First Impression: Whisper

Date toured: October 2003

June 2011 Editor's Update: My tour of Whisper left me just as impressed as I was when I originally toured her after her launch in 2003. She remains a classic design filled with lovely teak woodwork and comfortable spaces—and her interior has not a scratch that I could see, which is truly remarkable for a sailing yacht that is approaching a decade on the water.

“We do regular touch-up, and we did all the floors last year,” Capt. Clive Youlten told me. “We also have a magician who comes in once a year to make her look perfect. He specializes in antiques, so he works with great care.”

Youlten has been onboard since 2009, and he says Whisper got new soft goods in 2010. In the salon, for instance, the sofas are now covered in light blues and soft greens, all of which I thought added a comfortable and contemporary touch. Also recently added, in 2010, was $1 million worth of new composite rigging to make sure Whisper sails perfectly.

I noted during my 2011 tour that Whisper was not for sale on the brokerage market—one of few charter yachts that can make that claim in the wake of the global economic recession. Her weekly base rate of $69,000 for six to seven guests is a bit higher than other yachts in her size range charge, but the owner was offering a special during the summer 2011 season of two week s for a base rate of $120,000. Management company Churchill Yacht Partners told me the owner is open to other offers, as well.

“We believe the price of the boat for charter reflects the quality of the build, the condition of the boat, and the quality of service that people can expect,” Churchill’s charter manager told me. “It’s certainly not every six-guest charter yacht that can provide as elegant an experience as Whisper.”

Indeed.--K.K.

Original 2003 First Impression Review:

Whisper launched in May 2003 from the venerable Holland Jachtbouw shipyard in the Netherlands, and I first stepped onboard in October of that same year, at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. What a classic incarnation of a true gentleman’s yacht. This boat oozes woodwork so rich, so old-money country club, that I almost felt the need to light up a Cuban cigar. And I don’t even smoke.

I was onboard for a cocktail party, as a guest of Churchill Yacht Partners (www.churchillyachts.com), so I didn’t get a very good chance to chat with the crew. They were running around like mad serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres. I can’t speak to the kind of service they provide during a weeklong charter, but I can say that the nibbles I tasted were quite scrumptious, and that every time I did see a crew member, he or she remembered what I was drinking and politely offered me another before I even had to ask. A very good sign of more good service to come.

This 116-foot sailing yacht has four guest cabins but only three bathrooms, so the boat advertises for six guests instead of eight. The base rate is $55,000 a week, or about $11,500 per person with 25-percent expenses included.

Given her luscious craftsmanship and elegant styling, I’d say Whisper is worth it if your charter goals include feeling like a Vanderbilt.—Kim Kavin