Ten Charter Yachts: An Eclectic Spectrum of Private Yachting

Everyone’s Choice Is Pleasingly Different: They Can All Be Number One  
Freedom of the Seas: Spoilt for Choice
The world of yachting is exciting in its own right, the enjoyment is frequently a very individual experience and sometimes it provides a uniquely pleasurable memory. No hotel can match the qualities of a well-found yacht; the level of service; the ambiance, the attention to detail is unmatched. They are also the most memorable places for important events whether it is closing that big deal, an emotional proposal or simply the pleasure of good company. You might forget which hotel it was but few, if any, would forget the same event if it were on a yacht. Not forgetting; you can go normally go where you want, when you want in a yacht; you have the freedom of the seas.
 
The dilemma of knowing which style of yacht is enticing; it is just degrees of pleasure that will determine your choice. There is a wide range of different types of yachts and cruising grounds to achieve both your demands and dreams, the problem is selecting the elements that appeal to your personal tastes. ‘Eclipse’ is the world’s largest charter yacht at 162m. built by Blohm and Voss but few need the vast volumes of space or near 100 crew in order to enjoy their yachting. All along the way down the size scale, there are joyous experiences denied to the larger yachts as they are too large to access the delightful coves and small harbours in which to anchor and moor.
 
In this feature we are concentrating on more popular sizes of yachts, we nevertheless found so many that are ultimately desirable for one reason or another. It presents the same dilemma as looking at your favourite dishes on a menu; which do you choose when there are three you simply cannot leave out? It has been hard to keep to the idea to feature ten yachts for private charter, each with different characteristics and from a selection of cruising grounds around the world. The cut-down short list was far too long; we had to leave out many that really deserved a place in the final list, including the 77.3m. motor yacht ‘Dragonfly’ (charter agent: Burgess); sublimely elegant, fast, stunning interior and so on, cruising this summer in the eastern Mediterranean. However, as we have several other large yachts in the most popular summer cruising ground of the Mediterranean, we have thus been able to include ‘Hemisphere’, the largest catamaran sailing yacht which is cruising in Australian waters whilst others are in Asian waters. Possibly the most exciting destination on offer next winter is Antarctica where the sailing yacht ‘Vertigo’ (charter agent; Y.Co) will be cruising.
 
Only a little over ten percent of charter yachts are sailing yachts, a statistic that is puzzling; motor yachts offer an unrivalled environment in which to enjoy true luxury on a grand scale, in addition, they have lots of “toys” to play with when at anchor from a submarine to water skiing. A sailing yacht, length for length is more streamlined and so has less volume but there is always a bigger sailing yacht to charter if that is an issue. Two come straight to mind; one, a modern-classic and the other with leading-edge sailing technology - ‘Athena’ (80m.)(charter agent: Y.Co) and’ Maltese Falcon’ (88m.)(charter agent: Ocean Independence). Both vessels have so much space that no one could surely want anything larger or more impressive.
 
Yachts’ “toys” can be great fun but the biggest thrill is sailing a big yacht; few guests do not like to take control of their yacht, with a watchful professional eye over their shoulder, as they guide the yacht endeavouring to achieve its optimum speed. The size of the grins all-round says everything. Again, few can resist racing against any yacht going in roughly the same direction, it is just infectious fun.
 
Arguably, the most stylish sailing yachts are the classic Americas’ Cup racing yachts. There are three original 1930s yachts, including ‘Shamrock V’ (charter agent; Edmiston), they have been lovingly restored and now a number of replica yachts have also been built. They are all amazing to see and sail on. Whilst cost may be a second consideration to enjoyment, they offer remarkable value for money.
 
The Mediterranean is the most popular area of all and it has an eclectic mix of cruising grounds; the Spanish Costas and the French and Italian Rivieras have some highly fashionable and sophisticated ports of call. Italy as a whole has great diversity with celebrity spotting and style in Capri, high culture in many places from Venice to the ruins in Pompeii. Less developed than the western Mediterranean as we go eastwards; Dalmatia has a fabulous string of islands with so many places of interest in stunning scenery; “the pearls of the Adriatic”. The Greek islands are legendary for yacht charter with several cruising grounds of differing characteristics and Turkey has emerged as a very popular cruising ground in the last 30 years. We will cover the Mediterranean cruising areas in more detail in a dedicated feature in the near future.
 
A yachting holiday of even a few days will most likely be a cherished memory for life.
Lamima
65m.sailing
Normal
Classic, best Asian build quality
Guests: 14
Asia
Marcelo Pena/C&N
E 190,000
Leopard lll
30m.sailing
Ultra Fast: holds world records
Modern, racing yacht but also comfortable for cruising  
Guests: 8
UK plus race and regatta venues
Farr Yacht Design /Y.Co
E 47,000
Big Fish
45m.
Motor
Fast
Exploration,
Leading Edge Interior
Guests: 10
South East Asia
McMullen and Wing/ Y.Co
US$245,000
The Sultans Way 007
30.9m.
Motor
Ultra-Fast
Stylish; modern
Guests: 8Maldives
Azimut/The Sultans Way
E 84,000
Maltese Falcon
88m.
Sail
Fast
Unique rig, stands out in any company
Guests: 12
Mediterranean
Perini Navi/Ocean Independence
E 400,000
Solandge
85.1m.
Motor
 Normal
Imposing, top European quality.
Dedicated deck for the master suite
Guests: 12
East and West Mediterranean
Lurssen/C&N
E 1,000,000
Devotion
28m.
Motor
Fast
The last and highest specification Sunseeker 90
Guests: 8
Western Mediterranean
Sunseeker/C&N
E 50,000
Hemisphere
44.2m.sailing
Normal, very smooth motion
Catamaran, great party yacht
Guests: 12
Australia
Pendennis/YPI
US$245,000
Daloli
36.8m.
Motor
Ultra-Fast: 53 knots
Sleek clean lines both externally and in the interior
Guests: 8/9
TBA
Heesen/Edmiston
E 60,000
Tiger Lily of London
27.4m.
Motor
Fast
A nimble 40 knot adrenaline run
Guests: 7
Pershing/Y.Co
E 44,800
Inclusive Ski and Global Travel Insurance: www.mpibrokers.com