Meet the Team

Vanesssa Brown
Principal Broker
BRISBANE / GOLD COAST
0452 066 141
vanessa@belfortbrownyachting.com
Vanessa’s sailing experience began in Lake Macquarie NSW Australia with her father onboard a Columbia 22. Leaving home to travel her passion for boats grew at the age of 22 when she was travelling through the East Coast of America and made her way out to the Caribbean. After completing a season crewing for Sunsail charter deliveries throughout the Antilles and participating in local regattas she returned to Southampton UK to gain a crew position on IOR Maxi Yacht Nirvana. - Nirvana is a known world champion, holding courses records for the Newport to Bermuda, the South China Sea Race, Sydney/Hobart and the the renowned Fastnet.
Returning to the Caribbean for a further season Vanessa gained employment in St Maarten with the 12 Meter Challenge as a head-sail trimmer giving guests an experience in a competitive, head-to-head match race between authentic America’s Cup race yachts including Stars and Stripes (US-55)- considered among the most famous sailing vessels in the history of the America’s Cup. Continuing to be based in the Caribbean, Vanessa participated in regattas such as the Hieneken and Antigua Sail Week’s Lord Nelson Trophy as crew on a winning Nelson /Marek 50. During this time she also continued to crew for transatlantic deliveries including a Sundeer 60- aero-rigged, a German Fres designed Swan 53, a custom converted motor-sailer trawler and a Beneteau Oceanis 50.
After buying her first Yacht in St Maarten, a 1972 Bill Lapworth designed Islander 44 sloop, Vanessa turned her attention to the Pacific and her passage home to Australia.
On arrival and having taken time out in Australia to start her family she earned her Business Administration Diploma and started her first yacht refinishing business with her Husband before relocating with the Family for 2 years back in the UK where she worked for Moran Yacht Management under Simon England Marine.
On return to Australia it was a natural progression to move into Yacht Brokerage & Management drawing on her skills to become the Director of Belfort & Brown Yachting.
Vanessa brings her positive and vibrant personality to the company, with her varied industry knowledge and her ability to communicate with people from all walks of life to form enduring relationships with clients and industry colleagues alike.

Anna-Sophie Dhenin
Sales Broker
TASMANIA
0468 993 115
anna@belfortbrownyachting.com
Anna started sailing aged 4 years old in France, on the Southwestern Atlantic Coast. Coming to Australia she lived onboard full time for 8 years on a Pescott Whitehaven 10.9 catamaran. she has sailed multiple time the Eastern coast of Australia, New Caledonia and Northern Tasmania.
Anna has also has a great deal of racing experience on multihulls in Queensland on boats such as Indian Chief and Cutsnake.
In 2018 she was trimmer on Ave Gitana, a 47ft Crowther trimaran during the Groupama race.
In 2020, she finally bought her own Crowther trimaran Hasta La Vista on which she had crewed for a couple of seasons. Since buying her own yacht she has sailed over 3000nm on the Eastern Australian coast to Cairns and recently crossed the Bass Straight singlehanded in May 2023.
The Huon valley is now home where she can still enjoy sailing on her boat and the comfort of a land based home.
Anna is a mechanical and industrial Engineer (MEng) with years of experience in logistics, procurement, supplier relationships and project management for Aviation, Aerospace and Defence industry.