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whether you are in the need for a luxury charter yacht vacation or looking for a company to manage your yacht, churchill yacht partners will treat you as if you were our only client. with support offices in newport, rhode island and fort lauderdale, florida the entire team at churchill yacht partners and rikki davis yachts looks forward to serving you.
ELS BUCKNELL HAS BEEN WITH CHURCHILL YACHT PARTNERS SINCE THE OPENING OF THE FORT LAUDERDALE OFFICE IN 2005 AND HAS PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN THE SUCCESS AND GROWTH OF THE CYP CHARTER FLEET.
ELS LEARNED HER SEAMANSHIP AT AN EARLY AGE, SAILING TJALKS AND KLIPPERS IN HER NATIVE HOLLAND. AFTER ATTENDING BUSINESS SCHOOL AND WORKING IN THE NETHERLANDS SHE ENTERED THE YACHTING PROFESSION AND HAS SERVED AS A SAILOR, COOK, CHIEF STEWARDESS AND PURSER ON A VARIETY OF POWER AND SAILING YACHTS INCLUDING MEGAYACHTS, MANY OF THEM CHARTER YACHTS. SHE IS EQUALLY AT HOME TYING A REEF IN THE MAINSAIL, PROVIDING WHITE-GLOVED SILVER SERVICE
OR HANDLING THE ACCOUNTS OF A CHARTER BUSINESS. HER EXPERIENCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, NORTH SEA, RED SEA AND THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS INCLUDES MANY LONG OCEAN PASSAGES.
ELS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE LARGE MOTOR YACHTS, PROVIDING ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS AND HER EXPERTISE IN THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF LAYOUT AND COMMISSIONING. ASHORE SHE HAS WORKED WITH SEVERAL YACHT BROKERAGE COMPANIES AS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND AS OFFICE MANAGER. THIS EXPERIENCE COMBINED WITH HER LINGUISTIC SKILLS AND HER EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD WIDE YACHTING SCENE MAKE HER A NATURAL FOR CHARTER MANAGEMENT.
rikki davis has been an icon in the retail charter industry and set a precedent of booking charters and providing client services for over twenty years. rikki is known throughout the world for her ability to find clients the perfect luxury charter yacht experience and brings with her a personal knowledge of many yachts from every port.
With over 25 years experience and time spent as a professional crew member, rikki davis knows
the yacht charter industry from all aspects. she has cruised all the exciting, exotic areas of the world and has inspected the yachts in order to provide her clients with a firsthand insight. although she specializes in the large motoryacht market, she also charters luxurious sailing yachts. her varied clientele from all corners of the globe includes executives of corporations, entertainment celebrities, and royalty.
Mary Copeland is the backbone of our retail charter department. while the brokers are out selling and looking at possible charter yachts, Mary is behind the scenes keeping them organized. her computer skills and innate efficiency keep all the balls in the air during the high seasons.
Prior to joining Rikki Davis at Churchill Yacht Partners, Mary worked for six and a half years at
The Catamaran Company in the sales and charter divisions. She gained her office skills from her early involvement in the oilfield business of Houma, Louisiana in the swamp buggy / marsh buggy and airboat business.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Mary now lives in South Carolina where she is active in the rescue of domestic skunks and ferrets and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
maggie is a sailor and artist who has successfully combined the two businesses since becoming a yacht delivery captain in 1985. her deliveries have taken her from new england through the atlantic, to the caribbean and the mediterranean. as a one time resident of martha's vineyard, massachusetts, she became closely involved with the classic sailboat community. during her years on the island, she started a shore-side services company for fellow cruisers. her design business specializes in interior makeovers, special events, and staging homes and yachts for sale. she has taught and lectured to museum groups and organizations on
design and to realtors on using staging as a marketing tool to sell properties.
she joins churchill yacht partners as a charter broker and is fortunate to be able to make the most of her many talents of understanding the yachting industry and the desire to take the artistic approach or presentation. maggie is pleased and eager to provide her clients with the perfect yacht of their dreams. no detail is overlooked and the experience is never forgotten. our team at churchill yacht partners has many years of collective experience and can help fulfill even the most discriminating tastes in charters and yachts.
After successfully managing luxury charter fleets since 2006, Lara-Jo brings her talents and yachting expertise to Churchill Yacht Partners.
With her solid foundation in the operations of all aspects of the yachting industry, LJ emphasizes the focus on client relations between Yacht Owners, Captains, Brokers and the media and prides herself on a more personalized charter marketing strategy created for each luxury charter yacht.
LJ's passion for the water began in her early childhood having grown up in a water sports-fanatical family. Her greatest passion lies in racing her father's keel boats and trimaran. In 2001, LJ entered the yacht industry as a massage therapist onboard
charter yachts, later exploring the corporate side of yachting as she progressed from Boat Show Coordinator, Yacht Sales Coordinator, to Charter Marketing, and ultimately evolving to Charter Fleet Manager. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences, and has acquired numerous Massage Therapy and Alternative Healing Diplomas.
Originating from South Africa, and having traveled extensively, LJ brings a multitude of international expertise to Churchill Yacht Partners.
As a member of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association Charter Professionals Committee and Young Professionals in Yachting, LJ is dedicated towards continuing education and giving back to the yachting industry.