CharterWave eNews

We’re Scouting for You in Italy, Turkey
CharterWave Editor Kim Kavin will be traveling to Europe in a few weeks to attend the industry-only charter yacht shows in Italy and Turkey. As of this writing, Kim was the only U.S.-based journalist registered to attend either show, which will mean plenty of exclusive boat reviews, news reports, crew interviews, and insider information here on CharterWave that you won’t see anywhere else.
    “The Genoa show, in particular, is supposed to feature several yachts that are so new, they have received minimal press coverage,” Kim says. “I’m especially looking forward to getting onboard the new 196-foot CMN motoryacht Slipstream, the new 141-foot Trinity motoryacht Big City, and the new 170-foot Alloy sailing yacht Mondango. I’ve also scheduled lunch and dinner dates aboard several premier boats, so that I can bring CharterWave readers exclusive in-the-galley videos with some of the world’s top charter yacht chefs.”
    Stay tuned to the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for Kim’s reports direct from both boat shows between May 4 and May 14.

We Have Brokers on Site for You in Greece, Virgin Islands
The only spring charter yacht show in Europe that our editor will not be attending is in Greece—but fear not, as CharterWave is working with reputable charter brokers who plan to attend and offer us exclusive interviews about what they see and hear on the docks. We also are working with reputable brokers who plan to attend the upcoming spring charter shows in the Virgin Islands.
    As with all of our Broker Reports, you will be able to find these interviews in the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog just after each boat show ends.

Welcome New Sponsor: Infinity Yacht Charters
We’re thrilled to welcome Infinity Yacht Charters this month as our newest CharterWave sponsor.
    Infinity Yacht Charters is the retail booking agency run by Michael Sawyer, a former U.S. Coast Guard-licensed charter yacht captain who has 20 years of experience operating and chartering yachts in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Bahamas, the South Pacific, Mexico, and Central America. He recently was elected to the Board of Directors of CYBA International, one of the premier professional organizations for reputable charter brokers.
    Sawyer is an American who is based in Vancouver, Canada—a location that gives him insider’s access to yachts offering charter in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California, and western Mexico. He regularly travels worldwide to inspect yachts and interview crew in other destinations, as well.
    He has already started blogging on the Infinity Yacht Charters sponsored page here on CharterWave. You can also learn more about the company by going directly to the Infinity Yacht Charters website.

Firsthand Report from the BVI, Bahamas, and Maldives
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin spent almost the entire month of March traveling to inspect charter yachts and interview crew in the British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and Maldives.
    “The yachts with established reputations in the charter industry seem to be holding their own in terms of bookings, despite the overall decline in business that the industry as a whole is seeing because of the global economic downturn,” Kim says. “Many more motoryachts than usual for this time of year are in the British Virgin Islands, and more than a few are reporting charter inquiries for that location, as opposed to the northern Caribbean. I also heard from more than a few Virgin Islands sailing catamaran crew that the market in that price range may be starting to turn around, which is encouraging."

   Kim visited the Abacos section of the Bahamas, where the airstrips and marinas seemed in prime condition in anticipation of the upcoming summer charter season. In the Maldives, which is a newly emerging Indian Ocean destination for charter, Kim found many high-end island resorts with spas and fine dining that were nicely positioned to welcome charter yacht guests seeking daytime and nighttime fun off the boat.
    We’ll post Kim’s full articles about these destinations, complete with photographs, in our Destination Articles section soon.

Sponsored Blogs Prove Popular
Just three months ago, we began featuring the newest headlines from our sponsored blogs on the CharterWave home page. The click-through text has proved highly popular, with three of our sponsor bloggers earning themselves positions among the Top 20 most popular pages from last month on the entire CharterWave website.
    Broker Kathleen Mullen of Regency Yacht Vacations writes our most popular sponsored blog, with content about everything from what she’s seeing in her home base in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, to what she’s hearing about yacht charters around the world.
    Brokers Missy Johnston and Carolyn Titus of Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters have also proved a fan favorite among our sponsor bloggers, offering in-depth charter itinerary information on their regularly updated blog with eye-catching photographs from popular destinations worldwide.
    Last but not least, broker Gail Hartman of V.I. Sailing is also a favorite sponsor blogger with CharterWave’s readers. Her posts focus on all things related to Virgin Islands charters, which is her primary area of expertise.
    To see links to all of our sponsored blogs here on CharterWave, check out this page.
    

Three Brokers Say: What's the Biggest Mistake First-Time Charterers Make?
In this month’s edition of Three Brokers Say, we asked brokers Ami G. Ira of C U Yacht Charters, Shannon Webster of Shannon Webster Charters, and Ed Hamilton of Ed Hamilton & Co. for their opinions about the biggest mistakes that first-time charter clients make.
    Their answers vary, and when taken together can help save you a lot of time, aggravation, and money when it comes to booking your first yacht charter vacation. Click here to read what they said.

 Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog
Broker Report: Thailand. Charter broker Liz Howard of Fraser Yachts Worldwide recently returned from an exploration of Thailand’s Phuket region onboard the 150-foot Oceanfast motoryacht Moecca, which her company manages… Read more …

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs
From broker Gail Hartman's blog: It’s a Mermaid. No, it’s Jennifer! As you sail around the BVI the next couple of weeks on your Tortola charter, be on the lookout for a lovely sea creature! Since she was a young girl, 56-year-old Jennifer Figge dreamed of swimming across the Atlantic Ocean. Just one month ago, the American left the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa and started her journey… Read more … 

Motoryacht of the Month: King Baby
The brand-new, 100-foot Hargrave King Baby offers something that other motoryachts don’t: a rock-’n-roll take on luxury. That includes not only a great sound system, but also museum-quality photos of legends such as Keith Richards and Paul McCartney all throughout the interior décor.
    CharterWave’s editor got onboard the boat the very day it was christened and sat down for an extended interview with the captain, who talked about the yacht’s charter plans and super-duper audiovisual system. Click here to read our exclusive First Impression review.

Sailing Yacht of the Month: Windrose
At 151 feet long, the Holland Jachtbouw sailing yacht Windrose offers sweeping elegance along with commanding speed in her class. If you want to impress the crowds at regattas worldwide, this just may be the charter yacht for you.
    Our exclusive First Impression review discusses the yacht’s layout, how its cockpit is well-organized for charter, and the captain’s impressive racing background. We also offer several photographs of this beautiful yacht that you will not see anywhere else.

Captain of the Month: Lynn Griffiths
Lynn Griffiths bought the 72–foot, custom-designed sailing yacht Pacific Wave with an eye toward making it the most elegant charter yacht in its size and price range. She has since outfitted it with everything from fine china to top-quality spa products, including offerings from Villeroy & Boch and Molton Brown.
    Those are brand names we don’t usually see onboard charter yachts in this size range, which is why we wanted to learn more about Griffiths and her plan for elegant charters at competitive price points. Our exclusive interview covers that, her sailing background, and more.

Chef of the Month: Shelly Pollard
Before joining the 145-foot Christensen motoryacht Aghassi, Shelly Pollard was a successful entrepreneur who specialized in gourmet cheese hors d’oeuvres, luxury tours of the world, and wine and cheese events. She has seen everything from her products featured on the shelves of Costco superstores to rare bottlings in the cellars of the world’s finest vintners.
    Our editor nabbed this exclusive interview after enjoying a three-course luncheon that Pollard prepared onboard—including a tempting dessert that highlighted Pollard’s expertise in working with chocolate.

Broker of the Month: Julie Haiko
Julie Haiko of Neptune Group Yachting books everything from corporate charter events to premier megayachts around the world.
    We were fortunate to get this exclusive interview with Julie just before she left her Fort Lauderdale office for Greece, where she was about to attend an industry-only charter yacht show full of boats with availability for the upcoming summer season.

Fleet and Management Company News
37 South tells us tells us the 115-foot McMullen & Wing motoryacht Surprise will be available for charters in Indonesia beginning in September…

Athens Yachts welcomes the newly built, 109-foot Maiora motoryacht Ramina to the fleet. She takes eight or nine guests with five crew and will be available this summer in Greece at a weekly base rate of €80,500. The yacht’s owner is making his Hawker-Beechcraft six-person private jet available for an additional rate to clients who book Ramina for at least one week…

BCR Yachts tells us the 131-foot motoryacht Fathom is offering an "early-bird discount" for anyone who books a charter before May 1. The yacht, whose lowest weekly base rate is €110,000 for eight guests with nine crew, is offering free food, house wines, beer, soft drinks, and six hours of cruising fuel per day…

Blue Latitude Yachting says the 59-foot sailing catamaran Ocean’s Seven still has availability in the Bahamas throughout the upcoming summer season. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $24,500. Be sure to read our recent CharterWave Chef of the Month interview with the boat’s Peggy Langenbeck…

Burgess Yachts welcomes two new  motoryachts to the charter fleet. The 170-foot Amels Deja Too takes 10 to 12 guests and will be available this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €210,000, while the 114-foot Hotchya Gaja takes eight guests and will be available this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €77,000…

Camper & Nicholsons International launched a new website full of great charter information and features... The company is partnering with SEAMagine, the world’s leading manufacturer of two- and three-person submersibles, to help charter yacht owners who want to buy personal subs to keep on their boats… New to the fleet is the 203-foot Roma, which is due to launch this month from the Viareggio Superyacht shipyard in Italy. She will take 12 guests and be available this summer in the Mediterranean… Also new to the fleet are the 141-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Incentive, in the Bahamas; the 112-foot Nautor Swan sailing yacht Mystery, in the South Pacific; the 110-foot motoryacht Shanti, in Turkey and Croatia; and the 107-foot motoryacht Rosinante of Notika, in the Eastern Mediterranean…

CharterPortBVI fleet boat Viking Dream is offering two discount options: eight nights for the price of seven, or kids cruise for free. Dates available for these discounts in the Virgin Islands are May 24-June 6, June 13-July 10, and July 19-August 29…

Churchill Yacht Partners tells us that three of its top sailing yachts still have availability in the Caribbean before the current season ends. They include the 154-foot Perini Navi Andromeda la Dea, taking eight guests at a weekly base rate of $115,000; the 116-foot Holland Jachtbouw Whisper, taking six guests at a weekly base rate of $80,000; and the 92-foot Palmer Johnson Irishman, taking six guests at a weekly base rate of $30,000… Andromeda la Dea will move to the Mediterranean this summer, while Whisper and Irishman are both scheduled to be in New England… The 84-foot Trumpy motoryacht Wishing Star will be offering charters along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, beginning in Charleston, South Carolina, as it moves up to New England for the summer season…

Ed Hamilton & Co. has added a new section to the company’s website where you can view every charter yacht discount currently being offered worldwide, just as if you were a broker logged into the agency’s internal database…

Hargrave Yachts tells us the brand-new 100-foot motoryacht King Baby—which is the current Motoryacht of the Month here on CharterWave—is offering a $4,000 discount off food, fuel, and other expenses for any weeklong charters booked before the end of April. The yacht takes eight or nine guests at a weekly base rate of $45,000 and is expected to be in New York and New England this summer… The 97-foot motoryacht Gigi and the 100-foot motoryacht Seafarer are available May 8 through June 8 in Northern Florida and Georgia…

Hoa Yachting welcomes the 70-foot Fipa Maiora motoryacht Chiara to the fleet. She takes eight guests with two crew and will be available this summer in the western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €29,000…

International Yacht Collection welcomes the brand-new, 141-foot Trinity motoryacht Big City to the fleet. She takes 10 guests and will be available this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $175,000… The 80-foot Lazzara motoryacht La Dolce Vita now offers scuba diving directly from the boat, with first mate Mark Abrahams, who is a certified dive instructor. The yacht takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $27,500 and is currently in Florida… International Yacht Collection also has announced a partnership with Al Suwaiket Group to offer charter and other yachting services in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the broader Middle East, and North Africa…

Newport Yacht Management tells us the 84-foot sailing yacht Elysian is scheduled to launch from the shipyard in May and will be available for charters this summer in New England. If you book before June 1, there is a promotional weekly base rate of $12,000…

Nicholson Yachts says the 250-foot classic-style sailing yacht Stad Amsterdam is being temporarily removed from the charter market so that it can serve as a backdrop for a feature film about the worldwide voyage of Charles Darwin aboard the historic sailing ship Beagle. Stad Amsterdam will return to charter in August 2010 at the Tall Ship Festival in Amsterdam, Holland… The 57-foot Hinckley sailing yacht Bandera is available for charters in June, July, and August out of Long Island, New York, and is considering offering charters in Maine from late August through September. The weekly base rate is $11,500 for two guests or $13,000 for four guests… The 108-foot, custom-built sailing yacht Quasart will be available in New England this summer for up to 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $45,000… The 104-foot Trehard sailing yacht Kalikobass II will be available from May through mid-October in the Mediterranean and Croatia. She takes up to eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €48,000… The 80-foot Southern Wind sailing yacht Matelot is available this summer in Croatia and the Eastern Mediterranean at €2,000 less than its summer 2008 rates…

Northrop and Johnson says the 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Destination Fox Harb’r Too will be cruising this summer in Nova Scotia and offering golfing privileges for charter guests at the owner’s Fox Harb’r Resort, which also has a top-notch spa… The 153-foot NAYS motoryacht Argyll recently announced new 2009 availability, including dates during July and August in New England, October and November in the Bahamas, and December in the Virgin Islands…The 122-foot Flagship motoryacht Shogun is offering nine nights for the price of seven at a lowest weekly base rate of $69,000 for eight guests on Mexico’s west coast… The 115-foot Trinity motoryacht Watercolours has reduced its weekly base rate from $49,500 to $42,000 for eight guests in the Virgin Islands… The 100-foot Burger motoryacht AR-DE is offering, to all charter guests who book before the end of April, nine nights for the price of seven in the Bahamas. The base rate is $30,000 per week… The 145-foot Christensen motoryacht Aghassi has further reduced its $170,000-per-week base rate to $130,000 for 10 guests in the Bahamas. See our current CharterWave Chef of the Month feature with Aghassi’s Shelly Pollard…

Ocean Independence unveiled its 2009 charter portfolio catalog at Zürich’s Stockeregg Gallery…

Primo Yacht welcomes the 88-foot Leopard Sport motoryacht Gremat to the fleet. She is based in Sardinia, Italy, and takes seven guests with three crew at a lowest weekly base rate of €30,000…

Sail Connections says the 115-foot Warren motoryacht Crystal Lady will be available for charters in Tahiti from June through October. Possible itinerary destinations include Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa and Bora Bora.  The yacht takes six guests with four crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $75,000…

Sunreef Yachts Charter tells us the 62-foot sailing catamaran Anassa still has August charter dates available in Croatia. The lowest weekly base rate is €24,000 for eight to 10 guests…

Sunseeker Charters has single-day and overnight charter availability aboard 47- and 90-foot yachts at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix. Grandstand seats are included in some of the pricing packages being offered…

The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals says the 142-foot Westship motoryacht Monaliza is en route to the Mediterranean for summer charters. She takes 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €110,000… Also offering charters in the Med this summer will be the popular 115-foot Crescent motoryacht Harmony, at a lowest weekly base rate of $70,000, and the 120-foot motoryacht Impulsive, at a lowest weekly base rate of $85,000…

Voyage Charters is offering 10 nights for the price of seven aboard some of its crewed sailing catamarans in the Virgin Islands, as long as the upcoming charter dates are booked before April 26.

New First Impression Reviews Posted on CharterWave This Month
Aghassi, 145-foot Christensen motoryacht
Axioma, 155-foot ISA motoryacht
Beverley, 120-foot Benetti motoryacht
Cool Runnings, 45-foot sailing catamaran
Free Ingwe, 45-foot sailing catamaran
Gieneh, 62-foot Swan sailing yacht
King Baby, 100-foot Hargrave motoryacht
Pacific Wave, 72-foot custom sailing yacht
Windrose, 151-foot Holland Jachtbouw sailing yacht

New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave This Month
Lynn Griffiths, owner/captain, 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave
Shelly Pollard, chef, 145-foot motoryacht Aghassi

New Broker Interview Posted on CharterWave This Month
Julie Haiko, Neptune Group Yachting

Weekly “10 Best” Lists Posted on CharterWave This Month

10 Best Charter Yachts for Sailing Regattas

10 Best Charter Yachts for Families with Active Children

10 Best Broker Tips for Booking Summer Charters in the Mediterranean

10 Best Charter Yachts for Rainy Afternoons