Ben Taylor Podcast

Erick, founder of Electrified Marina, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how a real-estate opportunity unexpectedly evolved into what he describes as the world’s only dealership focused entirely on electric boating. Drawing on a background in the electric automotive sector, Erick explains how Electrified Marina moved from marina ownership and electric boat rentals into sales, servicing, repowers and multi-brand representation. The conversation explores why electric propulsion is already well suited to certain marine use cases, why specialist product knowledge and customer education are critical, and how Electrified Marina’s brand-agnostic approach helps match customers with the right electric boat rather than forcing them into a single manufacturer. Erick also discusses the growing number of first-time boaters being attracted by electric propulsion, the company’s licensing model, expansion into new markets, and why greater availability, awareness and getting more people on the water will be essential to wider adoption.

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Filmed at Cannes Yachting Festival.

Key Points:

Electrified Marina is building a specialist, multi-brand dealership model around electric boating.
Electric propulsion can reduce maintenance and attract a new generation of boat owners.
Wider adoption will depend on customer education, product availability, infrastructure and getting more people onto electric boats.

Mat Hornsby, co-founder of Williams Jet Tenders, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how a business that began in a garden workshop in rural Oxfordshire grew into one of the marine industry’s best-known tender brands. Mat explains how he and his brother John spent years building wooden boats, remortgaged their parents’ house to fund the business, and eventually identified an opportunity in the yacht tender market that would transform the company. The conversation explores the development of Williams’ early jet tenders, the importance of finding the right engine technology, raising investment, scaling production, and building relationships with major yacht builders including Princess, Sunseeker, Pershing, Azimut and Ferretti. Mat also discusses the strength of the Williams brand, the role of global dealer support, launching the wider Williams Marine Group and Evene Tenders, and why continued product innovation remains central to the company’s next phase of growth.

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Filmed at Cannes Yachting Festival.

Key Points:

Williams Jet Tenders grew from a family garden workshop into a globally recognised tender brand.
Product quality, industry relationships and end-customer demand were critical to scaling the business.
Williams Marine Group is expanding into larger tenders while continuing to invest in innovation and new technology.

Rob Corrigan, founder of Blue Water Index, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how his own experience buying a boat exposed a major issue in the leisure marine market: the lack of transparent, evidence-based vessel valuations. Drawing on around 30 years of experience in technology, data and AI, Rob explains how Blue Water Index is using data science and statistical modelling to give buyers, sellers, brokers, lenders and insurers a clearer view of what a boat is actually worth. The conversation explores why asking prices alone can be misleading, how independent valuations can support brokers rather than replace their expertise, and why transparency could help improve decision-making across the market. Rob also discusses Blue Water Index’s initial focus on the UK and European recreational marine market, its consumer and professional tools, and his ambition to create a trusted independent source of vessel valuation data.

This Founder Podcast Series 2 is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Filmed at Cannes Yachting Festival.

Key Points:

Better marine data can support more transparent and evidence-based boat valuations.
Independent valuation data can strengthen decisions for buyers, brokers, lenders and insurers.
Blue Water Index aims to complement industry expertise with explainable market evidence.

Joris, founder of B-Craft, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how a lifelong passion for boating led to the creation of a new kind of luxury day boat combining elegant design with serious watersports capability. The conversation explores the story behind the B-Craft Akoya, its patented folding watersports rig, the challenge of balancing styling with functionality, and how Joris and his father have built the business around complementary strengths. Joris also explains why B-Craft works with established Dutch yacht-building partners, how customer feedback is shaping the larger Tahiti model, and why community, sea trials, and direct customer relationships are central to the brand’s growth. B-Craft is a Dutch boating brand focused on performance, watersports, and refined design, with the Akoya already on the market and the larger Tahiti currently in development.

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Thank you to Cannes Yachting Festival for providing the venue.

Key Points:

• B-Craft was created to combine luxury styling with serious watersports capability.
• The Akoya uses patented engineering to improve both functionality and storage.
• Customer feedback is helping shape B-Craft’s expansion into larger chase boats and day boats.

David Kneen, director and head of crew employment at Cornerstone Crew Management, joins the Ben Taylor Podcast to discuss why professional crew management is far more than payroll. The conversation explores superyacht crew employment, HR support, contracts, SEAs, travel, visas, insurance, repatriation, crew welfare, and the risks owners face when employment decisions are handled incorrectly. David explains why captains need specialist support, how independent crew management protects owners and crew, and why strong HR processes can improve retention, reduce operational risk, and create a better onboard culture. For yacht owners, captains, managers, and family offices, this episode highlights the commercial cost of getting crew operations wrong.

Key Points:
- Crew management is not just payroll.
- Poor HR decisions create serious owner risk.
- Happy crew improves the owner experience.

Tytti Sirola, CEO and co-founder of Bluet Floating Solutions, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how floating infrastructure can help marinas, waterfront developers, hospitality operators, and coastal cities solve one of their biggest constraints: lack of land. The conversation explores floating pools, spas, saunas, beach clubs, event platforms, utilities, crew facilities, and wellness-led marina development. Tytti also explains why floating construction requires serious engineering, how permitting and stakeholder education shape each project, and why modular floating solutions can create long-term commercial value without the environmental impact of fixed or piled structures. Bluet is a Finnish company specialising in floating construction solutions, founded in 2016 and led by Tytti Sirola and Kimmo Saharinen. 

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Thank you to @Hill Robinson for hosting us onboard M/Y SHEERGOLD.

Key Points:

• Floating infrastructure solves marina land constraints.
• Wellness amenities can transform waterfront commercial value.
• Quality engineering defines long-term floating performance.

David Rose, founder of LOOKOUT, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how AI, computer vision, augmented reality, and sensor fusion could transform marine navigation and collision avoidance. The conversation explores why boats have lagged behind cars in safety technology, how LOOKOUT detects vessels, debris, swimmers, whales, and other hazards, and why the future helm experience may feel more like Tesla-style software than traditional marine electronics. David also shares lessons from building partnerships with trusted marine brands, integrating with existing onboard systems, and using AI to make boating safer, clearer, and more intuitive. LOOKOUT develops AI-powered marine vision technology for hazard detection and situational awareness.

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News.

Thank you to Boatsters Black for hosting us onboard the beautiful M/Y ON TIME for this series.

Key Points:
- LOOKOUT brings AI vision to marine safety.
- Sensor fusion could redefine helm decision-making.
- Brand partnerships accelerate marine technology adoption.

Nicolo Pasini, founder of Pasini Yachts, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss how automotive engineering, integrated technology, and customer-led design could reshape yacht ownership. Drawing on experience at Automobili Lamborghini, BMW Group, and Automobili Pininfarina, Nicolo explains why Pasini Yachts is building electric Smart Yachts around a proprietary integrated platform designed to simplify maintenance, improve reliability, and give owners more time on the water. The conversation explores product-market validation, stealth-mode entrepreneurship, the difference between building a boat and building a platform, and why the future of yachting may depend on making technology feel invisible. Pasini Yachts describes its mission as democratising luxury yachting through electric Smart Yachts. 

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News.

Thank you to Boatsters Black for hosting us onboard the beautiful M/Y ON TIME for this series.

Key Points:

• Pasini Yachts targets yacht ownership complexity.
• Automotive platforms could transform marine reliability.
• Invisible technology may unlock broader boating adoption. 

Jack Molyneux, founder of IDOSY, joins the Founder Podcast Series to discuss the future of luxury yacht charter and why the industry needs a more digital, transparent route to booking. The conversation explores IDOSY’s live pricing, live availability, instant booking model, and how its marketplace could open yacht charter to a new generation of clients. Jack also shares his journey from wooden boatbuilder and master mariner to founder, why charter has lagged behind other luxury travel sectors, and how crew insight can improve the post-booking guest experience.

This Founder Podcast Series is produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News. Thank you to Boatsters Black for hosting us onboard the beautiful M/Y ON TIME for this series. 

Key Points:

• IDOSY targets friction in yacht charter booking. 
• Live pricing could widen charter market access. 
• Crew insight strengthens post-booking guest experience.

In this Founder Podcast Series episode, produced in collaboration with Yachting Ventures and Marine Industry News, Ben Taylor and Gabriella Richardson speak with Thomas Frizlen, founder of Swiss Ocean Tech, the company behind AnchorGuardian. Filmed onboard the beautiful M/Y ON TIME, hosted by Boatsters Black, this conversation explores how a sailor’s personal frustration became a proactive anchor monitoring system for superyachts. Thomas discusses hardware and software development, fundraising, product-market fit, captain adoption, certification, distribution, and the shift from startup promise to operational traction. Essential listening for marine professionals tracking safety technology, superyacht innovation, sustainability, and founder-led growth. 

Key Points:

• AnchorGuardian turns anchoring risk into actionable data.
• Hardware startups face longer fundraising cycles.
• Captain trust drives superyacht technology adoption.