GEORGE NICHOLSON, CAMPER & NICHOLSONS FOUNDER HAS DIE

GEORGE NICHOLSON 1937-2025

GEORGE NICHOLSON

George Nicholson, who expanded his family’s longtime UK-based yacht company into a global superyacht charter and brokerage firm, has died. He was 87 years old.

Born in April 1937 in Southampton, England, George Nicholson seemed destined to enter the family business. His father was the renowned Charles A. Nicholson, a designer.

George Nicholson also enjoyed yachting as a pastime, becoming quite a skilled sailor. In fact, he competed for Great Britain in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games, in the 5.5-meter class. His team finished sixth.

His career with the family business started around the same time. In fact, in 1959, Nicholson moved to Cannes. Camper & Nicholson, under his father’s direction, wanted to add service work to its offerings. So, the young George Nicholson headed to the South of France to attract clients. By 1961, with the expansion into Europe having succeeded, the family company officially launched Camper & Nicholsons International, simultaneously offering brokerage services.

In the ensuing few years, the division opened further offices in Monaco and Palma. All the while, Nicholson brokered some significant deals. The sale of the yacht Albecaro,from the hands of Monaco’s Prince Rainier to Abu Dhabi’s Sheik Shakbut, was the first to exceed $1 million, for example.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, yachting continued to change, and so, too, did Camper & Nicholsons International. For instance, technological advances broadened the possibilities for large private yachts. Nicholson brokered the contracts for some of the most notable yachts of the era, impressed with a few builders’ abilities. One of those builders was CRN, and he began referring clients. This led to him representing the owner of the 154-foot (47-meter) motoryacht Awal, which launched in 1980. Besides being quite sizable for her time, Awal was the first CRN to feature a touch-and-go helipad. Nicholson additionally led to the launch of the yacht Abdulaziz in 1987, a 148-footer (45-meter).

Having earned success in Europe, Nicholson next turned his attention to the U.S. market. In 1992, Camper & Nicholsons opened its first American office, in Palm Beach, Florida. Charter and sales were the focus, and still are today. Miami followed in 1998, with a Fort Lauderdale office opening three years later. All the while, Nicholson remained chairman, a role he continued to hold throughout the early 2000s.

Even in retirement, Nicholson remained active, mentoring a variety of individuals. Furthermore, sailing remained a passion, and he enjoyed testing the breeze in Greece on family vacations. Often called “Mr. Nicholson” even by those close to him, he was “a gentleman, and an inspiration to all who had the privilege of working with him,” says Paolo Casani, Camper & Nicholsons’ CEO. “His legacy will live on in the yachts he helped bring to life, the industry he helped to shape, and the countless individuals he guided along the way.”

In 2007, the International Superyacht Society honored Nicholson with its annual Leadership Award. “I think I have been one of the luckiest and happiest people in this business,” he said at the time.

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