L'Or

Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole

Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina

DJ Parker has been a leader in the charter industry since 1980. She is currently president of the American Yacht Charter Association. E-mail DJ

Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.

L'Or

First Impression: L’Or

Date toured: May 2009

L’Or is a 98-foot motoryacht with an aluminum hull that was built by Kvaerner and then fitted out with interior décor by Azimut in Italy. When she launched in 1997, she was known as Chamaro. It was in summer 2008 that she became L’Or, rechristened by her third owner. That’s also the year Capt. Pierre Gindre signed on.
   He must have done something right from the start, because he told me that L’Or did six weeks of charter in 2008 and already had seven weeks booked for 2009 at a time when many other yachts were sitting idle because of the global recession. Most of the charter business for L’Or comes during the summer months, as she is based year-round in Cannes, France.
   The yacht takes eight guests in a cabin layout that is ideal for two couples with four children. An aft staircase from the main saloon leads to two twin-bed cabins—a hideaway for the kids, who can make all the noise they can stand in this part of the yacht without bothering any other guests. The master cabin is forward on the main deck, and the VIP is in the same area. That’s about as far away as you can get from the twin-bed cabins without being aboard a whole other motoryacht.
   I didn’t get to meet the chef, but Gindre told me it’s a native of France who spent a decade in the United States and thus cooks international cuisine. The chef also is passionate about Asian recipes, Gindre says.
   L’Or is part of the CSO Yachts charter fleet. Her lowest weekly base rate is €48,000 for eight guests with five crew. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more.—Kim Kavin