CharterWave eNews

July 2007

Boats of All Sizes, Styles on Display at Newport Charter Show
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin joined several dozen brokers in Newport, Rhode Island, in June for the annual, industry-only charter yacht show.
There was an interesting mix of yachts on display, from small, fast sailboats to classic, restored powerboats to luxurious, sprawling megayachts. If you want to take a charter vacation in New England this summer, there will be a boat to suit your tastes—no matter your budget.
As Kim reported from the show in her crewed yacht blog, there was an interesting mix of boats on the docks, none of which stood out as a belle of the ball. Among the boats that garnered a good bit of attention, though, were the 145-foot motoryacht Curt-C, the 74-foot motoryacht Whale’s Way, the 85-foot classic motoryacht Enticer, the 60-foot sailing yacht Extraordinary, and the 65-foot sailing catamaran Pride. We have an exclusive First Impression of Curt-C online now, with upcoming features on the other yachts and their crew in the next few months.
Several of the reputable charter brokers at the show, including Deb Adeo of Jolly Mon Sailing, Sara Sebastian and Karen Kelly of Nicholson Yachts, and Verna Ruan of Crewed Charters, took the time to attend an early-morning presentation about chartering in New England. Skipper Ian Fagg of the sailing yacht Extraordinary helped to lead an informative discussion about itinerary options based on his local knowledge.
“I always think it’s good to listen to the itineraries that experienced captains suggest,” Kim notes. “These brokers who took the time to participate deserve credit for seeking out extra information that will help them make the most of any charters their clients book in New England and Maine this summer.”

New MYBA Program Designed to Raise Industry Standards
The Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association announced in June that it has created the world’s first training program for new superyacht brokers.
MYBA is one of the world’s four primary professional associations for charter brokers. The new training program is an effort to help set standards for new brokers entering the industry at the highest levels, dealing with yachts well over 100 feet long.
The first seminar, to be held Sept. 24-26 in the South of France, will include 35 students. The course director will be Jonathan Beckett, chief executive of Nigel Burgess. Topics will include maritime law, insurance, finance, taxes, customer care and ethics—areas where inexperienced charter brokers often cannot support their clients as well as more experienced brokers.
For information about the course, click here. To see a list of reputable charter brokers who are already part of MYBA, click here.

CharterWave Featured in Conde Nast Traveler
The July issue of Conde Nast Traveler magazine--with a circulation that reaches millions of people--includes a five-page article about yacht charter. CharterWave editor Kim Kavin is among a half-dozen industry experts quoted repeatedly in the magazine’s pages.
As Kim wrote in her blog, the article is a nice change of pace from the promotional stories that travel magazines so often write about cruise ships. However, the Conde Nast writer made several serious errors that Kim has asked to have corrected in a future issue.
For more information about these mistakes, read Kim’s blog post about the story.

Barge Charters in France’s Wine Country
July marks the start of the “high season” for summertime charters in Europe. That includes along the inland canals of France, where barges are available for charter in much the same way as proper yachts are available along the coast.
If you’ve always wanted to see the Bordeaux or Burgundy regions and think a canal charter might be right for you, our exclusive feature about your options is a good place to begin your research. It’s online now in the CharterWave Helpful Articles section.

Have the Whole Boat Earns "Star Status"
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin’s book Have the Whole Boat: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations was awarded “Star Status” in June from publisher iUniverse.
“Star Status is the highest honor this particular publisher awards,” Kim explains. “It means that Have the Whole Boat has generated enough initial reader interest that the publisher will now offer additional support in marketing and services. The plan right now is for a re-launch of the book this fall, with a second-edition printing and a United States radio and newspaper marketing tour.”
We’ll have more details here on CharterWave soon about the fall media campaign and second edition of the book. To order your own copy today, click here.

Best of the Crewed Yacht Blog
Sicily: The New Sardinia? I wrote here a few weeks ago about a new luxury tax being imposed on yachts that anchor or dock at the popular Italian island of Sardinia. It’s a big roll of money that the island is asking for–so big, it seems, that many yachts are now choosing to visit Sicily instead. ... Read more ...

Best of the Bareboat Blog
Radical Thinking. There’s a strange sort of Mason-Dixon line in the world of boating. When I was growing up in the Great Lakes, I’d hear words like “stinkpotter” and “ragbagger” - always said in a half-joking way. ... Read more ...

Crewed Yacht of the Month: Star of the Sea
This 113-foot motoryacht wowed us with its years-long refit, its Western Mediterranean home base, and its value-priced rate of less than $7,000 per person including typical expenses.
Check out our exclusive First Impression review by clicking here.

Bareboat of the Month: Never Say Never
This skippered 46-foot catamaran proves the perfect platform for CharterWave Bareboats Expert Heather Freckmann to introduce landlubber friends to the joy of chartering in the Bahamas.
Read Heather's full review by clicking here.


Captain of the Month: Mustafa Onay
As sailing yachts go in Turkey, this captain’s 62-footer is one of the fastest for cruising from port to port. That’s just the way he likes things, as does Zarik II’s owner—who happens to also be the love of his life.
Read our exclusive interview with Capt. Onay by clicking here, or check out our First Impression of Zarik II by clicking here.

Chef of the Month: Scott Dickson
This 35-year-old Scotsman is new to charter, but not to fine dining. He wowed the first industry insiders who sampled his cooking in Italy onboard the 141-foot motoryacht Sea Dream, where we got to see him in action in the galley.
Read our exclusive interview with Dickson by clicking here.


Broker of the Month: Ann Landry
Ann Landry is one of the longest-serving brokers in the worldwide charter industry. We love her for the same reason her clients do: She’s about as straight a shooter as you’ll find in all of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Check out our exclusive interview with Landry by clicking here.

Fleet and Management Company News
BCR Yachts reports that the 76-foot sailing yacht INXS is offering a special, flexible rate in the Mediterranean this summer for charter parties of less than eight guests. The lowest weekly base rate is now 16,500 euros for two people ...

Churchill Yacht Partners is promoting a couple of crewed charter yachts in off-the-beaten course destinations. The 138-foot motoryacht Maverick II is heading to Thailand this winter, the 121-foot motoryacht Baroness and the 90-foot motoryacht Trilogy are both available in the Great Lakes this summer, and the 97-foot sailing yacht Odysseus is available in Mexico's Sea of Cortez ...

Costa Cruising in Greece reports that there are still weeks available for crewed charters this summer and fall onboard the 131-foot motoryacht Carmen Serena and the 139-foot motoryacht Carmen Fontana ...

Fraser Yachts Worldwide has two motoryachts moving into interesting charter locations for this coming winter: the 204-foot Force Blue is heading to the Maldives, while the 130-foot Sojourn is headed to Mexico ... Meanwhile, the restored, classic sailing yacht Lulworth is headed to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for the World Superyacht Cup ...

International Yacht Collection has no fewer than seven crewed motoryachts available for charter this summer in New England, including the new-to-fleet 112-foot Andiamo with Capt. Dave Laird, who used to run the motoryacht Princess Marcie. The management company also has yachts available for charter right now in the Mediterranean, Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska ...

Merrill-Stevens Yachts reports that the 112-foot motoryacht Arietta will be arriving in New England this month and is available for charters starting July 22. ... Meanwhile, the 150-foot motoryacht Magic has repositioned to Croatia and will be accepting charters there beginning July 5 with CharterWave favorite chef Betsy McDonald... Merrill-Stevens also has a new motoryacht in its fleet, the 106-foot Mama B, now offering charters off the coast of North and South Carolina...

Northrop & Johnson has three motoryachts and one sailing yacht available for charter in New England this summer, ranging from an all-inclusive $16,000 a week to a base rate of $65,000 a week plus expenses ... The management company also has the 100-foot motoryacht AR-DE available for charter from the home port of Palm Beach, Florida...

Oceanwide Yacht Charter Group has a new website (click on the link at left to go to it). The clearinghouse has a new strategic agreement with The Catamaran Company and has taken over day-to-day operations of Subash Yacht Management Company in the British Virgin Islands ...

Offshore Sailing School has introduced a Private Cruising Course for Two. You and a friend or spouse can spend a week onboard a 41-foot sailboat learning to cruise in Fort Myers Beach, Florida...

Southwest Florida Yachts has added the 43-foot, three cabin trawler Sootsus at Sea to its fleet, which is based in Fort Myers, Florida ... The yacht's weekly rate is just over $3,300 ...

Sunseeker Charters took the 82-foot motoryacht High Energy to the Channel Islands in England in June and reported a good response in terms of future corporate charter bookings ...



New First Impressions posted on CharterWave this month:
Carpe Diem II, 115-foot gulet
Commitment, 130-foot motoryacht
Curt-C, 145-foot motoryacht
Julianne, 65-foot motoryacht
Kintaro, 125-foot motoryacht
Ocean Victory, 154-foot motoryacht
Pandora, 112-foot motoryacht
Rusalka. 78-foot sailing yacht
Star of the Sea, 113-foot motoryacht
Zarik II, 62-foot sailing yacht

New Crew Interviews posted on CharterWave this month:
Chef Scott Dickson, m/y Sea Dream
Capt. Mustafa Onay, s/y Zarik II

New Charter Broker Interview posted on CharterWave this month:
Ann Landry, Merrill-Stevens Yachts

New Helpful Article posted on CharterWave this month:
Barge Charter in France’s Wine Country