May 2010 Update:

Capt. Andrew Law reports that Touch booked seven weeks of charter during summer 2010, with two of the clients being repeat customers. Many charter clients aboard Touch are adult groups who split the weekly rate, thanks to the yacht's four king-size beds. I'm sure they also appreciate the owner's business attitude during the global economic recession.

"Our owner is like the Great Gatsby," Law says. "He wants people to come aboard and enjoy. He was one of the first to drop his price with the economy. We went from $75,000 a week to $55,000 a week in the Caribbean, and we're $75,000 U.S. dollars in the Mediterranean, so we're a good deal given the value of the euro. He built this boat, he designed it, and he supports it. We are seriously available for charter."

Recent upgrades include a new audiovisual system with 40,000 songs, free WiFi 24/7, and a 30-foot, towed tender. "It's great for high-speed access to ports," Law says. "If the airline loses a guest's luggage, for instance, we can take off on charter and send the tender back to collect the bags."

Also new to Touch since our 2005 review is chef Ben Dineen, who put on a most impressive luncheon during the Genoa Charter Yacht Show. The food, the yacht's upkeep, the atmosphere, and the service were all top-notch.

Touch is now part of the charter fleet at Fraser Yachts Worldwide.--K.K.

First Impression: Touch

Date toured: December 2005

Touch is an unusual motoryacht. I found her at an industry-only charter yacht show, and she was one of the most memorable out of the several dozen yachts I toured that week.

“He’s so proud of the boat,” the yacht’s captain, David Rutherford, told me in the course of describing the owner’s ten-year quest to build her. The French-Canadian businessman, who owns Louisbourg Construction of Montreal, had always owned smaller boats but wanted a megayacht built from scratch. So he leased some land outside of Montreal, put up a shed, and hired a team to incorporate his every whim and fancy into the design. “It was a backyard job,” Rutherford quips, “like you’d build a Go-Kart.”

Sure, if the Go-Kart is 120 feet long and offering luxury charters around the world.

The thing that makes Touch so memorable is not just the story of how the owner built her, but all of the things that he put into her—like a master suite up high on the boat deck, where the sky lounge would usually be, and the three guest staterooms on the bottom deck all featuring queen-size beds (no twins—perfect for couples splitting the bill and all wanting similar accommodations).

Décor-wise, Touch is decidedly different, too. The owner didn’t like the stainless-steel handles on a few watertight doors, so he had them covered in gold leaf. Where other yachts this size typically have extensive tile mosaics, Touch has lighted glass sculptures. The knobs on the dressers are tiny crystal sculptures unto themselves.

I can’t speak to the level of service the crew provides, though the captain did seem quite personable—and he reported already having repeat clients coming back for additional charters. That’s certainly a good sign, and would make Touch a great yacht to charter if you want to break away from beige décors and the traditional layouts you’ll find on most other yachts her size.

Check with any reputable charter broker for more information. Touch is part of the fleet at The Sacks Group (www.SacksYachts.com) with a weekly base rate of $60,000 for eight guests, or about $9,400 per person with 25-percent expenses included.—Kim Kavin