As YPI celebrates 45 years in 2017, rewind to 1972 and discover the fascinating story of Yachting Partners International, from its origins as a small partnership in Brighton, UK to its position today as the most trusted name in superyachting.

When Alex Braden and Mike Everton-Jones founded Yachting Partners International 45 years ago, they wanted to establish a yachting company that, true to its name, worked as a  partnership. From the outset, they instilled a collaborative mindset, looking outward rather than focussing on individual
gains, and viewing other brokerage houses as collaborators, not competitors. The YPI team worked alongside clients, driven not by profit but by a passionate desire to match every individual with a yacht that would create the happiest experiences in life for them and their families. In the words of cofounder Alex Braden: “We always had the idea that we should become an international company, a company with no borders, and that business could be successful and profitable while also being
honest and caring.”

The approach worked. For 45 years, YPI’s ethical approach has brought Clients back again and again, in the knowledge that, whatever yachting service they are looking for, they can trust YPI to work openly and honestly with them and provide the best experience. The reputation of YPI, of being correct with competitors as well as clients, is a core value that remains at the heart of the YPI ethos today. Alex Braden’s vision of an international company, without borders, has been realised in a way that sets YPI apart. At a time when today’s yacht owners live remotely, online, and are just as likely to work from a Caribbean beach or French Polynesian island than a traditional office, our worldwide presence means 24/7 support from a multilingual, multicultural team that speaks any language and understands what people want from their own unique yachting experience. As more and more people in Asia discover the exciting potential offered by yachting, YPI’s new Hong Kong office and CEO Laurent Debart’s cultural expertise from living in China for 20 years means we are ideally placed to help new clients in this region discover the superyacht experience.

And wherever they are in the world, clients also benefit from our relationship with 160-year-old shipbroker Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS). This in-depth shipping knowledge of everything from commercial laws to building regulations, offer owners a peace of mind and attention to detail that is undeniably necessary in today’s yachting world as yachts are built larger and larger. But while YPI reflects on its history and the milestones we have accomplished from 1972-2017, the company is constantly thinking ahead, to the next 45 years. “I am very proud that YPI is celebrating 45 Years this September,” says Lauren Debart, CEO of YPI. “As one of the three oldest yacht brokerage companies and the only one connected to a shipbroking company established for 160 years, our experience continues to set our service apart. Yet while this is an opportunity to look back on everything we have achieved since 1972, our focus today is always on the future. YPI in 2017 is about looking ahead, embracing an exciting new phase for the company, and finding new ways to use our experience to shape the superyacht stories of the next generation.”