Yacht brokerage firm Ocean Independence has announced the death of its business partner Mario Veloná.
Veloná spent many successful seasons as a yacht captain prior to founding Veloná Yachting in 1997 with fellow captain Marco Vandoni. The pair operated independently out of Monaco for a number of years before combining the company with Ocean Independence in 2005, where he stayed on as a director and broker.
Veloná eventually retired to Costa Rica in 2018, having fallen in love with the natural beauty and local culture during previous visits. Very recently, an aggressive illness prompted his return to the south of France, where he peacefully passed away on 9 May 2023 surrounded by loved ones.
"Mario was an expert member of the yachting industry and gifted with a free spirit, genuine interest in people and immense charm," read a statement from Ocean Independence. "[He] will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by family and friends, his former colleagues at Ocean Independence and all who worked with him in the yachting industry."
A service will be held in Nice (Crematorium de la Metropole Nice) on Monday 15th May at 4pm. After that, friends are invited to get together in remembrance of Mario at “La Cambuse” in the Port of Cap D’Ail.