MEGAYACHT CHARTER COMES TO CANADA

Little Current, November 8, 2006 - It isn't only celebrities and business magnates who float around the world on mega yachts. Families and groups are chartering these luxury vessels as well, to hold meetings, celebrate a special occasion or to vacation in opulent surroundings where every whim is catered to. The MegaYacht Vacation Company, a new yacht charter firm in Little Current Ontario on Lake Huron, is helping to fuel this trend, bringing mega yacht holidays in locales like the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, within easy reach of well-heeled consumers.

"The Mega Yacht Vacation Company is offering a one-stop shopping experience for Canadians seeking high-end private cruises," says founding partner Bruce O'Hare. "We're working with major North American and European brokerage firms like Camper Nicholson, Fraser Yachts and the Sacks Group, who are experts in their field."

O'Hare and his partners, Grant Eccles and Stephen Burnett, who between them, have a wealth of experience in the travel, hospitality and marine industries, hit on the idea of creating the Mega Yacht Company because they realized that few companies in Canada were catering to the growing demand for luxury yacht holidays. They also discovered, somewhat surprisingly, that the fastest growing sector of the mega yacht vacation market was not only the glitterati, but rather families and groups of friends and business colleagues, keen to sample something different from conventional cruises - people who value the freedom that comes with being able to chose their own schedules and destinations, not to mention the attentive, personalized service that is the hallmark of luxury yachts.

Mega yachts (they are typically 30 meters or larger and either power or sail) carry between four to a dozen passengers who are looked after by a five-person (or more) crew. Some vessels have transoms similar to garage doors that open to accommodate the tenders and personal watercraft that are often included in a mega yacht charter. A number of vessels in the worldwide charter fleet are even equipped with hot tubs and helicopter pads.

"It isn't necessary the bells and whistles on a yacht that makes for a great experience," explains Captain John Tucker, captain of Soulmate, one of the mega yachts in the 1000-strong (and growing) charter fleet. "The crew is crucial to the mega yacht experience. They have to be the kind of people that are fun for the passengers to spend time with."

Being able to match the right crew to the customer and tracking down the most suitable vessel are major objectives for the Mega Yacht Vacation Company which acts as a broker between the client and the owner or operator of the vessel.

"Our role is to find the perfect combination of yacht, destination, itinerary and crew," says Stephen Burnett. "We're dedicated to creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our customers."

Burnett has lived and worked around the world and he knows first hand many of the ports of call. He and his colleagues travel constantly to boat shows, inspecting the charter vessels and getting to know the captains and crews. Like people, mega yachts all have their own, unique personalities!

It helps to have deep pockets if you want to charter a mega yacht, but affluent consumers aren't afraid to pay. A one-week mega yacht charter starts at $50,000 (plus expenses), but interestingly, on a per person, per day basis, the price can be just a little more than a vacation on one of the five-star ships operated by such luxury lines as Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Sea Cruises or Seabourn Cruise Line, with the added bonus of having the vessel all to yourself.