Hein Velema at Fraser Yachts says “If you look at the number of charter bookings signed so far in 2011, year to date, compared to 2010, we are already in excess of double the 2010 figures.
“2010 was not a great year for the charter market. The over-supply of yachts and a reduction in demand meant that bookings were slow to come in, many were made at the last minute, negotiations were tough and there was a lot of discounting….There are still discounts here and there but much less than before.”
Booking for multiple weeks aboard superyachts in July are already limited. Velema believes “This is partly due to the fact that Ramadan covers the full month of August and most Arab clients will choose the month of July to charter.”