Energy boss turns boat entrepreneur in luxury launch
We may be staring into the face of a recession but that hasn’t stopped one entrepreneur from making a splash this winter, bringing a range of luxury speedboats to the UK.
Dr Karen Dickens has launched Comitti Boats UK & Caribbean, bringing these high-end Italian motor boats to a British audience for the first time.
“We are in a period of uncertainty with Brexit and coronavirus, but beautiful boats and beautiful items will always sell,” she told City A.M.
The target market for the boats, reckons Dickens, is people looking for “bespoke, high-quality” kit for the weekend.
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The boats are made on the banks of Lake Como, with a market price starting in the low £100,000s.
Dickens has personal experience of the Comitti boats, buying two after a long career in the oil industry which finished with a stint as CEO of MRH, a chain of retail service stations, which was sold to MSG in 2018.
“I was first introduced to the brand via a friend in 2018. After being shown a photograph, I flew to Italy the next week and bought and created my semi-bespoke design of a Venezia 34 . I’ve named her “Octopussy”.
“Once you’ve feasted your eyes on one, it’s hard to imagine ever wanting anything else, ” she continues.
Comitti will also launch a charter service in the new year, allowing occasional sailors the chance to try their hand at the tiller.