CharterWave eNews

Charter Yacht Linda Lou Escapes Piracy Attack
On February 27, Synfo.com posted this article about the 197-foot Lurssen motoryacht Linda Lou, which reportedly thwarted an attack by organized pirates while en route to the recent Abu Dhabi Yacht Show in the Middle East.
    Only crew were onboard at the time, according to the Synfo report, and charter guests were never in danger. Linda Lou is part of the International Yacht Collection fleet with a weekly base rate of about $670,000.
    In light of this most recent incident involving a high-profile charter yacht, we would like to draw attention to this report that CharterWave posted less than a year ago about piracy and how it affects the yacht charter industry. Rarely, if ever, are charter guests themselves in danger. Instead, such hijacking attempts primarily serve to hinder the development of emerging charter regions.    

Cautious Optimism, Heavy Negotiations in Spring Charter Bookings
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin spent five days at February’s Miami International Boat Show, where a half-dozen charter fleet managers reported that the charter industry may be experiencing cautious optimism for the first time in nearly 18 months.
    A good number of the charter inquiries coming right now are for the Bahamas during this month’s Spring Break and the Easter holiday in April, the managers said. In years past, those dates would have been booked months ago and current calls would be for “last-minute” charters during the summer in the Mediterranean, but, as the managers put it, at least the calls are coming. Many current customers are apparently long-time repeat clients who went without charter vacations last year, at the height of the global recession.
    In terms of pricing, every charter fleet manager Kim spoke with in Miami confirmed that price negotiations are the order of the day, and that perhaps as many as two-thirds of the charters being booked today are coming at negotiated price reductions, extra days aboard, or some combination of the two. Some yacht owners are refusing to negotiate their prices at all (and some are still finding clients who book boats at full price), but the yacht owners who are willing to negotiate appear to be giving at least 10 percent to 15 percent off published weekly base rates.
    Other charter yacht owners are giving more, but as quietly as possible. Charter fleet managers at several companies told Kim about cases where discounts were given as high as 40 percent to 50 percent off published base rates for Caribbean charters, but qualified their statements by saying the circumstances were particular to the specific yachts and clients involved. In at least one case, the charter client was required to sign a confidentiality contract in order to receive the sizable discount.
    Interestingly, about two weeks after the Miami show, Fraser Yachts Worldwide released an e-newsletter stating that charter rates appear to have stabilized. The claim contradicts the specifics given on the docks by competing companies in Miami, but may be yet another indicator of cautious optimism based on bookings that Fraser Yachts is currently receiving.

Major Discounts Begin to Appear for Summer Mediterranean Charters
As spring bookings in locations like the Bahamas appear to be increasing, all eyes are on the upcoming summer season in the Mediterranean—and whether, like last summer, it will be filled with substantial pricing discounts during the high-season months of July and August.
    Two such discounts were announced in February, which is far earlier for Mediterranean offers than in years past. The first is the 160-foot Delta motoryacht NewVida, which is part of the Fraser Yachts Worldwide fleet (that's her sundeck in the photograph at right). If you book a two-week charter before March 15, with the charter to take place anytime between June and September 15 in the Mediterranean, then you can pay full price for the first week with 50 percent off the regular charter rate of €220,000 for the second week.
    Second is the 187-foot motorsailer Montigne, which is part of the Ocean Independence fleet. She is offering a 40-percent discount for all event charters, including the high-season Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. The available rate is €96,600 versus the regular weekly base rate of €161,000.
    It is difficult to say whether these early, substantial discounts are unique to the yacht owners' circumstances, or are a harbinger of what could become a Western Mediterranean season heavy with rate negotiations and last-minute deals. Stay tuned to the Daily Editor’s Blog, where additional offers will be posted as they come in.

Welcome New Sponsor: Seascape Yachts
CharterWave’s newest sponsor is Seascape Yachts, a Greece-based company that manages its own fleet of charter yachts in addition to helping clients with retail bookings aboard everything from motorsailers to megayachts throughout the greater Mediterranean.
    In February, Seascape celebrated three years of operation in the Eastern Mediterranean with a charter fleet that now includes 10 motoryachts ranging in length from 78 to 165 feet. The company's motto is “Small Things Make a Big Difference,” which is of course absolutely true when it comes to yacht charter vacations.  
    As always, we encourage you to work with Seascape and all of CharterWave’s sponsors when booking your next yacht charter vacation. It is thanks to our sponsors’ continuing support that CharterWave is able to bring you daily, free editorial information about the crewed yacht charter industry.

Questions Arise Concerning Legal Yacht Charter in Spain
In late February, Ocean Independence distributed an e-blast stating: “We are very pleased to send this presentation to all the frustrated MYBA brokers out there who are trying to find the ‘mission impossible’ legal charter yacht in Spain.” The company then claimed to have the largest, fully legal charter fleet in the Balearic Isles (shown in the map at right), with eight motoryachts and three sailing yachts.
    The e-blast was a result of frustration on MYBAnet, an industry-only database that charter brokers can access to determine which yachts are available for charter in different parts of the world. According to Barbara Müller, who both manages yachts and books retail charters from the Ocean Independence office in Palma de Mallorca, some charter managers have been listing their European-based yachts as available for charter in Spain when, in fact, the yachts cannot legally charter there.
    “The brokers are frustrated because if you tick on Spain or Balearic Isles in the MYBAnet database, the result is about 100 boats that are available,” she told CharterWave. “But most of them are not legal to charter here. It is possible, if a charter starts and ends outside of Spain, to pass through legally. But if you call these charter managers, most of the boats are not coming to Spain. We are trying to reach out to all of the frustrated MYBA brokers, to help them with boats that are actually here, and that are actually legal to charter.”
    This internal industry struggle is important charter clients who don’t want to find themselves cruising the beautiful Balearic Isles aboard a yacht that is not actually legal to charter in Spanish waters.
    The law in Spain states that yachts in the size range associated with crewed charter must obtain a charter license to operate legally. This license comes with a 12-percent tax on the vessel's value that can only be paid by yachts registered in Spain or other European Union countries, Müller explains. The cost to most yacht owners who qualify is high, she says, which is why most choose not to pay the tax at all.
    Müller said Spain’s unusual situation in the Western Mediterranean is the reason why she has spent the past five years in the Palma office for Ocean Independence, building a legal charter fleet. It includes the 109-foot Lloyd’s Ship motoryacht Daniella , the 86-foot Falcon motoryacht Champagne O'Clock, the 86-foot Cantieri di Pisa motoryacht Mizar, the 85-foot Mochi motoryacht White Fang, the 85-foot Maiora motoryacht Cento by Excalibur, the 83-foot Versilcraft motoryacht Newflash, the 72-foot Ferretti motoryacht Santana IV of Plymouth, the 70-foot Azimut motoryacht Wini, the 123-foot Gdansk Yachts sailing yacht Alexa, the 112-foot McMullen and Wing sailing yacht Nephele, and the 82-foot JFA sailing yacht Atalanta.
    The fleet's weekly base rates range from €13,500 to €58,000—and do not include the 16 percent VAT that Spain charges as an additional tax. VAT is passed on to charter clients like you, even after the yacht's owner has paid the 12-percent matriculation tax.
    Any reputable charter broker can help you book these yachts in Spanish waters. If your broker suggests a yacht that is not part of this Ocean Independence listing, then be sure to ask whether the boat has an E.U. flag and has paid its 12-percent matriculation tax. Asking this specific question during the booking process can save you a great deal of trouble later.

Ocean Independence Releases Industry Data
Also this month from Ocean Independence comes a breakdown of the world’s largest charter fleets. As you can see in the chart below, the company claims to control the second-largest fleet of crewed yachts after Camper and Nicholsons International:



When charter fleets are ranked by the size of the yachts, Ocean Independence’s data indicates that Camper and Nicholsons is again first overall:



Interestingly, Ocean Independence noted alongside this data: “We are happy not to be number one as we are a company without elitist views which delivers services to a wide range of clients.”

New Promo Video for Sailing Catamaran Viking Dream
Former corporate types Mark and Sally Duncan purchased the 46-foot sailing catamaran Viking Dream in October 2007 and set about creating a new life for themselves as charter yacht operators. Now, more than two years later, the Duncans have established Viking Dream as a high-quality charter option in the Virgin Islands—and they have produced an impressive new promotional video to share what they have to offer guests.
    The video, at 7:19, is far longer and more in-depth than what is typically produced in the charter world. It shows Viking Dream as she really is, as opposed to trying to impress potential clients with 30 seconds of slick marketing nonsense. Take a look, and you’ll get a real sense of the vacation you can enjoy if you book Viking Dream through any reputable charter broker:

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

 
CharterWave Wins Top Honor in Premier Marine Journalism Contest
In mid-February, CharterWave was awarded first place in the Original Online Content category of the 2009 Boating Writers International Writing Contest.
    The contest is the most prestigious in all of marine journalism, held annually with hundreds of entries. Many of CharterWave’s competitors were websites from major marine brands with large editorial staffs. Second place in the category went to Soundings magazine, and third place went to MegayachtNews.
    The judges said that CharterWave “draws you into the charter lifestyle. Great production values coupled with an interesting mix of articles and videos make for an entertaining and informative visit.”
    We at CharterWave would like to publicly thank our site’s designer and administrator, John Turner of Media Buoy. Without his programming and graphics knowledge, all of our editorial ideas would remain just that instead of becoming living entities on the Web.

Deal Gives CharterWave Editor’s Blog an Audience Larger than All U.S. Marine Magazines, Combined
In November 2009, CharterWave editor Kim Kavin launched a new website called BoaterMouth. Her idea was to combine the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog with the blogs of 11 of fellow marine journalists who specialize in everything from megayachts to sailboat racing to helm electronics, creating a single marine website featuring hundreds of expert-written articles each month.
    In mid-February, Kim announced that she has reached a partnership deal with the websites Boats.com and YachtWorld.com. These sites are the worldwide leaders in bringing new and brokerage boat listings to online readers, with a combined audience of 3.5 million boating enthusiasts each month. That is a larger audience of boating enthusiasts than every U.S. marine magazine, combined.
    BoaterMouth’s content—including the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog—is now being syndicated directly onto these websites in a way that targets the articles to appear alongside search results on the 95 million Web pages that Boats.com and YachtWorld.com readers already access every single month.
    The crewed yacht charter industry has never before had its news and information broadcast to such a large, targeted audience, and Kim is thrilled that she was able to create this new opportunity to put the very idea of yacht charter before so many boating enthusiasts worldwide.
    A full press release about the partnership is available here.

Destination Feature: The Sultans Way Fleet in the Maldives
In December 2008, Camper and Nicholsons International announced that it had signed the first-ever locally based crewed yachts available for charter in the Maldives.
    CharterWave editor Kim Kavin flew to the Indian Ocean (take a gander at the color of that water!) to take a look at the operation, which includes The Azimut 103S motoryacht called The Sultans Way 007 and the Leonardo 96 motoryacht called The Sultans Way 001. Kim also spent several days cruising in the Maldives, which is an up-and-coming winter charter alternative to the Caribbean. Kim's full review of what she found is now online here.

Helpful Article: Appropriate Crew Gratuities
In May 2007, we posted this article about how charter crew gratuities were becoming an increasingly worrisome issue. Charter brokers were giving clients vastly different advice, with suggested gratuities ranging from 5 to 25 percent of a yacht’s weekly base rate.
    This month, we offer a follow-up article about steps that the broker association MYBA has taken to establish guidelines for charter clients seeking advice on how much to tip. The industry norm now appears to have been cemented at 5 to 15 percent, with discussion continuing about “per diem” options for crew aboard some yachts.
    You can read our newest article on crew gratuities by clicking here. It is permanently housed in our Helpful Articles section.

    
Three Brokers Say: Negotiating a Good Deal
With many yachts advertising discounts on their published charter rates, we asked three CharterWave sponsor brokers about the advice they are giving clients when it comes time to negotiate the best possible deal.
    Interestingly, each broker had a slightly different take on what clients should do to get the best charter yacht at the best possible price. Read more here from Rebecca Riley at Paradise Yacht Charters, June Montagne at Northrop and Johnson, and Julie Kourouvanis of Seascape Yachts.

Best of the Daily Editor’s Blog
Ethereal Achieves Carbon Neutral Status. One of the great things about yacht charter, especially when compared with cruise ships, is that yachts are more environmentally friendly. Many large-yacht owners push shipyards and designers alike to be innovative in making yachting as environmentally friendly as possible. The latest example of this attitude comes from the owner of the 190-foot Royal Huisman sailing yacht Ethereal, which management company Camper and Nicholsons International says has made "Ethereal carbon neutral by reducing the yacht’s carbon footprint to net zero using a selection of high-quality, guaranteed carbon offsets supplied by The CarbonNeutral Company…” Read more …

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs
From the Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters Sponsored Blog. Bahamas Out Islands; Which Ones to Visit? The Abacos, Acklins and Crooked Island, Andros, The Berry Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera and Harbour Island, the Exumas, Inagua, Long Island, Mayaguana, Run Cay and San Salvador are all very different. What they have in common is that they are all part of the Bahamas Out Islands. The Bahamas Out Islands are a fabulous yacht charter location, especially to relax with peace and quiet floating on crystal clear waters with miles of pristine pink sand beaches, and shallow waters all around for swimming, snorkeling or other water sports…” Read more …

Motoryacht of the Month: Hurricane Run
The 175-foot Feadship motoryacht Hurricane Run is currently completing her first season of charter, having launched less than a year ago from the world-renowned Dutch shipyard. She is the latest in a line of highly successful, top-dollar charter yachts from the same owner, whose previous offerings included the 164-foot Amels motoryacht Thunder Gulch (now chartering as TJ Esperanza) in 1999 as well as the 164-foot Feadship motoryacht High Chaparral in 2004.
    Former High Chaparral Capt. Emile Coetzee and chef Mark Hill, who earned accolades for service standards and utmost discretion with high-profile charter clients, are now aboard Hurricane Run. Thus, this new megayacht from one of yachting’s most celebrated shipyards is being run by some of the charter industry’s most respected crew.
    Our exclusive First Impression review of this noteworthy charter operation is posted here.

Sailing Yacht of the Month: Rafoly
The size of sailing catamarans available for charter is increasing at rates never before seen. Generally speaking, 40- to 60-foot cats have been a staple in the Virgin Islands fleet for the better part of the past decade. Now, sailing cat designs are being pushed to twice those lengths, and beyond, for charter opportunities worldwide. Sunreef Yachts recently began promoting the 102-foot Ipharra, its largest-ever sailing catamaran that will launch and become available for charter in the Mediterranean during summer 2010. Burgess Yachts, meanwhile, is marketing the 145-foot Hemisphere, which will launch and become available for charter in the Caribbean during winter 2010-11 as the largest private sailing catamaran in the world.  
      It’s in this context that Monaco Yacht presented the 94-foot sailing catamaran Rafoly for inspection at the December 2009 Antigua Charter Yacht Show. That’s where CharterWave got aboard—after being told by a good number of reputable charter brokers that Rafoly was among their favorite yachts in the entire show.
    Our exclusive First Impression review is online here.

Captain of the Month: Duff Walter
Duff Walter has some 15 years of charter experience and is a land-owning local in the Southern Caribbean cruising grounds of the Grenadines. He owns and operates the 61-foot Gulfstream sailing yacht Sudiki with his wife, Christine, who serves as chef.
    We have lots to tell you about their charter operation—but first want to share the story of how Duff recently helped to rescue a whale whose head got jammed in a rock formation about a hundred yards from Sudiki’s deck.
    Our exclusive interview is posted here.

Chef of the Month: Beatrix Fuzesi
Our editor had the pleasure of enjoying this lovely main course during a luncheon prepared by chef Beatrix Fuzesi aboard the 86-foot motoryacht Wil Power.
    Our interview with Fuzesi is online here. (Editor’s Note: As this edition of CharterWave eNews went online, we were informed that Fuzesi had left the Wil Power crew just a few days earlier.)

Broker of the Month: Our First-Ever Trifecta
For the first time, CharterWave is simultaneously highlighting three brokers in this monthly feature. Our reason? All three are leading the trend of using new media formats to get trustworthy information to potential charter clients.
    First is Ed Hamilton & Co., which recently launched a company Facebook page. The company didn’t just slap a page online for the sake of saying one exists. Instead, they’re asking longtime clients for feedback about how best to use social media to present useful information in new online formats. “We have put considerable thought into how best to explore this new medium,” Ed told his clients. “How do we stop posts becoming purely promotional, counterproductive or just plain wacky?”
    Second is BoatBookings.com, which just announced the creation of an iPhone app designed for people thinking about charter in the French Riviera. It’s the first smart-phone application we at CharterWave have seen created in conjunction with the charter industry. According to the description in the iTunes store, the new iRiviera app is “an essential pocket guide to the French Riviera, from Monaco to St. Tropez.” It lets you network with other visitors to the Cote d'Azur before, during, and after your stay, and lets you seek reviews of shops, hotels, charter yachts, markets, and more. The iRiviera app, which is available for free, comes in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
    Third is Sunreef Yachts Charter, which is making a strong push to fill its YouTube channel with short-form video about yachts available for charter worldwide. Uploading with the handle BigLuxCat, Sunreef has posted a dozen videos, many of which show yachts that are available for charter. The most recent was shot in Antigua and uploaded in late February, featuring four charter yachts: the 70-foot powercatamaran Damrak, the 70-foot sailing catamaran Seazen II, and the 62-foot sailing catamarans Tahaa II and Catsy. It’s a pretty darn good video. Take a look for yourself:

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Fleet and Management Company News
37 South says the Riviera sportfishing yacht Opulence and the 86-foot powercatamaran Bel’Mare are now available for tandem charters in Fiji…

Absolute Yachting sends word that 148-foot CRN motoryacht Bella Stella is available for charters this summer in Greece, Turkey, and Croatia, with a home base of Athens. The weekly base rate is €105,000 for as many as 14 guests…

Atalanta Golden Yachts has 18 yachts available for charter this summer in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, ranging from a 176-foot motoryacht at a weekly base rate of €167,000 to a 58-foot motoryacht at a lowest weekly base rate of €15,000… New to the fleet (and newly launched for 2010) are the 132-foot Golden Yachts motoryacht Project O’Rea, the 115-foot Falcon motoryacht Helios, and the 104-foot Maiora motoryacht Marnaya. Each takes 10 to 12 guests… The 173-foot motoryacht O’Neiro and the 162-foot motoryacht O’ceanis are offering their yachts at the low-season weekly base rate of €167,000 (regular rate €220,000) for the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. Each boat takes up to 14 guests with 11 crew…

Athens Yachts welcomes the 80-foot Mangusta motoryacht Chrysanthe S to the charter fleet in Greece. She takes as many as seven guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €36,000…

BCR Yachts tells us the 82-foot Swan sailing yacht Crackerjack will be available in Croatia this summer. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000…The 78-foot Baltic sailing yacht Midnight Sun of London will be available in the Adriatic and Ionian seas this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €19,000 for six guests…

Blue Latitude Yachting says the 86-foot CNB sailing yacht Spiip is available through April for charters in the Red Sea, with possible itinerary stops in Jordan and Egypt. She takes four to six guests at lowest weekly base rates from €29,000 to €31,000. Beginning in May, Spiip will charter in the Mediterranean…

Boatbookings.com told us on February 11 that a half-dozen luxury yachts are currently available for charter in Asia. They include the 150-foot powercatamaran Moecca in Thailand and Bali, the 100-foot sailing yacht Asia in Myanmar, the Andaman Islands, and Indonesia, a 116-foot Azimut motoryacht in Singapore and Southeast Asia, the 134-foot sailing yacht Queen of Andaman in Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia, the 163-foot sailing yacht Silolona in East Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar, and the 137-foot motoryacht Maverick II in Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar…

Burgess Yachts recently displayed the 163-foot Benetti motoryacht Platinum at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. Platinum is available for charter in the Middle East… Cécile Blin has joined the charter and sales teams in a new office in Geneva, Switzerland… New to the fleet is the 203-foot Benetti motoryacht Bistango, which is expected to launch from the shipyard in time to charter in the Mediterranean this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €329,000 for 12 guests… Also new to the fleet is the 152-foot Cantieri di Pisa motoryacht Gladius, which is expected to launch from the shipyard in time to charter in the Mediterranean this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €196,000 for 12 guests…

Camper and Nicholsons International congratulates several of its fleet yachts as finalists for the World Superyacht Awards 2010. The 211-foot Benetti Silver Angel is a finalist for Best Displacement Motoryacht of 1,300 Gross Tons and above; the 196-foot CMN Cloud 9 and the 175-foot Feadship Hurricane Run are finalists for the Best Displacement Motoryacht of 500 Gross Tons to 1,299 Gross Tons, and the 190-foot Royal Huisman Ethereal is a finalist for the Best Sailing Yacht in the 45-meter-plus size range. Winners will be announced May 22… New to the fleet and available this summer in the Mediterranean are the 257-foot motoryacht Princess Mariana, the soon-to-launch 150-foot Benetti motoryacht Illusion, and the 114-foot motoryacht Moon Goddess, which has a noteworthy top speed of more than 40 knots… Also new to the fleet is the 203-foot motoryacht Roma, which is available for charter in the Indian Ocean…  

Cape4Yachting says the 60-foot Ferretti motoryacht Anemos is offering a base rate of €2,000 per day for charters this month and in April in Greece. She takes six guests with two crew…

Carol Kent Yacht Charters is working through the “H2Offsets” program to help clients balance the impact of the fuel they burn during charter vacations. The company also is sponsoring personalized water-sampling expeditions that give scientists, educators, and researchers data they need to help solve the climate crisis. See this article in the Marblehead (Massachusetts) Reporter…

Churchill Yacht Partners says the 145-foot Heesen motoryacht At Last will be available for Bahamas charters with no delivery fees beginning March 14. She takes 10 guests with seven crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $125,000, and recently welcomed longtime charter Capt. Herb Magney as her new skipper… The 121-foot Crescent motoryacht Olga will return to the Bahamas on March 21 with charter availability throughout the spring. Olga also is offering itineraries in Cuba. She takes eight guests at a weekly base rate of $70,000 and currently is offering eight days for the price of seven…

Fraser Yachts Worldwide is telling its clients via e-newsletter that “most charter rates are now stable again after a difficult 12 months where we saw prices tumble on all but the most sought-after yachts. In 2009 we saw some significant discounts on offer and some very creative offers with incentives ranging from extended stays to complimentary relocation. We expect the same again this year but to a much lesser extent…”

Merle Wood and Associates welcomes the 162-foot Christensen motoryacht Remember When to the charter fleet. Scheduled for delivery from the shipyard next month, Remember When is also for sale at $39.9 million. The charter rate has yet to be publicly announced…

Neptune Group Yachting says the 82-foot Horizon motoryacht Adriana II is available in the Bahamas with no repositioning fee. She takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $22,000…

Newport Yacht Management tells us the 80-foot sailing yacht Eliza is available for charters round-trip from Puerto Rico to the Spanish Virgin Islands at a lowest weekly base rate of $17,500 for six guests…

Nicholson Yachts says the 65-foot Swan sailing yacht Eden will be available this summer in New England, taking as many as six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $12,750. Captain-only as well as two- or four-person charters are also available at discounted rates… The 108-foot gulet Quasart is offering a weekly base rate of $29,000 (regularly $45,000) for as many as 12 guests in March in the Bahamas. Also available is a $6,000-per-week spa package that includes two daily yoga classes, five daily massages for guests, and an organic menu from the galley… The 104-foot sailing yacht Kalikobass II will begin three-month crew rotations this month, to help the crew avoid burnout… The 90-foot Doggersbank motoryacht Tivoli will charter this summer in New England or Northern Europe, wherever charter clients request bookings… The 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave is offering a $1,500 discount on all charters booked before July 31 and beginning before December 31, including holiday charters during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s… The 80-foot sailing yacht Matelot is now en route to the South Pacific, where he will offer charters in Tahiti, the Tuamotus, and the Society Islands through September… The 70-foot sailing yacht Mira is available in the Canary Islands through the end of this month, after which she will charter in Corsica, Sardinia, the Ionian Islands, and Turkey… The 62-foot sailing yacht Anahita is offering two berths for a transatlantic charter to the Mediterranean beginning May 1…

Northrop and Johnson has opened its first office in Asia. Joining forces with Bart Kimman of Asia Yachting Services and Simon Pickering, the company will now have a presence in Hong Kong. “We are extending outward to a fast growing market with endless potential,” Bruce Leffers, president of Northrop and Johnson Group, said in a press release... The 115-foot Trinity motoryacht Watercolours continues to offer a reduced weekly base rate of $42,000 (down from $49,500) for charters in the Caribbean and Bahamas… The 115-foot Crescent motoryacht Kapalua is offering a reduced weekly base rate of $39,000 (down from $45,000) for charters in the Caribbean and Bahamas… The 105-foot Diaship-Heesen motoryacht The Lady J recently added a towed tender plus VSAT communications for Internet access… New to the fleet is the 98-foot MCP motoryacht Eagle’s Nest, taking eight to 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $50,000 in the Caribbean and Bahamas…

Ocean Independence welcomes seven motoryachts to the charter fleet. Available in the Western Mediterranean this summer are the 126-foot San Lorenzo Onyx taking 10 guests, the 88-foot Leopard Coca VI taking six guests, the 105-foot Feadship Heavenly Daze taking eight guests, and the 85-foot Riva Valeria taking eight guests. In Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, the 82-foot Sunseeker Serenity will take eight guests. In Spain’s Balearic Isles, the 85-foot Maiora Cento by Excalibur will take eight guests, as will the 72-foot Azimut Wini... The 64-foot Tecnomar motoryacht Luka O has reduced her lowest weekly base rate from €20,500 to €17,500 until June in Croatia… The owner of the 147-foot expedition-style motoryacht Prometej is offering free use of his private jet from many European cities with any charter booking in the Western Mediterranean…The 95-foot Jongert sailing yacht Azzura is offering eight days for the price of seven at a lowest weekly base rate of $37,000 for six guests in the Caribbean…

Paradise Yacht Charters welcomes a new crew aboard the 68-foot Maiora motoryacht Wil Power. Capt. Philippe G. Goldscheider has spent more than 25 years as a professional captain, with many years cruising in the Bahamas and Caribbean. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Creole, and can entertain basic conversations in Arabic and Japanese. Phil holds a Rokudan (sixth-degree black belt) in Kodokan Judo and has competed at two summer Olympics, the 1981 European Championship, and the
1983 World Championship. In 1985, he placed second in slalom at the World Water Ski Championship. That same year, he broke the world record of flying start barefoot from a 72-foot bridge in Guadeloupe.
He is an avid scuba diver, free diver and spear fisher, as well as a member of the Society of American Magicians…

Regency Yacht Vacations says the 50-foot sailing catamaran Entrepreneurship is available for charter in the Caribbean’s Windward Islands through May. She takes two to six guests at inclusive weekly rates of $11,000 to $14,000. (Regency hints that four guests are ideal for comfort, given the accommodations layout)… New to the fleet is the 62-foot sailing catamaran Bella Principessa, which is based in Antigua and available for Caribbean charters immediately…

Sail Connections tells us the 121-foot sailing yacht Bliss will be available for charter in French Polynesia from mid-April through September. She takes six to 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $98,000…

Sea Sense, the sailing and powerboating school that focuses on women and couple’s liveaboard classes, is offering instructional charters this summer in the Chesapeake Bay aboard the Selene 47 motoryacht Holiday…

Sunreef Yachts Charter says the reduced weekly base rate of $33,000 is good through March 15 in the Caribbean for eight to 10 guests aboard the 70-foot sailing catamaran Seazen II…

The Moorings congratulates company founders Charlie and Ginny Cary, who have been named among SAIL magazine’s “Top 40 Sailors Who Made a Difference.” They were cited for having taken bareboat chartering and charter yacht ownership “to a whole new level...”

The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals congratulates two of its fleet yachts as finalists for the World Superyacht Awards 2010. The 160-foot Christensen motoryacht Odessa is a finalist for Best Displacement Motor Yacht of Below 500 Gross Tons, and the 130-foot Westport motoryacht Miss Michelle is a finalist for Best Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yacht 40 meters or larger…

Tropical Boat Charters welcomes an 80-foot Nortech go-fast motoryacht to the Bahamas charter fleet. The yacht cruises in the 50-mile-per-hour range with a top speed of 60 miles per hour, making her one of the fastest (if not the fastest) motoryachts available for charter out of Nassau…

YCO Yacht has published its new, hard-cover Charter Collection catalog. It features many of the finest sailing and motoryachts available for charter worldwide…

YPI Group sends condolences to the family of Pawel Kwiatowske, who was second engineer aboard the 153-foot Feadship motoryacht Charisma. His body was found washed ashore in the British Virgin Islands after more than a week of intensive land, sea, and air searches by a police marine unit, blue water dive team, and Virgin Island Search and Rescue. The Polish native was last seen leaving the Willy T bar and restaurant in a dinghy on Friday, January 29.

New First Impression Reviews Posted on CharterWave
Hurricane Run, 175-foot Feadship motoryacht
Rafoly, 94-foot Blubay sailing catamaran
Sudiki, 61-foot Gulfstream sailing yacht
Wil Power, 68-foot Maiora motoryacht

New Helpful Article Posted on CharterWave
Crew Gratuities, Part II

New Destination Feature Posted on CharterWave
The Sultans Way fleet in the Maldives

New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave
Chef Beatrix Fuzesi, 68-foot motoryacht Wil Power
Capt. Duff Walter, 61-foot sailing yacht Sudiki

New “10 Best” Lists Posted on CharterWave
10 Best Charter Yacht Bars
10 Best Charter Yachts Still Available for the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival
10 Best Charter Yachts for Families with Children
10 Best Charter Yachts Beyond the Caribbean and Mediterranean