It is with sadness and shock that I write to tell you about the sudden death of Andreas Liveras, the brilliant superyacht charter expert. Liveras was killed last Wednesday in the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai, India. He was 73 years old.
Born in Cyprus but a British citizen since the 1960’s, Liveras became famous in yachting circles starting in the mid-1980’s by buying, refitting, and offering for charter some of the largest megayachts in the world. If you recognize the names Rosenkavalier, Princess Tanya, Princess Lauren, Alysia, and Lauren L, then you know Liveras’ work. He had a knack for not only identifying which yachts would make good projects, but also what features would consistently attract charter clients and therefore keep his yachts the busiest ones around. Equally important, even though he had a staff of brokers and other representatives who managed client relations, crew concerns, and other matters, Liveras was involved in every aspect, from meeting with some clients and brokers from other companies to knowing who worked on which yacht.
His is an amazing story, made even more so because of his humble beginnings. When he left Cyprus, he was the son of a farmer. In England, he landed a job as a deliveryman for a bakery. He rose early and worked long hours, but he enjoyed what the company did. Liveras went on to buy the business, growing it into an even more successful company. When he sold it–for millions–in 1985, he decided to pursue his passion: yachting. While he had owned and sold a number of boats, the first megayacht he purchased was the 100-foot Princess Sophia, named for his niece. From there he went on to buy, refit, and sometimes sell some of the biggest and most famous yachts around, including the ones mentioned above. In fact, at the time of his death, Liveras Yachts was overseeing the construction of two 354-foot charter yachts in Europe, for launch in a few years’ time.
Liveras was in Mumbai aboard Alysia last week and had gone to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel to get something to eat, having been told its curry was excellent. Unfortunately, while he was in the restaurant, some of the terrorists entered and opened fire. Liveras, his assistant, and others made it out with the help of hotel employees and were in a locked room when more gunfire broke out and he was killed. Family members were quoted by some newspapers as saying he may have lived if he had been carrying his Cypriot passport, since the terrorists had separated British and American passport carriers.
Liveras is survived by three daughters and a son. Though I never had the chance to meet him, he had always been described to me as a generous, wonderful person. He had an enormous impact on the megayacht business, and his presence will be greatly missed.
Note: You can share your thoughts and remembrances about Liveras on a special Facebook page dedicated to him.
Update: This article from the Telegraph newspaper paints a portrait of the man who touched and influenced so many.
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