Josh Francis

We are a young and dynamic team who are passionate about creating amazing experiences for our clients. We are heavily technology, data and process driven which means our clients are consistently receiving the most up-to-date, accurate information as soon as it is released. We are a really close-knit team that all work together collectively to ensure our clients’ best interests are met.  

Frankly, it’s exciting. You can be sourcing off-market sales deals one moment and on a plane to embark a client on a charter in the South of France the next. It might be cliché to say, ‘no two days are the same’, however that is really the case within the superyacht industry. There are plenty of hurdles to overcome, especially the past year, with the complications of chartering with COVID travel restrictions, or purchasing a yacht – but smoothly navigating any potential issues is why the role of a yacht broker is so vital to the client experience.  

I also like that the constant technology and design advancement means that there is always infinitely more information to learn. There is a constantly changing landscape throughout the yachting space and we are still in the infancy of the industry, so there’s plenty to be excited about when looking to the future.   

Your first deals are always memorable, but I think the thing I am most proud of is befriending many of my clients and earning their trust. It is great when a client truly values your opinion and recommendations whether that be on a yacht, itinerary or any general recommendation.  

I am a firm believer that having the perfectly matched crew to the charterer is the most important factor in creating a remarkable experience. We always take extra due diligence gathering crew referrals and inspecting yachts to complete captain / crew reports. This way we can ensure we pair our clients to the right yacht where the atmosphere on board creates the desired experience.   

An important component of the yacht charter is the itinerary. We complete hundreds of charters every year and work diligently on every itinerary with the client and crew to ensure a memorable trip. This can be anything from which ports to spend which evening in, down to food recommendations in restaurants all over the world. 

Knowing the clients ‘why’. It may be fairly obvious that a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary may not care too much about how many jet ski’s they have on board, but they may prefer interior space to exterior. Really taking the time to understand the clients’ requirements is paramount to providing the most suitable shortlist of yachts.                 

In the Mediterranean, it has to be Croatia. For me, it’s the perfect destination with a little bit of everything including the perfect mix of historic sites and cosmopolitan bars and restaurants. There are over 1000 islands to explore, and they are all stunning, with crystal clear waters and plenty of greenery.  

There are also the national parks you can explore such as Plitvice and Krka where you can cruise on your charter yacht up the estuary through Sibenik to see the magnificent waterfalls. If you’re looking for a party then you can stop off at Hvar and take in Carpe Diem, a nightclub on its own island a short water taxi ride away. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a little culture stop off in Dubrovnik, have lunch at Panorama taking in the city walls where much of Game of Thrones was filmed.  

The local people are really friendly, the food is great and if you have time you can take in Montenegro on the same trip, or even pop across the Adriatic and disembark the yacht in Venice. Croatia has it all.    

Feadship. It’s not difficult to explain why either; simply, they design and engineer the most striking yachts with the best possible build quality. Their yachts are fully custom, meaning each project is started with a blank page.  

I love that they are continuously pushing the boundaries of design – this is easy to recognise when looking at MADAME GU, a yacht they launched in 2013 that still trumps the majority of yachts she sits in a marina next to.  

The launches from the Dutch yard last year were incredible including LADY S which is now available for charter at €1,470,000 p/w and SYZYGY 818 which was shown to the world at the last MYS (and was my personal highlight). These yachts fit neatly into the Feadship fleet which includes stand out products such as ANNA, FAITH, AQUARIUS, JOY, SYMPHONY, SAVANNAH and ROCK.IT.

Obviously if you’re looking to charter a Feadship then the price naturally reflects the superior design and build features. But to the discerning client who can afford the luxury of spending time on the best yachts in the industry, they can rest assured that their time on one of these phenomenal yachts will be a remarkable one.  

Definitely a large beach club with fold down balconies (and a bar). It’s where most clients spend the majority of the day, and I would be no different!  

I would really recommend chartering before you jump into a purchase. Try-before-you-buy couldn’t be more important when it comes to yacht ownership and although there is obviously a financial commitment to this, by chartering one or two models you get an incredible feel for what is a priority in your future purchase or, perhaps even more importantly, what you would want to stay away from or change.   

I was a crew member onboard superyachts throughout my early twenties and got to travel the world whilst working within the industry. Not only was this a great personal experience, but it also gave me a true passion and understanding of the inner-workings of superyachts which has paid dividends in my career as a broker.