Our Yacht Sales Team Australia

The Yacht Sales Co | Australian Team

Driven by a dedicated team of highly experienced sales professionals, The Yacht Sales Co has a network of sales centres  throughout the  Asia Pacific region.

Founded by marine industry expert Mark Elkington, The Yacht Sales Co is set to follow the enduring success of Multihull Solutions, which Elkington established in 2008 and has since become the region’s leading multihull sales specialist.

Mark Elkington, Chief Executive Officer

They say the key to a successful career is doing something you love. Mark took this advice early in his life after learning to sail dinghies as a boy in Western Australia. He completed studies at the Fremantle Maritime College, bought his first cruising boat at the age of 20, was appointed Safety Officer for the America’s Cup in 1987, moved east to Hamilton Island to manage a fleet of luxury vessels, and was inaugural President of the Hamilton Island Cruising Yacht Club.

As one of the founding directors of Sunsail Yacht Charters in Australia in 1994, Mark was responsible for the development of the Hamilton Island base and its fleets, overseeing the highly successfully importation of Fountaine Pajot Catamarans into Australia. He imported the first Lagoon Catamarans, worked on the interior redesign of the Perry 43, and assisted the growth of Catana in the region.

In his spare time, Mark kayaked over 2500kms to raise money for childhood leukaemia, and sailed more than 10,000nm in various offshore races including the Sydney to Hobart. In between, when the wind dropped, he ducked ashore to get married and have three children.

Bob Vinks, Sales & Business Development Manager - Dufour Yachts

Bob Vinks is a stalwart of the marine industry with an ocean of boating experience, including  38 Sydney Boat Shows.

He began his career with retail sales of dinghies, sailboards and trailer sailors, before he progressed into the yacht brokerage scene at an early age.  After experiencing the charter world in the Mediterranean as a skipper, Bob returned to Sydney Harbour and the world of yacht brokerage.

He then became the owner of Northshore Yachts, one of Australia’s largest yacht manufacturers, and the company was twice the recipient of Yacht Of The Year, awarded by the Boating Industry Association.

With the increase in yacht imports, Bob moved into brand management of European yachting brands and most recently was state representative in the marine insurance arena.

Now, having joined The Yacht Sales Co as Sales and Business Development Manager, Bob is delighted to move back to his first love of helping people find their dream yacht and looks forward to using his extensive experience to provide professional and honest advice and support.

Wayne Dickenson, Chief Financial Officer

Understanding why The Yacht Sales Co chose Wayne Dickenson as their new Chief Financial Officer is simply all about numbers. Born and bred in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, Wayne ticked the important first box with his love of the outdoors, having represented his school, district, and Country NSW in School rugby. He graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Business/ Accountancy degree and started out in the auto industry, rapidly working his way up the ladder to GM for a major Bathurst dealership.

Wayne also satisfied the obligatory ‘world experience’ criteria, having travelled through Europe, Russia, India and Nepal in his faithful VW Combi. He moved to the Sunshine Coast with his wife Monique and two children, operated his own finance business for five years, worked at Sunstate Motorcycles as Financial Controller for six years, owned several motorbikes which he uses to explore the region, and now spends a vast portion of his weekend ferrying kids to sporting commitments.

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Rohan Gull, Chief Operating Officer

Having spent 23 years on Hamilton Island in Queensland’s Whitsundays, Rohan has an enviable history of boating in one of the world’s most spectacular cruising grounds and has a proven appreciation of the yachting lifestyle. When not soaking up the majesty of Whitehaven Beach, Rohan was responsible for developing Hamilton Island Weddings into a highly successful business operation with a renowned international reputation. He has since played an integral role in assisting numerous businesses across Australia optimise their systems to achieve greater efficiency and productivity. Specialising in streamlining processes using technology and online digital solutions, Rohan has joined our senior team with a commitment to making clients’ experience with buying and selling yachts a more smooth, simple and enjoyable experience.

Patrick Gilot, Brokerage & Business Development Manager

Born in France, Patrick studied and lived in Europe as well as South America and USA, and is subsequently fluent in French, Spanish, English and German. He started sailing Lasers when he was young in his hometown of Marseilles, then later cruised the Mediterranean on various catamarans.

Prestigious catamaran manufacturer Catana recognised his value when he worked as one of the company’s agents in Florida, and soon appointed him as the company’s Export Sales Manager in 2003. In this role, he travelled the world attending boat shows and played an integral role in the launch of the new range, as well as managing after-sales service and brokerage issues.

He then became Catana’s Australian agent, representing the company with his outstanding product knowledge and experience with the international multihull market. His sales skills, technical knowledge, industry experience and multilingual talents strengthen our team immeasurably.

When he’s not working, Patrick is a volunteer surf life saver at Mooloolaba.

Rachel Crook, Marketing Manager

Born in New Zealand, Rachel quickly discovered she was not designed for the cold. She moved to Australia as a child and developed a love of the outdoors which now manifests itself in regular sessions of netball, touch football, mountain biking, yoga, surfing, camping, and of course, boating.

Before moving to the Sunshine Coast, Rachel spent four years as Sunsail’s reservation consultant on Hamilton Island, exhausting all of the 74 stunning islands by yacht and also sailed from Tonga, Greece and Thailand under the guise of ‘research’.

Rachel has been with our team for over ten years, starting out overseeing our Client Services division and assisting the sales team. She has grown with the company, gaining several qualifications including a Bachelor business degree majoring in marketing and various diplomas, to now being in charge of all marketing activities.

Rachel continues to impress our team and clients with her dazzling multitasking skills as she juggles being a mother as well as marketing guru.SaveSave

Kate Elkington, Public Relations Manager

Kate has been mixing words with water for more than 25 years, combining her passions for writing and sailing into a career that brings her the best of both worlds.

Her sailing history includes childhood weekends spent on the family’s catamaran, crewing a 160ft three-masted top-sail Dutch schooner to New Zealand, working aboard superyachts and enjoying numerous yacht charter holidays over the years.

Kate has degrees in Journalism, Communications and a PhD in Creative Writing, and has more than 20 years’ experience in public relations spanning industries including entertainment, corporate, consumer, tourism and marine. She managed the public relations for Sunsail Asia Pacific for many years before launching her own PR consultancy and has been working with The Yacht Sales Co since its inception to help establish it as a marine industry leader.

Vanessa Davis, Accounts Manager

Many people don’t develop a real work ethic until after they’ve
backpacked in Asia, downed pints in an Irish pub, sponged a car deposit off their parents, and then tried and quit several jobs because “they’re still trying to find themselves”. While these people were nursing hangovers and wondering how they were going to pay that week’s rent, Vanessa Stewart was carving a career before she had finished school.

This dynamo was only 14 when she started a school-based traineeship at Pacific Ford on the Sunshine Coast, completing Business Management Certificates 2 and 3 in the process. Vanessa’s commitment and drive led to Pacific Ford offering her a full-time administration job after high school graduation. She spent almost seven years with company, during which time she also had her first child with husband Chris and had bought and cleared a block of land, then built their first home in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. (At this stage, it should be noted that Vanessa was not yet 22!)

Shifting gears, Vanessa moved to the Finance department at Sunstate Motorcycles where she spent a further nine years, until we heard about her legendary skills and persuaded her to join the team. Now with three daughters, Vanessa has settled into our company wasting no time transforming our systems, improving our efficiency, and making us all feel rather tired just watching her!

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Christina Notley, Administration Manager

Born and bred on the Sunshine Coast, Christina Notley has a natural affinity for the ocean and outdoors. When she and her family aren’t enjoying their spare time camping, water skiing, diving, snow skiing or lifesaving, they are embarking on amazing adventures like their recent caravan trip around Australia where they sailed the Whitsundays, swam with crocs, and even mingled with Great White Sharks off Port Lincoln!

Remarkably, Christina has still managed to build an impressive set of administrative, retail, banking and business skills in between all the action starting as a 14-year-old at Coles checkouts. She worked her way up the management ladder in the retail industry, accruing numerous qualifications in retail management and business administration while still managing to juggle the arrival of two sons over the years. After working at Coastline BMW for several years, Christina and her husband launched their own Chartered Accounting practice where she oversaw the administration and client relationships.

Adventure soon beckoned again, and following their unforgettable trek around the country, Christina has returned to the coast to take up the new role of Administration Manager at The Yacht Sales Co where she is looking forward to developing wonderful relationships with our clients as they plan and embark on their own adventures at sea.

Rebecca Bryett, New Yacht Accounts & Administration

Rebecca has lived in Australia for the past 15 years, having grown up on the south coast of the UK.  She has truly earned her sailing stripes after living on a 36ft yacht for five years, sailing the Atlantic circuit and completing the famous ARC rally,  plus cruising the Caribbean, Venezuela, the ABC’s, Bermuda and the Azores before returning to Europe.  Rebecca worked for Ancasta International Boat Sales in the UK selling new Beneteaus and Lagoons, then moved to Melbourne where she lived for 11 years.

Her passion for the great outdoors was indulged when she moved with her children to the Sunshine Coast in 2016, and now, when she’s not at The Yacht Sales Co helping others fulfil their own boating dreams, Rebecca spends as much time as possible windsurfing, scuba diving, trail running and enjoying the coastal lifestyle.

Sarah Lloyd, Brand Manager

With a BA in Design and Marketing, Sarah brings more than 15 years of invaluable experience to the The Yacht Sales Co marketing team.

Since starting her career as a graphic designer, she has worked as an art director, copywriter, illustrator, web designer, traffic manager, account manager and marketing coordinator across an expansive range of industries.

After travelling the world and living in England, Spain and South Africa, Sarah has carved a strong portfolio of work on the Sunshine Coast and is now set to help The Yacht Sales Co reach an even stronger audience throughout the Asia Pacific.

Brooke Ochman, Brokerage Listings Assistant

Recently graduating from secondary school, Brooke has charted a course for her career in the marine industry with a position in our brokerage listings team. Passionate about the ocean and outdoors, she has completed a SCUBA course and has qualifications in Screen and Media, making her ideally suited to handle the company’s yacht listings and editing requirements.

Joel Finnigan, Service Manager

Born and raised in a long line of mariners on Sydney’s northern beaches, boating was always going to define Joel’s life. With a grandfather heavily involved in the America’s Cup, Admiral’s Cup and twice winning the Sydney to Hobart. Joel started sailing early, racing Lasers out of Middle Harbour Yacht Club & Sailing Regattas with his family. He earned a diploma in hotel management before moving to Canada in 2000 where he skippered a 110ft Westport MY from waters of Alaska to Mexico. A few years later Joel moved to the UK, soon working as an events manager in some of London’s top hotels as well as in security for Abbey Road Studios and Claridge’s Hotel, where he rubbed shoulders with the world’s most famous faces. His return to Australia in 2005 saw Joel working as fleet manager for the fast-growing Sydney Boatshare company, and he completed his coxswain, MED2 and Master 5 certificates during this time while also doing coastal deliveries and local skippering. He became the fulltime skipper of a private 70ft yacht before launching his own business, Custom Marine Services in 2009, proving bespoke vessel management services to a large fleet as well as to a vast range of leading brokers and manufacturers. In 2015, Joel launched Hire A Skipper, providing delivery, casual skipper and driver training services in Sydney and along the east coast. Joel relocated with his family to the Gold Coast in 2021 and embarked on an epic lap of Australia in an off-road caravan before returning to the coast in 2022 where he joined The Yacht Sales Co to share his extensive experience with our clients.

Andrew de Bruin, Senior Yacht Sales Executive

Andrew de Bruin discovered early that you can mix business with pleasure, and he built his impressive career around sailing and selling yachts in the world’s most exotic destinations.

Starting out as a charter yacht skipper in Greece and Turkey, Andrew returned to Australia and spent several years as operations manager for Sunsail in the Whitsundays. A move to Sydney Harbour followed where Andrew was appointed service manager for Beneteau Yachts-Vicsail before he set sail on his own 36’ yacht Awatea for Singapore. From there, he spent several years undertaking numerous regional and international yacht deliveries, then was recruited to manage the daily operation and major refit of the sailing vessel Star Gazer while based in the Gulf of Thailand, Malacca Strait and Andaman Sea. In 2002, Andrew embarked on a ten-year position as Senior Broker with Lee Marine Co. Ltd where he supervised a successful team of yacht brokers across three offices in Thailand.

Previously based in our Thailand Sales Centre, Andrew has relocated to Manly, Brisbane.

James Beeby, Senior Broker

James brings a rich tapestry of experience to The Yacht Sales Co having worked in various industries, including business development, IT, managing an export company and 100T trading ship, and working as a professional yacht broker in Cairns and Mooloolaba.

He developed a passion for sailing at an early age while adventuring on his Corsair dinghy, then later progressed to Lasers and Hobie cats. Since then, James has owned several cruising yachts and accrued an ocean of miles along the east coast and PNG while delivering yachts and racing.

He now brings his experience and skills to help The Yacht Sales Co’s clients realise their own cruising dreams.

Andrew Craig, Sales Consultant - Brisbane, QLD

Born and raised in Brisbane, Andrew Craig has extensive experience in the marine industry throughout the Asia Pacific region.  He moved to Thailand in 2000 to join the team at Lee Marine where he handled brokerage sales as well as new yacht sales for a range of brands including Riviera Ferretti Pershing X-yachts and Jeanneau.  After seven years, he diversified into the property industry managing Luxury Villas & Homes, Thailand’s largest private prestige property and rental company, joined Elite Havens in 2017 to run their Thailand operation before moving to Japan in 2018 to set up their operations in Niseko. In 2020, Andrew made the decision to return to Australia to be closer to family due to the restrictions created by the Covid pandemic. With a passion for all things water related, from surfing and swimming to sailing, he is a perfect fit for the sales teams at Multihull Solutions and The Yacht Sales Co where he can share his knowledge and experience with boating enthusiasts in Brisbane.

Mark Hodgson, Sales Consultant - Gold Coast, NSW

Mark Hodgson joins The Yacht Sales Co with an enviable career that has combined his passion for the ocean and outdoors with his gift for sales and customer service. Raised on Sydney’s northern beaches, he has an affinity for the sea, spending his childhood surfing the famous breaks of the region. For 12 years, Mark worked as a qualified landscaper and stonemason before purchasing a surf shop in Sawtell, just south of Coffs Harbour, which he successfully operated for 13 years. He further developed his sales experience with a career change to the automotive industry, working for both Ford and Toyota, before making the decision to purchase a yacht. After doing extensive research into the myriad brands and models available, Mark found a Lagoon 450f for sale in Bali in May 2021 through Multihull Solutions and recognised it was ideal for the lifestyle he and his wife had dreamed of. He tackled the limitations imposed by the pandemic, and flew to Indonesia to collect the catamaran and sailed her back – against the wind – to Australia, which was an impressive feat. Mark now brings his passion, experience and skills to the team and looks forward to helping clients realise their own cruising dreams.

Fabian Courtaux, Sales Consultant - VIC and TAS

Fabian Courtaux adds even further multicultural depth to the team with his fascinating background and impressive experience. French-born and bred with Italian heritage, he is married to a Russian who he met in Colombia, and they now live in Australia where they are instilling in their two boys a shared passion for adventure and world travel. Before moving to Australia 11 years ago, Fabian worked for the French military shipyard Naval Group (DCNS) selling boats, albeit it the imposing grey and black kind. When negotiating the sale of a new fleet of French submarines, his wife opposed his involvement in the sale of arms and served him an ultimatum in true Russian style resulting in their relocation to Australia shortly after. Fabian established a successful business, Trusted Negotiator, which became a leading provider of high-stakes negotiation support, advising and coaching executives and their commercial teams in negotiations across many sectors and industries. Fabian now brings his fascinating skillset, maritime background and passion for the ocean to the Multihull Solutions team and looks forward to creating strong and successful relationships with cruising enthusiasts looking to embark on their own adventures.

David Lewin, Sales Consultant - NSW

David brings his passion for sailing to the NSW Yacht Sales Co team after four decades in the health care sector. An ardent blue-water racer, David has accrued an ocean of experience and is looking forward to sharing his yachting knowledge and skills with our clients.

Monika Surdykowska, Sales Consultant - Sydney

A sailor’s daughter raised around the water in Poland, Monika transferred her childhood sailing hobbie into a career with a position at Sunreef Yachts. A passionate traveller, she left Poland in 2018 and backpacked throughout Asia and has since lived in France and Norway before calling Australia home. No matter where she has ventured, Monika has always found herself drawn back to the water, and her new role at The Yacht Sales Co fulfils her desires to be challenged while helping others live their boating dreams in the great outdoors.

David and Bev Smale, Yacht Owner | Ambassadors - WA

The Yacht Sales Co’s David Smale has been on the water all his life, giving him a unique perspective on the age-old debate of which is best: power or sail.  As a typical teen he embraced the need for speed, buying his first ski boat at 16 and becoming a fanatical waterskier on Western Australian’s Salt Lakes.

Throughout the late 80s and into the 90s, David constructed and managed a waterski park in Baldivis and also introduced Jet Sprinting to the state, constructing and promoting several tracks throughout Western Australia while also racing jet boats throughout Australia, New Zealand and the US until 2002.

He purchased his first ocean-going boat in 1997 – a 38’ Riviera – and subsequently owned numerous power boats until 2013 when he felt a calling to the ‘other side’. In 2013, David purchased his first sailing catamaran – a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 (#8) – which he had delivered to Australia. A year later, he did it again, purchasing another Helia 44 (#61), this time picking it up ex-factory in La Rochelle. He sailed the cat back to Australia via the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Carribean, Cuba, Panama, and South Pacific, and then sold her in 2017. He then returned to his roots and purchased a 43-foot power boat but swiftly realised that he had made a mistake and his heart was now firmly fixed in the sailing camp.

He is now awaiting the arrival of his new Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40, and is looking forward to enjoying more idyllic days onboard with his wife of 42 years and two children and grandchildren.