Our team
Nis Peter Lorentzen, founder
Nis has more than 25 years of leadership, general management and operational experience within consumer products, sourcing, distribution, retail, e-commerce and mergers & acquisitions, with particular focus on China.
Nis is the Chief Executive Officer and co-investor at Bolia Asia Limited, a furniture retailer with its first Asian store in Shanghai.
Nis is the Co-Founder of Pangea Holdings, a venture capital company whose partners made investments in Spiegel, Newport News and Motherwear fashion catalogs, and in Frederick Cooper lamps in the US.
Previously he held the position as Managing Director – International, at Sparkice Inc, the Beijing based E-commerce sourcing and supply chain company invested by Metro AG and HSBC.
Before that, Nis held the position as Managing Director at TV Shopping Network (China), a television shopping, web and catalog business jointly owned by Mr. Robert Miller, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers, Prudential, the insurance company, and Home Shopping Network, a division of Mr. Barry Diller’s US Networks.
Prior to that, Nis had a 16-year career with The East Asiatic Company Limited, a leading Asia based marketing services, logistics and consumer products conglomerate with sales of US$ 3.0 billion and 10,000 employees. While at the The East Asiatic Company, Nis held various management positions in the United States, Taiwan, and China.
Nis holds a Bachelor of Science (HA) in economics, and an Executive MBA (HD) marketing degree from Copenhagen Business School, is proficient in English and Danish, and speaks basic German and Mandarin.
Nis is 49 years old, married, has one son and is an avid yacht racer and lives in Beijing.
Nis is a third generation boat builder from Bandholm Boats in Denmark, but he has lived and worked in China and the United States for the past 25 years, and therefore delayed his re-entry into the boat business until 2007 when he purchased, and had restored, the 1954 Skerry Cruiser pictured above, which marked the beginning of the Scandinavian Cruiser project.
Eric W. Sponberg, Naval Architect & Designer
We have established an exclusive design cooperation with Swedish-American Naval Architect & Designer, Eric W. Sponberg, the award winning designer of the free standing rig and numerous high performance yachts, with proven abilities to bridge the classic design aesthetics with the latest yacht design concepts, technologies and superior racing performance.
Captain Michel Sauzet, France, Belgium & Switzerland
Michel, a worldwide delivery captain with 25 transatlantic crossing under his belt, has extensive experience in yacht commissioning, deliveries, quality inspection, and sea trials with owners or yachting magazines.
Michel’s educational background includes computer systems engineering, marketing and management, as well as Sail-Master, skipper, security, radio, river and unlimited power motor yacht licenses and diplomas.
Michel is an admirer of classic boats, and has fallen in love with the historic designs of Skerry Cruisers, and as an experienced skipper he appreciates the construction of the Scandinavian Cruisers using the latest yacht-design technologies.
Living in Charente-Maritime, in the center of the Atlantic coast, close to the highway connecting with the Mediterranean, Michel is well located to service the needs of boat dealers and owners in the French speaking countries and regions.
Mark Jarvis, United Kingdom
Mark Jarvis Mark Jarvis with his daughters.
Mark has been sailing since the age of 7 when his father took him on the boating lake at Walton-on-the-Naze. This lead to a 40 year passion for the sport and the opportunity to sail in many different boats in many parts of the world. Whilst developing this interest in sailing Mark has worked in business development and marketing with a variety of organisations. He was with Fujifilm in the UK for 10 years before leaving to join Hunter Moore.
Mark as sailed in the midlands for several years whilst his 2 daughters were growing up and this enabled him to pass on his passion for the sport to them. They are now both at University and constantly remind him of how much better they are at his chosen sport! Mark has sailed a flying fifteen at Draycote and Grafham for more than 8 years and has competed in the both classic and open classes. Mark also sails a traditional style Cornish Pilot Cutter that is based on the East Coast of England and enjoys the escape that this offers from the pressures of the working week.
Mark is very excited about the Scandinavian Cruiser 20 and fully expects the boat to sail just as well as it looks. “I am looking forward to building a strong group of owners in the United Kingdom who share the same passion I do for great looking performance boats that can be sailed by everyone in the family.”
Haye Kesteloo, United States
Haye Kesteloo and his daughter Naomi.
Haye is a passionate water sportsman and entrepreneur. Having grown up in The Netherlands he was introduced to windsurfing and sailing at a very young age. Starting out with the small Optimist, he gradually moved on to bigger and more beautiful boats, such as the Six Metre Keelboats.
Haye Kesteloo holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and Economics, and Masters Degree in Financial Management from Nyenrode University in The Netherlands. He has previously worked for Royal Dutch Shell (Oil & Gas) in various Sales and Marketing roles, and was transferred to the United States in early 2003.
In 2006 Haye started his own Internet marketing company in Connecticut, called ServiceSpider, introducing the online services auction www.servicespider.com to the US market, and later on launching www.servicespiderpro.com. Haye has extensive experience with consumer products and services, online marketing and social media.
The beauty and performance of classically designed boats such as the SC20 is what has always attracted Haye to sailing. As an Internet Entrepreneur he appreciates breakthroughs in design and technology and is very excited to introduce the Scandinavian Cruisers brand and its products to the American sailing community.
Haye is 35 years old, married, has a daughter and a son and lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
Johan Repko, Holland
“Drive to Sail” was founded by Johan Repko and Jack Kuin.
“Drive to Sail” has the literal meaning of “driving to go sailing”, which is a way to connect us all to water sports. There is however a second more figurative translation which is “making the road trip with your own boat on a trailer to your favorite sailing spot”.
With a trailer boat you can reach some of the best sailing spots in Holland, or anywhere in Europe. Imagine sailing between the Swedish shoal rocks off the Baltic coast, the Dutch Waddengebied tidal flats, Lake Garda or Istria, all during a weekend or summer holiday!
At “Drive to Sail” we offer many different types of trailerable and non-trailerable sail- and motorboats for you.
Please take a closer look at our web site www.drivetosail.nl and feel free to contact us for any additional information, or to schedule a demonstration of any of the boats that we offer.
Philip Schoeffel, Australia (Master Importer and Distributor)
Philip was self employed in an Agricultural Import and Distribution Business called "Geoff Andrews Pty Ltd" which was successfully sold to an International Company late 2008.
Previously self employed in a Sydney based boat brokerage called "Blue Ensign Marine Services" specializing in cruising boats. At that time we averaged selling one boat per week and became one of the highest turnover boat brokers in Sydney. General Manager in a Japanese joint venture engineering supplies company, Fuji Industrial Group, visiting and advising large manufacturing plants, and training sales staff of the major distributors. Sales Manager with a Sydney based agricultural company called The Daken Corporation with 60 employees.
Studied Economics and Accounting at university, and worked as a management cadet with Wormald International.
Sailing history
Past owner of several vintage classic yachts, one of which was a Knud Reimers designed 30 Square Meter Yacht. Sailed in three Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races, and every yacht race on the East Coast of Australia. This year I will be sailing on "SES Inch by Winch" in my fourth Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Have just completed the Lord Howe Island Race in the same vessel. Delivery of yachts up and down the East Coast of Australia for 30 years.
Campaigned yachts in the following events:
- Gold Cup, Scandinavian Cup, Australian Championships and then World Championships in a
5.5 meter yacht. Came fourth in the Worlds.
- Club and Interclub Racing in an International Etchell's for four years.
- 1/2 Ton club and interclub racing in a Sparkman and Stephens designed 30 foot yacht called
"Defiance" for four years.
- Philip has three children age 23, 20 and 12 and is married to Vicki.
Harold Y. Shim, Korea
Harold has been in boating since 1965 and has sailed and raced in several countries. He is the founder of Yacht Avenue Limited, a pioneeing company in the newly emerging yachting industry in Korea. He is also the founder of 700 Yacht Club, which is Korea's largest commercially owned and operated yacht club. Harold serves as a yachting industry advisor to Gyeongnam Province and is also an officer of the Korea Sailing Federation. Companies, cities, provinces, and the central government have sought his advice and counsel in various yachting industry matters in Korea. An avid racer, Harold established the first international yacht racing team in Korea that regularly attends well-known yacht races around the world.
Having practiced law internationally for the past 25 years, Harold currently works as a foreign legal consultant in Seoul, where he concentrates on mergers and acquisitions and cross-border litigation.
Christian Krog Hansen, Norway
Christian is responsible for the Norwegian market, where he has established a highly succesful boat distribution business named HØVIK Marine AS. Whilst Christian is a sailor, with a passion for classic yachts, his business includes both power and sail boats.
Michael Andersen & Jesper Birkedal Strands, Denmark
Petter Borge-Skar, Sweden
(Sales in Sweden)
Enrico Malingri di Bagnolo, Italy
Enrico is responsible for the Italian market. He and his family members are well-known world circumnavigational sailors, and owners of the Malingri Marine family boatyard in Fano that has built the Moana series boats, and now is focusing on distribution of Scandinavian Cruisers, restoration of classic yachts such as Swan and Baltic, distribution in Italy of Neil Pryde Sails and agent for Profurl furlers. Enrico has recently worked at Nautor Swan with responsibility for production of Swan 53 and Club Swan 42 one-design classes, and as a member of the development team for the new Swan 60.
Malingri Marine's office is conveniently located in Milan, and the boatyard is in Fano, on the central part of the Adriatic cost of Italy.
Roberto Rodrigues, Greece
Roberto was born and grew up in Portugal, where he first developed his passion for the sea, boats and specially sailing. He worked as a skipper, he sailed offshore and gradually moved on to dinghy sailing. In 2005, he moved to Greece where the good weather, the Mediterranean Sun, the deep-blue sea and the proximity of beautiful Greek islands permitted sailing throughout the whole year. For Roberto, sailing has become not just a pastime, a sport or a profession, but a way of living and thinking, the journey and the destination of his life.
Having just started his boat distribution company, Roberto will proudly introduce the Scandinavian Cruisers to the Greek sailors, since he himself is a fan of the classical design lines combined with modern technologies, where form marries perfectly with function.
To further deepen his knowledge on all things nautical, Roberto is currently taking the long-distance course on Yacht and Boat Design from the renowned Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. Additionally, he holds a bachelors degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Fernando Pessoa University in Portugal and he has been working in the Marketing Department for Millennium Bank in Athens, Greece, since 2006.
Marek Pietrusiak & Danuta Zakosztowicz, Poland
Proriver is a newly founded company, started in 2008, and it has managed to become well-known in the yachting market in Poland.
Our goal is to change the perspective and fashion among potential customers. We wish to show customers a beautiful yachting lifestyle combined with modern ecological solutions. We focus on classic yachts which are suitable for our lakes and rivers. We have over ten years of experience in wealth management, and we have established a network of serious well-off potential customers all over the country. Our strength is in our passion and persistency, which our customers has come to appreciate.
Marek Pietrusiak is the President of the Board of Management, and he is a keen sportsman within dog-sledging, mountain climbing, and water sports in general.
Danuta Zakosztowicz is keen on traveling, swimming, dancing, and hope to discover the emotions of parachute jumping in the nearest future.
Gonzalo Vinuela, Spain
Gonzalo enjoys spending time by the sea; specially sailing and surfing. He began sailing in Gijon (Spain) in the Optimist and quickly moved to the Cadet class. Because of his studies and work he became an occasionally sailor in the 595 class and has a passion for classic boats.
Gonzalo holds a Bachelor degree in Business Management from Oviedo University and has worked several years in Development Banking in Washington DC. After that he moved to China to pursue a Masters in Chinese Language and Negotiation Skills at Zhejiang University. Now he owns a company, which trades all kind of material, including water sports and sailing products.
Michael Failer, Germany, Switzerland, Austria
Michael has been sailing since the age of 10 and owned in the meantime a couple of different sailing boats. He has spent a lot of time sailing on the Lake Constance, Switzerland but also on the Med, the Caribbean Sea and the South Pacific. The longest and probably most exciting sailing trip was on a 50 footer from French Polynesia to Australia as part of two year trip around the world. At the beginning he sailed on his own modern Performance Cruisers, but then he felt in love with the seaworthy and beautiful designs of traditional workboats. For over ten years now, he has enjoyed sailing on his 24 foot cutter rigged Cornish Crabber – one of these great looking fibreglass reinterpretations of classic British small boats. Right now a new Chinese built, elegant 35 foot classic trawler-styled motor yacht is close to be finished and shipped to Europe.
Michael is a trained oral surgeon (Dr. med. dent. from the University of Zurich, Switzerland) and holds an MBA Degree in Media and Communications Management from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland and Berkley California, USA. He doesn’t practice dentistry any more but is still one of the partners of “swiss smile dental clinics” - an internationally expanding dental clinic group.
In the last ten years he has been involved in many different business developments related to healthcare, pharma and biotechnology in the USA, UK and Europe, but now he takes the opportunity to move into the boating industry – something he always wanted to do, but he was never satisfied with the currently available designs. Now the unique combination of modern technologies and classic designs of the Scandinavian Cruisers and the B-Quest Trawlers have created a new opportunity. His company “Classic Yacht and Trawler” should be the ideal partner for the growing number of discerning yachtsmen who are looking for timeless, classic yacht designs with a strong focus on quality and performance.
Michael is 52 years old, married to Diana and lives in Bottighofen, a small village right on the waterside of the Lake Constance, Switzerland.
Matti Helenius, Finland
Matti has 20+ years working experience within life sciences industry in research, product management, global sales & marketing management positions.
There is a tradition of Skerry Cruisers in Finland, and about 1000 skerry cruisers have been built in this country in the beginning of 1900, of which around 30 boats still exists.
Matti is now starting his own business within the boat industry after years of dreaming and planning to do so. His interest is in sailing and the company focuses on sailing boats with good sailing properties. Scandinavian Cruiser is offering both the classical beauty and excellent sailing features in a modern package which are highly appreciated in an area where such traditions are still well alive.
Matti is 51 years old, married, has two grown up daughters, and a dog. He and his wife are spending most of their free time sailing in the Baltic sea. He is living in the archipelago very close to Turku city. It is a tremendously beautiful place to sail where hundreds of boats meet each other every summer.