CharterWave eNews
January 2008

New Yachts and Refits Delight the Crowd at the Annual Antigua Charter Show
With nearly 100 sailing and motoryachts on display at three separate marinas, December’s industry-only charter show in Antigua offered something for everyone. Several new builds stood out in the crowd, as did a few refits that had brokers chatting quite a bit on the docks.
     In the new build category, the 141-foot motoryacht Emerald Star drew a lot of attention. Part of the fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International, Emerald Star features a main-deck master suite that has a sliding door opening up to a private balcony on the yacht’s right-hand side. It’s the first charter yacht in the world to offer that feature, to the best of our knowledge. See our exclusive photos and read more in the First Impression review we posted on CharterWave this month.
     Several older yachts also got a lot of attention thanks to refits that left them in outstanding condition. Most of the accolades went to the CharterWave motoryacht of the month for January, Elisabeth F, a 173-footer that was built in 1979 and refit this past year. She’s part of the fleet at a new company called Kaukonen & Kaukonen. Learn more and see photos in our exclusive First Impression review.
     Also in the refit department, a lot of compliments went to the 118-foot motoryacht Watercolours (formerly known as Leda and built in 1990). Her main deck was gutted to make way for a country kitchen-style galley with woodwork so exquisite that it rivals what you’ll find on 200-footers. CharterWave editor Kim Kavin got an exclusive onboard tour from the yacht’s owners, courtesy of management company Northrop & Johnson. Read more and see photos in our exclusive First Impression review.

Large Motoryachts Dominate MYBA’s First Sint Maarten Charter Show
There was just one sailing yacht at this year’s industry-only charter show in Sint Maarten, the first-ever Caribbean show put on by the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association. Motoryachts dominated the docks, including several stunning new launches.
     The belle of the show was the new, 189-foot Lady Sheridan, built by Abeking & Rasmussen and managed for charter by Burgess Yachts. Her interior is drop-dead gorgeous, and we’re working on getting permission to show you some of the photos we snapped onboard. Stay tuned for what we hope will be a great “motoryacht of the month” feature on CharterWave in February.
     Also drawing a lot of attention was the new, 200-foot Secret, built by Feadship and also managed for charter by Burgess Yachts. CharterWave editor Kim Kavin wasn't allowed to bring cameras or notebook onboard, and she was told that she could not write about what she saw during her tour (see her blog post about that). Suffice to say that Secret is a nice enough new yacht, but that, sadly, we cannot give you our opinion about whether she’s worth the $550,000-per-week base rate that the owner is seeking. 
     In the refit department, Burgess Yachts scored a big hit with the 158-foot NOA VII, which several charter brokers said was their favorite yacht in the show, beating out the two new launches mentioned above. We’ll have a First Impression review of NOA VII for your soon.
     And last but certainly not least, the management companies International Yacht Collection and The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals made a big impression with a fabulous yacht hop featuring multiple boats, costumed crew, and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Three of the standouts were the 115-foot Harmony, the 125-foot Milk ’n Honey, and the 156-foot motoryacht Azzurra II. Check out some photos from the yacht hop on the CharterWave Editor's Blog.
 

Premier Shipbuilder Announces Details about New Martha Ann
Lurssen—one of the world’s premier builders of custom yachts—announced in mid-December that it will have the brand-new, 230-foot motoryacht Martha Ann ready for delivery this April, just in time for the Mediterranean charter season. The existing yacht by the same name has been a longtime favorite in the worldwide charter market (though undoubtedly at a much different price point, since she’s “just” 140 feet long).
     The new Martha Ann is being built to codes that will make it charter compliant worldwide, and we here at CharterWave are looking forward to seeing what she has to offer. So far, we’re told that the six-deck motoryacht includes five guest cabins with king-size beds plus a massive owner’s suite, as well as a glass elevator, a swimming pool with bar, and a sports bar/gymnasium with hot tub.
     Sounds awfully nice…


New Helpful Article: Your Budget and What Charter Yacht You Can Afford
We get a lot of questions here on CharterWave from readers who know how much they want to spend, but who can't figure out how their total budget sizes up in terms of charter yacht base rates, typical additional expenses, seasonal price increases, and the like.
     This new article in our Helpful Articles section should help you demistify things a bit.


U.S. Congress Continues Effort to Make Cruise Ships Safer
December 19 was the deadline for CLIA—the main lobbying group for the worldwide cruise ship industry—to report what changes to safety rules and efforts it was willing to make in the wake of several hearings before a U.S. Congress subcommittee in 2007.
     According to the group International Cruise Victims, CLIA agreed voluntarily to only 7 percent of the suggested and recommended changes to enhance passenger safety and rights. It seems the battle will continue before U.S. lawmakers in 2008. We’ll be watching…


New Book Describes Life Behind-the-Scenes in a Yacht Galley
As we first told you on the CharterWave Editor’s Blog, there’s a new book out that will be a great read for anybody interested in what happens behind the scenes on a luxury yacht.
     Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France’s Cote d’Azure and Italy’s Costa Bella is by former yacht chef David Shalleck, with a foreword by celebrity chef Mario Batali. Shalleck writes beautifully about his time as a yacht chef, explaining exactly what goes on belowdecks during onboard dinner parties and events. The boat he worked aboard was not in charter, but in some cases it functioned as if it were. For anyone interested in what the crew are doing and thinking onboard luxury yachts, Mediterranean Summer is an excellent read.
     Even better, Mr. Shalleck includes a handful of his favorite recipes from his time in Europe, dishes such as “grilled tuna panini” that you read about him making in the galley and then can attempt yourself. The instructions are clear and far simpler than you might imagine.
     The book costs $23.95 and is available online from sites like Amazon.com. If you want to learn more, here's a link to the author’s website.

Best of the CharterWave Editor’s Blog
Charterer, Know Thyself. I just spent about an hour here at the industry-only Antigua charter yacht show onboard the 164-foot motoryacht High Chaparral, in the wheelhouse, to be exact, chatting with Capt. Emile Coatzee. I was taking notes for our CharterWave Crew Interviews section, and Coatzee really surprised me with one of his answers to my standard questions... Read more... 

Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs
From the Regency Yacht Vacations blog: Hotel & Sea Package. Crystal Clear and her Captain Charly Zahre have teamed with Biras Creek Resort on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands to offer Sea & Hotel Packages. Try sailing for two night with four in the hotel — or the other way around. Read more...

This Week's 10 Best
If you haven't been checking the CharterWave home page every Monday, then you've been missing our new weekly "10 Best" feature. It offers all kinds of news you can use about charter yachts, destinations, trends, brokers, and more.
     In December, we featured the 10 Best dock-and-dine restaurants to visit while you're on charter, the 10 Best lessons learned at the recent Caribbean charter boat shows, the 10 Best tips for chartering in the South Pacific, and the 10 Best reasons to book your holiday 2008 charter now.
     Click here to see what's on the CharterWave 10 Best list this week.


Crewed Motoryacht of the Month: Elisabeth F
This 173-foot motoryacht, built in 1979 by Feadship, recently underwent a total refit that left her in outstanding condition. She won more rave reviews at December's Antigua charter yacht show than many of the new yachts on display at the same time, in part thanks to her spectacular bridge deck, which features an indoor-outdoor party area (see photo at right).
     Click here to see more photographs and read our exclusive First Impression review.


Crewed Sailing Yacht of the Month: Three Moons
Three Moons is one of a few Irwin 72 sailing yachts that are available for charter in the Virgin Islands, but she caught our eye because she offers a few things that her competitors do not, namely, onboard pedicures and a take-home cookbook written by the yacht's co-owner/chef.
     We got onboard for an exclusive First Impression review. Click here to see what we learned.


Captain of the Month: Brett Major
Brett Major impressed a lot of industry insiders at December's Sint Maarten charter yacht show, not just with his record of experience and seamanship, but also by throwing an outstanding cocktail party with a country-style "Brokeback Mountain" theme onboard the motoryacht Lady Zelda.
     CharterWave editor Kim Kavin snagged an exclusive interview with Major in the yacht's main saloon the morning after the big party (not too early, of course!). Click here to see what he had to say about the yacht he commands, his favorite destinations, and more.


Chef of the Month: Stephanie Hodges
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin was lucky enough to enjoy this chef's unique take on surf-and-turf during an invitation-only luncheon onboard the motoryacht Atlantica at December's Sint Maarten charter show. Just a few days later, the same dish was named best in its category in the boat show's chef competition.
     Read our exclusive interview with Stephanie by clicking here, and watch her in action onboard Atlantica in our exclusive vidcast by clicking here.


Charter Broker of the Month: Maggie Vale
Based in Newport, Rhode Island, Maggie Vale held pretty much every job in the worldwide charter industry--including yacht captain--before becoming a broker with Rikki Davis Yachts at Churchill Yacht Partners.
     Learn more about Maggie's extensive resume, and the kinds of yacht vacations she books nowadays, by reading our exclusive interview.


Fleet and Management Company News
BCR Yachts says the 72-foot sailing yacht Concerto is actively seeking charters in the Caribbean this winter. “Bring all offers forward” is the message, with the advertised weekly base rate of 19,000 euros for six guests… Also accepting all Caribbean inquiries for charters this winter is the 78-foot sailing yacht Rusalka, which has a published weekly base rate of 25,000 euros for six guests… And the 75-foot sailing yacht Sunday Morning is making her way to the Red Sea, where she will be available for charters in March and April before cruising in Turkey for the upcoming summer charter season…

Camper & Nicholsons International welcomes three new yachts to its fleet: the 163-foot motoryacht Braveheart, which will take 10 guests in the Caribbean; the 140-foot motoryacht Emerald Star, which will take 12 guests in the Caribbean; and the 96-foot motoryacht Serenity Now, which will take six guests in the Virgin Islands and Northern Caribbean… The company also recently released the winter edition of its luxury magazine, Sea & I…

CharterPortBVI’s longtime, popular sailing catamaran Belline II announced a crew change in December, not long after the Tortola charter yacht show in the British Virgin Islands. Stewardess Melissa Libs has left the 48-foot boat after a year of service, and co-owner Lela Wegmann will return to help her husband, Walter, run charters until replacement crew can get onboard…

Churchill Yacht Partners welcomes the 154-foot sailing yacht Andromeda la Dea to its fleet, offering charters for eight or nine guests in the Caribbean this winter before heading over to the Mediterranean to offer charters this summer…

Fraser Yachts Worldwide, in partnership with 37 South of Auckland, New Zealand, is promoting the new 112-foot motoryacht VvS1, which will be available for charters beginning this summer in New Zealand—which means this winter for those of us in the United States and Europe. Charter guests will have access to the yacht owner’s private golf course near Queenstown, as well as to the world-renowned Hills golf course, where the owner is among the invitation-only members... 

International Yacht Collection is celebrating big victories by two of its chefs, Stephanie Hodges of the motoryacht Atlantica and Vincent Fraissange of the motoryacht Azzurra II, who took top honors in their categories during the chef’s competition at the Sint Maarten charter show in December. Stephanie won for a surf-and-turf of tuna and wagyu beef, while Vincent scored with his lobster tail and braised mutton. You can see Stephanie in action in our newly posted vidcast, as she is this month's CharterWave chef of the month…

Merrill-Stevens Yachts is promoting the 106-foot motoryacht Mama B, which has availability for charters in the Bahamas this winter at a weekly base rate of $39,500 for eight guests with four crew… Merrill-Stevens also has the 105-foot motoryacht Lady J available in the Caribbean at a weekly base rate of $35,000 for eight guests with four crew, and the 106-foot motoryacht Primadonna available after February 11 for eight guests at a weekly base rate of $39,500… New to the fleet is the 130-foot motoryacht Arioso, which will take 10 guests with seven crew in the Caribbean this winter at a weekly base rate of $85,000… The Fort Lauderdale-based company also recently opened a new office in Sint Maarten…

Nautor’s Swan has a dozen sailing yachts available for cruising—and some for racing—this winter in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and United Kingdom. The yachts range in size from 51 feet to 82 feet long, with weekly base rates from 7,500 to 32,000 euros, taking anywhere from six to nine guests…

Nicholson Yachts has several sailing yachts with availability in the Virgin Islands, Caribbean, and Grenadines this winter. They include the 47-foot Buster, which takes four guests at a weekly base rate of $6,000; the 53-foot Ashlana, which takes four guests at a weekly base rate of $12,150; Saskianna, a 57-footer that takes four guests at a weekly base rate of $13,800; Calliope, a 60-footer that takes eight guests at a weekly base rate of $10,350; and the 82-foot Fortuna, which takes 10 guests at a weekly base rate of $29,000. Many of the rates include some expenses, including ship’s bar…

Primo Yacht has several motoryachts seeking bookings for this summer’s Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix. They include the 147-foot Secret Life at a weekly base rate of 95,000 euros, the 146-foot Costa Magna at a weekly base rate of 96,000 euros, the 98-foot Ladies First at a weekly base rate of 62,000 euros, the 86-foot Blue Chip at a weekly base rate of 49,000 euros, the 74-foot Voyage of Beaulieu at a weekly base rate of 28,000 euros, and the 64-foot Tease at a weekly base rate of 28,000 euros…

New First Impressions Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Ad Astra, 57-foot sailing catamaran
Argonauta V, 62-foot sailing catamaran
Atlantica, 135-foot motoryacht
Elisabeth F, 173-foot motoryacht
Emerald Star, 140-foot motoryacht
La Dolce Vita, 52-foot sailing yacht
Lady Zelda, 130-foot motoryacht
Swish, 47-foot sailing catamaran
Three Moons, 72-foot sailing yacht
Watercolours, 118-foot motoryacht

New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Capt. Brett Major, motoryacht Lady Zelda
Chef Stephanie Hodges, motoryacht Atlantica

New Broker Interview Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Maggie Vale, Churchill Yacht Partners

New Vidcast Posted on CharterWave This Month:
In the galley with chef Stephanie Hodges onboard the motoryacht Atlantica

New Helpful Article Posted on CharterWave This Month:
If my budget is XYZ, what kind of charter yacht can I afford?