Following five successful years chartering in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the sumptuous 151ft Royal Van Lent Feadship, Northern Light, will embark on her most exotic journey yet: the sun-drenched islands of the Indian Ocean.

'Our fleet just keeps getting better and better,' enthused Patty Wilson and Allison Cecilio, Charter Marketing Managers for The Sacks Group. 'We are always on the lookout for the right boat that will compliment the rest of our fleet and these boats will definitely do that,' continued Wilson.

Ovid, Homer, and other poets of great and ancient repute agree that the goddess Iris bore messages from celestial powers and delivered them to mortals. They say that in transit between heaven and earth, she left behind her footprint, a rainbow. The super-yacht My Iris is fittingly named, as she provides a beauteous bridge from the quotidian to the divine.

Just recently launched from the Benetti Shipyard in Viareggio, Wild Thyme is the first of the Benetti Classic 120' series to become available to the charter market. She is already in popular demand with plans to cruise the West Mediterranean this summer. Leaving her home port on the French Riviera she will cruise down to Naples, Capri and Sicily and back again before heading to Dublin for The Ryder Cup in September - a debut season packed with new adventures.

Afroudakis Yachting is a licensed company by GNTO (Greek National Organization of Tourism) based in Athens, Greece, and was in founded in 1978 by Christos Afroudakis, a Naval Architect - Marine Engineer and respected member of the following Associations: The Hellenic Yacht Brokers Association (HYBA), The Hellenic Professional Yacht Charters Association (HYPOA), SETE (Hellenic Tourism Enterpreises), ASTA (Association of American Travel Agents)

The story of M/Y Positive Carry's Captain Whitney Reiter reads a little like a novel. But while serendipity has certainly played a role in his becoming one of the youngest captains of a 142ft Trinity, it's his skill, hard work, upbeat nature, and love of the water that provide drama and adventure for charter guests.

Even before her 2004 launch, the Lürssen-built Phoenix was being spoken of in reverent tones among the yachting set. Here our writer Scott Rose details this 201-foot beauty's myriad irresistible attributes. The megayacht Phoenix is a crowning glory of contemporary Art Deco style. Indeed, her many world-class technical refinements combined with the artistic sophistication of her design and décor distinguish her as a supreme fulfillment of the spirit of the 1925 event in Paris from which the term Art Deco was derived, L?Exposition Internationale des Art Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.

Another banner day for CRN. A new launching that saw all the children of Ancona take part in the festivities at the shipyard. 'GiVi', a splendid steel and aluminium mega-yacht measuring 60 metres, the latest addition to the CRN family, took to the water on Saturday 8 July with more than a thousand people on hand, including a large number of children.

No running costs? Paul Crowther, new owner of Yachtbrokers International - established in Antibes for 21 years, and now with an office in Brighton too - is offering to pay the running costs of yachts under a 'guaranteed charter revenue' scheme for yachts purchased through Yachtbrokers International.

Chartering a yacht is the ultimate holiday in terms of style, service, venue, and flexibility. It is a unique way to indulge in total freedom and privacy in the most luxurious surroundings. With a huge variety of destinations and yachts from which to choose and spanning the four corners of the world, Blue Water Yachting charter professionals are dedicated to assisting their clients every step of the way in planning the perfect vacation or corporate event.

For the past 30 years, First New England Financial (FNE) has focused on small to mid-size yacht loans. When the decision was made by FNE's parent company, North Fork Bank, to enter the superyacht financing arena, Michael Lynch, President of FNE, went to the person who wrote the book in this marketplace.

The clean exterior styling of the new 42-knot, hardtop cruiser from CNM in Italy provides for an exciting charter boat on the Costa Smeralda this summer, reports Nick Jeffery

Jon Jepson, veteran Hawaii sea captain, welcomes you to preview a truly thrilling sailing experience aboard Makani, Honolulu's newest luxury catamaran, whose technology and elegant amenities make her unique.

We invite you to spend seven days of luxurious relaxation aboard the magnificent Starfire. From the historic bay of Palermo, we will leisurely explore the enchantment of Sicily?s dramatic northern coastline. We will sail on to experience more remote Mediterranean islands, such as Ustica, Lipari, and Stromboli, as we make our way to the northeastern coast of Sicily, visiting the chic destinations of Portorosa, Taormino, and Messina.

If you are of the school of thought, who believes a yacht should be white hulled, graceful and cruise solely in tropical waters, then it is just possible that you have closed your eyes to one of the best kept secrets on the yacht vacation and charter market. However if you are happy to consider a vessel that carries just twelve passengers, frequently acts as a substitute Royal yacht to the British Queen and her family providing peace and tranquillity to all those who sail in her, then the motor vessel Patricia might well appeal to you. Despite her pleasing lines apparent to any sailor no one would ever correctly call Patricia a yacht. She is, after all, strictly speaking; a working ship. She is the flagship of the Corporation of Trinity House which is the general lighthouse authority for England Wales and the Channel Islands. Her normal duties involve the maintenance of navigation buoys, attendance and refuelling of off shore lighthouses and dealing with emergencies including wrecks. Since the withdrawal from service of Britannia, the Queen's Royal yacht, Patricia, is frequently used by the Royal Family who use her for ceremonial and private functions involved with yachting.

The Mia Elise. She is 180 feet of sheerest ocean-going poetry. Imagining that your charter aboard her is an Elizabethan sonnet; the first quatrain is her classic opulence, the second her state-of-the-art outfitting and the third the impeccable professionalism of her crew. The closing couplet is comprised of the perfect, indelible memories you will savor of an absolutely unsurpassable yachting experience, rhyming beauteously into your future.

'There is no second' was the famous reply made to Queen Victoria in 1851 when she asked 'Who came second?' after the original schooner America won the Royal Yacht Squadron's race around the Isle of Wight, raced for a Cup of One Hundred Sovereigns.

Pioneering yacht management and consultancy company YCO has raised the bar on industry service standards with an innovative concierge service for the exclusive use of their clients. YCO continues to deliver on their promise to bring the highest possible standards of service and professionalism to the yachting industry with the phenomenal success of their full-service concierge facility.

There are few who can resist the allure of the charter lifestyle, and for those who step on board a luxury, crewed yacht, the truly unique experience and the opportunity to relax is far removed from the hectic schedule of everyday life.

M/Y JASMIN, with her dark blue hulk, flared bow, white superstructure, and her flawless fully-faired finish, is such a vessel. Berthed conveniently at Atakoy Marina, just 15 minutes drive from Istanbul's main Ataturk airport. When I boarded her, the JASMIN is the only yacht I have ever yearned immediately to circle over in a helicopter to enjoy an aerial view before going on board.

Lavish accommodations, state-of-the-art communications, and plenty of space for entertaining provide guests with the perfect mix of business and pleasure. With the launch of the spectacular 280ft P/Y Annaliesse in 2004, Liveras Yachts' director Kiri Kyriacou says his company has opened a new market in yacht charter.

The recently launched 56m GALAXY from the Italian yard was designed inside and out by Stefano Natucci. Her vibrant interior is filled with exotic timbers and leather panelling, and a glass lift which also acts as an atrium. With plenty of areas for dining, including the semi circular dining room on the upper deck which can be opened onto the aft deck for alfresco dining.

Internationally acclaimed yacht designer Ward Setzer is a preeminent expert on the yachting lifestyle. Setzer-designed vessels have claimed three of the nine International Superyachts Society Design Awards given out in the last three years. His 84? express cruiser Wombat graced the April 2005 cover of a yachting magazine, and in a recent issue of another magazine, an editor wrote that Setzer?s ?critical eye for form and function have propelled him into the ranks of the world?s most sought-after yacht designers.?

Golden Yachts was established in 1997 by Capt. Paris Dragnis, a successful businessman highly involved in the commercial shipping sector. Out of his long passion for yachts of unrivalled quality and style, and being a yacht owner himself for many years, he was the ideal person to have the knowledge of the demands of the exclusive clientele on a luxury yacht vacation.

Sample itinerary aboard M/Y Charmar.

A behind-the-scenes look at the services offered by a charter manager and how they can be worth their weight in gold.

Greece, among other things, is a country known for its many generations of naval tradition. When the Greek boatyard, Ocean Yachts, first launched the 49ft. Ocean Star 495, the response was enthusiastic to say the least. The Anargyrou brothers, the company?s founders, have always been actively involved with the sea, as sportsmen at a young age and then as professional sailors. Their love and respect for the sea were the leading motivators for manufacturing yachts 30 years ago, in Brazil. When the Greek expatriates decided to return to their motherland, they applied their wealth of knowledge and experience of the boating industry to create Ocean Yachts? first sailboats.