First Impression: Nikata

Date toured: December 2007

Nikata is an 82-foot Swan sailing yacht that was built in 2005 and got a new owner in February 2007. He put her into charter for the first time during the summer of 2007 in the Mediterranean, having her sail her some 12,000 miles from England to Turkey during six weeks of charter and eight weeks of owner use.
     She’s a racer-cruiser, meaning a race-boat hull with a cruising-boat interior. She can move well—which pleases her captain, Matt Hardy, who previously raced competitively before taking over Nikata with longtime girlfriend Ayla Lewis, who serves as chef.
     “We’re best for people who like performance sailing, but don’t want to compromise on their creature comforts,” she says.
     That includes families with small children, since Nikata’s owner has a 5-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 9-year-old. Her crew are well used to having kids onboard, which is not always the case onboard sailing yachts that offer peak performance.
     “They always have life jackets on when they’re on deck, so we have that equipment, but most parents like to bring their own to be sure of a proper fit,” Lewis says. “And we have tethers if we need to harness them to the side. Kids up to about age 4 are probably too young for our boat, especially if they’re not yet walking. But in general, we do really like children.”
     As with most charter yachts, the crew are not baby-sitters, so you’ll need to bring a nanny if you don’t plan to watch your children yourself. During a typical seven-day charter, Hardy says, the crew are happy to baby-sit one night.
     Lewis trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and her range includes Asian, Thai, sushi and vegetarian meals. “I’m trained in all the classic, heavy sauces,” she says, “and I’m happy to do that if people want it, but I tend to stay away from it on the boat. It’s hot, and people don’t usually want it.”
     Also worth noting is that Nikata carries four small, remote-controlled sailboats for what Hardy calls “proper little regattas off the aft deck.”
     “The men get really competitive at cocktail hour,” Lewis adds. “They race around the boat.”
     Nikata is part of the fleet at Nautor’s Swan. Her weekly base rate is 32,000 euros for eight guests with three crew. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.—Kim Kavin