Borrow A Boat buys specialist charter brokerage Helm

Matt Ovenden, CEO of Borrow A Boat and Co-founder of Helm, Peter Harrison © Borrow A Boat

Britain's leading boat hire and yacht charter marketplace, Borrow A Boat, has acquired high-end charter brokerage, Helm.

The acquisition is a key milestone in Borrow A Boat's growth trajectory, cementing its position as the largest boat charter marketplace in the UK. It also strengthens Borrow A Boat's portfolio of luxury vessels and catamarans on the website, offering customers even more choice of boats within the high-end boating sector.

Helm was founded by charter industry experts Peter Harrison and Simon Morgan in 2015 and specialises in crewed charters and catamarans. Peter and Simon bring in-depth yachting knowledge, plus a strong and loyal customer base.

Borrow A Boat, the largest boat charter marketplace worldwide, lists over 35,000 boats in 65+ countries. Founded in 2016, the company has grown rapidly since formation, and has raised over £3.8 million in capital from a mixture of crowdfunding, private investors, and venture capital investors.

CEO & founder of Borrow A Boat, Matt Ovenden, said: "The acquisition of Helm is an important milestone for Borrow A Boat as we look to build the number one yacht charter platform globally. The Helm brand is well respected within the industry, and the founders bring a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise to the team, particularly in terms of the high-end market of crewed charters, luxury catamarans and motor yacht charters.

"We plan to invest in and develop this expertise alongside Borrow A Boat to further grow the platform and reach more customers."

Co-founder of Helm, Peter Harrison, said: "This is a new chapter for Helm as we team up with Matt and Borrow A Boat to further grow the business. With plenty of synergy between the two brands, we see an impressive future for the combined businesses.

"There is massive potential for future growth in the yacht charter market. Our aligned vision of making boating more accessible has contributed to the chemistry of this partnership and we are thrilled to be working together to encourage more people to get out on the water."

Borrow A Boat and Helm will be jointly exhibiting at the UK's largest boat show - the Southampton International Boat Show on 10-19th September 2021 in Mayflower Park, Southampton.

For more information on Borrow A Boat, visit www.borrowaboat.com.
For more information on the Helm, visit www.helm.yt.