Draft:Ocean Independence

Ocean Independence AG
Company type	Aktiengesellschaft
Industry	Yachting
Predecessor	Ocean Cruise
Founded	1991
Founder	Peter Hürzeler
Headquarters	Küsnacht, Zurich, Switzerland
Number of locations	15 (2024)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Peter Hürzeler (founder & CEO)
Services	Yacht Sales and Purchases, Yacht Charter Retail, Yacht Charter Management, Yacht Services, New Construction and Refit Management, Consulting, Private Aviation
Website	https://www.oceanindependence.com

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Ocean Independence is a yacht brokerage firm that provides luxury yachting services across yacht sales, yacht charter, management, and build. Headquartered in Küsnacht, Zurich, Switzerland, the company has a global presence with 15 locations worldwide (as of 2024^[1]).

History

Ocean Independence, initially established as Ocean Cruise, was founded in 1991 ^[2]. Ocean Cruise’s origins trace back to the mid-1980s, when Peter Hürzeler ^[3]^[4], his brother Hans Hürzeler, and a group of friends built and operated one of the first commercially registered sailing yachts for charter ^[5]. In the mid-1990s, when they decided to sell the fleet, Peter Hürzeler continued Ocean Cruise and started to focus on the brokerage and consultancy business ^[5].

In 2005, the firm expanded through the acquisition of Velonà Yachting, a Monaco-based brokerage house, and subsequently merged with Sea Independence (formerly Dahm International), forming the Ocean Independence brand known today ^[5]. At the same time, Nicholas Dean joined Ocean Cruise as a Managing Partner ^[5]^[6]. One year later, the company officially launched their dedicated yacht management services ^[7].

To further expand the network, Ocean Independence acquired Cavendish White, a brokerage house based in London, in 2008 ^[8]^[9]. This acquisition increased the company’s workforce to 70 people ^[5] and expanded its reach in the UK market ^[8]. In 2011, the acquisition of Primo Yacht, a Mediterranean yacht charter firm, strengthened Ocean Independence as a leader in charter fleet management ^[10]^[11]^[12].

In 2012, Ocean Independence was one of the co-founders of LYBRA – The Leading Yacht Brokers Association ^[13]^[14]. This association was established to formalise the relationship among the superyacht industry’s "big five" brokerage houses ^[15]. LYBRA's primary aim has been to advocate for the brokerage sector, engaging with regulators, governments, and the yacht market on issues such as regulations, taxation, and other factors impacting the industry ^[15].

In 2015, Ocean Independence expanded its operations by establishing a U.S. charter and sales office in Florida . The same year, the company relocated its global headquarters to Küsnacht, near Zurich. Two years later, in 2017, they acquired the Hong Kong-based brokerage company Seanergy. ^[16]

In 2022, the company began accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment.^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21]^[22]

In 2024, Ocean Independence restructured its leadership team. The brokerage house promoted Toby Maclaurin, who has served the firm since 2008, to the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) ^[23]. André Mahr, a former senior leader at AIDA Cruises, Costa Crociere, Carnival Corporation, and A-Rosa Cruises, was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company ^[24].

Yacht fleet

Prominent Sales

According to the firm's own claims, Ocean Independence has sold over 500 yachts since its founding in the 1990s and made a total yacht sales revenue of 4 billion euros. Some prominent yacht sales from the past include:

Alfa (70m, Benetti, sold in 2024) ^[25]
Azteca (72m, CRN, sold in 2021) ^[26]
Pegasus V (now Pegasus VIII) (77m, Royal Denship, sold in 2014) ^[27]
Reverie (70m, Benetti, sold in 2013) ^[28]
Sunrise (90m, Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, sold in 2011) ^[29]
Haida G (71m, Krupp Germany, sold in 2011) ^[30]
Nomad (70m, Oceanfast, sold in 2010) ^[31]
Hebridean Spirit (90m, Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, sold in 2009) ^[32]
Annaliesse (now Delma) (85m, Neorion, sold in 2007) ^[33]

Offices and global presence

Besides their headquarters in Zurich, Ocean Independence has 11 locations in Europe (as of 2024, ^[1]), including Monaco, the French Riviera (France), Palma (Spain), Athens (Greece), London and Sussex (United Kingdom). In 2024, the firm expanded its presence in Germany by opening a new office in Munich, complementing its existing German locations in Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Constance. This new office aims to strengthen support for the company’s growing customer base in southern Germany ^[34]^[35].

Across other continents, Ocean Independence operates an office in Fort Lauderdale (United States) to serve the North American market. In Asia, the company is located in Hong Kong (China) and Mumbai (India). In Australasia, it is operating in Auckland (New Zealand). (as of 2024, ^[1])

Industry contributions

Ocean Independence is a co-founder of LYBRA – The Leading Yacht Brokers Association ^[36] and BYBA – The Balearic Yacht Brokers Association ^[37]. The firm is also a member of several other industry associations, including MYBA – The Worldwide Yachting Association ^[38], ECPY – The European Committee for Professional Yachting ^[39], and Deutsche Yachten ^[40]^[41]. Additionally, the company is affiliated with IYBA – The International Yacht Brokers Association ^[42], with some of its employees holding memberships in this organisation.

Peter Hürzeler, CEO of Ocean Independence, has served as the President of MYBA three times ^[43]. Similarly, Toby Maclaurin, the company's Chief Commercial Officer, is a former MYBA President ^[44]. Through its MYBA membership, Ocean Independence benefits from access to Yachtfolio, a centralised database of charter yacht listings, available exclusively to MYBA-accredited brokers and associated professionals.

Weblinks

Official Website of Ocean Independence
Profile on Superyacht Times
Profile on Boat International
Profile on Superyacht News

References

[oceanindependence-offices-1] ttps://www.oceanindependence.com/our-offices/

[2] ttps://www.yachtscroatia.com/peter-hurzeler/

[3] ttps://www.zsz.ch/von-kuesnacht-aus-vermittelt-er-jachten-in-die-ganze-welt-167802808547

[4] ttps://www.fuw.ch/article/peter-hurzeler-kapitan-ausser-dienst

[refreshingly-frank-5] ttps://www.europeanceo.com/lifestyle/refreshingly-frank/

[6] ttps://www.thetimes.com/article/how-i-made-it-nicholas-dean-founder-of-ocean-independence-80ncfnbgvwg

[7] ttps://zh.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-113.158.869

[cavendish-white-joins-ocean-independence-8] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/cavendish-white-joins-ocean-independence

[9] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/why-ocean-independence-bought-cavendish-white

[10] ttps://www.yachting-pages.com/articles/primo-yacht-joins-ocean-independence.html

[11] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/charter/luxury-yacht-charter-news/primo-yacht-joins-ocean-independence--9045

[12] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/primo-yacht-charter-bought-by-ocean-independence

[13] ttps://www.lybra.org

[14] ttps://www.coote.com/lybra

[lybra-takes-shape-15] ttps://www.superyachtnews.com/business/lybra_takes_shape

[16] ttps://www.superyachtnews.com/directory/profile/902833/seanergy-limited

[17] ttps://www.superyachtnews.com/owner/ocean-independence-now-accepting-crypto

[18] ttps://pressmare.it/de/broker/ocean-independence/2022-01-18/akzeptiert-sofort-auch-kryptowaehrungen-ocean-independence-35815

[19] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro/news/ocean-indendence-cryptocurrency

[20] ttps://travmedia.com/showPRPreview/100086142

[21] ttps://coinpages.io/listings/schweiz/zurich-ch/kuesnacht-zh/ocean-independence/

[22] ttps://www.yachting-pages.com/articles/ocean-independence-now-accepts-cryptocurrency-payments-news.html

[23] ttps://www.superyachtnews.com/business/ocean-independence-restructures-leadership-team

[24] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/new-ocean-independence-coo-and-cco

[25] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/yacht-market-intelligence/brokerage-sales-news/benetti-motor-yacht-alfa-sold#

[26] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/72m-superyacht-azteca-sold

[27] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-pegasus-v-sold#

[28] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/benetti-superyacht-reverie-sold

[29] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/yacht-market-intelligence/brokerage-sales-news/superyacht-sunrise-for-sale-with-ocean-independence--3715

[30] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-haida-g-sold-by-ocean-independence-and-edmiston

[31] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/yacht-market-intelligence/brokerage-sales-news/nomad-sold-by-ocean-independence-and-navigator--4331#

[32] ttps://www.boatinternational.com/yacht-market-intelligence/brokerage-sales-news/ocean-independence-sells-90m-hebridean-spirit--2447

[33] ttps://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/ocean-independence-sells-85m-motor-yacht-annaliesse-now-delma

[34] ttps://www.yachtharbour.com/news/ocean-independence-intensifies-focus-on-german-market-with-new-munich-presence-7535?src=home_page_latest_list_pos_1

[35] ttps://marineindustrynews.co.uk/ocean-independence-opens-new-office-in-munich/

[36] ttps://www.lybra.org/members

[37] ttps://balearicmarinecluster.com/en/balearic-marine-cluster-and-balearic-yacht-brokers-association-sign-a-collaboration-agreement-framed-within-the-palma-international-boat-show/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=de&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=sc

[38] ttps://www.myba-association.com/en/member-detail/member-list/105-ocean-independence-ag.cfm

[39] ttps://www.ecpy.org/en_GB/members?tags=&search=ocean+independence

[40] ttps://www.deutsche-yachten.de/en/competences/ocean-independence-ag/

[41] ttps://www.superyachts.com/news/story/deutsche-yachten-welcomes-ocean-independence-to-german-market-16109/

[42] ttps://iyba.org/member-directory?q=&filter_keyword=ocean+independence&filter_membership_type=&filter_industry=&filter_zipcode=

[43] ttps://www.finvia.fo/wissen/blog/artikel/es-gibt-mehr-makler-als-pro-jahr-verkaufte-boote

[44] ttps://www.superyachtnews.com/business/myba-charter-show-insights-toby-maclaurin

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