Global view, local focus

When you work with the Burgess sales team, you not only benefit from the expertise of one or two brokers but a complete team of 30, with many years of experience – this is unique and of huge value to our clients looking at yacht purchases globally or in finding international purchasers for their local yachts.

The full-employment model isn’t the only way we are different. We have built our reputation on delivering an exceptional client experience. We have worked for some of our clients for over 30 years and we are very proud of our repeat (78 percent) and referral new business (62 percent) numbers.

To quote one of our Australian clients, who has been working with us for decades: “I believe Burgess looks at their clients as being long-term partners in the business together rather than just another transaction, which is why they’re successful.”

How much of your local work is charter compared with sales?

I am predominantly involved in sales for our region and globally, but more and more business is generated from charter. That is a great sign that more people are becoming aware of what superyachts can offer in our region.

How do you promote Australia as a charter destination to international clients?

Charter is a relatively new player in the superyacht industry so we concentrate on education. The coastlines of Australia offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, which is perfect to explore via a superyacht. We have had some of our fleet in the Kimberleys, a totally unique destination.

We focus primarily on Sydney for the New Year’s Eve celebrations as an event not to miss – the chance to see in the New Year before the rest of the world, an exceptional event to be enjoyed on the water.

We also promote the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, which offer amazing diving, nature, cruising grounds and culture. Escapism, wonder of the world, and opening up awareness of the marine world for youngsters. It’s the ideal family destination.

The third aim is to promote any specific yacht in our fleet that is in the area and focus on its features, crew and what it can offer to clients.

What charter and yacht shows do you attend as a group?

The main charter shows that we attend are the MYBA show end April, Nafplio in Greece early May and the Antigua show in early December. These are closed to the public and centred on the brokers, allowing them to inspect the yachts and meet the crews.

The key sales shows we attend are the Cannes and Monaco shows in September, and in the USA Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. In addition, we regularly attend the Dubai, Sanctuary Cove and Sydney boat shows.

What factors are driving charter globally and are they the same in our region?

The main driver in charter remains the yacht designs, features and facilities aboard that clients get excited about. If a destination doesn’t have the right yachts, then people will look elsewhere.

The crew, including the chef and those with special skills such as the fitness instructor are also important. Clients will be wary of a team that doesn’t seem that experienced or dynamic.

The cruising ground is also a big factor in a client’s decision-making process and going at the right time of year to suit that area. The West Med remains popular, but Greece is also not far behind in popularity. We have noted a trend in booking earlier in the season in June, with less interest in the end of August, possibly to avoid the heat.

Are there any noticeable trends in new boat sales showing different demographics, explorer vessels, larger, more complex builds, new technology?

The pandemic certainly brought many first time yacht buyers into the market. Some even chose the non-traditional route and went straight to a new build, and as a result the construction market was extremely active. Benetti enjoyed enormous success as a result, but their drive came also from exceptional and universally appealing designs that became immensely popular.

Explorer-style vessels continue to have an increasing appeal with Damen and CDM creating new and exciting models.

With slightly younger, more adventurous yacht owners appearing on the scene, we’re seeing clients exploring a little further afield than the traditional cruising grounds.

As we all know, the word on everyone’s lips is sustainability and green energy, environmentally conducive yacht builds and alternative fuel options. The shipyards are investing heavily in new technologies and the interest is ever present with more owners having the conversation, especially during the new build contractual phase, and this is very exciting for the industry.

What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?

I have some exciting activity with client yacht purchases and charter both here in Australia and overseas in the coming months. I am looking forward to the day these clients are able to step on board their new yacht, or charter. That is the part that is increasingly rewarding to me.

Five years on, what are you enjoying most about your role?

The diversity of the role and the different clients that I work with are always exciting! As a superyacht captain on large yachts, I enjoyed having guests on board.

I always felt comfortable, especially with charter guests, where you had to understand their needs in a very short period of time, then try to use that knowledge to provide the best possible service. It was a great achievement after every charter when the guests were happy and certainly a skill that is very well applied to my role with Burgess here in the region.

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