CharterWave eNews

Genoa Charter Yacht Show Expands to Three Marinas

The annual Genoa Charter Yacht Show is scheduled to take place May 2-6 in Italy. It has long been the largest charter yacht show held each year in Europe, and this year, the MYBA organizing committee has added a third marina to help accommodate the 80 or so yachts that are registered to attend.

Marina Fiera will be accessible to invited brokers and press via newly arranged water- and land-based shuttles. The original two marinas, Molo Vecchio and Aquarium Quay, will also be accessible via the customary water shuttles.

Nearly a dozen new motoryachts launched in 2010 and 2011 are expected to be on display at the Genoa show. They include the 190-foot Proteksan-Turquoise Baraka, the 205-foot Icon Baton Rouge, the 111-foot Sunseeker Black and White, the 138-foot Holland Jachtbouw Calliope, the 202-foot ISA Mary-Jean II, the 153-foot Su Marine Roxane, the 128-foot Hakvoort SnowBird, the 181-foot Proteksan-Turquoise Turquoise, and the 204-foot Proteksan-Turquoise Yogi.

CharterWave editor Kim Kavin will be on the docks for pre-show interviews and inspections beginning Sunday, May 1. Watch for her real-time updates on the CharterWave Twitter feed, as well as her daily, end-of-day posts each afternoon on the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog.

Last-Minute Deals Available for Monaco Grand Prix

Management companies continue to announce last-minute charter options for the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place May 26-29.

OceanStyle says the 136-foot ISA motoryacht Ti Voglio Tanto Bene still has availability for the Monaco Grand Prix with a berth reserved at the marina with a “great view of the giant screen.” Edmiston and Company says the 144-foot Baglietto motoryacht Apache II is also available with a marina berth reserved.

Also still available are the 146-foot Feadship motoryacht Harle, according to Northrop and Johnson; the 177-foot CRN motoryacht Maraya, per Yachtstore; the 230-foot Lürssen motoryacht Martha Ann, the 183-foot Benetti motoryacht Four Aces, and the 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, all with International Yacht Collection; the 105-foot motoryacht Camara C and the 100-foot Falcon motoryacht Synergy, both through YPI Group; the 172-foot MIE motoryacht Big Eagle with Fraser Yachts Worldwide; the 146-foot Proteksan motoryacht Costa Magna through Primo Yacht; the 155-foot ISA motoryacht Olah with Ocean Independence; and the 200-foot Lürssen motoryacht Solemates via Luxury Yacht Group.

Any reputable charter broker can tell you more about these yachts or help you book them for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

Multiple Reports of Charter Bookings Increasing Versus Same Time Last Year

Charter bookings on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are being reported as much improved for the 2011 summer season compared with bookings at this time last year.

International Yacht Collection’s brokers attended April’s Palm Beach Boat Show in Florida, where the company reportedly saw "increasing activity in charter, and green shoots in sales and brokerage." Fraser Yachts Worldwide says it has already secured twice as many charter bookings year-to-date than it had in 2010. The company is optimistic about the upcoming Mediterranean season, with many Arab clients booking multi-week megayacht charters in July, ahead of the August Ramadan holiday. Churchill Yacht Partners also reports an increase in bookings for the motoryachts that are now part of its fleet, with some clients booking as far as a year in advance.

On the smaller side of the industry, the owner-operator of the 44-foot sailing catamaran Oteka reports an increase of 40 percent in Virgin Islands bookings compared with this same time last year.

Burgess Yachts Opens California Office, Offers Marina Berths for Summer 2012 Olympics in London

Burgess Yachts has opened its fourth U.S. office, with a new location in California being added to the offices that the company already maintains in New York City, Miami, and Seattle.

The new office is at the Santa Monica Airport, which Burgess describes as “the private jet terminal of choice for Hollywood’s elite.” Broker Jay Becker will run the new office.

Meanwhile, in London, Burgess has announced a partnership with ExCel to offer a handful of megayacht berths within close proximity to all venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The berths are adjacent to the ExCel center at London’s Royal Docks. A special e-mail address has been established for inquiries: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

MarineMax Launches Yacht Charter Division in Fort Lauderdale

MarineMax Yacht and Brokerage, which is the largest Sea Ray dealer in the world, has created a new charter division that will operate out of its Fort Lauderdale office.

Charter broker Nancy Latinette will be manager of the department. She has owned NB Charters in Florida since 2000.

YCO Announces New Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations

YCO has appointed sales broker Jeff Beneville the executive vice president of U.S. operations.

Previously, Beneville was director for U.S. operations at Camper and Nicholsons International. He has 30 years of experience in yacht sales and insurance. He also is a world-class sailor, having competed in two America’s Cup races, several J Class regattas, and the St. Barth’s Bucket, which he won in 2008.

“It is very exciting to join such a highly regarded team at a stage when the group is building huge momentum in the industry and moving in to new territories,” Beneville said in a press release.

Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog

Two Charter Yachts Offer Package Deal. The 154-foot Admiral motoryacht Ohana continues to offer some of the charter industry's most interesting deals. You may recall that a few months ago, management company Northrop and Johnson announced a deal for chartering Ohana as well as the 122-foot Flagship motoryacht Shogun. If you booked a week aboard Ohana at full price, you could get half-off a charter aboard Shogun. With that deal's deadlines now upon us, the owner of Ohana is offering a new deal. This time, it's for a charter aboard Ohana in tandem with the 82-foot Hatteras sportfishing yacht Lady Lila … Read More …

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs

From the Interpac Yachts sponsored blog on CharterWave: 16 Reasons to Charter in Turkey. Turkey is a magical destination, the Riviera of Antiquity. Here are 16 reasons to choose Turkey as your next yacht charter destination… Read More …

Motoryacht of the Month: Sycara V

The 223-foot Nobiskrug motoryacht Sycara V was built for a couple who have spent nearly 30 years yachting for pleasure. She took five years to complete from concept to launch, with the owners ensuring that they incorporated every possible feature they ever dreamed of aboard their previous yachts.

“It’s just remarkable, the level of thought that went into how this boat will be used,” Capt. Stewart Fontaine says. “This boat was designed to suit their lifestyle, which many charter guests are likely to find highly enjoyable.”

Read more about all this yacht offers―especially for charter clients who want to host impressive parties―in our newly posted First Impression review of Sycara V.

Sailing Yacht of the Month: Che

At 114 feet long and 42 feet wide, Che is one of the largest sailing catamarans available for charter, anywhere. Our editor got onboard in early 2011, when Che was second in size only to Douce France, a 138-foot sailing catamaran that was built in 1998 and last refit in 2009. Since Che launched from the Sunreef Yachts shipyard in May 2010, one might argue that she may not quite be the biggest sailing catamaran for charter, but she certainly is the biggest new sailing catamaran―and she definitely is the biggest new contemporary design of her kind in the world.

Our editor spent four days getting to know the yacht and crew during a charter in Sint Maarten and St. Barth’s, where Che lived up to her name (it means the perfect combination of yin and yang). This yacht offers the ambience of a high-end spa, including the option of a cleansing macrobiotic diet.

Learn more about the charter experience being offered in our newly posted crewed yacht review of the sailing yacht Che.

Captain of the Month: Vincent Lauro

Vincent Lauro was a scuba diving instructor and a commercial fisherman who worked with worldwide aquariums before he got into the luxury yachting business. He’s now in command of the 132-foot Amels motoryacht Monte Carlo, which is one of the only charter yachts that operates year-round in the Caribbean.

“The owner's plan is to spend two years chartering year-round in the Caribbean, after which we will go through the Panama Canal, up to Alaska, over to the South Pacific, and then end up in the Mediterranean,” Lauro says. “We want to do eight to 10 weeks of charter each year along the way.”

Learn more about Monte Carlo and the yacht’s charter plans in our exclusive interview with Capt. Vincent Lauro.

Chef of the Month: Ginnie Hess

Ginnie Hess is a self-taught chef with an impressive sailing background. Before joining the 75-foot Friendship sailing yacht Isabel, Hess was on the offshore racing team at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, raced aboard 12-meter yachts in Rhode Island, did eight trips from New England to the Caribbean, and completed three transatlantic deliveries.

She helps out with the sailing duties aboard Isabel when she is not in the galley preparing her signature dishes, which are based on fresh, local ingredients and healthy spices as opposed to fats and cream sauces.

“People seem to really like my chicken and vegetables with udon noodles in spicy peanut sauce,” she says. “I also do what I think is a nice pork loin wrapped in sage and prosciutto.”

See photos from a recent luncheon and learn more about the charter experience aboard Isabel in our exclusive interview with chef Ginnie Hess.

Broker of the Month: Sherry Yates

Sherry Yates of Yates Yachts has been running charter yachts and booking charter vacations since 1992, primarily in the Virgin Islands. She recently chartered for the first time in the Bahamas as a guest of the five-yacht flotilla organized by RJC Yachts, Churchill Yacht Partners, and International Yacht Collection.

The flotilla was designed to introduce more brokers to all that the Bahamas offers for charter clients―a lesson that Yates says she was happy to learn. Her time onboard the 145-foot Heesen motoryacht At Last left her believing that the yacht, as well as the destination, are well worth promoting to her clients.

Learn more about the Bahamas flotilla and what charter brokers experienced in our exclusive interview with Sherry Yates.

Fleet and Management Company News

Atalanta Golden Yachts says the 104-foot Maiora motoryacht Marnaya will take 10 to 12 guests this summer in Greece at a lowest weekly base rate of €60,000… Only one yacht in the fleet still has unlimited availability this summer in Greece: the 137-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Christianne B, at a lowest weekly base rate of €60,000 for eight to 10 guests… The 130-foot Hakvoort motoryacht Happy Dolphin II will take 11 to 13 guests in five cabins at a lowest weekly base rate of €87,000… The 137-foot Intermarine motoryacht O’Pari has just completed a refit that included new hull paint, new carpeting and interior fabrics, new linens in the guest cabins, and more. She will be available this summer in Greece at a lowest weekly base rate of €87,000…

Blue Latitude Yachting tells us the 86-foot CNB sailing yacht Spiip will be available in French Polynesia beginning June 15. She takes four or six guests at weekly base rates that range from €29,000 to €31,000…

Boatbookings sent word on April 21 that the 142-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Ohana is offering a special, Friday-through-Sunday itinerary on the French and Italian Rivieras at an inclusive rate of €25,000 plus VAT… The 86-foot Azimut motoryacht Chimera is offering a 32-percent discount for two-day charters on the French Riviera… The 121-foot Moonen motoryacht Victoria Del Mar is being offered at a €15,000 discount on the French and Italian Rivieras…The 84-foot Lazzara motoryacht Reeges Dream, whose weekly base rate was previously €36,000, is available at €32,000 during May and June…

Bradford Marine Yacht Charter says the 95-foot Broward motoryacht Golden Rule is actively seeking charters in Florida and the Bahamas. She takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $25,000…

CharterPortBVI fleet yacht Viking Dream, a 46-foot sailing catamaran, is offering $1,000 off seven-day charters in the Virgin Islands from October 22 through November 5, November 12-20, and December 1-16…

Churchill Yacht Partners tells us the 121-foot Crescent motoryacht Olga is being offered with all-inclusive rates for eight guests this summer in the Virgin Islands. For seven days, the rate is $69,900. For five days, the rate is $55,000. The new rates are valid from May 15 through September 1 and include food, fuel, soft drinks, ship’s bar, onboard spa treatments and massages, scuba from the yacht for certified divers, and selective dockage… The 130-foot Westport motoryacht Miss Michelle is offering discounted rates for charters booked by May 31 and completed by July 31 in the Bahamas. Clients can take a straight rate reduction, from the regular weekly base rate of $120,000 down to $95,000, or pay the regular weekly base rate of $120,000 but get nine nights onboard instead of the usual seven…

CSO Yachts welcomes the 103-foot Falcon motoryacht Ylang-Ylang to the charter fleet. The 2007 build takes 10 to 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €54,000, with a home port in Cannes, France…

Edmiston and Company says the 150-foot Feadship motoryacht Northern Light has an open calendar for charters this summer in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean. The weekly base rate is €150,000 for 12 guests… The 140-foot Mondomarine motoryacht Kimberly II has a new inflatable slide and 35-foot tender for charters this summer in the Mediterranean. The lowest weekly base rate is €135,000 for 12 guests… The 121-foot Benetti motoryacht Andiamo is offering a 15-percent discount on all charters of at least seven days during June in the Western Mediterranean… The 150-foot expedition motoryacht Atmosphere is available for a New Year’s charter in Patagonia, from December 26 through January 2… The 155-foot Mondomarine motoryacht Princess Iolanthe is available in Croatia this summer with no delivery fees at a lowest weekly base rate of €135,000. The owner is open to rate negotiations for charters longer than 10 days…

Fraser Yachts Worldwide welcomes the 214-foot Amels motoryacht Imagine to the charter fleet. She will take 12 guests this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €465,000 with availability during May and early June in France and Italy, and during late June and July in Greece and Turkey… Also new to the fleet is the 181-foot Proteksan-Turquoise motoryacht Turquoise, taking 12 guests this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €325,000…

Infinity Yachts now has four motoryachts with hot tubs in its Pacific Northwest and Alaska fleet. They are the 112-foot Surfbird, the 81-foot Sumdum, the 74-foot Northern Light, and the 80-foot Toy Box II… The 47-foot sailing catamaran Solstice is based year-round in the Bahamas, taking six guests at a lowest inclusive weekly rate of $10,000…

International Yacht Collection welcomes the 92-foot Maiora motoryacht Asha to the charter fleet. The yacht is currently undergoing a refit that includes extending her swim platform, installing zero-speed stabilizers and underwater lights, adding a hot tub on the sundeck, painting the hull, and adding new carpeting and soft goods throughout the interior. Asha is expected to become available for charter this summer out of Antibes, France, at a lowest weekly base rate of €40,000 for eight or nine guests…

Luxury Charter Group tells us that the 121-foot Dubois sailing yacht Bliss has arrived in Tahiti, where she will be available for charter through October. The weekly base rate is $89,000 for six to 10 guests… The 82-foot Warwick sailing yacht Aiyana will take six guests this summer in the Western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €27,000… The 51-foot sailing catamaran Ombre Blu has just a few open dates for this summer in Sardinia: June 1-10, June 22-28, and July 30-August 9… The 116-foot motoryacht Princess Iluka is available in Australia’s Whitsunday Islands until September. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $60,000…

Neptune Group Yachting sends word that the 112-foot Westport motoryacht Alicia is available for a limited time in the Bahamas with no delivery fees to Nassau… The 85-foot Symbol motoryacht Andiamo is available in Key West, Florida, through the month of June…The 84-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Captivator has just completed a refit and will be available this summer in the Great Lakes, taking six guests at weekly base rate of $23,000… The 76-foot Hatteras motoryacht Temptation is offering eight days for the price of seven at a base rate of $19,500 for six guests in the Bahamas…

Nicholson Yachts says the 104-foot Trehard sailing yacht Ocean Sevens Squared will be available for charter in Croatia starting in mid-June. The yacht just added kite surfing equipment for guests who want to try the sport… The 123-foot Palmer Johnson sailing yacht Galileo will return to New England for charters this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of $39,000 for six guests… The 80-foot Southern Wind sailing yacht Matelot is offering a 20-percent discount off all charters during July in Croatia. With the discount, the new weekly base rate is €20,000 for six guests… The 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave has extended its $1,500 rate reduction through July 31 in the British Virgin Islands and the Grenadines…

Northrop and Johnson says the 145-foot Feadship motoryacht Harle is available for a charter round-trip from Nice, France, from August 3-10. The weekly base rate is $240,000…The 98-foot MCP motoryacht Eagle’s Nest, whose weekly base rate is regularly $45,000 for eight guests, is now being offered at $38,000 for spring and summer in the Bahamas… New to the fleet is the 160-foot Delta motoryacht Newvida, with availability this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €175,000… The 130-foot Westport motoryacht Arioso will be available this summer in New England, taking 10 guests…The 115-foot Crescent motoryacht Kapalua will also be available in New England, offering eight nights at a reduced weekly base rate of $39,000 (down from $45,000)…

Ocean Independence welcomes the 104-foot Elegance motoryacht Harmony 1 to the charter fleet in the Balearic Isles. The yacht is in the process of obtaining a Spanish charter license and will take eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €47,000. She is one of eight yachts the company will have available this summer in the Balearics… The 103-foot Astondoa motoryacht Celtic Dawn has completed a “substantial interior and engineering refit.” She will take eight guests this summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €49,000…The 137-foot Marinteknik Verkstandts motoryacht AMZ is now offering 10-day charters in Greece’s Cyclades islands at the inclusive weekly rate of €145,000. During July and August, the inclusive rate is €165,000…The 131-foot CRN motoryacht Aqualibrium, whose regular weekly base rate is €112,000 during July, is now being offered during that month at €112,000 for 10 days or €140,000 for 14 days…The 150-foot Christensen motoryacht Ionian Princess, whose regular weekly base rate is €125,000, is being offered in Greece during the month of May at €100,000 for seven days, €125,000 for 10 days, or €160,000 for 14 days…

Primo Yacht says the 109-foot Lloyd’s motoryacht Daniella is considering all offers for charters in Croatia beginning in mid-May. The lowest advertised weekly base rate is €52,000 for eight guests… The 101-foot Ferretti motoryacht Maria II of London, whose lowest weekly base rate is regularly €60,000, is offering a two-week rate of €115,000 in the South of France during May, June, and from the end of August onward. The yacht is also offering a one-week rate of €55,000 in Croatia from mid-June through July 5…

Sunreef Yachts Charter welcomes the 70-foot powercatamaran Damrak II to the charter fleet. She will take eight guests with three crew at a lowest weekly base rate of €42,000… The company will have 10 sailing and powercatamarans available for charter this summer in the Mediterranean. They include Argonauta V in the Balearic Isles, Sparrow on the Amalfi Coast, and Aubelo, Seazen II, Damrak II, In the Wind, Che, Ipharra, Rafoly, and Miti along the French Riviera…

Voyage Charters is celebrating 15 years of operations in the British Virgin Islands. The company has just added a third 58-foot sailing catamaran, as well as a second 52-foot sailing catamaran, to its fleet…

WEM Lines says the 237-foot motoryacht R.M. Elegant is seeing strong booking activity for this summer in the Western Mediterranean, particularly during the month of July. There is limited availability remaining for charters in early June, and then no availability again until August…

YCO welcomes the 190-foot sailing yacht Ethereal to the charter fleet. She will take 10 to 12 guests this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €200,000. Itinerary plans include Mexico, Costa Rica, and the South Pacific.

New First Impression Reviews Posted on CharterWave

Isabel, 75-foot Friendship sailing yacht

Monte Carlo, 132-foot Amels motoryacht

Sycara V, 223-foot Nobiskrug motoryacht

The Lady J, 105-foot Diaship-Heesen motoryacht

Valquest, 133-foot Bloemsma Van Bremen sailing yacht

New Crewed Charter Review Posted on CharterWave

Che, 114-foot Sunreef sailing catamaran in Sint Maarten and St. Barth's

New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave

Ginnie Hess, chef, 75-foot Friendship sailing yacht Isabel

Vincent Lauro, captain, 132-foot Amels motoryacht Monte Carlo

New Broker Interview Posted on CharterWave

Sherry Yates, owner, Yates Yachts and participant in five-yacht Bahamas flotilla charter

New “10 Best” Lists Posted on CharterWave

10 Best Charter Yacht Water Toys

10 Best Charter Yacht Client Reviews

10 Best Charter Yacht Main Salons

10 Best Charter Yachts for Dockside Events