ONELIFE #35 – American English

LUXURY YACHTS
From royalty and heads of state to highly successful
business tycoons, superyacht ownership has always
been regarded a symbol of wealth, privilege and luxury.
There is no denying that if you love the water and value
privacy and freedom, getting away from it all on a yacht
is an alluring proposition.
However, in an increasingly time-constrained society,
a new generation now has different priorities, and
the market is changing to fulfill those needs where
experience and adventure are key. The charterer is now
king, and enjoying a no-strings premium life at sea is
more accessible and in demand than ever before.
The growing need for easy access to this exclusive
lifestyle has led to an influx of new digital technologies
designed to make getting on-board even easier. One
of these new platforms is Boatsters.com, which offers
an online service for yachts and boats much like Airbnb
or Booking.com.
Founder Nick Gelevert was inspired to set up the
service after seeing so many boats lying unused during
peak periods. “Clients can book a boat just as easily
as a hotel. People often don’t know that the price for
eight people in a luxury hotel for a week is often the
same price as renting a boat for that trip, which can be
much more spectacular and fun,” he says. “The market
is growing, and now you can choose from more than
10,000 boats in 63 countries.”
Gelevert also thinks that the firm has benefitted from
a shift of mentality surrounding ownership of high-end
cars and yachts. “I believe access is the new ownership,
especially for global clients,” he adds. “The ability to
grasp what you want immediately has become a luxury in
itself. People don’t feel like they have to own something
providing that they can still have the experience.”
Nick Heming, charter and sales broker for Y.CO, has
seen a similar pattern in the superyacht charter industry.
“The charter market has grown considerably in recent
years as more and more people are recognizing that
a superyacht is by
far the best way to
“MORE PEOPLE ARE
have a truly exclusive
vacation,” he says.
RECOGNIZING THAT A
“Chartering offers
clients the ability to
SUPERYACHT IS BY
feel like an owner,
FAR THE BEST WAY TO have all of the
enjoyable trappings of
HAVE A TRULY
ownership without any
of the hassle and cost
EXCLUSIVE VACATION”
that this can involve.
NICK HEMING, CHARTER & SALES
All of our clients, by
BROKER, Y.CO
virtue of the fact that
they are considering
yachts for charter, have the means to do most things in
life, but the one thing they’re short of is time. Chartering
cuts out unnecessary admin. A good charter agent will
navigate you through the myriad of yachts available in
various destinations worldwide, getting you quickly to
your desired utopia.”
With more clients seeking these kind of experiences,
premium hotels have been quick to follow the trend with
more adding boats to their armory. The Bequia Beach
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