middle Wallop – he then began working for boat builders Camper Nicholson by driving port-to-port in the south of France handdelivering the company newsletter along with a copy of the FT. That’s when he first went black rhino aboard Talitha G – a 1927 motor yacht designed and built for . “It was the most mind-bogglingly glorious thing. And I remember thinking this is a totally different market.”

 The new business – simply called – only deals with the absolute top of the market, a lesson he said was learnt after twenty years working at Edmiston, also on St James’s Street. “Every buyer expects to feel he’s the most important man when he’s buying or building a yacht. But the market has become huge, so the only way was to look after a small group at the very top. Our mantra is fewer clients, serviced better.” 

We ask him if he’s always sailed. After describing his earliest memories on a boat called Ajax with his father and brother “between Keyhaven and Cowes – extremely noisy and cold, being bashed around, soaking wet, and happy as Larry,” he goes on to add that adventure yachting isn’t all about thrills but family. “The discretion and the disappearing is a huge part of it. Just look at the Royal Family. In the biggest and most glorious yacht of its day, they’d take it up to deserted beaches in Scotland and barbecue on the sand. And that’s what goes on. There are lots of people you’ve never heard of, with yachts you’ve never heard of, who simply enjoy a big boat for all the kids and grandkids. I mean, once you experience the level of service, privacy, fun – it’s very hard to go back to a hotel.”

Hook, line and sinker – his sales pitch is compelling. Or that might be the imagination talking. But it isn’t so much a pitch at all. Perhaps there’s a little bit of pride in his business, and rightly so, but overwhelmingly there’s just an ease that, one imagines, comes with living life to its fullest. And that doesn’t mean grandiose body-pushing extreme achievements, but in recognising the value of all of life’s adventures. We ask a little about his trips to the poles, but he’s more alive talking about racing boats with his middle daughter Grace, which he does every Monday out of Lymington.

Many of us can probably stretch our imagination to commissioning a bespoke shirt, suit or shoes, but a yacht is something else entirely. But if you want some to go that extra mile, and ensure you enjoy the ride, you’d be best served by someone who understands the true meaning of adventure.

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Thursday, 10th may 2018, feadship project 815 launched and named sherpa, wednesday, 19th july 2017, welcome aboard, thursday, 5th january 2017, yacht charter focus: the ultimate escape on turquoise, friday, 29th september 2017, a guide to how to pick and choose the boat of your dreams, mys: the rise of boutique brokerage with cecil wright, thursday, 6th april 2017, philosophy superyacht valuation, contact the team.

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Owner & Certified Professional Yacht Broker

(727) 560-0220 [email protected]

Owner and Certified Professional Yacht Broker.

For over 40 years, Joe has helped clients realize their boating dreams. He’d like to help you too. With extensive experience as a sailor, boat builder, yacht broker, businessman and a proven negotiator, Joe will provide you with sound advice and representation. You will find his practical experience and broad product knowledge insightful when comparing and evaluating yachts you are considering.

If your goal is to sell your boat, his sales and marketing experience will help you to sell your boat quickly, for the most dollars possible and have the process be hassle free. Few in the yacht business have more marketing experience than Joe. He began his career in the yacht business in 1978 and became vice president of sales and marketing for several yacht manufactures which included Gulfstar yachts, Lazzara Marine, Morgan Yachts and Irwin Yachts. During that time, he had the incredible opportunity to work side by side with several of the “legends” in the boat building industry. Joe also had the pleasure of working with Azimut Benetti, the Italian manufacturer that is the largest builder of motor yachts over eighty feet in the world. Through these experiences, Joe gained intimate product knowledge and a thorough understanding of the construction process that you may find helpful in comparing different yachts.

In 1984, Joe opened Preferred Yachts next to the St Petersburg Yacht Club. Understanding that yacht brokerage sales revolve around providing thorough and accurate information, Joe set out to create a better way of providing data to clients and sales people to make the best informed decisions. It was here that he pioneered and developed software that helped to revolutionize and computerize the yacht brokerage business.

Today, Joe continues to create successful marketing strategies that attract more potential buyers and tha sell a boat faster than other brokers. This includes The Preferred Yachts’ Brokerage Display Center at the Harborage Marina. With numerous boats for sale in one location, it attracts buyers from around the country. It’s like a boat show seven days a week. The Preferred Yachts’ Online Virtual Boat Show consists of 360-Degree Virtual Tours that are the next best thing to actually stepping aboard a boat. Available 24 hours a day, these virtual tours are shot and produced by Preferred Yachts at no cost to the seller and results in a majority of sales.

As one of only 125 of the 3000 licensed brokers in Florida to qualify as a Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB), you will be assured of honest and accurate representation and that your interests are always protected. Joe’s experience in yacht sales is extensive and varied and includes selling hundreds of sail and power yachts.

Many of Joe’s clients have become lifelong friends. He’d like the opportunity to earn that relationship with you.

Vice President Customer Satisfaction

Pepper joined Preferred Yachts in 2015 and quickly rose within the organization. Pepper has become one of the keys to our success. She showers our guests with plenty of love and attention and will entertain them for hours chasing after her ball. Because of her unselfish care and concern for our clients, Pepper was promoted to Vice President of Customer Relations.

Jane Burnett

Sales Administrator & Licensed Yacht Broker

(813) 917-0911 [email protected]

Jane Burnett is not just a yacht broker; she’s a seasoned mariner with over three decades of experience in the maritime world. Her journey with the sea began as a teenager on the picturesque west coast of Florida, where she first learned to sail. This early connection with the water would shape her life in ways she couldn’t have predicted. 

Over the years, Jane’s passion for sailing and boating continued to grow, and she became the proud owner of numerous boats. Her comfort spans both Power and Sailing Yachts, from coastal cruisers to center console fishing boats, and even long-range cruisers, including catamarans. She’s equally at home navigating the tranquil waters of the Bahamas and the remote beauty of the Australian coastline. 

Jane’s sailing experience extends beyond leisurely cruises. She’s been actively  involved in racing cruising sailboats and has even participated in prestigious events like the Windjammer and Bikini Cup as part of a women’s sailing team. Her dedication to sailing speaks volumes about her commitment to and love for life on the water. 

One of the highlights of Jane’s career was her significant role with the world’s largest charter yacht company. As a broker, she played a crucial role in selling yachts with charter yacht management agreements into fleets in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Her expertise in yacht brokerage, particularly in the context of charter fleets, is unmatched. 

At the turn of the century, Jane and her husband embarked on a remarkable journey that most sailors can only dream of. They spent an entire year cruising in the Caribbean aboard their BENETEAU Sailboat, an experience that allowed them to truly immerse themselves in the beauty and freedom of the open sea. 

With Jane Burnett as your yacht broker, you will benefit from her extensive experience and enjoy upbeat personality. Give her a call.

Michelle Gadient

Charter & Licensed Yacht Broker

(321) 482-6090 [email protected]

Michelle’s love for yachts runs deep. With years of experience as a Yacht Charter Broker and hands-on involvement crewing in the BVI, she’s immersed herself in the maritime world. Beyond her professional pursuits, Michelle’s personal life revolves around the water, having owned multiple Sea Rays and a Wellcraft, and spending the majority of her free time on the waves.

Her academic journey took her through Mizzou, where she earned a BSBA in Finance, followed by an MBA from Maryville University. These qualifications paved the way for a distinguished career in Sales and Contract Negotiation across diverse sectors, including defense and pharmaceuticals. Employed by esteemed companies such as Boeing and Eli Lilly, Michelle honed her skills before transitioning to entrepreneurship.

Originally from St. Louis, MO, Michelle embodies the legendary Midwest work ethic. However, her frequent visits to Lake of the Ozarks fueled a desire for a more water-centric lifestyle, leading her to relocate to Florida in 2011. This relocation marked a turning point as she fully embraced year-round boating, ultimately steering her towards a full-time role as a Yacht Broker and Charter Specialist.

Michelle’s extensive background in sales, coupled with her deep-rooted passion for yachts, positions her as the quintessential professional to oversee the buying or selling of your vessel. Entrust your yacht dreams to Michelle, where her expertise and dedication converge to ensure a seamless experience on the water.

Jamie Birch

Licensed Professional Yacht Broker

(317) 750-8664 [email protected]

Jamie Birch grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana University in May of 2013 with her bachelor’s degree in marketing. After graduation, she moved down to St. Petersburg, Florida to pursue her dream of working and living on the water. Jamie grew up boating with family friends on various lakes in Michigan, where she first developed her love for boating and the water. With an education and background in sales and marketing, as well as two sales-related internships in college, she decided to gear her sales and marketing experience towards something she loves. Jamie has been a full time yacht broker since 2013.

(727) 408-1027 [email protected]

What Bo Brown enjoys best about the yacht business is helping his clients achieve their boating dream. Bo has been in the Florida marine industry for nearly 30 years and has made a successful career as a yacht broker for over 27 years. His wealth of experience, knowledge and commitment has helped clients from all over the world find their ideal yacht or sell their current boat. He’d like to have the opportunity to be an assistant to you as well. “I know that listening to my client’s individual needs and wishes is what is important, whether helping a client sell their current boat, purchase a new boat or both simultaneously. Each client is unique and has their own expectations. My job is to ensure that together we achieve your goal.”

(917) 243-2087 [email protected]

As a St. Petersburg local, Ron Nummi has the marine way of life in his blood. His love of the water and appreciation of vintage yachts drives Ron to help his clients achieve their own dreams in the boating lifestyle. Ron has spent many years living on yachts. From the time he was a film and stage actor in New York City, he lived on and raised his 3 children on a 42 ft. classic Chris Craft.

As his children got older, Ron’s career allowed him to travel extensively all over the world. He returned to New York and worked as a stockbroker for several years before realizing he wanted to return to St. Petersburg and the boating lifestyle. He now lives on his 40 ft. Sailing yacht with his fiancé and their 2 dogs.

Ron is a professional communicator and keeps his clients involved in every aspect of the process. Ron’s love of the boating life shows in how he strives to share this with his clients, whether you are looking to start a new adventure on the water or selling your boat and look to the next chapter in their life.

Chris Kubisiak

(813) 380-3076 [email protected]

C hris started sailing and boating in the Tampa Bay Area in 1984. Since then, he’s raced sailboats continuously, including local PHRF racing and offshore races to Key West, Havana and Mexico. He’s also raced in the Caribbean, and he’s cruised and chartered in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and French Polynesia.

Professionally, Chris obtained a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and lead a successful career in management consulting. He’s guided teams and organizations to successful outcomes, developing leaders and driving growth through consulting and executive coaching. His passion has been aiding individuals in finding their professional paths.

Today, as a Yachting Consultant/Broker, Chris builds on his consulting and coaching experience to guide both new and experienced boaters and sailors in realizing their yachting dreams. With a unique blend of boating experience, sailing know-how and insightful coaching, he navigates aspiring sailors and yachtsmen toward fulfilling their maritime aspirations.

Cassandra Olson

(941) 564-5977 [email protected]

John Karaosmanoglu

(813) 809-3303 [email protected]

John is uniquely qualified to be your broker. John’s deep love of boating led him to become a Naval Architect, earn a degree in Ocean Engineering, and achieve a Phd. in Marketing and E-commerce.

Besides being an excellent student, John is also a great communicator and teacher. For nine years he taught and helped graduate, hundreds of students from the Marina and Yacht Management program as the Department Chair at Yasar University. Before that, he was a yachting agent for some of the largest giga yachts in the world –- i.e. yachts over 300 ft.

Having recently moved with his beloved wife and young daughter from Europe to the U.S., John is excited and motivated to use his background and global network to help you. His attention to detail, follow up, and easy demeanor is refreshing, and his guidance extremely helpful, whether you are buying or selling a boat.

Preferred Yachts is pleased to have a person with such an amazing background on our team. You will enjoy working with him.

Scott Barone

(813) 817-2222 [email protected]

Greg Johnson

(228) 222-0269 [email protected]

Born and raised on the Mississippi gulf coast, Greg moved to the Tampa area following his time in the Army. He attended the University of South Florida, where he graduated with a degree in mass communications and journalism. Therefore, his natural next progression was to immediately start selling boats. He’s had a passion for sailing and obsession with sailboats since his teens.

Over the past few years Greg has been refitting his 1973 Ericson 39 with the goal of cruising. There isn’t a system on the boat he hasn’t had his hands in. From fiberglass work to painting, electrical to plumbing, he can certainly tell you what not to do.

Ken D'Agostino

(941) 320-0044 [email protected]

Whether you are buying or selling a boat, Ken is uniquely qualified to help you.

Ken completely embraces the boating lifestyle. Ken is enjoying the live aboard lifestyle for almost 15 years. His boating passion began as a young teenager boating with his dad around Martha Vineyard, Nantucket and Long Island Sound. The racing bug eventually hit and Ken owned and raced a J-24 and then an IOR boat. Besides owning numerous sailboats, he’s owned a sportfish, a trawlers and his current boat is a 62’ motor yacht. Ken intimately understands what you go through to buy, sell or own a boat. What this means to you is he will help you make sound choices.

As an owner of a successful real estate company for decades, Ken is an outstanding negotiator and will expertly guide you through the buying or selling process. Water is part of Ken’s DNA and he passed this passion on to his two adult children, who also own boats. Ken has been a Member of the Sarasota Yacht Club since 1995 and has served on the SYC Board of Directors for 11 plus years. He is a graduate of Eckerd College and a resident of Sarasota since 1978.

Fun loving and dedicated to the marine lifestyle, you will enjoy working with Ken. He is always available to talk boats. Give him a call.

Charlie Gilmore

(406) 570-1771 [email protected]

We are proud to have Charlie  on our team.

(813) 514-7330 [email protected]

We are proud to have Bob Figgs on our team.

Bob, his wife, Wendy and their dog, Dexter, have turned their dream of living aboard a boat into reality. Bob is an ASA Certified Bareboat and Multihull Sailor and enjoys sailing on his Beneteau Oceanis. He has owned many boats throughout his life, both power and sail. In addition, Bob conducts yacht “shake down cruises” and deliveries with a local captain for his clients that need those services. Having gone through the buying and selling cycle, Bob can empathize with your challenges whether you are buying or selling a boat.

Bob’s professional life began in the automotive Industry, where he earned accreditation as a Master Registered ASE Technician, and advanced into corporate life. Bob has traveled extensively through the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and Canada as a Regional Operations Manager in both sales and service for a Worldwide Automotive Manufacturer.

Now, as a full time, trained professional yacht broker, you will find his knowledge, experience, and integrity extremely helpful in making an informed decision best for you. You will also enjoy his easy-going attitude, sound advice and find his impeccable follow-up refreshing. Give Bob a call and put him to work for you.

Jeremiah Kroeger

(740) 497-0995 Jeremiah @PreferredYachts.com

Renae Little

(612) 443-1994 Renae @PreferredYachts.com

(850) 516-2709 [email protected]

The Preferred Yachts Difference

We are full time professional yacht brokers, with a real office, in a real marina with real listings and a sincere passion to help our clients realize their boating dreams. Preferred Yachts is committed to the highest level of ethical, professional and knowledgeable representation for our clients.

Our Team is Awesome at Listings and Sales

Our membership in The IYBA is your assurance of professional and ethical representation as well as fair and standardized Listing and Selling Agreements. Through IYBA, We have a cooperative relationship with the best brokers in the business in order to find a buyer for your yacht or to find your next one.

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