Step on board a superyacht and you are instantly transported to a floating world of extreme luxury and comfort. Glorious destinations become within reach and a fabulous sense of escapism washes over you. But how do you begin to choose the right vessel for your needs?
Engel & Völkers Yachting is a high-end brokerage offering services in yacht sales and purchase, new build and refit consultancy and yacht charter. Located across the French Riviera, one of the world’s most prominent yachting hubs, the company has offices in Monaco, Nice and Antibes. Anissa Mediouni, CEO of Engel & Völkers Yachting, says, “The essence of yachting is pleasure. You should fall in love with a yacht, which will make every moment worthwhile.”
She stresses the importance that purchasers consider what they will need to use the superyacht for and what they are looking to get out of it. “For example, if you are looking to go away with a large group of family and/or friends you may want to consider a yacht with the maximum cabin arrangements to comfortably host everyone. Also, looking at the dining areas to ensure you have enough space to properly entertain your guests is key.
“The essence of yachting is pleasure. You should fall in love with a yacht, which will make every moment worthwhile”
If you are looking more for a relaxing vacation for two, you may want to look at a yacht that has the top of the line spa and wellness facilities on board. If you are looking for a more family friendly time on board, you should take into consideration the water toys and entertainment systems to keep everyone happy.
Another essential element is the crew. “Whether it is for sales or charter,” says Ms Mediouni, a multi-talented crew is always worth investigating. Many crew members have added skills and talents that they can bring on board including, personal trainers, professional masseuse and so on.” She also advises that it’s wise to charter a superyacht before actually buying one. “This way you have the experience of ownership but without the commitment upfront. It is important that you discover what you like, don’t like and what becomes a need.” Interestingly, superyachts’ exterior and interior designs are moving towards a more harmonious concept between the vessel and the sea. By introducing layouts with more floor length glass windows for example, this ensures maximum light on board.
Ms Mediouni reports that superyachts over 70-metres hit a record high with 53 projects, one more than the previous year, but there’s still a steady popularity among 40-metre superyachts. “Superyacht support vessels have also become increasingly popular over the past few years,” she says. “They are very special, you can normally tell from afar that it is a support vessel by its exterior design which is usually like that of an explorer yacht. However, make no mistake that the interiors are still top of the line in terms of luxury. This allows owners to enhance the yachting experience, whether it be to carry a helicopter hangar, extended tender and toys’ garage or extra cabins for further support staff.
“The rising need for reliable, seaworthy, low-fuel yachts, with lots of volume for their length, over-engineered and lots of space for toys has many yacht enthusiasts looking at explorer yachts as their vessel of choice. This allows its passengers to cruise into exotic locations that are usually off the beaten track. Here you can find the ultimate privacy and experience a part of the world not accessible to others, all the while enjoying high-tech and supercharged water toys.
“The trend is more about being more adventurous and exploring areas that are not possible by regular travel. Western Mediterranean is still the most popular cruising destination followed by the Adriatic for the summer and the Caribbean in winter. However, we see an increased interest in remote and exotic locations that are not so commonly explored as well as a peaked interest in Asian and Indian Pacific destinations over winter as well as Antarctica exploration.”
