CharterWave eNews

Fraser Yachts Worldwide Now Operational Partner of America’s Cup

Fraser Yachts Worldwide has become an operational partner of the 34th America's Cup, which is scheduled to be held near San Francisco, California, in 2013.

The partnership means, among other things, that clients who charter yachts through Fraser will have a chance to take part in the racing action like never before in the history of the event. Whereas spectators used to watch the racing action from shore, superyachts and other boats will now serve as virtual boundaries for the race course. The idea is to create a floating stadium in which the teams compete, with chartered megayachts comprising some of the boundaries.

“This is America’s Cup meets Formula 1,” Fraser Yachts Marketing Director Patrick Coote said in a press release. He was referring to the way superyachts take part in Grand Prix action every year in ports from Monaco to Dubai, with race cars zipping directly past the yachts themselves.

Fraser currently markets the 109-foot Broward motoryacht Panache for charter in Southern California, as well as the 115-foot Christensen motoryacht Ocean Pearl during winters in Mexico and summers in the Pacific Northwest (regions that are bookends to California's coastline). This new partnership implies that the company will be working with yacht owners to make more charter options available along the California coast in time for the 2013 America's Cup.

Burgess Yachts Now Sponsor of Oceana Events

Burgess Yachts has become an active sponsor of major events and activities for Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans.

The announcement comes following an auction earlier this year in which $100,000 was raised in exchange for a four-day charter aboard the 190-foot Abeking and Rasmussen motoryacht Lady Sheridan, which Burgess manages for charter.

As a new corporate sponsor, Burgess will participate in Oceana’s two major events: the Hamptons Splash Party on Long Island, New York, and the SeaChange Summer party in Orange County, California.

“It’s a natural fit for Burgess to support Oceana,” Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett said in a press release. “Not only do our vessels ply the world’s oceans, but both Burgess and our clients possess an enormous appreciation and awareness of the need for conservation and protection of the waters they are so passionate about sailing.”

Edmiston and Company Launches Portuguese Website

Edmiston and Company, which already offers websites in the English and Russian languages, has just launched a Portuguese website.

While we at CharterWave don't speak Portuguese, we assume based on the screen shot at right that the website is similar to Edmiston's English-language website, with the same categories for clients to search yachts for sale, yachts for charter, and the like.

Charter Yacht Leander to Host Queen of England for Diamond Jubilee

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth the II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years since she ascended to the throne in Great Britain.

The 246-foot motoryacht Leander, which usually charters at a weekly base rate of €385,000, will be used by the Queen for free as part of the festivities.

“I wouldn’t expect a fee for something that is on behalf of the nation,” Leander’s owner, Sir Donald Gosling, told the Daily Mail newspaper.

Horizon Yacht Charters Expands from Virgin Islands to United States

Horizon Yacht Charters, which is known for offering yacht charters in the Virgin Islands, has opened its first base in the United States.

The new base in Annapolis, Maryland, will be home to three yachts available for charter. The base will also be a sales hub for yachts built by Bavaria.

Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog

Yacht Carbon Offset is an increasingly popular program that helps megayacht owners and charter clients offset the carbon footprint that comes with any yachting vacation. I wrote back in September 2010 about a partnership between the company and Fraser Yachts Worldwide. Now comes word that Latitude, a 170-foot Benetti motoryacht in the Fraser fleet, will now offset all fuel burned onboard by using the Yacht Carbon Offset program… Read more …

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs

From the Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters sponsored blog on CharterWave: Visiting the Greek Sporadic Island of Alonnisos . While there is a village called Alonnisos, or Chora on the island of Alonnisos, the main port on this island, when visiting by crewed yacht charter, is in the town of Patitiri, where ferry service only connects one with the mainland or other Sporadic Islands.  There is no airport, so visiting Alonnisos, the northernmost of the Greek Sporadic Islands, by crewed yacht charter is a great way to visit this very green spruce tree covered Sporadic Island… Read more…

Motoryacht of the Month: Mary-Jean II

Mary-Jean II is a 202-foot ISA motoryacht that launched in 2010—at the time, the biggest boat that the Italian shipyard had ever built. That, alone, makes her noteworthy on the charter scene, and it’s one of the main reasons that CharterWave editor Kim Kavin made Mary-Jean II one of the first yachts that she toured at the start of the summer 2011 season in the Mediterranean.

Once Kim got onboard, she realized that the designers of Mary-Jean II had used the yacht's size and volume wisely, packing a lot of great charter amenities into her sleek exterior package.

Learn more in our newly posted First Impression review of Mary-Jean II.

Sailing Yacht of the Month: Ludynosa G

Ludynosa G is a 123-foot sailing yacht that launched in 2005. She was designed by the world-renowned Dubois firm and built by Fitzroy Yachts in New Zealand. She was originally called Helios, but the current owner, who bought her in 2007, wanted a name that combined all of his grandchildren’s initials.

The yacht did charter as Helios, then took a break before the current owner returned her to the charter market in 2008. Between then and early 2011, Ludynosa G did only about two weeks of charter a year. Now, the owner wants to seriously increase the charter program, booking as many as six to eight weeks of charter per year.

Learn more in our newly posted First Impression review of Ludynosa G.

Captain of the Month: Ian Insull

Capt. Ian Insull played a large role during construction of the 138-foot motoryacht Calliope, which is just the second motoryacht ever launched from the Holland Jachtbouw shipyard.

“We’re a relaxed and very quiet boat,” he says. “I think the boat actually says to you, ‘Come in and relax.’ We don’t carry Jet Skis, and we’re don’t have a thumping music system. We’re not trying to attract a party crowd. We have lots of things for fun, like snorkeling, games, and satellite TV, but we’re about the traditional cruising experience. We are not flashy. We are understated. Have you ever watched ‘Gilligan’s Island’? We are not Ginger. We are Mary Ann.”

Learn more about Insull’s background and the Calliope charter program in our exclusive interview with Capt. Ian Insull.

Chef of the Month: Alisa Levy

Chef Alisa Levy trained with a world-renowned chef in Boston, Massachusetts, before joining the charter team aboard the 160-foot Delta motoryacht Newvida.

“I really do love to cook all kinds of foods,” she says. I love to eat Thai and sushi, but I have a lot of French training, and I love to play with those foods and lighten them up. I also love to bake. I think the dish I make that most people like best is pork tenderloin stuffed with mushroom duxelle. But I also love to make fish, soups—anything that requires long braising. And beans, I can spend hours just cleaning and preparing really great beans.”

Levy is also trained in macrobiotic, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets. Learn more about her background, and about the culinary experience that charter clients can expect aboard Newvida, in our exclusive interview with Chef Alisa Levy.

Broker of the Month: Jennifer Thomson

Jennifer Thomson joined Sea-Alliance Group in early 2010, when the Israel-based brokerage and sales company opened its worldwide yacht charter division.

“We have five boats in our charter fleet right now,” she says. “We usually are involved in the construction of the yachts as well as hiring the crew, so we know the charter programs really well. That distinguishes us from a lot of other companies. For instance, in Israel, Sea-Alliance Group is also a dealer for the Sunseeker shipyard. So we have a couple of Sunseekers in our charter fleet. We helped the owners purchase the boats, and now we manage the boats for them. An example is the 110-foot Sunseeker Black and White, which we represent for charter. She got very good reviews at the 2011 charter show in Italy.”

Learn more about Sea-Alliance Group in our exclusive interview with broker Jennifer Thomson.

Fleet and Management Company News

Absolute Yachting tells us that there is still charter availability this summer in Greece aboard the 137-foot motoryacht Trinity II, the 138-foot motoryacht AMZ, the 117-foot sailing yacht Iraklis L, and the 88-foot motoryacht Blu Sky…

Athens Yachts says the 130-foot Westport motoryacht Endless Summer is available at a weekly base rate of €78,000 through August 3. The regular weekly base rate is €115,000… The 112-foot Ferretti motoryacht Pandora is available at a weekly base rate of €65,000 through August 11. The regular weekly base rate is €78,000… The 136-foot Mondomarine motoryacht Panther II is available August 8-25 in Greece… The 131-foot Nautor’s Swan sailing yacht Aristarchos, which has a regular weekly base rate of €90,000, is being offered at €80,000 through August 6 and again from August 23 through September 5…

Bradford Marine Yacht Charters sends word that the 92-foot Cheoy Lee motoryacht Yoly is available in the Bahamas, taking eight guests at a weekly base rate of $27,000…

Burgess Yachts tells us the 150-foot Delta motoryacht Katya has dropped her lowest weekly base rate nearly 10 percent, from €175,000 to €161,000, for 12 guests out of the South of France… The 134-foot Forgacs powercatamaran Seafaris is offering 10 days for the price of seven, or 14 days for the price of 10, for 10 guests in Australia for the rest of 2011. The regular weekly base rate is $126,000… The 105-foot sailing catamaran Necker Belle for is offering a “swim with the whales” charter option in the Silver Bank, a protected sanctuary that is within a day's cruising range of the Dominican Republic as well as Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for more information…

C U Yacht Charters sends word that the 130-foot Westport motoryacht Mary Alice II is available for a Labor Day charter in the Bahamas with no delivery fees from South Florida, and at a discounted weekly base rate of $95,000 for 10 guests. The regular weekly base rate is $100,000…

Churchill Yacht Partners has several sailing yachts with remaining availability this summer. The 154-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Andromeda la Dea takes eight guests in the Western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $125,000… The 82-foot Nautor’s Swan sailing yacht Clevelander takes seven guests in the Eastern Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €26,000… The 80-foot Palmer Johnson sailing yacht Volterra takes six guests in Croatia and Montenegro at a lowest weekly base rate of €18,000… The 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Destination Fox Harb’r Too has availability after August 15 in the South of France. She will remain in the Mediterranean until the first week of November… New to the charter fleet are the 100-foto Inace motoryacht Unforgettable and the 105-foot Diaship-Heesen motoryacht The Lady J…

CSO Yachts tells us the 170-foot motoryacht Victory has charter availability through August 13 while in transit from Croatia to Monaco… The 68-foot motoryacht Kama is available August 1-17 out of Cannes, France… The 130-foot motoryacht Lady Belmor has charter availability August 9-23 out of Cannes, France. The lowest weekly base rate is €110,000, but the company says “bring offers”… The 98-foot Azimut motoryacht Georgia Rose has remaining availability this summer out of Antibes, France… The 118-foot Siar Moschini motoryacht Sunliner X has charter dates remaining this summer out of Antibes, France… The 103-foot Falcon motoryacht Ylang Ylang is available out of Naples, Italy, beginning August 11…

Edmiston and Company says the 171-foot Feadship motoryacht Pegasus, which underwent a refit in 2009, has charter availability after August 13 between Croatia and Athens, Greece…The 128-foot Feadship motoryacht Kathleen Anne has availability this summer in the Hebrides… The 100-foot Couach motoryacht Hummingbird is offering a 20-percent discount on charters during September and October in the Western Mediterranean. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for details… The 178-foot Alloy sailing yacht Tiara has availability after August 13 in French Polynesia… The 90-foot Nautor’s Swan sailing yacht Nefertiti is dropping her weekly base rate from €49,000 to €41,650 for charters of at least five days during the month of August… The 112-foot Leopard motoryacht Anita is offering a 20-percent discount for charters during August and September. The regular weekly base rate is €90,000 for nine guests… New to the fleet are the 184-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Rosehearty, the 160-foot Oceanco motoryacht Mim, and the 85-foot Arcadia, which is solar-powered. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for more information about Arcadia…

Flagship welcomes three yachts to the charter fleet in the Caribbean. They are the 120-foot Heesen motoryacht Sun Ark, the 58-foot Ballotta sailing catamaran Ocean Jedi, and the 48-foot sailing catamaran Sweetest Thing…

Fraser Yachts Worldwide says that halfway through 2011, the charter market is improving compared with 2009 and 2010. However, the supply of charter yachts continues to outweigh demand, so individual charter yachts are seeing fewer weeks booked with continuing pressure to negotiate charter fees…

International Yacht Collection welcomes five yachts to the charter fleet. They are the 205-foot Codecasa motoryacht Apogee, taking 12 guests in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €315,000; the 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Blind Date, taking 12 guests in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $238,000; the 155-foot Sterling motoryacht Triumphant Lady, taking 12 guests in Florida and the Bahamas at a lowest weekly base rate of $150,000; the 104-foot Sunseeker motoryacht Moliver, taking 12 guests in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €55,000; and the 91-foot Sunseeker motoryacht In All Fairness, taking eight guests in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €43,000…

Liveras Yachts reports booking more than 13 weeks of charter aboard the 196-foot Benetti motoryacht Andreas L during her first year of being under charter management with the company…

Luxury Charter Group welcomes the 120-foot Christensen motoryacht Silent World II to the charter fleet. She is available in Australia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands through December, taking eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $50,000…

Luxury Yacht Group tells us the 124-foot Oceanfast motoryacht Perseverance II is having her best-ever summer in the Great Lakes, with nearly four weeks of charter booked and inquiries coming in for more…

Neo Yachting says the 155-foot ISA motoryacht 360˚ is available for charter after August 23 out of Monaco… The 141-foot JFA motoryacht Axantha II has availability after August 25 in Venice, Italy, including during the Mostra Film Festival from August 31 through September 11… The 88-foot Azimut motoryacht 4Fun is open for charter August 14-23 out of Nice, France, and then after September 8 in Athens, Greece… The 68-foot Azimut motoryacht Emmy has a new captain, Jean-Michel Pastor…

Neptune Group Yachting welcomes the 85-foot Lazzara motoryacht Castaway to the charter fleet. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $29,000 in the Bahamas, with no delivery fees to Nassau… The 103-foot Johnson motoryacht Diamond Girl has dropped her weekly base rate from $47,000 to $42,000 through September 30. She is available in Florida and the Bahamas… The 83-foot Marlow motoryacht Alexandra Bear still has availability this summer out of Newport, Rhode Island. She takes seven guests at a discounted weekly base rate of $25,000 (down from $27,500)…

Nicholson Yachts has a half-dozen sailing yachts with remaining availability this summer throughout Europe. The 104-foot Trehard sailing yacht Oceans Seven Squared is in Croatia at a weekly base rate of €50,000… The 70-foot Norlin Mira is available in Turkey and Croatia at a weekly base rate of €16,500… The 72-foot Oyster Luskentyre is in Croatia at a weekly base rate of €20,000… The 90-foot Claasen Jachtbouw Atalante is in the Western Mediterranean at a weekly base rate of €40,000… The 80-foot Southern Wind sailing yacht Matelot and the 67-foot Discovery sailing yacht More Magic are offering discounts during August and September in Croatia and New England. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for details… The Baglietto sailing yacht Sincerity has availability this summer in New England at a lowest weekly base rate of $15,000 for four guests…

Northrop and Johnson sends word that the 154-foot Admiral motoryacht Ohana is available for charter in New England during the annual New York Yacht Club cruise, which is scheduled July 30 through August 6. Ohana takes 10 guests with 10 crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $130,000… The 123-foot Palmer Johnson sailing yacht Axia has availability this summer in New England. She takes six guests with six crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $65,000… The 112-foot Sparkman & Stephens Gitana is in Scotland at a weekly base rate of €44,000… The 153-foot NAYS motoryacht Argyll has charter availability from August 17-24 out of Newport, Rhode Island. She takes 10 guests with 10 crew at a weekly base rate of $150,000… The 154-foot Delta motoryacht Mr. Terrible has availability in the Bahamas and Caribbean at a lowest weekly base rate of $198,000 for 10 to 12 guests (reduced from $220,000)… The 154-foot Feadship motoryacht Harle is available in Croatia after September 8. She takes 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $240,000… The 160-foot Delta motoryacht Newvida has dropped her weekly base rate from €175,000 to €159,000 for the rest of the summer in the Mediterranean. She takes 12 guests with 11 crew… The 98-foot MCP motoryacht Eagle’s Nest has dropped her lowest weekly base rate from $45,000 to $38,000 for eight to 10 guests…

Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters is promoting southbound autumn charters along the East Coast of the United States, with discounted pricing available from owners who need to move their yachts from New England to the Caribbean for the upcoming winter season…

Ocean Independence tells us the 139-foot Alfamarine motoryacht Lady Feryal is now a certified RYA Jet Ski and PWC training facility. She is based this summer in the Western Mediterranean…

OceanStyle says the 95-foot Ferretti motorycht One O One still has availability this summer in the Western Mediterranean. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €42,000… The 100-foot Sanlorenzo motoryacht Solona has had a cancellation and is now available the entire month of August in the Western Mediterranean. The lowest weekly base rate is €45,000 for eight or nine guests, but the owners are “very flexible with the rate”… The 88-foot Sanlorenzo motoryacht Marcelina of London is available after August 13 in the Western Mediterranean. She takes eight to 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €42,000… The 120-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Vanquish is available throughout August and September in the Western Mediterranean, and the owner is willing to be flexible on the lowest weekly base rate of €101,500...

Primo Yacht sends word that the 163-foot Ortona Navi International motoryacht Mar has charter availability August 19-30, then again after September 10, in the South of France. The lowest weekly base rate is €150,000 for 12 guests, but the company says “all offers will be considered”… The 146-foot Proteksan motoryacht Costa Magna has remaining summer availability from August 4-20 out of Monaco. The owner is open to week-long charters for 10 guests or day charters for as many as 36 guests… The 109-foot Lloyd’s motoryacht Daniella is available in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean with no delivery fees. The lowest weekly base rate is €52,000, but the company says all offers will be considered… The 148-foot Feadship motoryacht Secret Life still has charter availability this summer out of St. Tropez…

Regency Yacht Vacations welcomes the 47-foot Leopard sailing catamaran Dreaming On to the charter fleet. She is owned and operated by a couple who have cruised more than 12,000 miles in the Caribbean and U.S. East Coast since 2003. The weekly base rates range from $11,000 for two guests to $13,250 for six guests in the Virgin Islands… Also new to the fleet is the 58-foot trawler yacht Single Star, which takes six guests at a weekly base rate of $17,500 in Alaska…

Select Yachts tells us the 82-foot sailing yacht Shaitan of Tortola is offering free scuba diving on charters of at least seven days in the Grenadines… The 58-foot Beneteau sailing yacht Blue Passion has dropped her weekly base rate by 12 percent for charters in the Grenadines through October. The weekly base rates for two to eight guests now range from $11,000 to $12,500…

Sunseeker Charters has just launched individual websites for five of the motoryachts in its fleet: 84-foot Firecracker, 88-foot High Energy, 90-foot In All Fairness, 98-foot Tuppence, and 130-foot Levolpi… The company has yachts available for charter this month in the United Kingdom during Cowes Week (August 6-13), the Bournemouth Air Festival (August 18-21), and the British Powerboat Festival (August 26-28)…

Two if by Sea, a 45-foot sailing catamaran, is offering 20-percent discounts on all charters booked in Vava’u before December 1…

WEM Lines says the 237-foot motoryacht RM Elegant will finish a charter on August 26 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and is fully available for new bookings afterward…

Yacht Masters has opened a new office in Montenegro…

YCO Yacht welcomes the 107-foot Wally sailing yacht Wally B to the charter fleet…

YPI Charter tells us the 192-foot motoryacht Islander is offering 14 days for the price of 11, or 10 days for the price of eight, or seven days for the price of six in the Adriatic Sea. Charters must be booked before August 20. The regular weekly base rate is $195,000 for 12 guests.

New First Impression Reviews Now Live on CharterWave

Calliope, 138-foot Holland Jachtbouw motoryacht
Idol, 193-foot Austal motoryacht
Ludynosa G, 123-foot Fitzroy sailing yacht
Mary-Jean II, 202-foot ISA motoryacht
Solona, 100-foot Sanlorenzo motoryacht

Updates to First Impression Reviews Now Live on CharterWave

Newvida, 160-foot Delta motoryacht
Whisper, 116-foot Holland Jachtbouw sailing yacht

New Crew Interviews Now Live on CharterWave

Ian Insull, captain, 138-foot motoryacht Calliope
Alisa Levy, chef, 160-foot motoryacht Newvida

New Broker Interview Now Live on CharterWave

Jennifer Thomson, Sea-Alliance Group

New “10 Best” Lists Now Live on CharterWave

10 Best charter yachts with contemporary interior décors
10 Best charter yachts with traditional interior décors
10 Best charter yachts for Mediterranean-style mooring
10 Best summer 2011 charter yacht discounts