
Everybody at Naos Yachts is passionate about sailing.
Our combined years of racing, cruising and daysailing is unprecedented in the industry.
Owner, Charles-Etienne Devanneaux is a renowned racer on two continents. As a child, he began collecting new Beneteau brochures as the models were released. He sold his first Beneteau sailboat at the age of 18 and was hooked. In 2009, Charles founded Naos Yachts in Marina del Rey and acquired the Beneteau sailboat territory that includes Southern California from the Los Angeles/Orange County line in the south to Morro Bay in the north. Lagoon territory extends from the Mexican border to Morro Bay and both Lagoon and Beneteau include Hawaii. In 2015, Naos added an office in Channel Islands Harbor to serve clients in the northern part of its territory.
Charly has built a team of professionals that know their boats. Every team member has years of experience racing and cruising, most professionally as some level. This level of professionalism and dedication to our clients has led Naos to become the leading sailboat dealer on the West Coast Los Angeles Yacht Sales.
In addition to new and used yacht sales, the Naos team takes great pride in offering sailing lessons, as an ASA certified school. Our service department was chosen as the best service department in the world for Lagoon in 2014. We can assist with any boat problems and can keep your yacht looking perfect.
Come by our offices to meet the team, have an espresso and share your passion.
Warning: our passion is addictive!
FOUNDER
Sailor since he was born and racer since kid. Charly graduated from the Executive Education at UCLA in 2009 after many years as Managing a leading company in the Marine Industry in Europe. Charly loves to optimize his racing boats and share his experience with cruisers.
He will stop everyday at his boats to say ”hello baby”. He won the Newport-Cabo race in 2011 and finished 2nd on Transpac 2011 on the Beneteau First40. He won the double-handed division on the Pacific Cup (San Francisco – Hawaii) on the Beneteau First 30 in 2012 and later twice second in 2014 and 2016.
On a catamaran, Charly and his crew finished 3rd in Class and first boat to finish without using the engine on the Lagoon 400 ”NAOS400” in the ARC 2012 across the Atlantic Ocean. In 2016, he finished again third in ARC 2016 on the Lagoon 42 ''Level 42''.
CFO and Founder
Anne-Cecile has 20 years of experience working for Japanese and American with special expertise in finance, supply chain management and procurement. She started to sail with her husband and she is enjoying cruising on the family catamaran ''Clapotis''.
PRESIDENT
Phillip was raised plying the waters of Southern California. Having captained charter yachts in S. California, Hawaii, Tahiti, Mediterranean and Caribbean, he is able to assist clients to look closely at the finest detail to choose the right boat. His racing career culminated with the 1992 America’s Cup with the French Syndicate and with 17 years overseas, Phillip is willing to assist in French, Spanish or English.
SALES
Gunnar grew up in a sailing family in Southern California. His grandfather sailed in the merchant marine and his father was a collegiate sailor. Next to enjoying sailing with his family, Gunnar loves nothing more than introducing new people to the sailing life. Ask about his second favorite hobby, making nautical leashes for man’s best friend.
SALES - CHANNEL ISLANDS OFFICE
Greg has been on the water and around boats since the age of 5, owning a variety of power and sailboats. After 30 years in healthcare marketing and business development, he began his second career in the marina industry joining H+S yacht sales in 2005. Greg has direct, on the water experience, in over 80 different boats. He has cruised and raced extensively and is ready to put his knowledge to work for his clients.
Greg is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard Master and an ASA certified keel boat instructor.
SAILTIME BASE MANAGER
Grant Walstrom, SailTime base manager of Marina del Rey, in close association with Naos Yachts, Inc., replotted his course to the year-round sailing locale of the Southern California coast since previously living, working and playing all over the Midwest’s beautiful Great Lakes. Lifelong boater, he’s now enjoying Los Angeles doing what he loves most, being on the water as much as possible while also savoring the life, culture and climate of the city and its surroundings.
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
John grew up in Las Vegas and relocated to southern California to attend UCLA. His varied background includes software application development and sales, motion picture and television production, and he has published one crime novel and is finishing up a second. He came to sailing later in life and is a US Sailing certified Small Boat Sailing Instructor who taught beginning and advanced dinghy sailing at UCLA's aquatic facility for more than a decade. At NAOS Yachts, John interfaces with clients and our service personnel to ensure that warranty and service requests are successfully completed in a timely manner.
SALES and CHARTER & SAILING SCHOOL MANAGER
Sailing is my passion and has been my work for close to 20 years as a full time charter boat captain, sailing instructor and delivery skipper. I am an ocean enthusiast, boat owner, traveler, and outdoorsman.
I have sailed many oceans with many enthustistic passengers on the way. I feel lucky to have the best job in the world.
SEA TRIAL MANAGER
Paul started to sail a week after he was born... he does all seatrial with customers to explain how to use an electric winch or turn the wheel to port or starboard. He can show you how to build a boat with a Lego or Playmobil when you stop at the office on Saturday.
SALES - HAWAII OFFICE
Mike has a lifelong love of the sea, a Licensed Captain, he purchased his first sailing dinghy in 1963, and has owned a series of cruising boats ever since. Mike’s racing career runs the gamut from big time racing in the SORC circuit through regular Wednesday night club racing, where he finds great camaraderie. He has crossed the Atlantic 4 times in both monohulls and catamarans. Recently he moved with his wife to Oahu and has joined the Naos team. He is particularly excited to rejoin Group Beneteau, finding in the Sense line the pleasure of monohull sailing combined with the modern lifestyle of cruising catamarans.
LEAD ASA INSTRUCTOR & SALES
Thanks to his parents, Southern California native Mark Abel, literally began boating before walking!
His yachting experience includes delivering yachts from coast to coast, including trips through the Panama Canal, several trips up and down the West Coast of the US and across the Pacific. Like most Southern California sailors, Mark has a special affinity for the Newport to Ensenada race. This time aboard a diverse range of cruising and racing yachts helps him work with clients by bringing a lifetime of sailing experience to Naos Yachts.
He can help you find the perfect boat and teach you how to sail her too!