Ben Cooper
Growing up in Oxford, far from the sea, my route to sailing began through my godfather, a transatlantic racer and circumnavigator. After discovering I was useless at rugby and cricket, I tried a beginners dinghy course and never looked back. From dinghies to yacht racing, I travelled widely, met influential sailors, and joined successful regatta teams. After a short marketing career between London and Southampton, I joined Berthon International “many moons ago,” first in marketing before moving onto the performance brokerage desk. The best of both worlds—sailing and brokerage—has kept me hooked ever since. To stay sharp, I still race sports boats like J/70s and Melges, Maxis, TP52s, and even my skiff dinghy. My brokerage focus is performance yachts, both race and cruising. Unlike the old “cruiser/racer” compromise, performance cruisers offer speed and genuine comfort—fast hulls designed for passage making as well as performance, without sacrificing either.