Owner insight: Beth Hamilton & her 43m superyacht Sanctuary

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Welcome to Yacht Charter Market, the weekly newsletter dedicated to the world of yacht charter.

In today’s newsletter:

• Owner insight: Beth Hamilton and her 43m superyacht Sanctuary

• Charter updates: Charter fleet updates for IYC & Hill Robinson & special offers from Northrop and Johnson, Ocean Independence, TWW Yachts and Edmiston.

• Charter photo: Check out the beach club onboard S7 📸

• Destination spotlight: Corfu ☀️

• Post of the week: The watertoys are out onboard M/Y Malia 🐬

TOP STORY

Owner insight: Beth Hamilton and her 43m superyacht Sanctuary

It’s not often that you meet an owner aboard their yacht during a boat show. It is even less often that they’re happy to sit down and talk about their yacht. A clear exception to that rule is Beth Hamilton, owner of the 43-metre Overmarine motor yacht Sanctuary, which Beth bought in the summer of 2022.

Her first superyacht, Beth comes from the luxury hospitality industry and acquired Sanctuary, previously Eva. 4Eva, as a second offering to the spectacular villa she owns on the Greek island of Spetses. Elysian Villa, which is a stone’s throw from Spetses old harbour, was acquired by Beth five years ago and has since become one of the island's most coveted destinations.

While she was a sailor in her youth, it wasn’t Beth’s grand ambition to necessarily own a yacht, she explains; “My USP is that I am the owner, and I am hugely passionate about the success of the client experience, and once clients realise that, they often want to have a direct connection with me. We offer a full service experience, so I organise everything from their helicopter transfers, VIP transfers through the airport, right through to organising the rest of their trip – which often transpired to be a yacht charter.”

It was this final element that eventually encouraged Beth to acquire a yacht of her own, so that she could offer clients the yacht, and guarantee the same level of service and excellence as she offered at the villa. The yacht was bought, therefore, with charter in mind and Beth felt she could bring a unique offering to the Greek charter sector from a hospitality perspective, while utilising the existing client base from the Elysian Villa.

Utilising her own experiences as a yacht charterer, and that of her friends and clients, Beth began to build a list of requirements and to understand what charter clients today are looking for. “Clients today are getting younger and younger, they are entrepreneurs, with young families and they want to experience adventure on their holidays. Of course we also have clients who want the beach club experience and we can deliver on that, but what we are offering is that bit of excitement. We also noticed that crew are vital to the success of a charter and so we worked hard to recruit each member ourselves.”

Beth originally worked in the recruitment sector, running her own business prior to the acquisition of Elysian Villa, so she knows people and how to find the best candidates for the yacht. Beth explained that every member of the crew had been hand selected for the yacht, a process that she oversaw personally.

“For me, skills can be taught,” she explains, “I can teach them how to deliver the service we expect, but you cannot teach personality, character and empathy, and these are the skills that set crew members apart. Chartering is all about people. Good service doesn’t need to be stuffy and formal, and the experience we offer onboard is based on what I believe these clients are looking for.”

It is not only the crew that elevates the guest experience however. While touring the yacht, Beth showed a number of gifts that are offered to guests each night, totalling an impressive 25 during the course of a one week charter. Beth adds, “I am obsessed with hotels and resorts and over the years we’ve been collecting ideas from the best travel experiences we have had. Onboard Sanctuary we offer a selection of gifts that are unique to the guests – from Oakley sunglasses for the men, to a hair care kit for the women. It becomes part of the week and we often find guests talking about the nightly turndown service at dinner in the evenings.”

When it comes to the yacht herself, the interior spaces and variety of on deck areas were key to the decision process. Making minor amendments to the deck arrangements, particularly removing a large table from the upper aft deck, Beth has opened up the boat and ensured that there are plenty of versatile areas for guests to enjoy.

The yacht has a unique foredeck infinity pool that is a particularly popular area when coming into a bay, plus she has been fully equipped with all of the latest tenders and toys. Beth has also acquired a 14-metre Anvera chase boat, which arrives this June, and which will support Sanctuary and offer another option particularly when taking guests on daily excursions to shore. The boat will also offer easier accessibility to older guests who sometimes struggle with boarding and disembarking from the superyacht at anchor.

“When we were viewing yachts, we were looking for a particular feel. We wanted to find something that felt well built, bright and welcoming but also elegant and that could match the level of design that our guests from Elysian Villa expect. We toured a number of boats and some of them just felt cheap in terms of construction and interior outfitting. Sanctuary is a good-looking yacht, with lovely lines and she is really quiet when underway which is very important.”

When it comes to Beth’s personal experience as a yacht owner, the transition has been an interesting one, partly because she has faced some resistance to getting so involved in the management of her yacht. “I realise that I am an unusual owner, but having a good captain and a good charter manager at IYC has been a huge benefit. If there is one thing you have to have it’s an honest relationship with your team and crew and only that will enable you to create a really exceptional charter experience for your guests.”

Sanctuary is chartered in Greece and her captain has a huge wealth of experience. On his time off he explores the islands with a depth gauge to find new bays and hidden locations and to ensure that Sanctuary can anchor there comfortably, meaning he can squeeze the yacht into the most unexpected places.

She also carries a Michelin star trained Greek chef, who ensures that the guests are eating the best and most local food available. Coming back to the crew, Anna Granlund, Head of Charter Management at IYC adds, “The crew is really the heart of this yacht. International and highly skilled, they work as a team and blend together really well, offering the guests a level of service that I have rarely experienced aboard a yacht.” To find out more about Sanctuary, reach out to IYC who are managing her charters in Greece this summer.

LATEST CHARTER UPDATES

IYC welcomed the 33-metre Custom Line motor yacht Daloli to its charter fleet.

IYC also welcomed the 50-metre Benetti motor yacht Seagull MRD to its charter fleet.

The recently-sold 50-metre Westport motor yacht Hospitality will also enter IYC’s charter fleet.

Edmiston announced that the Owner of the 85.5-metre Oceanco motor yacht Sunrays is accepting offers for charters of min 7 days from the 25th August onwards throughout September in the Mediterranean.

Northrop & Johnson shared a special offer: the 62-metre motor yacht Roma is available at a special rate of €340,000, plus €71,400 VAT and €132,000 APA, from 9 to 14 August 2024.

Hill Robinson announced that the 85.65-metre Abeking & Rasmussen motor yacht HBC (ex B2) is now available for charter in the South of France with a special €50K broker bonus offered for full rate charters booked in August.

TWW Yachts advertised a 20% discount for charters onboard the 56.2-metre Oceanco motor yacht The Wellesley from 13 to 20 August in the Balearics or from 15 to 22 August in the South of France.

Ocean Independence announced a special offer: 10 days for the price of 7 onboard the 28-metre Mangusta motor yacht Smile.

Yacht Charter Market: Presented by YachtEye

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CHARTER PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Check out the beach club onboard the 39.3-metre Tansu Yachts motor yacht S7. 🌅

DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT

Travel Inspiration: Corfu

Corfu has been one of Greece’s most popular islands since the 1970s. Famous for its white sand beaches and stunning mountainous terrain, Corfu is a natural stop on a superyacht cruise of Greece.

The island has an extremely laidback atmosphere and seduces visitors into its relaxed ambience. The main buzz of the island comes from Korfu Town, the capital of the island known for its colourful Venetian architecture, quaint cobblestoned streets and lively bars, shops and restaurants. The red dome of the old Saint Spyridon church stands tall above the town as it has done since the 1500s.

For a quieter visit, head to Kassiopi, a town that sits on Corfu’s northern edge. This peaceful fishing village offers local restaurants, shops selling souvenirs and nick-nacks, and the opportunity to book various exciting excursions.

The island of Corfu creates top-quality olive oil, and olive oil tasting is a popular activity among visitors. For history lovers, Corfu is abundant in things to see and do. The Corfu Archeological Museum houses archaeological pieces dating back to Hellenistic and prehistoric times. On the highest peak of Corfu’s shoreline, the mystical Agelokasto Castle surveys the island from above. This Byzantine castle sits 305 metres above sea level and on days when the sky is clear, boasts panoramic views of the ocean and the entirety of Corfu.

POST OF THE WEEK

@maliayacht shared this reel of the impressive 77.7-metre Golden Yachts motor yacht Malia and her many water toys.

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