Yachting identities create new venture

by Di Pearson on 23 Dec 2004 Two Australian businessmen, Beneteau Vicsail's Brendan Hunt and former Musto Australia head, Ian Treleaven, have joined forces to create Vicsail International, a company that will specialise in the prestige yacht market.

The company will concentrate wholly on the selling and chartering of prestige yachts in Australia and internationally. 'We saw a need in the market place and we can fill that void,' Treleaven says of their new venture.

Treleaven and his wife Andrea, originally from New Zealand, have spent a few months of the past two years cruising Europe on their own Beneteau after selling Musto Australia, the outstanding business they founded and built from the ground up, culminating in being granted the licence for the Sydney 2000 Games for apparel and merchandise.

On his recent return to Sydney, Treleaven got together with Hunt and discussed the big opening at the prestige boat end of the market in Australia.

In a continually improving Australian economy, many Australians are buying and chartering yachts abroad for holidays, but have no easy way of accessing the market from home.

Whilst Treleaven is diving head-first back into business, he will continue his cruise in Europe next year, combining work with pleasure in a more informal setting. With Beneteau agencies and luxury yachts all over Europe, he sees this as the ideal way to live.

For Hunt, the importer/distributor of Beneteau in Australia since 1994, joining forces with Treleaven on their new business venture came at just the right time.

Of his partnership with Treleaven, Hunt explained, 'in Ian I have the perfect business partner - together we can build on something new. His experience in the industry and as a boat owner makes him invaluable.'

'In my mind, there is a big market at the luxury end, but there is nobody in Australia to service clients in this upper range. We are looking at slowly developing and establishing our business properly, both here and overseas.

‘We have already had success with CNB, the mega yacht builder in Bordeaux, France, and locally with the Alan Warwick office in New Zealand. We will be building on these already fruitful alliances,’ he said

A leader in yacht brokering, in 2003, 48 year-old Hunt was awarded for the highest turnover of yachts worldwide, dealing in both new and used boats.

His relative youth, combined with 57 year-old Treleaven's maturity, makes for a good business mix. Add to that their respective business skills and you can't miss.

The pair, both astute and well-respected businessmen in the yachting industry, are committed to a long-term venture.

Hunt's company, for instance, provided a big chunk of entries in both the cruising and racing divisions for the 2004 Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island, as he does for a number of events.

In racing yachts, Hunt provided last year's Rolex Sydney-Hobart winner and her new updated replacement, which is already winning races. He also provided the second place-getter at Hamilton Island in 2004.

Over in Europe, where he was cruising, Treleaven was amazed by the number of Australians on cruising holidays in Europe. On talking to many, he found they had all organised the purchase or charter of their yachts from overseas.

On returning home, he discussed the opportunities with Hunt.

'I spoke to Brendan because he has a huge amount of expertise and he's the biggest broker in Australia for new and used boats. I have the contacts and the experience of big boat sailing, so it seemed a smart idea,' commented Treleaven, whose expertise in sales and marketing will be invaluable.

These skills were instrumental in his establishment the CYCA Youth Academy and in achieving a working relationship between the Boating Industry Association of NSW's (BIA's) sailing division and the various sporting bodies, to work together to promote sailing.

Based in Sydney, the pair have established offices at D'Albora Mariner at Rushcutters Bay, where even before signing on the dotted line; Treleaven had already listed a number of yachts, including super yacht Marie Cha II, the brand new Lyons/Cawse 60, Vanguard and a recently arrived Hylas from the USA

For further information and enquiries on prestige sales and charters:

Brendan Hunt, Phone: 02 93277406 0411802796 or
email: brendan@vicsail-international.com

Ian Treleaven, Phone: 02 93277406 0411360545 or
email: ian@vicsail-international.com