First Impression: Aristarchos

Date Toured: May 2007

Many factors must come together for a yacht to be considered among the world’s elite for charter. First, the boat itself has to be special. Second, the crew must be well experienced with and excellent track record. And third, the boat has to have a certain extra something, a je ne sais quoi that allows her to command rates above the $100,000-a-week mark.
     All three of these factors are in unison onboard the 131-foot Aristarchos, a gorgeous sailing yacht that is arguably not just one of the finest in all of Greece, but in all of the world's charter markets.   
    Built by the Swan company in 2006, Aristarchos has a crew who have worked together for nearly a decade and an owner-selected layout that accommodates just six lucky guests at a time—about half of what many other sailing yachts her size offer.
    The cabin layout includes a master with his-and-her double beds as well as his-and-her walk-in closets, tons of space to pamper the primary charter guests that, on other boats, would be devoted to squeezing another cabin onboard. The photo at the top of this page is of the master cabin, looking at the beds and the guest hallway beyond them from inside the en suite bathroom.
     The two guest cabins include one with a double bed and one with twin beds, though the twins are large enough that adults will be comfortable sleeping in them.
     The yacht’s interior is done in walnut and anigre with teak accents, according to the captain. The main saloon is lovely, but my favorite space was the formal dining room (shown at right) that can seat eight people comfortably or 10 in a squeeze if your charter party wants to invite a few friends over for dinner.
     Most of the time, though, you’ll probably be where the action is: in the cockpit on deck, sitting comfortably in the breeze as the crew aim for Aristarchos’s top speed of 14 knots. Meals should be lovely here, as well, especially if the crew use the table extensions for an outdoor dinner party under the stars of the Greek sky.
     Aristarchos is part of the fleet at Atalanta Golden Yachts. Her lowest weekly base rate is 87,500 euros for six guests with six crew, or about $24,500 per person with 25-percent expenses included. Contact any reputable charter broker for more information.—Kim Kavin