Laurence Provost Owner, Blue Latitude Yachting
Date interviewed: March 2008
How did you get started as a charter broker?
I was born in France, where I studied marketing and international finance. I worked for a man who owned a Dynamic 58 sailboat with two crew in the Caribbean. To celebrate my graduation, I wanted to go bareboating. He offered me his boat for a Christmas/New Year’s charter. That was in 1989, and it was my introduction to crewed yachting.
I went home after the trip and worked in marketing for two years, but wanted a change. I had lunch with my old boss, and he asked me to market his boat. At this time in France, there were boats, but opportunity for management was very bad. So he said, Why don’t we create this?
I went to Sint Maarten to study the market, and I found badly managed boats with French crew. We succeeded together in correcting this situation. We had 10 monohulls in our fleet by 1993, and I traveled from Miami to Newport to promote them. Brokers in the United States told me it was the first time a French person had come to them to talk about charter, and we developed a reputation for having good-quality boats with well-trained French crew who understood what the American market wanted.
In 1994, I went to work for another company, managing bareboats and crewed yachts. In 2003, when that company sold, I started Blue Latitude Yachting. I was 38, I wanted to stay in boating, and I thought it was the right time to be in the crewed charter business.
I do retail charter bookings, and I manage nine sailing catamarans in my own fleet. They range from 58 to 67 feet in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Thailand, Seychelles and Bahamas.
What kinds of boats do you typically book?
Crewed yachts, 60 to 130 feet long, more sail than power, worldwide.
What are some of the best charter destinations you’ve personally visited?
French Polynesia. It’s unspoiled, it’s huge, and you have a large cultural foundation. The dream of the place is still true. They are joyful people, they sing and dance—it’s really magical. I’ve been all around the Society Isles, including Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea.
I also love the Seychelles and the Caribbean, in particular the British Virgin Islands for first-time charter clients.
What is the first thing you ask a new charter client?
What kind of holiday are you looking for? With which people will you come onboard? What are you expecting? Do you think you would prefer a powerboat or a sailboat? What have you already experienced?
I try to feel the person’s real expectations with these questions.
Describe your ideal charter client.
I prefer people who are looking for high quality, who know precisely the type of service they want. I like people who are curious, who want to explore, and who will trust me to help them.
Describe your nightmare charter client.
I hate dealing with people who think that they can buy anything. They do not respect the crew or the boat, and they think that money makes this okay. This is not okay. I am always embarrassed to send bad clients to good crew.
Describe a previous booking where you worked “above and beyond” to help a client.
I had a client on the way to Madagascar, and they lost their connecting flight to the boat. They were halfway there, and they called me from the airport. I got them a private flight booked.
I believe it is important to be reachable. Yes, I sell the boat, and yes, I help the crew, but I think it is important for me to be available during the charter itself. It is important that clients know I am here to help, that they are not alone when they work with me.
What are a few of your favorite charter yachts, and why?
I like sailing yachts, personally, but in certain destinations and for certain people, motoryachts are the best. I like to sail because I find it very elegant and I like the pull of the sea, but some people are not made for that. They have different expectations. So I adapt my preferences to the client.
Who are a few of your favorite yacht crew, and why?
Of course I like French crew, but with an international flavor. In America, there is a sense of service. I like the French crew who offer that level of service.
I like French chefs because they have a sophisticated way of preparing food. That is cultural, of course. With a Russian or a British client, I always adapt my preferences. But in every case, the crew must be service-oriented.
What makes you different from other charter brokers?
In France, there are agencies for bareboats, and bigger companies for megayachts on the Riviera. I am in the middle with the size of crewed yachts that I book, and I am in Paris, where people can meet me. I can go to their office, to their home, whatever they like.
It’s a personal-service business, and clients can feel that I offer good personal service. I personally inspect these boats. I sail in these places.
What else should CharterWave readers know about you and Blue Latitude Yachting?
I speak French and English, both fluently. My husband and I have two children, so I know the expectations of people chartering as families. A lot of people think you can’t sail with children, but you can. I do. I know where to go, and I know which boats are the best for children.
I am also a member of the professional organizations MYBA and CYBA International, as well as FIN in France.
How can CharterWave readers contact you?
My website, which is written in French, is www.blue-latitude-yachting.com. My e-mail is lprovost@blue-latitude-yachting.com.
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