Broker Spotlight – Alastair Callender

As part of a series of conversations with the brokerage team, Charter & Sales Broker Alastair Callender describes his passion for creating tailor-made memories for his clients

Growing up in Chichester Harbour, England, Alastair Callender was immersed in boating from a very young age and has been passionate about all things nautical ever since. It was during a school careers talk by the renowned superyacht designer Andrew Winch, however, that he decided to turn his passion into a profession.

Alastair studied yacht design at Coventry University in the UK and, prior to graduating, founded his first business in 2008: a superyacht design studio called Callender Designs. Going on to win the Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Awards for ‘Sustainable Design’, as well as the International Superyacht Society’s ‘Excellence in Innovation’ award, Alastair is well-known for the 58-metre (190ft) super-green superyacht concept that he developed called Soliloquy – a radical, rigid-wing superyacht powered from wind, solar energy and Hybrid Marine Power (HMP) technology.

Following a move to the USA in 2011 to become the Americas Creative Director for Sanlorenzo Yachts, Alastair later transitioned into yacht sales and charter. Having since been directly involved in over 40 superyacht sales and numerous charter vacations, Alastair is responsible for launching Moravia Yachting into the Americas region. 

“It has been a marvellous opportunity to launch the Americas region for Moravia Yachting,” reflects Alastair.

“We are carefully positioned to provide discretion, efficiency and value to discerning yacht owners and charter guests – a philosophy that has been unchanged since the company’s origins in 1962 in Monaco. To oversee the expansion of the business into this important region has been most rewarding.”   

As the only yacht sales and charter vacations expert who has won international awards for sustainability and innovation in yacht design, Alastair brings a unique perspective to brokerage. “Every day I utilise my knowledge of yacht design when speaking to clients,” he explains. “It adds a lot of credibility to the advice I give clients about the perfect yacht to suit the needs of their family and friends. When it comes to advising about new-build projects, clients have confidence speaking to someone who has been both an award-winning superyacht designer and sales expert.”

An accomplished public speaker, Alastair has been asked to be an authority on topics covering sustainability and sustainable superyacht design – a subject he is particularly passionate about and has been promoting his whole career. As part of his passion for philanthropy, Alastair orchestrated Moravia Yachting to become the Exclusive Yachting Partner to the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, and Alastair is Honorary Advisor to the United Nations NGO Committee for Sustainable Development. 

Alastair prides himself on curating priceless memories for his clients on the world’s finest yachts and his personal brand ‘The Yacht Tailor’ is a suitable metaphor that reflects his tailor-made approach towards every client’s yacht charter vacation, purchase, sale and new-build project. “I provide the same attention to detail for each client as that of a perfectly made-to-measure, bespoke suit from London’s Saville Row,” he adds.

As a charter broker, Alastair has negotiated numerous significant deals, booking charters all over the world, including an 86m (282ft) superyacht. So, where would be his ultimate destination for a charter be? “My bucket list is growing all the time, including the recent addition of Patagonia!” he answers. “However, The Galapagos Islands is just the most extraordinary location to be able to see unique species of wildlife, flora and fauna above and below the waterline with some of the world’s best diving. What I love about yacht charter is that everything is completely tailor-made down to the nth degree. In The Galapagos, one can arrange specialists on board to teach you about what you’ve seen that day, and I think that would make for a very special experience.”

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