Successful Year for Newport Charter Show

The annual Newport Charter Yacht Show presented by Helly Hansen was a huge success for all who participated, including 100+ brokers and agents from 43 different charter yacht companies, 23 sponsors, 15 exhibiting vendors, 40 non-exhibiting vendors and captains and crews of 25 luxury yachts. 

Owned and managed by Newport Shipyard, the Show took place on the company’s 10-acre waterfront facility for the second consecutive year from 19-23 June and this year was conclusively bigger and better. 

“This is a much more open and public charter show than the others, and this year it evolved to have an even better flow, with everything close together and easy to navigate.” said Herman Pundt of Hargrave Custom Yachts.

A giant tent adjacent to the participating yachts was used for an opening party on Monday and provided a staging area for the Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition on Tuesday. The American Yacht Charter Association Seminar was held on Thursday morning attended by 75 people, and a dinner party and crew competition awards took place on Thursday evening.

Photo by Jennifer Tinkoff

Having exhibited the 35.3m motor yacht Renaissance at the show, Pundt commented, "Here, you don’t feel rushed showing the boat, and the brokers don’t feel rushed going through the boat. You’re able to host broker lunches aboard, so you are sitting down, talking about the boat and the industry, and they are getting to see the crew at work, getting to know them.”

MY Renaissance went all out for the Yacht Hop with a Gilligan’s Island theme - Photos by Jennifer Tinkoff

The crew onboard Renaissance also had the opportunity to show their creative side and became the talk of the show when they changed the name on their transom to S.S. Minnow and launched into full Gilligan’s Island theme mode for Wednesday evening’s festive Yacht Hop.

The yacht’s chef, Ian Gabbe, also won Best Charter Yacht Chef, alongside other competitions for Tablescaping, a Captain’s Drone Challenge, the creation of signature cocktail and designer water.

While the Newport Charter Show revolves around New England as a summer charter destination, it also promotes yacht charter in different parts of the world. 

Photo by Jennifer Tinkoff

A case in point was the 39.6m motor yacht Aphrodite represented by Northrop & Johnson which is new to New England chartering and spends its winters in the Bahamas and Caribbean. Captain Bryce Simpson said,

“More than 30 brokers visited us each day and a lot of those are looking to book not just for summer but also for the winter. I’ve done the Antigua show and this show, and size is the biggest difference. It’s slower here, which I think is better. You get a better feel for the brokers, they get more time for us, it’s just a more intimate show.”

Jay Lasky of Helly Hansen, who was the event’s presenting sponsor also appreciated the vibe at the Show saying,

“There was a lot of enthusiasm, some new yachts and crews we haven’t seen before, and a lot of people who had never been to Newport before. It was a bigger, better show, and we’re honored to be here at Newport Shipyard, to be a sponsor and just be a part of this great industry.”