Watching Formula 1 from the Denison Monaco Office, As Told by Europe-Based Charter Broker Lewis Mabey

Lewis Mabey, the first broker based out of the all-new Denison Monaco office, recounts watching the action of the world-renown Grand Prix from the comfort of the office terrace.

Denison charter broker Lewis Mabey had the luxury of watching the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco from the new Denison Yachting office. The Monaco office was just recently opened in January 2022. Currently, the office has about eight brokers that are based out of it, however, Lewis was the first.

A charter broker based between London and Monaco, Lewis has been in the yachting industry for a number of years and has been working alongside the US offices to help grow Denison’s European presence.

Denison’s beautiful waterfront location overlooking the breathtaking and famed Monaco marinas is an ideal spot for many reasons. For one, the close proximity to the very yachts the company represents is a must in this business. Another added perk is the ability to view elite events, such as the illustrious Grand Prix, from the comfort of the office. 70-80% of the race track can be viewed from the office terrace.

Lewis and Jeremy Roche, Denison’s Europe Director, wanted to take advantage of the upcoming festivities and maximize the amazing space they have, including the incredible terrace with its unmatched views. Their aim was to host clients as well as prospects and show them a good time. Initially, the pair was skeptical about how many people would attend, since it was their first year hosting (it was Lewis’ second year watching the F1 race live). However, over the months while they sent out invites and generated buzz, they received a great response rate and lots of interest.

There was an amazing energy the weekend of the Grand Prix. 27 people came both on Saturday and on Sunday, which consisted of a few Dension employees, but the majority were actual clients, Denison yacht owners, and their friends and family. Many of the attendees had traveled from the US to watch the Grand Prix from the Denison Monaco office. Superyacht Director Ben Farnborough and CEO Nereus Dastur even joined in on the fun from the States.

Also in attendance with his wife was one of Lewis’ charter clients, who had chartered in the Bahamas over Christmas–which was the first-ever charter booked out of the Monaco office. Lewis also hosted some prospective clients to show them what Denison has to offer. He beamed: “there were incredible views from the office, an incredible atmosphere, lots of drinks flowing, there was catering…the feedback was fantastic.”

For Jeremy and Lewis, the weekend went quite well from the planning aspect, as well as all the thought and effort put into hosting the event. In terms of invitations, Lewis highlighted that it went as well as they could have wished for: “everyone who was invited came, everyone we wanted to, arrived; we were almost over capacity.” On that same thought, he expanded, “the caliber of people was perfect, the number of people was perfect.” It seemed to be perfect all around.

In terms of the race itself, there was a lot going on that weekend. It rained, the race got delayed, and there were a lot of “F1 politics”–all these factors helped build the suspense and added to the incredible atmosphere at the office.

Lewis shared: “what we set out to achieve was creating a lot of buzz around the impressive opening of our Monaco office, as well as giving something back to clients. It also creates business for us in the future with prospects coming by and being wined and dined and impressed by the place we hold (literally, in terms of location, as well as our experience and history.)”

According to Lewis, the team is planning for a similar event next year to watch Formula 1 from the Monaco office. They are also planning for prospects to charter next year, especially for those that want to charter for F1 to watch the race from the water. The beauty of it all is to show the company’s European base and where they are located; it is very reassuring to see a well-established name and their secure spot in a great waterfront location, in one of the most prestigious yachting towns in the world.

So what’s next on the agenda? Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the next hot spot where attendees can charter a boat from the marina and watch the racing from there, which is a great focus for which Lewis can generate business opportunities. According to him, yachting and Formula 1 fans go hand in hand, especially for races where it is possible to charter boats and watch the race directly from the water–the ultimate win-win. The 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place on Thursday, November 17 through Sunday, November 20.

When asked how he’d sum up the Formula 1 Grand Prix event in Monaco, Lewis had just one thing to say: “Denison has arrived and we’re on the scene.” And what a scene it is.