Edmiston and Company issued an interesting marketing blast yesterday, promoting what it says is "a selection of the fastest and sleekest yachts available to charter this summer." I like the boldness with which the company makes no apologies for fuel burn rates or expenses while touting these sleek beauties, some of which have cruising speeds of more than 40 miles per hour. (Wow!)

As Edmiston puts it, these are the type of yachts that can help you "get there first" no matter where you want to cruise in the Mediterranean this summer. Here are the 11 motoryachts that fit the speed-demon category within the Edmiston charter fleet, from fastest to "slowest":

101-foot Baia Mirage, cruising speed 45 knots

112-foot Arno Anita, cruising speed 40 knots

104-foot Arno Pure, cruising speed 32 knots

94-foot Mangusta Triple Fun, cruising speed 30 knots

82-foot Sunseeker Samana, cruising speed 30 knots

151-foot Arno Pure One, cruising speed 28 knots

82-foot Sunseeker Twisted, cruising speed 28 knots (shown in the photograph above)

99-foot Couach Hummingbird, cruising speed 25 knots

94-foot Sunseeker Dreamster, cruising speed 21 knots

105-foot Canados Lady Natina, cruising speed 20 knots

103-foot Leight Notika Clarity, cruising speed 19 knots

Any reputable charter broker can help you book any of these yachts, or those with similar cruising speeds in other companies' charter fleets for summer 2010 vacations.

Last weekend at the 2010 Heineken Regatta in Sint Maarten, broker Carolyn Titus of Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters was among the group that chartered Safara, the 72-foot Andrews sailing yacht that took first prize in its class (Non Spinnaker 1) as well as the trophy for the Fastest Non Spinnaker Around the Island Race.
Following is an exclusive interview with Titus about how the charter came about, and how other people—even those with no racing background—can make a regatta part of a fun-filled yacht charter vacation.

You’ve been chartering sailing yachts at regattas for 15 years now. Are you always with the same people?

Our group varies depending on whoever has the time and wants to invest in the vacation, but it’s basically the same core group. Some years, we’ve had 25 people on a big boat. This year, we were 12 people on a smaller boat.

Does one person charter the yacht and bring everyone else as guests, or do you all chip in for the yacht’s weekly base rate?

We get a group together and collectively charter the boat, which is something that any group of charter clients can do if they want to split the bill for a charter boat for a week. An event like the Heineken Regatta is three days long, so you can go cruising for four days and then race for three days during a week-long charter. It’s really a nice vacation for anybody looking for a little more adventure.

What about people who have little or no racing experience?

You don’t have to be full-on racing people to do this type of charter. In events like the Heineken Regatta, there is a cruising class. It is different from racing class. There’s enough racing to keep everybody entertained and active, but you don’t have to overdo it.
For instance, It can be one race a day as opposed to two or three. And the race days themselves aren’t going to crush you. During the Heineken Regatta this year, our second day of racing didn’t start until 1:45 in the afternoon. We lounged around all morning, raced, and then went out to enjoy a party at night. It’s a nice combination of racing activity and leisure.

The owners of true racing sailboats don’t always make them available for regattas because of liability concerns and other issues. Do you find it difficult to match regatta charter clients with appropriate yachts?

Usually, it’s not an issue if you’re considering cruising class. The wear and tear on the boat is really limited compared to what goes on in racing class. You’re not overloading the boat with people, and the races are only about two hours a day, so you’re not putting a whole lot of pressure on the boat. It’s not too far off from just cruising, so more owners would consider cruising class racing for charters.

Are there certain charter yachts that you regularly recommend for regatta charters?

Obviously, I have to recommend Safara (shown in the photograph at right). She was fantastic for our charter last weekend. She’s part of our fleet at Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters, and, actually, she is still available for Antigua Sailing Week in April and the Newport to Bermuda Race in June.
I also recommend the 100-foot Swan sailing yacht Virago, which my group has chartered for regatta racing in the past. That owner and crew are eager to do racing charters. We’ve also had a lot of racing charters on the 62-foot Swan sailing yacht Eden.

You mentioned the Newport to Bermuda Race and Antigua Sailing Week. In addition to those, and to the Heineken Regatta where you competed, what are the best regatta charter opportunities each year?

The BVI Spring Regatta is in late March or early April. Also at the end of March is the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas. In August, there’s the New York Yacht Club Cruise, where you race from port to port in Maine. In the Mediterranean, there is Les Voiles de St. Tropez, which takes place in late September or early October.

Can any charter broker help a client book a regatta charter, or is special knowledge required?

In general, the boat that’s best for any charter group really depends on the regatta format and how the group plans to use the boat, so you need a broker who knows about racing as well as chartering.

Last weekend’s win at the Heineken Regatta seems proof positive that you fit that description.

I’ve been racing my entire life. I arrange a lot of racing charters, and I’ve done all the regattas myself. So yes, it’s nice for the client to be able to work with a broker who knows the logistics of how things are going to work every day.
Having done it myself, I have a very good idea of how to put these charters together. My personal group has won eight or nine times over the years, and a lot of that has to do with the boat that was chosen for the event. I can help people make the most of their regatta charters, too.

For additional information, contact Carolyn Titus through the Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters website.

Hercules Port, which is ground zero for the annual Monaco Grand Prix, has extended the deadline for yachts to apply for slips from February 28 until March 15.

When I saw this news bit come across the YCO Twitter feed this morning, I was more than a little surprised. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the premier yacht charter events in the Mediterranean each summer. Traditionally, there are waiting lists because so many yachts want to be inside the marina for the event. Marina slips have been reported to cost as much as €30,000 in years past, a fee that is in addition to the high-season rates that many clients pay to charter premier yachts. (An example of charter yachts being promoted for this year's Grand Prix is the "modern classic" 162-foot sailing yacht Eleonora, shown in the photograph at right when she was in New York City).

I got hold of the harbormaster's office at Hercules Port this morning, and a woman claiming to speak for Port Director Daniel Realini told me that the application deadline has been extended because of "internal organization." I asked whether that meant that not enough applications had been received to fill all the berths during the 2010 Grand Prix, and she said no, it meant the port was "still going through the applications that are already received."

With that said, the idea that a deadline extension has been deemed necessary struck many charter insiders the same way it struck me: noteworthy.

YCO Marketing Director Lisa Peck, after speaking with YCO's charter brokers, told me today, "I've never heard of it happening before. It's always been overbooked. It's definitely unusual."

A longtime charter yacht manager in the Monaco office of Camper & Nicholsons International also told me this morning that he had never heard of a deadline extension for Grand Prix berths, and that it made sense to assume that there might not have been enough prior demand. "However," he added, "there has been a flurry of activity since the announcement was made, so the point might be moot."

I asked Peck if YCO's brokers had heard of the deadline extension having any effect on the cost of marina slips for charter clients who want to attend the Monaco Grand Prix. They had not heard of any such discounts, she said, and then added, "you would think it would be open to negotiation if they haven't yet filled the berths."

The upshot for charter clients is that, even at this late date, you still might be able to get a marina slip if you're interested in chartering a yacht for this year's Monaco Grand Prix. Any reputable charter broker can help you with further details.

Cape4Yachting, a company with charter and brokerage offices in Switzerland and Greece, has launched a new set of online forums focusing on the yachting industry.

To my knowledge, this is the first charter management agency to offer public forums on its website. There are several popular forums online for yacht crew, but none that welcome brokers, clients, and any other interested parties to comment on the yachting industry's issues.

I registered midday yesterday for the fledgling effort, which as of this morning has just 26 members. (Hey, you have to start somewhere!) Categories for discussion include brokerage, chartering, crew issues, technical issues, and safety and security.

I posted items to the charter and brokerage sections, and as of this morning had yet to receive feedback. However, I'm encouraged that the people who have signed on as members thus far represent a broad geographic base of potential communicators. I'm located in the United States, while other members are based in Canada, Great Britain, Greece, and Croatia.

It will be interesting to see whether these new forums at the Cape4Yachting site can gain traction and participation. I'll check in from time to time and keep you posted on interesting developments as they occur.