James Ludden

Discovering his passion for yachting through sailing trips around the Solent and flotilla holidays in the Ionian with his family, James was determined to follow his dream. In 2005 he made a break from the London finance sector to pursue a career in yachting and subsequently became an experienced Chief Officer. With over 12 years experience at sea working on several of the most reputable charter yachts in the industry, James has extensive cruising knowledge of the Mediterranean, Caribbean, North and South America as well as the Galapagos Islands.

Returning ashore in 2017, James founded a bespoke yacht management company. Undoubtedly this was a natural fit, whereby James used his onboard experience alongside ensuring the clients’ assets were best represented. As Operations Director, James was responsible for the company compliance system and managed a fleet of charter yachts above 500GT as well as project managed vessel refit programs and new build warranty periods.

With nearly 20 years experience in the superyacht industry, James recently moved from a large yacht management and brokerage company. Joining the UK team at Dean & Waters in February 2023 as the Fleet Operations Manager, he shares the company's passion and commitment to provide the very best levels of service and support. With a focus on operational yacht management and to protect clients’ best interests at all times, James regularly looks to identify ways to further elevate the superyachting experience. He speaks fluent Spanish and has a working knowledge of French and Italian.