INSIGHT
“ And I think that goes hand in hand with larger yachts coming into the market . That means more international clients familiar with chartering the larger yachts have a greater selection and greater option of yachts to pick to charter in Australia .
“ As we ’ re getting a greater depth of wealth here , the size of the yachts just get bigger . We ’ re seeing guys who used to buy yachts at 60 to 90ft now looking at 100 to 130ft .”
Flagship fleet One of the company ’ s seriously sexy vessels is Sahana , a 120ft beauty , which costs $ 20,000 a day to hire . She looks and feels more like a New York penthouse than a yacht , and is based in Sydney over the summer months and in the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef over the winter .
Today show host Karl Stefanovic was recently snapped by the paparazzi canoodling with his new girlfriend , Jasmine Yarbrough , on its deck .
“ Sahara breaks from convention of what you ’ d expect a yacht to be like , in terms of its colouring and materials ,” adds Bray . “ She ’ s one of the largest volume yachts in Australia and the interior is impeccable .
“ It meets the world standard . You could easily put her in the middle of the Mediterranean and she ’ d fit in perfectly .”
Another favourite is Spirit , a 115ft yacht who underwent a facelift in 2017 and boasts a wet bar , Jacuzzi , five staterooms and a back platform that lowers hydraulically under the water , meaning it can be used as a platform to dive off or just to dine alfresco at water level .
“ It ’ s incredibly versatile ,” adds Bray , “ and being a catamaran , it ’ s got a wide beam and was designed to explore the further reaches of exotic destinations like New Guinea and the Solomon Islands .
“ There ’ s also extra accommodation for crew and local guides if you do want to go further afield from your traditional cruising locations .”
Sailor at heart Bray grew up with an affinity for the ocean , and got his first taste of superyachts in France , working as a deck hand for a Saudi princess on a 52m vessel when he was a 22-year-old traveller looking for adventure .
They formed a bond , and he would
12 November 2017