CharterWave eNews

Market Report from the Antigua Charter Yacht Show

The 50th annual Antigua Charter Yacht Show in December featured yachts from about 50 feet long to nearly 300 feet long. Whenever she got the chance, CharterWave editor Kim Kavin asked brokers and charter yacht managers how the market is doing. And almost every time, she got a similar answer: “It depends on which charter market you're asking about.”

It seems that industry insiders no longer think about the charter market as a whole. They now slice and dice it into various categories. For instance, the Caribbean is considered “downright scary” because so few weeks have been booked aboard larger megayachts this winter. At the same time, well-known motoryachts in the $40,000 to $85,000 range reported a lot of interest. It's as if brokers think of the Caribbean market as different segments now, one as the segment that company owners and CEOs book (business is slow) and one as the segment that company vice presidents book (they're returning to charter after having taken a few years off).

The upshot appears to be that yachts smaller than 150 feet in the Caribbean with well-known crew and strong track records are booking right now, while larger yachts and newer yachts are still struggling in the global recession.

Interestingly, several brokers said they're starting to see a good number of bookings for spring 2012, including Easter, in the Bahamas. This is major news because the Bahamas has been in something of a freefall the past few years in terms of charter bookings, and because advance bookings anywhere in the world have been a rarity during the past few years.

Looking ahead to summer 2012, a number of leading European brokers expect to see fewer pre-season discount offers than in recent years for Mediterranean charters. As one broker put it, "Last year, the boats did book, but so much was at the last minute that the owners feel they might as well wait and just negotiate pricing at that time."

Top Yachts at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show

As with the luxury charter market itself, monohulls far outnumbered catamarans at last month’s Antigua Charter Yacht Show—but it was the catamarans that seemed to generate an awful lot of best buzz. In particular, the newly launched, 145-foot sailing catamaran Hemisphere earned rave reviews, with more than half the brokers surveyed saying she was their favorite yacht in the entire show.

Other catamarans that got high marks included the 70-foot powercatmaran Damrak II, with a contemporary décor; the 75-foot Matau, a popular charter yacht with recent mechanical upgrades (that's her in the photograph at right); and the 47-foot catamaran Nemo, an environmentally friendly yacht promoting its “green charter” amenities.

Among the megayachts, bigger and newer did not necessarily mean better at the Antigua show. The most talked-about motoryacht was the 265-foot Air, which is brand-new and now the largest Feadship available for charter in the world. She received mixed reviews, though, because her ultra-modern interior may be a challenge for some potential clients.

On the other hand, many brokers raved about the 229-foot Rossi Navi motoryacht Numptia, a brand-new build with a main-deck jazz club, an impressive sundeck hot tub, and an entire deck dedicated to spa services.

Older motoryachts that earned high praise for looking great included the 194-foot Lurssen Oasis, the 185-foot Feadship Hampshire, the 175-foot Feadship Hurricane Run, and the 164-foot Feadship Troyanda. Many brokers said these motoryachts had proven track records in charter as well as serious owner investments in maintenance and amenities.

Winners of the Antigua Charter Yacht Show Culinary Competition

On Tuesday of the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, the employees of Liat Airlines were on strike in the Caribbean. Nobody was able to get a flight out of Antigua and over to Sint Maarten, which is where 23-year-old Adrian Martin was supposed to go. The Texas native had already worked a few days on the sailing catamaran Lady Alliaura, so he decided that since he was stuck at the boat show in Antigua anyway, he might as well enter the culinary competition for the first time.

Baby-faced Adrian didn’t have a copy of, nor did he know anything about, the annual contest's rules. He also was nonplussed about the fact that while some chefs prepare months in advance for this prestigious competition, he’d have less than 24 hours to prepare for judging on Wednesday. All he could find in the local shop on Tuesday night was $35 worth of provisions, including some local root vegetables he had to look up on the Internet to figure out what exactly they were. He had no plan, no fear, and—by about 3 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon--no clue that he’d done extremely well with the judges.

Adrian was among the winners announced Thursday night in the annual Antigua Charter Yacht Show culinary competition. He and Lady Alliaura took second prize in the division for charter yachts smaller than 100 feet. Third prize in the division went to the yacht Muse and chef Caro Uy, who was an impressive first-place finisher in the 2010 Tortola show’s cooking contest. First prize went to chef Renee Kappetein aboard World’s End.

The winners in this year’s 100- to 159-foot charter yacht category were Jerry Pond of Arioso in third place, Gabrielle Scott of Va Bene in second place, and Emma Beckett of Lady J in first place.

In the megayacht division for boats 160 feet and larger, third place went to Thomas Francque aboard Passion, second place to Heather Kaniuk aboard Numptia, and first place to Tim MacDonald on Huntress.

In the best use of coffee division, Kappetein and Kaniuk both won again, as did chef Melinda Heinze aboard Hemisphere in the 100- to 159-foot category. For best table settings, the winners were Julia Fluhrer aboard Matau, Hillary Gibson on Andromeda la Dea, and Theone Penn on Troyanda. The judges gave special prizes for creativity to the crews of Passion and Sea Quell for their presentation skills.

Water Slides: The Newest Must-Have Charter Yacht Toy

A fair number of large motoryachts at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show either had brand-new, inflatable water slides on display or captains promising that they were on order.

“I heard about one yacht, a 145-footer, whose captain just ordered a water slide because he lost two charters to a competing yacht that already had one,” says CharterWave editor Kim Kavin. “The 160-foot motoryacht Teleost had its water slide out and on display, just to make sure everyone saw it. These things are becoming all the rage ahead of the summer 2012 charter season.”

Seabobs and standup paddleboards were also widely on display. They are becoming as oft-requested by charter clients as Jet Skis and WiFi used to be.

"The water slides are harder for the yacht owners to get, because each one must be ordered and sized individually to fit the yacht," Kim says. "These aren't things you can just order up and slap on the top deck. For safety reasons, they have to be custom made. That's why it's taking some yacht owners longer to decide to purchase them, I think."

Operation Cruise: Helping Wounded Special Forces Veterans

The CharterWave Captain of the Month for January is Randall Petersen of the 155-foot Christensen motoryacht One More Toy. He was at last month’s Antigua Charter Yacht Show not only to promote the yacht, but also the owner’s unique charity: Operation Cruise.

Operation Cruise was founded in January 2011 to help wounded Special Forces veterans and their families. The owner of One More Toy donates a charter vacation aboard the yacht for the veteran and a spouse. Each couple shares the yacht with other couples who have experienced similar traumas, as well as with a grief counselor who helps them to work through questions and concerns in the relaxed setting.

The first charter for Operation Cruise took place last February in the Virgin islands. It was a success according to all involved, and the owner of One More Toy is now working with Trinity Yachts and International Yacht Collection to try to expand the program by recruiting more yachts to participate. Donations are also welcome to help cover the operating costs associated with running a charter yacht for a week.

There is no cost to the veterans or their families who are invited to participate--and many of them find the experience life-changing. One veteran said, “I was able to take my mind off of negative thoughts and feelings the entire time I was there. It made me feel both physically and mentally stronger.” Another veteran confided in a crew member that the trip had saved his marriage.

If you’re a supporter of military veterans who is thinking about booking a yacht charter vacation of your own, then you might consider One More Toy. This owner has created a unique 501(c)(3) charity to help wounded veterans, and any regular charter bookings that the yacht receives will help to offset the costs of Operation Cruise in the future.

Superyacht Soiree Raises Thousands for Antigua Schools

Yachting Matters held its first Superyacht Soiree during last month’s Antigua Charter Yacht Show and raised more than £25,000 for a number of Caribbean schools. 

“We were absolutely bowled over by the generosity of the people attending the dinner,” said Richard Gardiner of sponsor Global Services. “What started as a prize-giving soon turned into an auction which quickly gained momentum with captains, owners, and businesses all donating large sums of money to help rejuvenate local schools.”

The children in the photograph at right are from Cobbs Cross junior school, which takes in pupils from the Falmouth and English Harbour areas of Antigua where the charter yacht show is staged. The money raised will allow the school to upgrade toilets, improve the water supply, apply fresh paint, and get a computer and white board for a classroom.

Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog

Atlantica Crew Moving to Motoryacht Encore. One of my favorite charter captains, Roy Hodges of the 135-foot Christensen motoryacht Atlantica, sends word that he and his wife, chef/purser Stephanie Hodges, are moving to the 150-foot Trinity motoryacht Encore. … Read More …

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs

130-foot Heesen Charter Yacht Lionshare. From the Boatbookings sponsored blog on CharterWave: Our first impressions when setting foot on board LIONSHARE during the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show were of an incomparably handsome yacht dedicated to enjoying life at sea without too much distraction, in other words, an excellent yachtsman`s yacht. ... Read More ...

Motoryacht of the Month: Air

At 265 feet long, Air is the largest Feadship motoryacht available for charter anywhere in the world. Her launch in 2011 was much-touted thanks to impressive features including a large swimming pool on the foredeck.

Our editor got onboard Air at last month’s Antigua Charter Yacht Show, where the yacht received mixed reviews. The interior décor is so contemporary as to be Minimalist—which some brokers liked personally, but which many brokers said can be a tough sell to charter clients. We wish we could show you a photograph here, but cameras were banned during all tours.

Still, if you love contemporary décor and world-class construction, you may be one of the charter clients who find Air irresistible. Learn more about this impressive new Feadship in our First Impression review of the motoryacht Air.

Sailing Yacht of the Month: Hemisphere

The 145-foot Hemisphere stole the hearts of industry insiders who attended last month’s Antigua Charter Yacht Show. She was impressive because of her sheer size—Hemisphere is the largest luxury sailing catamaran in the world—but also because of her interior décor, which is filled with countless fabrics and patterns. Many charter brokers said Hemisphere was their favorite yacht on display at the entire show.

Our editor got onboard for a tour with the chief stewardess, who talked not only about how the boat is outfitted, but also about the types of charters the owner hopes to book. Read our First Impression review of Hemisphere to learn more.

Captain of the Month: Randall Petersen

Randall Petersen brings more than 20 years of charter experience to his job as captain aboard the 155-foot Christensen motoryacht One More Toy. It’s one of the few yachts larger than 150 feet that has been consistently booked throughout the recession—in part because of Petersen’s leadership and can-do crew, and in part because of the owner’s philosophy regarding maintenance and pricing.

Our exclusive interview with Capt. Randall Petersen includes all of that and more.

Chef of the Month: Jerry Pond

Jerry Pond of the 130-foot motoryacht Arioso recently won an award in the prestigious Antigua Charter Yacht Show cooking competition. Also that week, our editor was invited onboard for a luncheon where Pond showed off his cooking skills for industry insiders.

Our exclusive interview with chef Jerry Pond includes details about his areas of expertise, information about culinary challenges he’s faced with charter clients in the past, and inspiring tales of homemade ice cream that will no doubt entice many families to want to charter with him and the entire Arioso crew.

Broker of the Month: Katie Wray

Katie Wray recently joined the team that left International Yacht Collection to create Worth Avenue Yachts in Palm Beach, Florida. She is the company’s first and only charter broker.

Our editor asked Wray about the plan for retail charter sales as well as charter management at Worth Avenue Yachts. To learn about the new company’s strategy, see our exclusive interview with Katie Wray.

Fleet and Management Company News

Absolute Yachting has announced a half-dozen yachts that will be available for charters during summer 2012 out of Athens, Greece. They are the 138-foot motoryacht Trinity II, the 95-foot motoryacht Wish, the 117-foot motorsailer Iraklis L, the 92-foot motoryacht Liana H, the 147-foot motoryacht Bella Stella, and the 52-foot catamaran Elvira…

Camper and Nicholsons International welcomes the 196-foot Benetti motoryacht Lyana to the charter fleet. The weekly base rate has been increased. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for full details… The 175-foot Feadship motoryacht Hurricane Run has reduced her weekly base rate by $55,000 for the next two charters booked in the Caribbean. The discounted weekly base rate is $295,000…

Churchill Yacht Partners has been accepted into the professional organization MYBA International…

CSO Yachts welcomes the 141-foot Italyachts motoryacht Makira to the charter fleet. She takes eight guests with seven crew in the Bahamas at a lowest weekly base rate of $170,000…

Edmiston and Company tells us the 262-foot classic motoryacht Talitha has availability during February in the Caribbean. She takes 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €280,000… The 158-foot Royal Huisman sailing yacht Hyperion has lowered her weekly base rate from €97,000 to $90,000, which with the exchange rate is a reduction of 30 percent. She is available this winter in the Caribbean… The 168-foot Schweers motoryacht Legend is available for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She is being offered at a 17-day base rate of €675,000, which includes dockage at the Royal Docks…

Fraser Yachts Worldwide welcomes two yachts to the charter fleet. The 88-foot Ferretti motoryacht Aurora Dignitatis takes eight or nine guests in the Caribbean at a lowest weekly base rate of $38,000, and the 143-foot Oceanco motoryacht Deep Blue II is available in the Bahamas at a lowest weekly base rate of $125,000…

International Yacht Collection tells us that Capt. Greg Clark, award-winning chef Tarina Shadgett, and much of the former crew aboard the 163-foot Christensen motoryacht Casino Royale have moved over to the 190-foot Abeking & Rasmussen motoryacht Excellence III. The yacht is available this winter in the Caribbean…

Neptune Group Yachting says the 110-foot Delta motoryacht Intrepid has completed a refit. She’s now available in the Bahamas, taking six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $39,500…The 106-foot Lazarra motoryacht Secret Spot is offering a special in January. The regular weekly base rate of $47,000 has been dropped to $44,500 for eight guests in the Bahamas…The 103-foot Johnson motoryacht Diamond Girl is also offering a January special. Her regular weekly base rate of $47,000 has been dropped to $42,000 in the Caribbean…The 85-foot Pacific Mariner motoryacht Seas the Moment is also offering a January special. The regular weekly base rate of $37,500 has been dropped to $33,000 for eight guests in the Caribbean…

Northrop and Johnson sends word that 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 in the Bahamas and Caribbean this winter… The 114-foot Hargrave motoryacht Sea Legend is available in the Caribbean, taking eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $49,500… The 198-foot Feadship motoryacht Blue Moon is available in the Northern Caribbean and British Virgin Islands, taking 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $395,000.That’s down from a previous weekly base rate of $474,000…

Ocean Independence says the 152-foot Feadship motoryacht Jana is available in the Maldives until April. She takes 10 to 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €110,000… The 200-foot Benetti motoryacht Diamonds Are Forever has launched and joined the charter fleet. She will be available during summer 2012 in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €330,000 for 12 guests… The 109-foot Lloyd’s motoryacht Daniella will return to Spain for the summer 2012 charter season. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for full details… The 230-foot Benetti motoryacht Reverie is available in 2012 for event charters including the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. The weekly base rate is €550,000… The 145-foot Proteksan motoryacht Costa Magna, which completed a refit in 2011, is also available for the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival in May 2012. Her lowest weekly base rate is €90,000…

OceanStyle tells us the 78-foot Numarine motoryacht Bionda still has availability this winter in the Bahamas. The 2011 build takes eight or nine guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $29,000… The 120-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Vanquish is available for charters in Australia beginning February 1. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $101,500…

Peter Kehoe & Associates welcomes the 80-foot Hatteras Sea Vista to the charter fleet. She takes six to eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $18,000… Also new to the fleet is the 70-foot Azimut motoryacht La Vita Bella. She takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $17,500… Both motoryachts are available in Florida and the Bahamas…

Regency Vacations sends word that the 44-foot sailing catamaran Silver Moon is offering 10 days for the price of seven on last-minute charters in January. To receive the three extra days onboard, you must charter in the British Virgin Islands between January 16-27… New to the fleet is the 53-foot sailing yacht Windstar. She is being marketed as a perfect yacht for honeymoons, with a king-size bed in the master cabin and an all-inclusive weekly rate of $5,900… The 57-foot sailing catamaran Aldebaran is offering a discount of about 20 percent on charters in the Virgin Islands through March. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for full details…

Sunreef Yachts Charter tells us the 62-foot sailing catamaran Soon Come will be available in the Bahamas and Caribbean beginning in March. She takes as many as seven guests with three crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $24,000…

Sunseeker Charters has four motoryachts available this winter in Thailand. See the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for full details…

YPI Group welcomes the 169-foot Royal Huisman sailing yacht Meteor to the charter fleet. She takes six guests with nine crew in the Caribbean at a lowest weekly base rate of $106,000… Also new to the fleet is the 203-foot Holland Jachtbouw sailing yacht Athos. She is the world’s largest, privately owned, two-masted schooner. The weekly base rate in the Caribbean is €180,000 for 10 guests…

New First Impression Yacht Reviews Now Published on CharterWave

Air, 265-foot Feadship motoryacht
Hemisphere, 145-foot Pendennis sailing catamaran
Koi, 115-foot McMullen and Wing motoryacht
Koo, 140-foot Vitters sailing yacht
Lady Bou Bou, 63-foot Lagoon sailing catamaran
One More Toy, 155-foot Christensen motoryacht
Troyanda, 164-foot Feadship motoryacht

New Crew Interviews Now Published on CharterWave

Randall Petersen, captain, motoryacht One More Toy
Jerry Pond, chef, motoryacht Arioso

New Broker Interview Now Published on CharterWave

Katie Wray, Worth Avenue Yachts

New “10 Best” Lists Now Published on CharterWave

10 Best charter yachts at the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show
10 Best reasons to charter a yacht for Christmas
10 Best charter yacht hot tubs