About Brendan Hunt
Brendan Hunt is the founder and Director of Vicsail, a Sydney yacht brokerage he established in 1983 after returning from several years of sailing in the Pacific. More than four decades later, he remains directly involved in yacht sales, new-boat projects, international brokerage and helping clients find boats that genuinely suit the way they want to sail.
His path into yacht brokerage was anything but corporate. Brendan originally worked as a music teacher and spent part of his early sailing years cruising, singing and playing guitar in yachtie bars to keep the adventure going. When he returned to Australia, he started a sailing school and helped several friends sell their boats. One of those early boats was a Buchanan 33 that had been sitting on the market for years. That sale helped set Vicsail on its course.
The timing was fairly memorable. Australia was winning the America’s Cup, sailing was enjoying a national surge in attention and Brendan had little interest in returning to a conventional teaching career. Building a life around sailing seemed like the obvious answer.
A life spent sailing
Brendan’s love of yachts started well before Vicsail. His mother worked as a librarian and regularly brought home books about sailing adventures. Stories of oceans, storms, distant anchorages and long passages caught his imagination and eventually encouraged him to head offshore himself.
His sailing life has covered Pacific cruising, offshore racing, family sailing, classic timber yachts, modern performance boats, luxury cruising yachts and multihulls.
Over the years, his interests have increasingly moved towards multihulls, which he sees as a particularly enjoyable way for families and friends to cruise together. At the same time, he has retained a strong affection for traditional boats and classic yacht design.
His family boats have included the timber yacht *Ventura* and the classic picnic boat *Gull*. One of his proudest personal sailing memories was taking his family to Hobart aboard the approximately 120-year-old *Ventura* for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
Melbourne to Osaka
One of the major landmarks in Brendan’s sailing career was competing in the inaugural Melbourne to Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race in 1987.
The event is a demanding northbound ocean race between Australia and Japan, sailed with only two people aboard each yacht. It requires crews to manage navigation, weather, fatigue, sail changes, maintenance and emergencies without the support available to a larger offshore racing team.
Participation in an event of this kind provides a very different perspective from short coastal sailing. It develops an appreciation for self-sufficiency, boat preparation, reliability and the importance of choosing equipment that can be managed safely by a small crew.
That experience remains particularly relevant when Brendan is speaking with buyers considering short-handed cruising or preparing a yacht for extended offshore passages.
Sydney to Hobart experience
Brendan has competed in several editions of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
He arrived in Hobart aboard the Farr 40 *Indian Pacific* on New Year’s Eve in 1988. Decades later, he returned for the 75th edition of the race aboard the CNB 76 *Charlotte*.
Brendan had been involved with *Charlotte* from the yacht’s concept and commissioning. The boat was launched in Bordeaux in 2015, cruised in the Mediterranean and was later transported to Australia, where it completed voyages to Tasmania, the Whitsundays, New Zealand and the Pacific.
For the 75th Sydney to Hobart, Brendan joined an experienced crew and assisted at the helm and wherever else required. The campaign included adapting the large luxury cruising yacht for racing, reducing unnecessary weight, preparing the sails and deck equipment, checking instruments and ensuring the yacht and crew were ready for the passage south.
His offshore history also includes Admirals Cup trials during the early 1980s and participation in the Admirals Cup Anniversary Regatta aboard the classic Sparkman & Stephens yacht *Salacia II*.
Building Vicsail
Brendan and his wife Jo created Vicsail after returning from their Pacific sailing adventures. What began with a sailing school and a few brokerage listings gradually developed into a substantial yacht-sales business with Australian and international connections.
Brendan’s guiding idea has remained remarkably consistent: the broker should understand the boat, understand the people involved and bring the parties together around a realistic transaction.
His approach is built around asking questions and listening before offering an opinion. For buyers, that means understanding where they want to cruise, how many people will regularly be aboard, how experienced the crew is and what level of maintenance and operating cost they are comfortable taking on.
For sellers, it means understanding the yacht’s history, condition, equipment, market position and the type of buyer most likely to appreciate it.
Vicsail’s long-running philosophy is simple: the team sails the boats it sells. Brendan’s own cruising, racing and commissioning experience gives that statement some genuine weight.
Yacht sales and brokerage experience
Brendan has worked across new-yacht sales, used-boat brokerage, international yacht searches, commissioning, delivery, valuation and owner representation.
His experience ranges from relatively modest sailing yachts to large cruising boats, performance racers, luxury monohulls, multihulls and motor yachts. He has also worked with boats intended for private cruising, offshore racing, family use and commercial charter.
This broad exposure can be valuable when a buyer is trying to work out what type of yacht will suit them. A fast cruiser, heavy-displacement passage-maker, luxury performance yacht and cruising catamaran can all look attractive at a boat show, but each offers a very different ownership experience.
Brendan can help clients consider the practical differences, including sailing performance, crew requirements, draft, layout, construction, maintenance, systems, marina limitations, offshore suitability and future resale.
New-yacht projects
Vicsail has represented a number of respected international builders during Brendan’s career. His brand experience includes CNB, Nautor Swan, Beneteau, Lagoon, McConaghy Boats, Vicem Yachts, Leonardo Yachts, Cape Motor Yachts, Sunreef, Sly Yachts and other premium sailing and motor-yacht builders.
The company’s current new-boat portfolio includes CNB, McConaghy Boats, Vicem Yachts, Leonardo Yachts and Cape Motor Yachts.
Brendan’s involvement with the Beneteau Group became an important part of Vicsail’s development. He later built a long relationship with CNB in Bordeaux and became closely involved with the introduction, specification, commissioning and Australian delivery of several substantial CNB cruising yachts.
His experience with new builds can cover model selection, specification, factory communication, options, construction progress, logistics, importation, commissioning and final handover.
This is particularly useful for semi-custom yachts, where a large number of decisions must be made before construction is complete. Sail plans, deck layouts, navigation equipment, power systems, interior finishes, tender arrangements and cruising equipment can all affect how successfully the finished yacht meets the owner’s plans.
Nautor Swan experience
Brendan has longstanding experience with Nautor Swan yachts and has previously led Vicsail’s representation of the Finnish builder in Australia and New Zealand.
Swan yachts occupy a distinctive position in the market, combining serious offshore capability, performance and highly finished interiors. Brendan’s familiarity with the brand includes both new-yacht representation and brokerage involving established Swan cruising and racing models.
His experience is particularly useful when discussing the difference between a performance cruiser designed for genuine offshore work and a yacht that simply borrows the appearance of one.
CNB experience
CNB has been another major part of Brendan’s professional career. His involvement has included factory relationships, client specification, commissioning, delivery and sailing aboard the finished yachts.
The CNB 76 *Charlotte* is a good example. Brendan was involved from the early stages of the project and later raced aboard the yacht in the 75th Sydney to Hobart.
This gave him first-hand experience of how a large semi-custom cruising yacht moves from concept and construction through to Mediterranean cruising, Australian delivery, Pacific voyaging and offshore competition.
International yacht sourcing
Vicsail works with yacht owners, builders and brokers in Australia and overseas. Brendan has travelled extensively for international boat shows, shipyard visits, inspections and meetings with builders and owners.
His work has taken him to European yacht-building centres and major boating markets in countries including France, Spain, Finland, Poland, Italy, Turkey and Thailand.
International involvement is useful when a buyer cannot find the right yacht in Australia. Vicsail can assist with searching overseas markets, communicating with listing brokers, arranging inspections and coordinating the logistics involved in bringing a yacht to Australia.
Depending on the transaction, this may involve surveys, sea trials, importation, shipping, delivery crews, registration, insurance, tax considerations and Australian compliance requirements.
Classic yachts and timber boats
Brendan’s interest in classic yachts gives another dimension to his brokerage background. Traditional boats often require a different kind of evaluation from modern production yachts.
Construction methods, timber condition, fastenings, spars, rigging, restoration history and ongoing maintenance can all have a major influence on value and suitability.
His participation in the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and ownership of classic family boats reflect a genuine enthusiasm for preserving and sailing older yachts, rather than viewing them only as brokerage stock.
Multihulls and family cruising
Although Brendan has spent much of his career around premium monohulls and offshore yachts, multihulls have become an increasingly important part of his personal sailing interest.
He appreciates the space, stability and easy social layout that catamarans can offer families and groups of friends. His professional exposure includes production cruising catamarans, performance multihulls, large luxury catamarans and power cats.
This gives him useful context when helping clients compare a monohull with a catamaran. The decision often involves compromises around sailing feel, marina costs, living space, load-carrying ability, systems, draft, manoeuvring and offshore behaviour.
What his experience means for buyers and sellers
Brendan is one of the more experienced sail-focused brokers in the Australian market. His value comes from combining decades of transactions with genuine time aboard the kinds of yachts he represents.
For buyers, he can bring perspective to discussions about intended use, offshore capability, crew numbers, yacht condition, equipment, ownership costs and whether a particular design will remain suitable as cruising plans evolve.
For sellers, his long-standing international network and experience with specialist yachts can be particularly valuable. Premium cruising yachts, racing boats, classic vessels and large multihulls often need to be presented to a more specialised audience than ordinary recreational boats.
His background is especially relevant for people considering CNB yachts, Nautor Swan models, premium monohulls, cruising multihulls, classic timber boats, international purchases or yachts intended for serious offshore sailing.
Current role: Director and Sales
Company: Vicsail
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Company established: 1983
Yacht-industry experience: More than four decades
Original profession: Music teacher and musician
Early marine venture: Sailing school and independent yacht brokerage
First recorded brokerage sale: Buchanan 33
Sailing background: Pacific cruising, offshore racing, classic timber yachts, performance monohulls and multihulls
Major offshore race: Inaugural Melbourne to Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race in 1987
Sydney to Hobart experience: Multiple races, including the 1988 event aboard the Farr 40 *Indian Pacific* and the 75th edition aboard the CNB 76 *Charlotte*
Additional racing experience: Admirals Cup trials and the Admirals Cup Anniversary Regatta aboard *Salacia II*
Classic yacht experience: Family sailing aboard the timber yacht *Ventura* and involvement with the Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Relevant vessel exposure: Premium cruising yachts, performance yachts, race boats, classic yachts, multihulls and large motor yachts
Current brand exposure: CNB, McConaghy Boats, Vicem Yachts, Leonardo Yachts and Cape Motor Yachts
Additional brand experience: Nautor Swan, Beneteau, Lagoon, Sunreef and Sly Yachts
International experience: Overseas yacht searches, shipyard visits, boat shows, commissioning, importation and delivery coordination
Main areas of focus: New-yacht sales, international yacht brokerage, premium sailing yachts, multihulls, offshore boats, project guidance and vessel sourcing
Office: D’Albora Marina, New Beach Road, Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Phone: 02 9327 5131
Email: [sales@vicsail.com](mailto:sales@vicsail.com)
