30 Nov 2013

Super Yachts and Luxury Lifestyle


Luxury lifestyle can be defined in many ways.   
It is probably easy to agree that those who enjoy best of luxury lifestyles are usually unknown to the public eye, as they prefer their privacy.  Such super-rich families or individuals, probably live in unimaginable luxury. 

One would assume they own their own private jets, with which they visit their worldwide based super luxury retreats and private super mega yachts so that no one ever finds out about their whereabouts.   Or did you hear lately about zillionaire Rothschild’s last weekend away with his girlfriend, not to mention hordes of other less known billionaires who we’ve never heard of, let alone know they enjoy any kind of luxury lifestyle?

Super cars on display at a private motor yacht show in Spain
What we know about luxury lifestyle, is what we regularly experience ourselves, for example luxury shopping in Paris, Cannes or London’s New Bond Street, private jet flight to Switzerland or occasional blast in the new Rosso Corsa Ferrari 458 Spider en route to St Tropez, Monaco or Puerto Banus.   

More of a genuine life in pure luxury is usually thrown at us by daily newspapers and celebrity magazines such as OK or Hello.  With hard to miss intensity, they tell us about the Dutches of Cambridge, the X Factor impresario Simon Cowell or the Brangelina and Beckhams lifestyle.  And so, Ms Angelina Jolie and Mr Brad Pitt have apparently a property portfolio worth close to around 100 million US$’s and the Beckhams are just adding another  London property to their collection, a true Bond-style home with tunnel access for cars, worth apparently £40 million pounds Sterling.  One can imagine quite a nice luxury lifestyle behind these closed doors, especially if you add a small army of servants and professional staff members at their disposal, or the fact Brangelina have bragging rights when it comes to owning a French château and vineyard as well as their own petting zoo!  Add to this both couples’ engagement rings studded with seven or eleven carat diamond whoppers, each costing in excess of several hundred of thousands of Euros and you can figure out how their next luxury holiday at sea will look like.   Simon Cowell’s luxury lifestyle and holiday on the other hand will inevitably have something more to do with super yachts as he has been seen cruising very regularly in the Caribbean or South of France.  His first choice super yacht, the fabulous ''Slipstream'', a 60m CMN designed by Andrew Winch is something that brings us closer to a luxury lifestyle we talk about on here.

Of course, in these times of extreme poverty in some parts of the world, luxury lifestyle could be seen as having a house, a car or belonging to the government circles alone.  In other parts, amongst the newly rich Russian businessmen who send their own family for shopping trips to London on a privately chartered aircraft, with their influx to the UK singlehandedly boosting demand and profits of Private jet aircraft companies, or the odd Spanish business owner from Madrid or New York property guru to name but a few, the luxury lifestyle is defined in different ways.   

Shopping in St Tropez, cruising towards Monaco
And as these examples show, luxury lifestyle for those who inhabit a world of super-rich power players, most of us cannot even imagine, let alone afford to live.  What the super yacht charter clients will usually consider when planning a luxury holiday at sea, either on a mega yacht, a super yacht or any other type of luxury crewed charter yacht,  is a limited budget, limited time frame and limited choice of yachts on offer.  This is where a reputable yacht charter broker with good experience in luxury lifestyle and super yachts on offer can be of great assistance.  
When planning a luxury lifestyle holiday such as the private yacht charter, the first issue super yacht charter clients will consider is the type and size of the yacht.  As any of such yachts will be part of a luxury lifestyle, it would be sufficient to point anyone to a Yacht Search section on SuperSailYachts to answer that question.   As yachts and destinations go hand in hand, any destination you call in with a super yacht, will equal a luxury destination and therefore luxury lifestyle.  If you visit Costa Blanca in Spain by landing on a Ryanair’s or EasyJet flight and get a hotel transfer to a 3 star low quality hotel, you will be one of many.  If however you arrive to Valencia’s coastline on a super yacht during the America’s Cup, the whole experience suddenly seems to be on another planet. 

View over the fabulous Hermitage Bay in Antigua
So what are the choices for you this winter ? Super sail yacht Leopard 3 is certainly a good choice to start with.  A superfast sailing yacht offers great levels of luxury on board with 4 crew members and most modern facilities on board.  Add to this their perfect gourmet style menu’s, 5 star luxury service, a fabulous 8m super yacht tender and your luxury lifestyle holiday on a super yacht is gaining a momentum.  The yacht has just called in the Caribbean and her crew are ready to accept luxury crewed charters anywhere in the East Caribbean, all the way South from the island country of Grenada up to the fabulous BVI’s.   At £40.000 pound Sterling per week all inclusive as per Caribbean terms, this is one of the best value super yacht charters and luxury lifestyle holidays today.
Another luxury lifestyle option is yacht charter on one more super sail yacht. This one, a fabulous Perini Navi, is even more impressive.  At 64m Felicita West is one of the largest super sail yachts in the world and certainly one of the more impressive ones.  She accommodates parties of 10 guests with an option to sleep additional two persons.  Commanded by a highly experienced captain Aaron Abramovitz, she is offering a vast, full beam master suite with a Jacuzzi, gym equipment and a large hydraulic swimming platform.  With itineraries going as far South as Trinidad & Tobago, and charter rates starting at well below 200.000 US$’s/week, this yacht is indeed a perfect choice for one of the best luxury lifestyle holidays today. 

Ultimate luxury lifestyle experience can be found in Pacific
If the notion of luxury lifestyle and the Caribbean will not do it for you, the Pacific and a super sail yacht combination should certainly do. What greater luxury holiday can you experience, other then super yacht charter on a 53m ultra modern Alloy super sail yacht with choice of itineraries covering the New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji or Tonga region ?  Captained by very friendly Michel Personnic, the yacht offers accommodation for up to 10/11 guests and charters at just above 200.000 US$’s/week.  Available in New Zealand as of February 2014 and onwards, this is the perfect choice to experience luxury lifestyle at its best.  And if you need a private jet aircraft to take you there from Sydney, you can bet there will be a number of jets offering such options too.
If sailing yachts are not on your list of possible luxury lifestyle vacations, then a motor yacht is probably going to be the next best choice.  Starting with a small explorer yacht TIVOLI, you could enjoy Hawaii this winter from only 55.000 US dollars per week, with 10 day charters offered for 7 day price during certain periods.   The same charter boat will head to Alaska in Summer 2014, thus taking two charters, one in winter and one in summer on board of this cute luxury motor yacht could certainly make you feel like a celebrity.

Super Yacht PEGASO, a 73.6m boat with sumbarine & helipad
The next big motor yacht is a NEW STAR, a 30m Benetti which is currently in Antigua for the annual boat show there.  The yacht offers luxury lifestyle charters from 65.000 US$’s per week and is likely to remain around Antigua, St Maarten, St Barths and Anguilla for most part of the winter season, before returning to South of France for the next years F1 Monaco Grand Prix in May 2014.
If you would like a new super yacht based in the Bahamas, then ‘Checkmate’, a 145’ Benetti which charters from 200.000 US$’s could be your perfect luxury lifestyle choice.  She has a spectacular on-deck master suite providing 180 degree panoramic views.  The sundeck is the most popular area on this yacht and you are bound to enjoy best of luxury when using on board Jacuzzi, custom wet bar, semi-circle seating area, BBQ, plasma TV and a dining table for eight people.

On top of these yachts, there are a number of other vessels including luxury sailing catamarans and a few super mega yachts such as the 73.6m Pegaso, a Spanish built, fully customised boat which has a 9m submarine on board as well as a commercially compliant helipad.  Chartering any of them will definitely put you on the road towards enjoying best of luxury lifestyles on this planet.  Add to this a choice of other luxury holiday destinations, such as the Maldives, Galapagos, South East Asia, Seychelles or South Africa, a possibility to arrange a luxury limousine airport transfers, private jet flights from most of international airports directly to the immediate vicinity of your embarkation port and usual 5 star super yacht service onboard and you are likely to be keen to enjoy the combination of luxury lifestyle and super yachts not just this winter, but for the rest of your active holiday travels.


 




16 Nov 2013

Water Sport Toys on board of SUPER YACHTS



When chartering a super yacht, most yacht charter clients’ main motive is the escapism and privacy. 
In many other cases the yachtcharter clients simply wish to have a luxury holiday at sea, be it to enjoy the highest levels of service, the most luxurious cruise or the feeling of freedom and prestige.
 

Others will charter a yacht as part of their business meeting or a corporate event while some will also do so as they wish to try something new.  Regardless what the motives for their next luxury yacht charter vacation, everyone will at some time during their charter want to use water sport toys provided on board.


The list of water sport toys on board of super yachts is never ending and every few months there is a new option to be had.  Only recently, a gadget connected to the on board jet ski was introduced, which allows the user to fly at the heights of up to 15m in the air.  A truly fascinating gadget indeed, as long as you are fit and courageous enough to use it.  We witnessed the presentation of one such product during the Super Yacht show in Mallorca in May 2013 and the audience was indeed captured and stunned looking at various acrobatic performances of the presenter.
Superb selection of water sport toys on 60m Andreas L super yacht

And while some super mega yachts already have on board submarines or super fast jet tenders that fly over the water at speeds of well over 50kn, in most cases the mega yacht charter clients will be using Jet Ski’s, Waverunners, towing inflatable gear such as banana’s, tube’s or water skii’s.  Some yachts have already introduced fabulous new, usually custom made, sealed-air inflatable water slides made with the finest materials for the safety of your party!  Others are seriously considering ordering the latest toy, the FLYBOARD, an incredible flying machine designed by World’s Champion Franky Zapata.  In some cases, as it has proved very popular in the past few years, they will take advantage of fabulous seabobs, which provide exhilarating experience on and below the water and are relatively easy to use by all grownups.

Thus, if you are in the process of planning your first or next luxury crewed yacht charter holiday at sea, these are the water sport toys you are either likely to find on board or you should demand from your charter agent.
Super Yacht Tenders waiting on their owners in a safe mooring

SUPER YACHT TENDER
A good, high quality super yacht tender is the most important gadget.  It should be at least around 5m or 17’ in length and have a minimum 60hp engine.   Some mega yachts such as LADY SHARON GALE will have a larger 40’ tender which they can only tow behind them.  Others, such as super yachts bigger then 50m will have at least two, one of which is likely to be at least 7m.  Super Mega Yachts of 70m+ will have several tenders on board ensuring highest levels of safety, with some even having rain protection.  Whatever the super yacht you will be chartering, make sure you are provided with a good tender as in most cases, getting on shore in your new fancy outfit will require a nice and luxury beach or city transfer from the anchorage your own super yacht will be anchored at. Thus, a good super yacht tender should be
designed for optimum passenger seating comfort and the same should also easily tow a or pull the sea toys available.

JET SKI
A good waverunner, a two or a three-seater is the next toy on the list.  An absolutely essential part of any super yacht nowadays, waverunners provide users with such an exhilarating fun nobody should miss out on.  In most cases, especially in the Mediterranean, the use of these toys is restricted to those who own the licence.  IN case your charter party does not have one, we can arrange a professional JET SKI instructor to come on board on a specified day so you can get your licence in the course of a few hours in the afternoon. 

SEABOB
The next must have water sport toy on board of a luxury crewed yacht is the seabob or water-sled as some have learned to call it.  Sweeping along through the water with a Seabob Jet is simply said a fascinating experience. Nothing can be more fun than rediscovering water, while riding over the water, diving into impressive underwater world or simply cruising along the surface with your own body fully submerged. Using a Seabob is can also be seen as an additional wellness experience.  The water pressure is great so that it will in fact both force you through the water, but also massage you in the process, leaving your whole body tingling afterwards. Thus, Seabob is a real water toy, powerful and easy to handle and force you through the water at speeds of around 10km/h / 6m/h, and it crucially offers a genuinely new experience to most water sport enthusiasts.

TOWING GEAR, INFLATABLES & TUBES
A number of towing toys are always available on board of any super yacht.  These usually include a  Banana Rider for between 2 or 8 persons, a Tube, Jumpseats, Wakeboard, Kneeboard, Waterskiis, Monoskiis etc.   A banana for example is a nice recreational toy designed to be pulled by a tender. 
The riders normally site upright, astride a large tube which is attached to two smaller tubes. Most bananas have solid grip handles placed in front of the seating place for you to hang on to while the powerful tender speeds around the bays.

Swimming platform on board of Motor Cruiser in Croatia
The tubes are mainly for the fitter or more competitive charter guests who like to see and watch who can hang on the longest.  Similar to tubes, the doughnuts are also pulled by the tenders, albeit they are safer to use as one would sit on them, rather than try to hand on to them.  Water skis tend to be the next most popular water sport toy.  When  chartering a super yacht you should make sure there are both children and adult skis or monoskiis on board.  Wakeboard and kneeboard are again for the more experienced or fitter users. Wakeboards in particular should have wide-set quad fins and a low-volume rail will provide you with strong edging and control, while the continuous rocker pattern should provide the user with predictable lift off the wake to get the space they need for original moves on the water. The profile of wakeboard should be as thin and light as possible so that it allows the user to flex and rebound, which in turn would ideally maximise the pop which would allow them to attempt new, thrilling moves.

SAILING DINGHIES/LASERS
Sailing dinghies are getting their foothold more and more within the water sport toys storage.  These type of boats are usually around 3-4m long sail boats that have open cockpits and no cabins in them. They allow the users to make first sailing steps or enhance their current skills as they allow quicker mastering given that all actions have to be executed quicker than on the larger sailing yachts.

BEACH TOYS
Beach toys are in particular of great importance for super yacht charters with children on board, as the crew will not always be able to pay attention to children.  Having a plethora of beach toys on board is therefore both very useful as well as very important.  On a long sunny day, you are bound to want to keep your children busy so you can sunbathe on the beach or explore the underwater world with your partner.  Children could in the meantime play frizbee on the beach sand, sunbathe safely under a beach umbrella or get involved in some of the ball sports such as football. On some yachts there are all necessary equipment to organise a beach volleyball tournament between guests.
Some mega yachts will also carry bicycles, segways or even scooters on board.

SNORKELLING
One of the most rewarding activities during any vacation at sea, is snorkelling experience.  During your super yacht charter holiday, regardless in which destinations it will be taking place, you should have plenty of opportunities to do exactly that.  With snorkelling gear found on board, you can simply take a lazy swim along the shore checking out the reef and fish in the area. In some locations, such as at the Porquerolles National Park in South of France or off the shore of the island Susak in Northern Croatia, you can swim with the schools of fish in crystal clear sea water.  In some other areas such as the Gulf of St Tropez, in front of Brigitte Bardot’s houses for example, you can just look at the colourful scenery beneath the water. Your yacht charter agent should ensure that on your specific itinerary you will have plenty of opportunity for your snorkelling dives.

Water sport toys in use while 147' MY Berzinc is at anchor


SCUBA DIVING
On board of some super yachts, yacht charter guests may also find full diving equipment on board. Scuba diving can be a wonderful addition to your luxury crewed charter holiday in case you have certified or keen divers amongst your party. 
A unique itinerary can be tailor made for you so you can visit some of the most beautiful diving places in the chosen super yacht charter destination.  These diving spots are likely to be a great choice for beginners as well as advanced divers alike, although on occasion only highly qualified and experienced divers could participate.  In some cases the boats will also have underwater cameras on board, or you can plan to bring your own tech equipment.  Some very specific mega yachts will have a professional instructor or a Dive master on board too.  If there is no diving equipment on board we you can always get a rendez-vous diving arranged with the best local company which offers scuba diving adventures. Whatever the scenario, you can rest assured that all mega yachts will either have or their super yacht crew will be able to arrange best equipment including tanks, regulators, and a wide range of Scubapro BCD’s and shorties for all sizes. Thus, wherever you decide to go on your next super yacht charter vacation, scuba diving can be arranged regardless if you are on board of a small yacht such as KENTAVROS II, which is based in Greece and which carries scuba equipment for 2 adults or on the largest super mega yacht which may not have any such equipment on board.

Swimming platform on board of Douce France sailing catamaran
FISHING AND DEEP SEA FISHING, BIG GAME FISHING
Fishing equipment is another set of equipment which yacht charter clients on board of luxury crewed super yachts may find.  As with scuba diving gear even a smaller number of super yachts will carry such equipment around. In most cases this would be basic equipment for a bit of casual, fun fishing in the next small bay or when trolling the coastal flats.  In some cases however, the super yacht crew will have great equipment where heading offshore for the thrills of big game fishing will be a good game. Such yachts can offer exciting fishing adventure for anglers of all levels and abilities.  Fishing with light tackle and gear for sailfish, wahoo, marlin, and other blue water fish makes for the perfect fishing trip for the kids & adults.  Once again, you can make a great decision if you check what equipment is on board beforehand and if your super yacht charter agent can recommend a particular super yacht in respect of any specific equipment you prefer to have on board.

SWIMMING PLATFORM
Finally, the importance of swimming platform should not be underestimated. Although it cannot be classed as a water sport toy, the experience of having to jump off into the sea for a little bit of snorkelling or to board your waverunner and jet ski from a tiny step or a platform which is not at the or near the water level can very negatively influence your super yacht charter experience.  For that reason, especially if you will have elder charter guests or those who may not be very active or capable, it is worth ensuring that your super yacht will have a nice swimming platform for easy access to the water.  One on board of luxury crewed catamaran Douce France is a good example.

Money no object, you can also choose a yacht which may have the best choice of water sport toys on board on occasion.  Super mega yacht TITANIA, a fabulous 236' / 72m Luerssen, would be one of the best choices.Whaterver your super yacht choice will be, lets hope you are in for a great experience and lots of exhilarating water fun during your next luxury crewed yacht charter.