Global
Challenge
Sell ‘Em
Earlier
in the week, we told you about the liquidation of the entire Global Challenge
fleet. Former GC skipper and current Berthon broker Paul Kelly fills us
in on the details. Good stuff.
I
read your small piece on the Challenge 72 disposal. I was one of the skippers
in the 2004/05 race (the last) and after hanging up my sea boots went
to work for Berthon International Yacht Brokers in Lymington, Hampshire.
So it was quite strange to suddenly find myself in a rather ironic position
of helping sell the Challenge 72 fleet after the challenge Business went
bust.
The fleet disposal of 13 boats plus 13 spare masts and a 40ft container
full of anything and everything took a total of 13 months. The boats have
gone to sail training organisations, private individuals and private charter
companies. The boats in no way went ‘cheap’as they were sold with full
inventory as if they were going to do another lap. The boats were on for
£395k plus VAT and we achieved pretty close to that figure on all
the boats! Amazing as you say but there is such a market for them as more
and more people get involved in high lattitude exploration. They are also
so well suited to sail training as they are so forgiving.
On leg 1 we managed 24.6 knots down a huge mofo wave, 52kts of breeze,
full main and poled out 1! Not bad for 45 tonnes of steel! Emotional!
Berthon were also responsible for selling the Challenge 67 fleet although
this started way before the company went into liquidation. The boats have
gone to good homes and will be providing many more people with the opportunity
to go sailing, safe in the knowledge that the boats are built like tanks!
