fraser yachts wikipedia

• Cars, Jets & Yachts

Fraser Yachts CEO Raphael Sauleau on Yachting’s New Normal

Raphael Sauleau has been navigating an incredibly turbulent time in the industry.

By Samantha Coles

As CEO of yacht brokerage and management company Fraser Yachts, Raphael Sauleau has been navigating an incredibly turbulent time. He speaks to Samantha Coles about how the pandemic is shaping Fraser’s plans for the future.

Raphael Sauleau, CEO of Fraser Yachts, cut a quietly confident figure speaking to us via Zoom from the garden of his home in the South of France — sitting in the sunshine, in his enviable alfresco private office. It was early summer, when lockdown restrictions were tentatively easing around the world, and we could see faint glimmers of light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel.

His cool, collected demeanor has steered Fraser through these difficult times with a strong focus on protecting people — both employees and clients. His passion for technology has also intensified; it’s proving to be vital not just for business, but for his personal life, too. “Technology has let us work remotely, but I have also been doing a lot of sport — I use Strava, and it’s connected to my bike. My Technogym treadmill has been a fantastic help; I don’t think I would have coped otherwise!”

As the world began to lock down, Sauleau, who champions remote work already, initiated fully remote working for Fraser: “We already had a policy in place called ‘smart work’ where people work remotely a day or two a week. So it wasn’t a difficult process to initiate; in fact, we started remote work fully about 10 days before the country locked down because I could see it was coming our way.

Instead of stressing last minute we thought to just get it sorted. I am a believer in remote work — I think it is a good way to allow people to work without the stress of commuting or leaving children with nannies. I think a mix of remote and office work is a winning situation, and everyone has adapted to the new working method efficiently. Even though we had some challenges with canceling and rescheduling charters, we have been able to do so without going through the trauma of feeling unsafe.”

Here Comes The Sun, a 272-ft superyacht / ©Jeff Brown

Perhaps the past few decades of Sauleau’s life, both professional and personal, have shaped this refreshing attitude to a work-life balance. His first foray into the world of yachting was at a young age when he would sail with his uncle. “I am from the western part of France, and from spring until the end of summer we would sail all the western coast in my uncle’s 50m [164ft] sailing boat. I’ve been around boats, and the sea, for some time.”

Porsche Celebrates 50 Years of Turbo 911 with New Watch Releases

H3: The Market’s Most Expensive Superyacht Debuts a New Design

Heesen Yachts Unveils its Most Sustainable Superyacht Yet

He went on to work with cruise lines and large shipping management companies before becoming CEO of a family office and then CEO of Fraser. “I was keen to see the other side of the fence. I had to adapt from sea life to shore life: work regular hours, being more sedentary, versus traveling around the world and having hours that are everything but regular. I had to adapt, moving from a big corporation to a private office and a private owner to Fraser.”

While Sauleau extols Fraser’s efforts during the pandemic, there has understandably been a dip in enquiries from the charter and sales sides, but yacht management has been busier than normal as clients seek guidance and advice. Sauleau has noticed that those who normally charter a yacht are now looking to purchase one, as a way to be fully in control of hiring the crew but also to manage safety and hygiene in their own way. On the charter front, Sauleau notes that enquiries are picking up and opportunities are on the horizon.

“We don’t have the normal level of business that we usually have at this time, but there are good opportunities coming our way. A lot of people are looking forward to being back at sea — there is never zero risk, but a yacht is such a confined environment. There are very few individuals onboard, including guests and crew, and we have procedures in place for sanitation and social distancing regulations.”

Content from our partners

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Club Level: Elevating Luxury in Paradise

Kevin Kelly on Welcoming The Resort at Pelican Hill to Marriott

Shannon Gilbert on Remastering The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage

Before the lockdown, Sauleau notes there was a growing trend in chartering to remote destinations — a trend that will surely be even more popular in a post-lockdown landscape. “Away from the French, Italian Rivieras, people want to go to destinations where they can drop anchor and enjoy the scenery, and not be in the same area as everyone else. I think that the yacht will also become the destination. Of course you can still travel from place to place and go ashore, but people want to just get away with their loved ones and be in a place where they can stay safe.

“We have noticed that some aren’t traveling as far as they used to — Americans are not going to come to Europe, they are deciding to stay around the US. They might charter a yacht in the Caribbean, or even within the US itself — there are so many possibilities. The East Coast of the states is a great place for an Indian summer. In the brokerage world, the American market is by far the biggest in terms of boat ownership. Yachting, being on the water…it’s in their DNA. When the waterways were reopened in America, a lot of people were straight out on their boats. It is something that they were clearly craving. People just want to be on the water.”

Sauleau is steering Fraser through the pandemic / ©Thierry Ameller

There is no doubt this pandemic will have a lingering effect on the way people travel, but Sauleau reverts back to the positive aspects. He speaks about clients with jam-packed schedules who travel constantly, and have now spent the past few months with their families — he describes it as a revelation.

“One thing I always remember about working in a private office is I asked the boss, ‘why do you like yachts so much?’ He said it was the only place where he can find himself with his family, they are all together, and everybody is focused on being together. And this is something we see today — families have been separated by this pandemic. They cannot see each other, or are scared to contaminate one another. Now they see that they can travel on a yacht together. It is the best place to be with your family.”

As for the future of Fraser, a new shareholder means big plans for expansion. Sauleau reverts to his passion for technology; he believes it will be of paramount importance moving forward — for the yachting industry, and indeed the world, to adapt to a new normal.

During lockdown, Fraser conducted online viewings and continued to make sales. He is keen to take this up a notch even when restrictions are lifted, but in a subtle way. “Luxury is all about being able to serve in a very discreet manner. Some clients may disappear for a while because they are busy, and it’s important to have the right tools to keep in touch in one way or another. To still be on their radar without being intrusive…technology allows us to do that.”

fraseryachts.com

Samantha Coles

Latest in luxury, the explorer.

Thank you for subscribing to Elite Traveler.

Fraser Company Profile

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

Fraser Yachts Celebrates 70 Years

• By Yachting Staff
• Updated: January 30, 2017

Fraser Yachts — now known as Fraser — is celebrating 70 years in business with a new brand identity, website design and Charter Portfolio coffee-table book.

David Fraser founded Fraser Yachts in 1947 in Newport Beach, California. Today, offices worldwide offer yacht management, charter, new-construction and crew services.

“We have spent some time developing the new website,” Lisa Peck, Fraser’s global marketing manager, stated in the press release. “It was important for us to find the right combination of functionality and beauty. We feel that the new design successfully reflects these two core elements, and with an ever-increasing importance of digital marketing we will continue to develop the site and add further functionality to it over the coming months.”

According to a Fraser press release: The firm closed more brokerage deals than any other firm in 2016, for the sixth year in a row, and booked a record-breaking number of superyacht charters.

Check out the new Fraser Yachts look.

• More: Fraser Yachts , Yachting News Headlines , Yachts
• More Yachts

Austin Parker Launches Two New Yacht Series

Customize Your Ride: The Argos Nautic GT14 RIB Tender

Alia Yachts to Debut SAN Superyacht in Monaco

Discover the Top Power Catamarans for 2024

A Standout New Brand

Low-Hour Cruiser: Sea Ray L550 For Sale

Caribbean Cruiser: Sanlorenzo SL72 For Sale

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Boatindustry.com

Disappearance of a ship brokerage figure

David Fraser, founder of the renowned brokerage firm Fraser Yachts has passed away. A look back at a success story in the boating economy.

Disappearance of David L. Fraser

Fraser Yachts has announced the death of its founder, David L. Fraser. A figure of the 20th century nautical industry, he died on January 6, 2021, at the age of 99.

From California to international yachting

Sailing since his youth, David Fraser quickly wanted to combine his passion for boats with his profession. In 1947, he founded his boat brokerage company in Newport Beach, California. In the 1960s, the company expanded and established itself throughout the United States , from San Diego to Seattle, via San Francisco and Florida. It becomes a reference in the world of brokers and expands worldwide in the 1980s, when he is joined by his daughter Diane Fraser. David Fraser continued his brokerage activity in the 2000s.

"David was a titan in the world of yachting and brokerage who touched the lives of many people during his long career. A passionate yachtsman, with a vision, a drive and a set of principles that not only built the company that proudly bears his name today, but also continues to apply the values, thoroughness and ambition for which he was famous," said Raphael Sauleau, Managing Director of Fraser Yachts

A company in the international yachting landscape

Sold in 1993 to the directors of the Italian broker Ital Yachting, Fraser Yachts kept its name and emblem, a profile of the great sailing ship Anna R Heidritter, the first on which David Fraser embarked. The company finally passed into the hands of the Italian group Azimut Benetti , before being bought in July 2019 by the American distributor Marine Max. It now employs 160 people in 20 offices, from Australia to Dubai, Thailand and Spain.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Fraser doubles sales to over €1bn

Fraser has revealed record breaking sales for the year so far, with over €1bn in superyachts sold.

To continue reading... you need to register...

Register for FREE unlimited access to all BOATPro News content

Gain FREE access to industry analysis, interviews with marine industry leaders and all the latest news as it happens.

From our partners

• Weekly Newsletter

California's Boating & Fishing News

David Fraser, founder of Fraser Yachts, dies at age 99

NEWPORT BEACH—Fraser Yachts announced founder David Fraser died peacefully at his Newport Beach home on Jan. 6. He was 99.

“A passionate yachtsman with a vision, a drive and a set of principles that not only built the company that today proudly continues to carry his name but equally continues to apply the values, thoroughness and ambition he was personally renowned for,” Fraser Yachts CEO Raphael Sauleau said in a released statement. “He loved the business of yachting and leaves behind him a legacy of talented sales brokers, all with the same sense of integrity and business values as his. Fair winds and following seas David….and thank you!”

Fraser was a passionate sailor from an early age. The first sailboat he ever crewed on, during high school, ANNA R HEIDRITTER , remains on Fraser’s emblem today. He told The Log in 2016 his love for boating dates back to his days working aboard the 185-foot schooner as a deckhand. The schooner carried lumber and coal from Charleston, South Carolina to ports on the Atlantic Coast.

Fraser also told The Log in a 2016 interview, after graduating from the Citadel in South Carolina, serving in the U.S. Navy and working aboard a trading vessel, Fraser hopped into a car and drove west – all the way to California – where he started selling boats in Wilmington before moving to Newport Beach to do the same.

He launched Fraser Yachts in 1947, expanding the business from Newport Beach to San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Florida over the 1960s. Today there are offices in San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale, England, France, Monaco, Spain, Thailand, China, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Italy and Australia. A statement from Fraser Yachts said Fraser was determined to ensure the company always felt like a family, and this team spirit remains at the heart of Fraser to this day.

Fraser’s daughter Diane, who first joined the firm in the 1980s, has remained with the company to date.

“Diane’s early rise in the company is just one example of many that exemplify David’s commitment to including and encouraging women to take key roles in yachting, at a time when that was not always the case, and specifically in the business and growth of Fraser,” Fraser Yachts said in a released statement.

Outside of work, Fraser found time to participate in sailing races. Fraser made three races to Honolulu, two Miami-to-Jamaica runs and a Trans-Atlantic trek from Bermuda to Marstrand, Sweden. His team came in first place in the Trans-Atlantic race from Bermuda to Sweden.

Fraser was a member of Newport Harbor Yacht Club for more than 65 years. His affiliations also included St Francis Yacht Club, Transpacific Yacht Club, and the American Legion. He also served on the California Yacht and Ship Broker Commission.

“We look forward to continuing to keep David’s legacy alive.,” Fraser Yachts said in a released statement.

Fraser is survived by his wife of 71 years, Eleanor; three daughters Laurie Booth (Barry) of Newport Beach, Diane Strollo (Rick) of Orcas Island and Jennie Heinke (Keith) of Newport Beach. He also leaves four grandchildren Jeannette Palisoul (Phil) of Costa Mesa, Diane Booth of Las Vegas, Hilary Elliott (Rob) of Dallas, Emily Heinke of Seattle and two great grandchildren.

Share This:

condolences

• ← New civilian boating channel opens in Anaheim Bay
• San Pedro Fish Market announces new location on Port of Los Angeles waterfront →

One thought on “ David Fraser, founder of Fraser Yachts, dies at age 99 ”

We were fortunate here in Southern California to call David Fraser one of our own. He was the consummate gentleman, and an icon in the yacht sales community. David stayed engaged with the brokerage community long after many his age had moved on, and it was an inspiration to many of us to see David at a boat show or a brokers event – smiling, laughing and telling stories. Oh how I hate to see stalwarts like David pass, but he leaves a wonderful legacy and he truly enjoyed a life well lived! Fair skies and smooth seas, David.

Please show Condolences Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your Thoughts are Appreciated

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.