Our Team

About Steven Khan

Steven Khan was born and raised on a grape vineyard in Northern California. His attraction to the water was developed over many years exploring the areas in and around San Francisco Bay. He attended UC Davis and the University of the Pacific and currently holds an M.A. in Psychology.

Steve has an extensive sales and marketing background, having owned and operated real estate companies, mortgage and title companies in both Florida and Texas. He has cruised extensively in the Bahamas, Florida, Galveston Bay and the Texas Gulf Coast. Steven has turned his passion for boating into his profession and most recently was the President of the largest Boat, Yacht and RV dealership in Texas.

Steve is a widower with three wonderful children, all graduates of Texas Universities. Steve truly enjoys using his gifts to help people enjoy life on the water. Customers praise his easygoing nature, extensive boating knowledge and creative problem solving abilities to help each family achieve the perfect boating solution.

About Franck McCarthy

Licensed & Bonded Yacht & Ship Broker

I have built my career on helping my clients benefit from my 43 years of experience in yachting around the world. While I spent the majority of my life as a professional racing yachtsman, my specialty for the past 10 years has been helping my clients make owning a yacht more affordable.

I help people make owning a new yacht part of their retirement plan instead of it being an expense to it. I’ve combined my vast yacht racing and cruising  experiences with the lessons I’ve learned from some of the brightest financial minds to apply proper business acumen to the process of owning a yacht. By leveraging the small business tax laws, we can help make owning a yacht a more prudent financial decision.

My extensive experience and knowledge of not only the boats and systems onboard, but equally important, the nuances and subtleties of the various different ways to own yachts allows my clients to get the most out of their yachting experiences.

Yachting Background

Raised in St. Petersburg, FL, I  have been on the water since childhood.  I began racing at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s  Optimist Dingy program. Under the direction of great coaches, I quickly pro­gressed and by age 15 had competed at a world-class level on 4 continents. My final Optimist regatta was as a member of the 1981 U.S. Team at the World Championships in Howth, Ireland.

After graduating from the Optimist, I immediately began campaigning in the Laser class. I qualified for the U.S. Youth Sailing Championships every year I was eligible and in 1985, I won the privilege of representing the USA at the World Youth Sailing Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. I also qualified for the Laser Open World’s twice while still a “Junior”.

It was during this time that I began my “Big Boat” Ocean racing career. After 3 SORC’s in my home town of St. Petersburg, I landed a position on the 85’ Maxi-Yacht Ondine VII. At 18, I was the youngest sail trimmer ever in the class. I lived aboard Ondine for 2 seasons taking me from my home in St. Pete to Newport, Azores, Antibes, Palma de Majorca, Ibiza, Porto Cervo, Monaco, St. Tropez, and virtually every port city on the Medi­terranean from Gibraltar to Venice.

From the late 1980’s through the mid-2000’s, I was involved with several world class campaigns and was crew on numerous national, continental, and world champion winning teams. The majority of my professional racing was done on the Grand Prix “Big Boats” of the time, such as IOR 1-Ton’s, IOR 2-Ton’s, IOR 50’s, and numerous I.M.S. and I.R.C. offshore races around the world. I also competed in numerous One-Design classes. These included, J-24’s, Etchells, Soling’s, Stars’s, Melges 24’s, Melges 32’s, 1D-35’s, Farr 40’s, Corel 45’s, and 1D-48’s.

It was during this period of intense racing that I met and befriended many of the World’s best racing yachtsmen. Many of these friendships continue today as I still race in many world class events each year.

Part of my experience with these programs led to me becoming a Sailmaker for Competition Sails (St. Pete) and  North Sails (St. Thomas, USVI). I learned all aspects of yacht construction, project management and of course maintenance. I also was involved with development of the state of the art electronics systems on these boats.

My love for sailing and boats was inherited to me from my parents, Joe & Kaye. They were early adopters of the “Live-Aboard” extended cruising lifestyle. In 1985, they sold their home and bought a 56’ fiberglass ketch “Navi-Gator” and began what would become a 26 year long adventure. These adventures took them from Annapolis, MD down the east coast, through the Caribbean, and ultimately down to the South Pacific. They spent 10 years in the Pacific visiting almost every major island chain from New Zealand to the Marshall Islands.

I was privileged to be able to accompany them on numerous trips to places along the way. My favorite being the Fiji Islands.

My wife Janet, is a big part of our success. Janet helps our clients navigate through the process every step of the way. Her responsive communications with clients makes the yacht buying experience a fun and stress free exercise.

We live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

About Cathy Lorho

Cathy is originally from Brittany in France, spending lots of time on the water sailing on the family boat or at the local sailing club. After her studies in International Management and Finance she moved to London and then spent 10 years in Asia. She then migrated to Australia and has lived there until recently. She has been working in the marine industry for about 8 years with the Australian importers for Beneteau, Lagoon and Dufour. She has a strong knowledge of Multihulls as well as Monohulls and will be able to find your perfect boat!

She is also a passionate sailor having completed a few races including the Sydney-Hobart race as well as taking part as a crew member of the Clipper Round The World Race aboard Lmax Exchange; current world winner of the Clipper Race. She also holds a Yachtmaster offshore and has sailed in many parts of the world.

In 2018, she joined Dream Yacht Sales Team in the Caribbean, based in Martinique and is covering the Caribbean Islands for Dream Yacht Charter in charge of new boat Sales, including Fountaine Pajot Catamarans and Dufour Yachts as exclusive agent for the Caribbean, Charter Investment and Management and brokerage boats. She is fluent in French and English and will be able to help for all your boating needs in the Caribbean and beyond!

About Gerry Jacob

Gerry Jacob began his career in the boating industry as a boat commissioner, working for four years on the Solent River in England. With boating firmly in his blood, he earned his certification as a licensed yacht salesman from the Association of Brokers and Yacht Agents (ABYA) in 2010. Born in France, Gerry later studied at Teesside University in England where he earned a degree in international business. He also studied at the University Institute of Technology (IUT) in Reims.

Returning to France in 2012, Gerry continued his career in the yacht charter and sales industry and joined Dream Yacht Charter and Sales in 2014. Being involved in the yachting world at a young age and working along the French Riviera, he gained extensive first-hand experience in the techniques of yachting and the practicalities of living aboard a yacht.

About Christophe Vanek

Christophe Vanek has 30+ years experience in the boating industry including more than 20 years in yacht sales. He has an enviable record as a professional racing yachtsman.

As only someone who has such a passion for sailing can, he knows boats, multihulls and monohulls. His passion for boats is infectious; with a knack for finding the right boat for his clients, using the tenacity, dedication, focus and energy he brought to his professional racing career.

Christophe has cultivated unique longstanding relationships with all of the luxury yacht manufacturers including Lagoon Catamaran, Beneteau Yachts, Jeanneau, Catana Catamarans, and Ferretti Group Products, whilst developing his career:

• As a yacht broker in Australia
• As the Managing Director of Duboats in the Middle East (2007 Personality of the Year in the boating industry)
• And now with Dream Yacht Charters, as the Managing Director of Queensland Yacht Charters and Dream Yacht Sales in Australia

About Christine Buttigieg

Growing up in Brittany, on the west coast of France, Christine spent most of her spare time at the local sailing school and then sailing with friends on bigger boats like the Dufour, Beneteau and Jeanneau. She got involved in the marine industry in 1986, working as first mate/cook on a 70′ aluminum Ketch bound for a world cruise after extensive sea-trials all around the North Sea (Holland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland and England).

Since then, Christine has been intimately involved in many aspects of the marine industry, including working ashore for a boat maintenance/refit company in Florida and working the boat show circuit for Perini Navi. After this it was back to sailing again, first with a deluxe charter operation in the Grenadines on a Dynamic 80 and Maxi 80, then as owner-operator of a 100′ 3-masted schooner entertaining day charters in the Saint Maarten area.

Christine bought a Privilege 48 and after a complete refit in Trinidad, she operated her as a crewed yacht, in the Caribbean. At that time, she was hired by a charter company to run the charter office, operating eight Privilege catamarans. Christine then moved back to Florida in the late 1990s, to sell these yachts, and she has been a yacht broker ever since, specializing in catamarans sail and power, representing hundreds of buyers and sellers from all over the world. Speaking English and French, she is able to help buyers and sellers from both sides of the Atlantic.

About Brad Kauffman

Brad brings a vast knowledge of the boating industry to Dream Yacht Sales. Over the last 25 years, Brad has been an active participant in the Annapolis boating community and has owned several different boats, including a Pearson 30, Schock 35, J70 and Farr 30. Most recently, you can see him racing Mumbles, or behind the wheel of his 28 foot Grady White, exploring the bay with his family.

In addition to participating in local Annapolis sail races, Brad has ocean racing experience including the Pineapple Cup, ten Key West Race Weeks, two Block Island Race Weeks, and Newport to Ensanada. For Brad, a vacation isn’t a vacation unless it is on a boat, given his vast experience in island chartering with over 100 weeks chartering monohulls and catamarans in the British Virgin Islands and Florida Keys between 1997-2015.

Brad is a 17-year member of the Annapolis Yacht Club. Coupled with Brad’s sailing experience, he also has 20+ years in the corporate world working for technology companies, such as Salesforce, Oracle, and Vocus. Prior to joining Dream Yacht Sales, Brad served as a Yacht Consultant for Bavaria Yachts in Annapolis. Brad resides in Annapolis with his wife, two children, and family dog.

About Stephen Cockroft

Since 1975, Stephen Cockcroft has sailed catamarans and in the last 30+ years, been actively involved in the marine industry. Originally from South Africa, he built his first ocean-going yacht in his backyard. Then, he and his wife Estelle sailed 30,000 nautical miles, visiting more than 40 countries. They are now proud citizens of the United States, living aboard most often in south Florida and Annapolis, Maryland.

Stephen and Estelle have made multiple ocean voyages and participated in races and rallies in support of catamaran sailing. He most recently won the Bahamas leg of the Caribbean 1500 rally on a Prout 50 catamaran. They also – along with 60 other sailboats – took part in a rally to increase cooperation and relations between Cuban and United States sailing organizations.

Their website, Catamaran Guru is a continually updated resource for all sailors including yacht brokerage customers and sailing students with whom they have worked.

Stephen has been involved in every facet of the marine industry from owning a factory that manufactured the very successful Island Spirit Catamarans, to co-owning the third largest charter company in the Caribbean and North America. He has represented many sailboat brands in the United States and has been involved in the product development of large catamarans for yacht buyers.

Stephen has represented hundreds of buyers and sellers in brokerage transactions. With his vast experience of the international marine business as well as the technical, financial, tax issues, and contractual aspects of boat ownership, he is the person you want in your corner representing your interests when buying or selling a yacht.

Stephen…

• Is an both an instructor and instructor examiner with the ASA
• Has taught hundreds of people to sail catamarans as well as monohulls in live-aboard courses in the Caribbean and the Bahamas
• Has operated his own brokerage house in the United States and is a licensed and bonded yacht and ship broker in the State of Florida
• Is co-founder of Catamaran Guru

About Lars Linderot

Lars Linderot has been in the yacht charter business since 1980, when he started Poseidon Yacht Charter with fleets in Greece, Yugoslavia, Turkey, and the Caribbean, until the mid 90s.

During the following 20 years, he gained experience as a tour operator organizing sailing groups. This has given him a unique personal knowledge of the best sailing destinations in the world, including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Asia, South Pacific, and Australia. This knowledge and expertise have been a key factor for Lars when selling yachts under charter management to Scandinavian clients during the last 25 years.

About Alexis Leroux

Alexis Leroux has always been passionate about sailing and racing. Graduating from the maritime academy, he has sailed for several years on luxury yachts and cruise ships, from the Mediterranean to the North Pole. In 2015 he chose to return to his first passion: sailboats. For two years, Alexis was a Mediterranean commercial manager for a shipping electronics company. While he has promised himself he’ll do an Atlantic tour before his 30th birthday, in autumn 2017, he cast off on his sailboat for a one-year round trip to the Caribbean Sea. Alexis joined the Dream Yacht team just after this trip. Don’t hesitate to contact him, he’ll be happy to talk with you and to use his experience to help you with your project.