ALWAYS OLESEN
6/7/2007 9:37:55 AM by Sandy Lindsey
Grand Bahama Yacht Club’s CEO, Preben Olesen, is building an impressive empire with his signature flair for luxury. But aside from his successes in business, it’s his memorable water jaunts that have everyone buzzing.
“I used to come to this marina as a boater,” says Preben Olesen, chairman and CEO of the Grand Bahama Yacht Club. “My story is similar to that of Remington shavers — I liked the product so much I bought the company.” Developer Olesen started by leaving his boat at the marina and flying back and forth to Orlando, then he bought a house on the site two years ago. The rest, as they say, is history, and the project has been going full speed ahead ever since.
“Grand Bahama Yacht Club actually incorporates two marinas in the same basin,” explains Olesen. “That gives us a total of 250 slips now, with an eventual total of 400 slips, making us the largest marina in the Bahamas. Approximately 500 acres of the property are underwater. Most of it is built, which is nice, as buyers don’t have to be visionaries. It’s really here. The marina is almost full, and the Bacardi Billfish Tournament brought in another 100 boats for the event.”
Olesen picked his location well. The yacht club and environs are “a happening place,” according to Olesen. There are 30 restaurants within walking distance, pristine reefs to snorkel and dive on, a nearby casino and a dolphin experience where guests get to swim with the friendly mammals in open water. Also nearby are two golf courses and “serious shopping, tax free.”
Having been a guest at the previous incarnation of the resort, Olesen knows what yachtsmen are looking for. “There’s currently a swimming pool, fine dining and a pool bar,” says Olesen. “Under construction we have a 6,000-square-foot clubhouse which will also feature fine dining, a bar and lounge. We’re out to make the most of this magnificent two-acre property on its pristine beach, and will be adding another clubhouse for members.”
Olesen says already in the works is a health spa and fitness center that will open in early 2008. An 86,000-square-foot medical center will also be available to residents, members and guests. The services will be a joint venture between doctors in the Bahamas tied to the acclaimed Cleveland Clinic.
So what does Olesen do when not concentrating on crafting the ultimate complex for yachtsmen? “I like to go fishing,” he says. “I have the most wonderful time going after tuna and dolphin. I like to fish for groceries.”
Wackiest memories on the water? One in particular sticks out in his mind. “One time, we thought we had a world record tuna on the line and we fought it for four grueling hours,” he says. “There were three of us on board — a lawyer, an accountant and myself. At first, the accountant wouldn’t let go of the rod because in order to get the record the fish has to be a one-man reel-in. About an hour-and-a-half into the battle, I took the rod. It was a wild time. Just over two hours later, we brought up the fish that turned out to be a 15-foot mako shark. Thankfully, it was tired after the energetic battle. We were spared the problem of trying to figure out how to release it without injury to us or the shark when it ran under the boat and broke the line.”