Albireo

Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon

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

Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon

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.

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

Albireo

First Impression: Albireo

Date toured: December 2008

Albireo is a Swan 56 sailing yacht that was built in 2004. It’s owned by a company in Guadeloupe that bought it specifically to put into the charter industry, as part of a fleet that includes one other Swan 56 and a pair of Swan 62s. Albireo is this typically based in Guadeloupe, but charters year-round from as far north as the British Virgin Islands all the way south through the Caribbean to the Grenadines.
   Capt. Francois Hellot, who showed me around, is the yacht’s permanent captain, and a freelance chef can be brought onboard for charters. Hellot told me that even though the boat is promoted as taking as many as eight guests, an ideal charter party is just one couple, or one couple with children. The guest cabins make sense for the charter parties that Hellot suggested. There’s a master cabin with a double bed and private bathroom, plus another cabin with upper-lower bunk-style beds and a bathroom that is shared by the crew.
   That might seem a bit odd, to have your children sharing a bathroom with Hellot, but he assured me that he gets along swimmingly with children. And he meant that literally, as he started his career as a swimming and sailing instructor for children in Guadeloupe.
    Hellot still loves to sail and said he particularly enjoys charter guests who want to race in regattas. Albireo, he says, cruises at 10 knots and can hit a top speed of 17 knots in the right conditions.—Kim Kavin

Albireo is part of the Nautor’s Swan Charters fleet. Any reputable charter broker can discuss weekly base rates that depend on how many crew you plan to have aboard.