Brewer and Yacht Broker, Lymington Yachts
James has served as an Army Officer from 1978 to 1987 in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. On retiring his commission in 1987 he joined the drinks industry in 1987 as an Area Manager for Whitbread running Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants. He then moved to a regional brewer, Maclays of Alloa, in Scotland as retail director and then as managing director. In 2004 he retrained as a yacht broker and became managing director of the yacht brokerage arm of Dubois Yachts – specialising in the design, build and sale of sailing super yachts up to 60 metres in length. He left this post in 2008 and worked for a variety of yacht companies under the banner of his yachting consultancy business, Lymington Yachts. He moved to Dorset in 2017 when his wife became Head of English at Sherborne Girls School. He is now launching a new beer brand. He has enjoyed working alongside his wife judging debates over the past 2 years.