Matthijs Rhee aka MrSuperyachts

“I grew up in the Netherlands, in a town called Zeist. Our family had a place by the water and we were typically Dutch in that we had a love of boats. My parents were sailors, my grandparents were sailors – and we spent all our weekends and vacations on the water. I was only eight when I got my first little Optimist boat and I was so obsessed with it, I would skip lunch. My father had to attach a flag to a surf mast and would wave it from the shore to tell me to come in, otherwise I’d be out there all day! I had my boat licence long before my driving licence. 

Being Dutch, superyachts are kind of in our DNA and they always inspired me from a very young age. But I didn’t start out with them straight away. First I worked in marketing in Aspen, then I moved back to Amsterdam and started working in luxury media. I loved it, but my heart kept saying that I should be working with boats as they are my passion. At some point I decided to make the switch.

MrSuperyachts

I was already on Instagram when hardly anyone else was and I was visiting all these beautiful places. I was noticing this shift from print to online and as I walked around the Côte d’Azur admiring superyachts, I thought, “I should share this view.” I thought maybe I could inspire people who didn’t live near the water or who didn’t grow up with boats.

I thought about the name for my socials for a long time – and eventually it came to me in the middle of the night. I suddenly thought… MrSuperyacht! M and R are my initials but nobody ever realises that! At 3am I went online, registered the .com, registered Instagram and everywhere else. My phone was filled with photos and videos I wanted to use and at some point my sister said, “look, you’ve been postponing for weeks, today is the day.” I posted something of the yacht designer Espen Oeino and it just took off like a spaceship. That was nine years ago and the rest is history! I now reach over 700,000 people between Instagram, TikTok and YouTube and there are people from all over the world messaging me. It has become a great resource for reaching new clients, some of whom have little experience with yachting and reach out to me for advice on how to enter the market.

Monaco

I adore Monaco. It’s where I really started connecting with the industry. I first went with my best friend and stayed in his aunt’s apartment on the waterfront. He’d been visiting Monaco since he was a child so he gave me the local tour, not the glitzy stuff – more like the local bakeries and things, and it blew me away.

I still find it to be an inspiring place. I meet yacht owners who may have hundreds or maybe thousands of employees but, on a boat, you talk to each other in swim shorts – it removes all formality. You’re talking about their family or the snorkelling masks or the destination: it is such a privilege to connect with people that way. Also when speaking with Monegasque families you feel the deep love they have for the area – that gives me a different perspective of the country, too.

When I’m there I swim on Larvotto beach like everybody, but there’s also a tiny beach next to the port which not many people know of, even the locals – that’s my favourite. It’s under the rock where the palace is – you have to take the stairs down and it’s very hidden – there’s no ice cream – nothing. As far as dining is concerned, I like the down-to-earth stuff – I’m Dutch after all! One of the best known restaurants for locals is called Mozza – it’s an Italian in a fun little street. 

Last year I sailed my first regatta: the Richard Mille Cup in England. I was part of the team on board Tuiga – Monaco Yacht Club’s boat. Tuiga was built in 1909 and they have kept her in her original state – so with no winches on board all you have is your gloves – but that’s the most pure way of sailing. We were extremely lucky to have a two week window of sunshine  – we even had dolphins under the boat! It was a priceless experience. We sailed the yacht from England back to France as well which was very interesting. At nighttime in the Channel with all the big oil tankers – there was a very thick mist and we had to listen for the horns. It was very memorable! 

I often wonder what kind of yacht I would get myself and I’m still not sure. One thing is for sure though, I’d like to sail up the Hudson River in the States – New York has always fascinated me.”