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IYC, from brokerage to a global yachting platform

IYC combines yacht sales, charter, management and technology through more than 200 professionals across 15 international offices

From brokerage to a global yachting platform, IYC combines market intelligence, integrated services and international reach

An international network, integrated services, technology and business intelligence reflect the evolution of a company that has expanded the traditional role of the yacht broker.

IYC operates at a particular point within the yachting industry, where yachts meet markets, management, charter, crew, shipyards and owners. Today the company has more than 200 professionals across 15 international offices, bringing activities ranging from sales and purchase to operational management and new-build consultancy under one organisation.

A transformation that began in 2015

The phase that shaped IYC’s current identity began in 2015 with the acquisition and relaunch of the company and its integration with Cape4 Yachting. Stefanos Makrymichalos became CEO and initiated a restructuring that progressively expanded both its activities and geographical presence.

Growth was not limited to the number of offices. The model evolved into an organisation capable of supporting different stages in the life of a yacht by connecting commercial, operational, technical and financial expertise.

The broker becomes part of a broader system

Selling or purchasing a yacht remains a central part of the business, but it represents only one element of IYC’s model. The company also operates in charter, charter management, yacht management, crew management, insurance, agency services and new-build consultancy.

On a new-build project, its involvement can begin with defining the brief and selecting the shipyard and design team before continuing through contract negotiations, construction, sea trials and delivery. The relationship with the client can therefore extend far beyond the moment of the transaction.

A network built around the centres of yachting

IYC’s 15 offices combine an international organisation with a direct presence in major yachting markets. Europe, the Mediterranean, the United States, the Caribbean and the Middle East form part of a network designed to bring local knowledge together with shared global resources.

Monaco remains particularly significant for the Mediterranean, supporting sales, charter and management activities close to owners, crews, shipyards and the principal destinations of the European season.

Charter becomes an industrial-scale operation

Charter management illustrates particularly clearly the scale the company has reached. IYC states that it manages more than 180 charter yachts across Europe, the United States and the Caribbean, with teams handling calendars, contracts, marketing, positioning and relationships with owners.

Behind the market visibility of a yacht therefore sits a less visible operation based on demand analysis, charter-market data and the coordination of commercial activity with the owner’s private use of the vessel.

Data and technology enter yacht management

One of the defining aspects of IYC’s development is the use of technology in activities traditionally driven primarily by personal experience. The company uses BLUE, its proprietary yacht-management software, and operates a Fleet Operations Center in Fort Lauderdale that monitors managed yachts in real time.

Alongside this sits a business intelligence team analysing sales and charter markets in the 24-metre-plus sector. The broker’s personal knowledge remains fundamental, but it is increasingly supported by data and tools designed to inform decision-making.

Leadership combining continuity and a new structure

In December 2022 Stefanos Makrymichalos moved from CEO to Executive Chairman, retaining direct involvement in strategy, brand and technology development. Operational leadership passed to Raphael Sauleau, who brought more than 25 years of experience across the maritime and private wealth sectors and had previously served as CEO of Fraser Yachts.

The structure reflects a period in which international scale, internal organisation and technology have become increasingly important alongside the traditional personal relationship between broker and client.

A new chapter with Peninsula Yachting

On 21 September 2026 IYC announced that Peninsula Yachting had acquired a majority stake in the company. The vehicle, created by Peninsula Capital and dedicated to the maritime sector, brings capital and resources intended to support geographical expansion, stronger brokerage and fleet capabilities and the development of new services.

IYC stated that its existing shareholders remain involved and that the management structure and company culture are unchanged. The transaction therefore represents an acceleration of the strategy developed over recent years rather than a break with the existing management model.

Brokerage is changing with yachting

IYC’s recent history illustrates how extensively the business surrounding large yachts has expanded. Finding a buyer, a yacht or a charter destination now sits alongside management, regulation, technology, data, crew, insurance and new-build supervision.

That evolution makes IYC interesting beyond the yachts it represents. Contemporary brokerage is increasingly becoming an infrastructure of expertise surrounding the owner and the yacht, and the company’s international growth provides a practical example of that transformation.

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IYC, Our Approach

29 September 2026
© MED Yachting Editorial Team
IYC, from brokerage to a global yachting platform
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The information in this article has been sourced from and adapted from official sources and/or press releases, in accordance with our editorial code of ethics.