Ed Hamilton has worked in every part of the charter industry over the last 37 years and heads one of the largest, most respected charter brokerages.
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Liz Howard joined Fraser Yachts as a charter broker in 2002 after more than 15 years in the maritime industry. E-mail Liz.
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
Michael Sawyer of Infinity Yacht Charters has unique access to charter yachts and crew from Alaska to Mexico. Contact Michael.
| Ipharra: The Newest Large Cat |
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Management company Sunreef Yachts is promoting what it calls the "long-awaited" Ipharra for charters this winter in the Caribbean. I haven't had a chance yet to get aboard myself, but this yacht--at 102 feet long--is the latest in a continuing trend of ever-larger catamarans becoming available for charter. Catamarans are an interesting breed of boat, one that has taken longer to gain popularity in some parts of the world than others. If you book a crewed charter in the Virgin Islands, for instance, then sailing catamarans are about all you will see. Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, the sight of a catamaran on the docks amid all the megayachts is about as rare as a chicken in a bear's den. For some people, catamarans are too non-traditional in design to feel like "real yachts." For other people (including myself), cats offer the best of both worlds: the fun of sailing without the boat constantly heeling over, and the interior and exterior spaciousness of larger motoryachts. There have been a few "mega cats" available for charter in the past decade or so, most notably the 138-foot sailing cat Douce France, which launched in 1998, and the 134-foot powercat Seafaris, which launched in 2006. And while Ipharra is not quite on the scale of those boats, Sunreef is known for its catamarans (the charter firm is a sister company to a catamaran builder), and Ipharra will certainly be one of the largest on the Caribbean charter scene--by far. In the Virgin Islands, for instance, the largest cats tend to be the sisterships Akasha, Zingara, and King's Ransom, each measuring 76 feet in length. That's a massive difference versus a 102-footer in terms of total volume for guest spaces. Ipharra's weekly base rate will be €55,000 for 10 to 12 guests with four crew. I hope to get a look onboard with more details for you during my next trip to the Caribbean, in December. Until then, any reputable charter broker can provide more information or help you book a week aboard. Comments (0)
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