Looking Back on 15 Years of Yachting with Hill Robinson

Fifteen years on, Nick Hill and Niall Robinson oversee several offices with a varied team of multilingual experts who have managed milestone projects within the superyacht industry.

Nick Hill on the Catalyst Behind the Company

“Talking to Niall while sailing one day, we both commented that we were getting feedback from captains and more importantly owners that there was a definite need for an independent approach to yacht management,” recalls Nick Hill.

That became the catalyst to founding Hill Robinson International in London in December 2000, followed by opening our French Riviera offices in Antibes in April 2001.

Niall and I had many years of hands-on experience both operating yachts and being involved in project management for both sail and power, which was our springboard to launch a highly professional enterprise from day one.

Our fresh approach quickly gained recognition, in turn attracting like-minded professionals from many fields who wanted to join our dynamic, fast growing international business.’’

The major milestones characterising this success include opening offices in Ft. Lauderdale and extending their services to include charter management, new build, crew employment and corporate services regulated by the FSA, with growth showing no sign of stopping.

Niall Robinson on Continuing a Tradition of Growth

Joining Nick and Niall as part of the directorship is Karl Hartmann, who - after joining in 2006 - is now Director of Special Project for new build and refits.

This example of established growth and strength is joined by the acknowledgement of Yacht Charter Management as a key area of growth for the group.

This sector is reaching new importance as activity rises and more yacht owners see the benefits of attaching management to their charter yachts.

Niall adds, “Nick and I have worked relentlessly over the past fifteen years and we see our enterprise growing continuously from our current position of over 50 staff in five strategic office locations around the globe.

The superyacht industry has evolved and changed dramatically since Nick and I started out, which has kept us on our toes. We all thrive on challenges at Hill Robinson and our team certainly rise to meet the occasion for our yacht owners, from legal and financial aspects through to crew, operations and engineering.

Having a really motivated, enthusiastic, professional and talented team is the fundamental key that has always been our cornerstone and will drive our business forward for the next period.''

Hill Robinson highlighted a number of important yachts amongst a long and vital client list, including Aglaia, The Maltese Falcon and yachts such as Abeking & Rasmussen yachts C2, Amaryllis and Mogambo. Just a few names in a fleet set for future growth.