Filippo Rossi is the sales manager for Floating Life, a Swiss company specialising in yacht management. He has 25 years’ experience in the yachting industry and has covered a number of different roles. He started working as an architect, but over the years specialised in brokering and also managed a shipyard in the Netherlands.

In this interview he tells us how Floating Life operates in the 360° yacht management sector, curating the relationship between boat owners and their crew, as well as offering innovative concepts like multi-property yachts.

Floating Life offers a number of yachting services. What are your main areas of work?

“Floating Life is a Swiss company founded in 2002 which has yacht management as its core business. Our strength is in the precision and attention we have for our client needs. Floating Life also works in other yachting sectors: we have been working in charter for many years and are MYBA members. This is a further sign of quality, as the MYBA is the association that connects international brokers working together in the chartering industry; we also have a department dedicated to clients interested in buying or selling yachts.

In the cases in which a client wants to buy a new build yacht, we work with them throughout the entire process. Having our very own skilled technical department, we also work on refitting and modifying vessels. Floating Life also works in designing or creating concepts for custom yachts. Many clients turn to us to take their first steps into full custom yachts. Another department we have is our uniform department who work on creating uniforms for the yacht crews. Another sector we believe in strongly is our concierge services, which we offer to local and international owners.”

What does Floating Life mean by yacht management?

“This is a very complex industry because you need a wide range of skills: from administration to technical management, logistics, and certification control. To guarantee efficient service we need to be focused on all of these areas, creating relationships with classification societies, and keeping up to date constantly with any changes to provisions in regards to the different countries. Having extremely deep roots in this sector, Floating Life is able to cover everything. In this regard, our clients’ trust is fundamental because they need to feel supported from not just a technical point of view but also administrative, and much more.”

In your own way, you have “revolutionised” yacht management. How did you do that?

“I wouldn’t say that we revolutionised yacht management, but we have certainly improved and developed it, and we are certainly able to provide exceptionally accurate services. This is the heart of our business. Getting back to the question, Floating Life, administratively checks every expense and follows a budget set at the beginning of the season. This is a very important aspect because it also gives the crew a competent reference in the industry, that facilitates their work and their communication with the owner. We are therefore true liaisons. In recognition of the services we offer, we have also obtained ISO 9001 quality management services certification, and this is proof of our hard work.”

You also offer a “multi-property” concept for superyachts. How does that work?

“This shared property model allows each owner the freedom and choice of using the yacht depending on their own personal preference. As always, Floating Life takes care of all the logistical and administrative aspects offering owners a worry-free experience. For example, since 2010, we have been successfully managing the Ocean Pearl motoryacht, which is co-owned by 8 people, who do not know each other, and the yacht is completely managed by Floating Life. We guarantee that each one follows the rules and has access to the yacht following the agreed upon calendar. Thanks to the ‘multi-property’ program, each owner can use the yacht three times a year and can enjoy marvellous cruises on a 41-metre yacht, without having to pay the full price for a yacht of this size.”

Filippo Rossi, sales manager for Floating Life

How does Floating Life work with yacht owners?

“We want owners to feel supported and understood, so we offer services based on their preferences, tailoring each of our offerings to the client. Each owner is different, so the fundamental thing is to understand what type of vacation they want, and how they want to experience life on board. In addition, Floating Life has a local team, and teams in the main ports to assist the yachts and liaise between the owners and the crew.”

What are the newest frontiers in the charter market?

“In the charter yacht market, new frontiers come through the new market trends and the personal desires of our chartering clients, so, the work of a charter broker is becoming increasingly based on creating solid and personal relationships with our clients. They are not just looking for a consultancy, but for direct, bespoke experiences. One of the most evident trends has been exploring Northern Europe: this shows an interest in exploring less conventional destinations. In addition to this new attraction, Italy, Spain and France are always at the heart of itineraries, but Greece, Croatia and Turkey are becoming increasingly popular destinations.”

In your experience of the yachting industry, what aspect excites you the most?

“One of the most exciting aspects of our services is to work together with clients on new builds. By new builds, I’m referring to larger vessels of between 30 and 70 metres. Often the client comes to us when they feel they are ready for a fully custom yacht. In this case, thanks to our team of both technical and sales experts, we contact shipyards around the world and can work together with the client to find the best shipyard suited to their needs, we can inspect the hull in the basin, which is one of the passions of our CEO Andrea Pezzini, identifying all the needs of our clients who, after years of yachting, clearly know their needs and desires. This is a process that takes years, but the final result is truly fascinating, and gets us excited every time.”