Michael Schmidt & Partner started in 1979. Michael Schmidt was and still is a well-known yacht builder, broker and yacht sales agent, and thirty years ago he was the German importer and agent for Westerly, amongst others. When Westerly finally came to an end Schmidt purchased the successful Westerly Yacht Brokerage from its ailing parent company, and in 1989 Westerly Yacht Brokerage became the UK’s Michael Schmidt & Partner office.
Kip Marina Yacht Brokerage
MS&P UK has always been managed by a strong contingent of people with years of experience in the British marine industry, and it is now managed by Andy Cunningham. Andy has been in the marine industry for his entire working life, starting with yacht deliveries, an involvement with Brighton marina at its inception, and instructing at the National Sailing Centre, followed by a long and enjoyable stint at British Hunter before joining the brokerage world. Andy has owned many craft and enjoyed renovating both classic sailing and power boats, amongst others.
Nicola Burgess manages the Windermere office and works closely with the satellite brokerage operation at the impressively restored Whitehaven Harbour. As a major stopping off point for sailors traversing back and forth from North Wales, the Isle of Man, Ireland and the west coast of Scotland, Whitehaven also provides a gateway to sailors wishing to take a break to explore the lakes. Indeed, many “lake” sailors move to Whitehaven when they have “done” the lake. Nicola herself owns a Hanse 320 with her husband Rick.
Michael Schmidt & Partner have recently joined together with Kip Marina Yacht Brokerage, perhaps one of the most important and long standing brokerages in Scotland. This office is run by experienced yachtsman Charles Ambrose. Having started boating as a child, encouraged by his father, he has gone on to become an experienced single-handed transatlantic sailor, Charlie has owned many diverse craft from a state of the art Hanse 470 to a Hans Christian long keeled cruiser and many in between.
Andy Cunningham says “The full team complement can boast nearly two hundred years of experience in the marine industry incorporating manufacturing of home built craft and the importation of continental and American craft.
“This very ‘hands on’ practical experience has been extremely beneficial in assisting our development over the last five years where we have actively pushed the brokerage to incorporate superior presentation and a renovation slant. We aim to deliver what we would expect if we were clients.
Andy Cunningham from the Hamble office
“Yacht and boat buyers are always impressed by the quality of the craft we display here at Hamble Point and the accuracy with which they are described, and we extend this experience to our other offices in the UK. We have been a major principal in building the Hamble Point Marina Boat Shows, working closely with the Yachtworld team who host the website.”
In addition to their own offices in the Hamble, Andy and his team work closely with selected brokerage offices elsewhere in the UK maintaining a good service to all their customers in the UK. They also benefit greatly from the close working links of their sister offices in Germany and Italy. Using the impressively powerful Yachtworld system and these close working relationships, MS&P has sold a large number of craft to northern European countries and Scandinavia. These are not just from Hamble but also from the strategically placed northern UK coastal offices.
Customers sailing from Hamble find it a short hop to the continent, whilst customers purchasing from the northern offices have either sailed through the Caledonian Canal or have the boat shipped to Hull and re-rigged before setting off as new owners on the passage home. In the last year MS&P have also managed to attract customers from Australia.
Andy continues “Klaus Struven and Svenja Holler in Wedel, Germany have been our eyes, ears and knowledgeable partners when serving our European customers. Ideally situated to serve the German, Dutch and Danish markets with ease, they provide a stepping stone and an understanding of the huge market elsewhere in the Baltic and ex-pat community in the western Med.
“Peter Markovitz and Angelika Bergamasco based in Aprillia Marittimo, Italy provide our links to the Adriatic and popular cruising grounds of Croatia and down to the Eastern Mediterranean.
“In these interesting times when our clients have more and more access to the internet and greater expectations, we recognise the importance of customer confidence, company brand and reputation. We hope this reputation makes us the first port of call for anyone looking to buy a boat. Michael Schmidt & Partner is led by the ethos of ‘partnering’, whether it be with our own offices, our fellow brokers both local and abroad and perhaps most importantly with our clients. We work closely with the vendors to ensure that their boats are presented well, accurately and to the best effect. Our suppliers and contractors ‘partner’ us in supplying the service we expect and wish our customers to receive. Again, years of experience ensures a smooth passage for our clients. This all adds up to build confidence in our purchasers who have spread the word that Michael Schmidt & Partner is a team that must be visited when setting out to look for a new yacht or boat.”
Marina view from the offices
