Sunsail, the world’s largest yacht charter company and part of First Choice Holidays PLC, has placed an order for over 180 new yachts with French yacht builders Jeanneau, Beneteau, Fountaine Pajot and Lagoon which is worth in excess of ’13 million – possibly the largest single order ever placed by a charter company.

The majority of the new yachts will be delivered in the autumn of this year and the balance in the spring of 2003. The new order will replace yachts that are leaving the fleet having completed their contracts in Sunsail’s Yacht Partnership Programme, and also introduce a range of new charter models to the company’s charter clients.

The yachts range in size from the new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35, to the CNB 77 which is joining Sunsail’s luxury Platinum Crewed Charter Fleet in the Caribbean in December. Many catamarans are also included in the order, emphasising the increasing popularity of the catamaran amongst charter clients.

All these new yachts are available for purchase in Sunsail’s Yacht Partnership Programme. This programme pays investors in bareboat yachts a guaranteed income, plus several weeks’ free use per year on the owners’ own yacht or on an equivalent yacht from any of Sunsail’s world-wide bases. Alternatively, owners can take holidays at one of Sunsail’s ten watersports beach clubs.

No bills for berthing, maintenance or insurance are paid by owners, whichever scheme they are on and many have found this an excellent alternative to ‘normal’ yacht ownership.

Historically, yachts paying their owners a guaranteed income of 10 per cent of the yacht price per annum have stayed in the Sunsail fleet for five years. But recognising that a yacht’s earning potential is highest in the first three or four years, Sunsail has recently introduced a new programme paying a guaranteed 13 per cent per annum return on the price of the yacht over a shorter three-year duration. Other programmes can be tailored for owners wanting Crewed Yachts or bareboats at one of Sunsail’s three UK ‘Homewaters’ bases.