West Nautical Celebrates International Expansion
West Nautical Celebrates International Expansion

 

The European division of West Nautical, has celebrated its third year in business with the appointment of four new staff and the opening of two new offices in France and Russia.

Located on Newcastle Quayside, and with already established bases in Cannes and Moscow, the firm has further expanded its worldwide operation in the past year with the opening of a retail shop in Antibes, France and a new office in Sochi, Russia.

Supported by the Newcastle head office, the Antibes store will focus primarily on the firm’s yacht crew recruitment, charter and sales service offerings, with Sochi providing an additional hub for its specialist yacht management services.

Originally established in Russia in 1994, the new European division of West Nautical was launched by Geoff Moore in 2014 to create a new yacht management department and increase the worldwide sales and charter activities that the company provides.

The firm moved into 1500 square foot premises in Newcastle's Baltic Place just six months after opening to accommodate its increasing growth and expansion of services. The company has since continued to expand and now offers full yacht management, sales and charter services from this location.

Originally from Kent, Geoff studied Marine Operations at Northumbria University and wanted the North East to be the base of the worldwide company. Having sailed onboard some of the world’s most prominent superyachts, Geoff and his team boast extensive experience within the industry, something which he feels has been highly influential to the success of the organisation.

He said: “I am delighted at the company’s success within our first three years and being able to open two additional offices so quickly since our launch is a fantastic achievement and a testament to our team and the services we offer.

“We work on a completely bespoke basis for all of our clients and many of our staff have first-hand experience of working aboard yachts, providing them with a unique insight into the industry - something that is crucial whether you are chartering, buying or selling a yacht.

“We have continued to expand our fleet since our inception, in addition to now offering a full suite of services that cover every aspect of yacht ownership.”

Speaking of West Nautical’s plans for the future, Geoff commented: “I am very keen to continue with our expansion and recruit further staff to our growing team.

“Yacht charter is becoming an increasingly popular choice thanks to the rise in people looking for an alternative kind of holiday. The experience on board a yacht is really like no other as you have a dedicated crew and the ability to move between locations as you wish, and we are looking to continue to expand our fleet of yachts and provide a start-to-finish experience that cannot be rivalled.

“Yacht charter is often perceived as a holiday that is only accessible to the very wealthy, however there are many options that are a lot more affordable than people often think. We are keen to further develop our current charter and events offering, whether this be for luxury holidays, corporate parties, special occasions or events such as the grand prix.”

In addition to its yacht services, West Nautical also runs a specialist Superyacht Captain’s Command and Control simulator training course from South Shields Marine School. Offering Captains the opportunity to update and test their skills, the course is the only one of its kind and has recently received Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) recognition making it a recognised qualification.

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