The Denison charter team recently attended the Mediterranean Yacht Show (MEDYS) at the port of Nafplion in Greece. Charter Specialist Molly Playfair, who was in attendance, highlighted that “it’s a great opportunity to see the Greek boats and experience the crew’s world-renowned Greek hospitality!” Also in attendance was Charter Specialist Caroline Antlett, who had much to share about her experience, too. Read on to discover their favorite yachts on display at the show.
Molly Playfair could not stop singing her praises when it came to this yacht show. While there was a long list of yachts that she was impressed by, her top three picks shined most brightly. The first? “The beauty that is O’PTASIA. 85 meters (278 feet) long, she was by far the biggest boat in the show. The crew are fantastic, she boasts 10 luxurious cabins as well as a huge toy list. Her beach club is vast and is complete with a massage room and steam room…and let’s not forget that she has a touch-and-go helipad.”
“Another of my faves was ROLA, a 47.5-meter (155-foot) ISA. Her interior was refitted in 2015 and she had a further refit last year. Her interior is super fresh and light, and the crew were charming–this will be her first season in Greece, and I’ve no doubt she’ll prove very popular.”
“Last of all, I was lucky enough to enjoy lunch on NOVA, a Lagoon 62, based out of Athens. The quality of the lunch was like that of a much larger boat. Just to make you feel hungry: we had a feta and gruyere croquette served with tomato jam and mint pearls, then grilled local octopus with avocado mousse and crispy nori. For the main course, we had steak, perfectly prepared with mushroom mashed potato and asparagus–sounds simple, it was not. For dessert, we enjoyed lime sorbet with a kumquat compote, a meringue, and a basil and white chocolate cremeaux. All absolutely delicious and super well-executed by the talented chef.”
Caroline Antlett had a great time at the show as well, citing how helpful it was to see some of the yachts in person to better be able to promote them to charter clients. “This was a great show and super useful as a lot of these yachts are older with less refits than your standard Western Med yachts, so it is really important to see them in person and meet the crew.”
While she, too, had many top picks, she was excited to share her three favorite yachts. “ELEMENT, a 42.7-meter (140′ 1″), Cantieri di Pisa built in 2002 but refit in 2022. Following her refit, she is in fantastic condition with a fresh modern interior. Rather than a master and VIP, the cabins are equal so you have really two master cabins, which is great when the charter is split between two principles. Also for those with very tall clients, one of the master cabins has incredibly high ceilings, which is unusual.”
“GRANDE AMORE, a 44.2-meter (145′) Benetti built in 2006 and refit in 2020. This yacht is in very good condition and a great feature is that she is wheelchair friendly, has a lift between decks, removable ramps for where there are small stairs and a walk-in bathtub in the master. Again, she has two master cabins that are quite equal, both opening onto private decks.”
“RARE FIND, a 54.7-meter (179′ 6″) Turquoise built 2009 and refit 2023. I loved the crew on this yacht, especially the chief stewardess who is really tuned into providing a great charter experience for guests. She has created a book with fantastic details on all ports and islands, which is placed in each cabin for the guests to enjoy. Her saloon is a really impressive elegant space and the yacht is well-suited to those interested in wellness onboard. Her VIP cabin can convert into a massage therapy room and there is a fully equipped gym onboard. She also boasts a good inventory of water toys, including laser sailing dinghies, and is an RYA training center, so guests can be certified onboard to use the jet skis.”
Denison is proud to have had such a wonderful experience at the 2023 Mediterranean Yacht Show in Greece. We look forward to next year!
Interested in chartering one of these or another yacht for your next luxury getaway? Contact a Denison charter broker for more information.