Date toured: December 2007

Don’t let the simplicity of the name Jo fool you. This 164-foot Benetti motoryacht, built in 2004, is a substantial beauty with a Francois Zuretti-designed interior and a highly trained crew, which I say based on the short time I spent with them.
     Jo actually has two captains who work two months on, then two months off, as is becoming popular among large motoryachts these days. The idea is that the captains experience less burnout and have time to enjoy a proper family life ashore, thus keeping them in the yachting business longer. The captain who was onboard during my visit was Ian Robertson, previously of the spectacular 203-foot Virginian. That is the caliber of yacht with which I would compare the experience I had onboard Jo.
     In particular, I was treated to an outstanding lunch prepared by chef David Beltran, whose Caribbean salad with sliced beef tenderloin only hinted at his capabilities in terms of both taste and presentation. It was the nicest-presented salad I’ve had onboard a yacht in recent memory, and I could’ve eaten one every day for a week, it was so light and delicious.
     The food offered on Jo is probably one of the reasons she’s so hard to book in the Mediterranean, where many of the charter clients are repeat customers. They come from all parts of the world, I’m told, and I’m guessing that they appreciate Beltran’s ability to speak five languages (English, German, Italian, Spanish and French). Robertson told me first-time guests would have better luck finding an open week during the winter in the Caribbean, where there tends to be better availability.
     Jo takes 12 guests with 12 crew, with a large master suite on the main deck and the rest of the accommodations on the lower deck. Two of the cabins have twin-size beds with Pullman berths, so if you have 12 guests altogether, two of them can sleep in those bunk-style berths.
     However, a nice feature onboard Jo is that she also has a media room on her bridge deck, adjacent to the sky lounge. The media room (see photo above) converts to a cabin with a bathroom, thus providing an option with more space for guests to spread out.
     Jo’s weekly base rate is $278,800 per week. She’s part of the fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.—Kim Kavin