James van Bregt shares the yachting secrets of Mallorca

What attracted you to the island? What do you like about living here?

The stunning landscape speaks for itself, with rugged mountains, calas and beaches. As it’s such a popular yachting and holiday destination, it’s alive all year around, which many vacation hotspots aren’t. It’s easy to go for a hike, chill on the beach, and go out in the city in the same day. It has great flight connections year round, and there’s always something going on. Mallorca has the best of all worlds.

What’s your background before you joined Estela?

Sr Miguel Estela founded ESTELA Shipping back in 1850. I joined the agency as a copywriter. Most of my previous career was in the City of London, where I’d been working as a freelance business writer.

What does your business do?

ESTELA is a full service shipping and superyacht agent, with offices throughout Spain, Gibraltar and Latin America, supporting commercial vessels and superyachts. We are licensed consignees, so we represent vessels to the authorities, handling formalities, as well as supplying marine fuel, provisions and concierge services. Here in Palma we deal primarily with yachts, organising whatever they need, from berth booking and itineraries to cash-to-master, flowers, entertainment, the works.

What’s your USP (unique selling point)?

ESTELA is genuinely a “yacht agent for all seasons”. All of our offices -- here, in Palma, and in Barcelona, Vilanova, Lanzarote and elsewhere -- are fully staffed all year round. Unlike others, we don’t rely on seasonal staff who may not know one end of a boat from the other. Out of season, we remain busy with yachts in refit. ESTELA is ISO certified, meaning that our processes and protocols are audited annually. That may not be sexy, but as yacht management becomes increasingly professional, having a certified standard of service gives captains and owners certainty. We also host various social events throughout the year, including our annual End of Season Party in October, a fancy dress extravaganza for crew, and our Captains’ Dinner at the Museum in Palma in April.

Any achievements or special things stick out ?

We publish our annual yachting guide, ‘The Y Yachting Itineraries’ , distributing 8,000 copies manually around the globe. Pulling in advertisers, doing the research and getting it into production on time takes a Herculean effort every year. But now in its sixth edition, it is a body of work of which I’m very proud.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The variety. The superyacht industry is a slightly crazy world when you try to explain it to someone for the first time; there’s nothing else like it. It brings you into contact with the widest range of people imaginable, all with their own quirks and needs. I also love stories about eccentric or demanding boss/guest behaviour.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

For me personally it is the off-season, during which I have a book to write, as well as producing the breakfast seminars that we host during the Palma Superyacht Show. Once yachts start coming for the Med season, the whole team kicks into gear, which means all hands to the pump to support the world’s most demanding guests.

If you could have any yacht in the world for a day, which one would you pick?

That’s a tough call, but if it’s just one day in any location, I’d probably plump for M/Y Hodor, the 66m support yacht by Shadowcat. This catamaran is the most extreme toy carrier, stuffed with a bunch of all-terrain vehicles, ten jet skis, quad bikes, trail bikes, a 65-knot powerboat and a submarine! I can imagine an action-packed day with family and friends trying out all the kit, perhaps somewhere in the Canary Islands or Mexico.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to establish a yacht related business in Mallorca?

After researching the yachting industry landscape here, the most important thing is to familiarise yourself with the administrative aspects of operating a business in Mallorca. Legal, financial and regulatory hurdles can be tricky, while overheads are high; if coming from outside Spain these can be quite a shock. Once your business is up and running, network like hell and get into people’s faces to become known.