Little Harbor Yacht Brokers, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is getting into the management end of the term-charter business with the debut of Whisper, a 116-foot sloop that goes on display for viewing at boat shows in Fort Lauderdale and Antigua in November and December 2003.
The boat, whose owner says it offers clients the “finest chartering experience at any price,” features four deluxe guest cabins, including a master cabin with private aft companionway, marbled head with steam bath, and an office area.
Guests can take in panoramic views from extra-large windows in a pilothouse that includes a full wet bar and upholstered seats. Or they can venture on deck and into the cockpit, which accommodates 12. A working crew of five has separate sleeping and galley quarters forward.
The introductory weeklong rate offered for Caribbean departures during the fall 2003 and winter 2004 seasons is $50,000 for up to eight guests, excluding expenses (rates during Christmas and New Years holidays are $55,000). The boats expected to head to Mediterranean waters in the summer of 2004.
The yachts designers, from the Ted Hood and Fontaine firms, expect Whisper to be fast and comfortable; her keel centerboard allows the boat to cruise in waters as thin as eight feet. For details about chartering the boat, contact broker Sandy Carney (401-683-7000, e-mail scarney@lhyb.com).
Sunsail in Holland
Sunsail has opened a new sailing center at Lelystad, only 40 minutes from Amsterdam on Holland’s IJsselmeer, featuring Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37s for teaching and for charter. Corporate regattas and team-building events are expected to be part of the sailing packages offered to a predominantly Dutch and German clientele. Staff are fluent in German and in English, are trained to levels equivalent to Britain’s Royal Yachting Association criteria, and are qualified to teach the range of RYA courses. “This new venture in Holland has been set up right at the center of sailing in The Netherlands, and we hope it will attract both clients wanting to charter our yachts for short breaks and holidays or take RYA courses as well as those companies that want corporate events and regattas,” said Andrew Howard, sales and marketing director for First Choice Marine, Sunsail’s corporate owner. For details about this and other centers and Sunsail sailing clubs, contact the company (888-350-3566, www.sunsail.com and e-mail sunsailusa@sunsail.com).
Changing of the Guard
Lynn Jachney, founder of Lynn Jachney Charters (LJC) in Marblehead, Massachusetts, retired in July after a 35-year career in the vacation sailing business. Angela Connery, a broker who’s been with the company since 1987, will become the manager. The charter company (800-223-2050, 781-639-0787, www.lynnjachneycharters.com and e-mail ljc@boston.sisna.com) is known for arranging top-end private yacht charters around the world, with an emphasis on regions including the eastern and western Mediterranean, the Caribbean, New England, the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the Pacific, and the Galápagos.
