Back
Heading into the 2023 Fort Lauderdale show, Boomer Jousma was sure he had a deal done.
A few days before the show began he had stood in the salon of the 2023 Sanlorenzo SD126 Akula, and shook hands with a buyer who assured him that he wanted the yacht and that his word was as good as gold. The next morning Jousma received a rejection letter from the same buyer, who subsequently went completely radio silent. The deal was dead. “Try explaining that one to a seller,” Jousma said, with the unmistakable air of a seasoned vet.
Frustrated but undeterred, Jousma and the IYG team began the process anew, right as the busiest week of the yachting industry’s year commenced. If Akula was listed with one of the larger brokerage houses, it would have been very easy for it to become lost in a sea of yacht deals, many of which might have eclipsed it in value. But IYG was laser focused.
“We already had the framework of the deal laid out, which was a major advantage for us. The heavy lifting was done, and we knew we had a great boat to sell, we just needed to find the right guy,” says Jousma. “With the show fast approaching of course there was added pressure because that time of year can get hectic. But we were confident that we could pivot. IYG is right in that sweet spot where we can put 3, 4, or 5 brokers on a boat. It’s not one guy who is going to be overwhelmed, but it’s also not rigid like some of the other brokerage houses, where there is red tape to cut, and maybe a boss who is getting paid whether the boat sells or not. We were determined to sell Akula as a team.”
Jousma quickly found a new buyer. That’s no surprise considering some of Akula’s sweeter attributes, including a stylish design by Francesco Paszkowski, a 3,000-nautical-mile range at 11 knots, and room for 10 guests and six crew.
IYG’s full-service business model also helped with the transaction. Akula was the third yacht IYG had overseen the construction of for the seller, so Jousma and the team were intimately familiar with both the yacht and the client. They were able to capitalize on their relationships and deep knowledge base to ensure the second sale went through without a hitch. “We ending up selling Akula within a week of her getting to America. It went about as well as it could have gone, despite the hiccup in the beginning. I really have to credit my team for that one. We capitalized on IYG’s unique position in the market, offering the right blend of expertise and flexibility to make sure that our client ended up happy. All in all Akula was a real victory for everyone involved.”
As for why the initial deal fell through, Jousma admits he is still baffled, but in the same breath says that it’s all part of the business. “We are on to the next one,” he says. “At IYG we keep our eyes on the future, always.”
