Interview With Yacht Broker Chris Cecil-Wright: Decisions You’ll Never Regret
11 May 2021 - By Brenon Melse, Billionaire Toys
Chris Cecil-Wright is the adventure loving founder of Cecil-Wright and Partners: A superyacht brokerage based in Monaco and London with a focus on superyachts over 40 meters and Northern European builds.
My early morning interview starts with Chris having just come back from a brisk bike ride. Towel in hand, he’s still dabbing his forehead as he begins the interview and instantly exudes enthusiasm and a friendly personality through his beaming eyes and wide smile.
Having previously founded and worked at one of the largest yacht brokerages in the world for over 20 years, in 2013 Chris relocated back home to the UK with his young family to start his next adventure. His new brokerage grew around servicing a tight-knit group of clients in a uniquely close way.
Here we find out a bit more about Chris, the way he thinks, and amongst other things discover the value he brings to his clients…
BRENON
How would you describe Cecil-Wright & Partners to someone hearing about your company for the first time?
CHRIS
We are unique in being a relatively compact yacht brokerage for the top end of the yacht market, and notably, we don’t try to be all things to all people. If you work with us, you will know the company from top to bottom and you will receive a service commensurate with that ethos.
We focus on superyachts of forty metres and above and specialize in the Northern European shipyards who build the very best and offer the best value for money – not the cheapest – but without question the right balance of quality against cost.
When I started in the industry in 1992, there were about 150 superyachts of any size, and I knew everything that was worth knowing about those yachts. Importantly I also knew the name of the owners and how to contact them and there’s a good chance I would have done that at some stage during their ownership of the boat.
Over recent years however, the volume of yachts has grown exponentially and the ownership base has broadened geographically. There is less point in staying abreast of the entire industry because, as a broker, we can only add value by providing in-depth and detailed information. It’s simply not possible to be across every single boat. So, we focus on those that we know give our clients the very best yachting experience.
These days anyone can go on the internet and find themselves a 60metre yacht. Photos are very seductive and before you know it, you’re about to buy a yacht – there’s nothing stopping you from doing that – but if you’re in that market, chances are you’re an extremely successful individual and you’re used to getting good information. We provide that.
It’s obvious to anyone that not all yachts are equal but it’s often less obvious what makes one boat much better than another. When you look at similar ‘big white boats’ and ask ‘why is one $50 million and the other $150 million?’, we have answers for that, and that is where we add value.
