Northrop and Johnson

As summer rolls in to New England, so do multitudes of charter yachts from the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.  At Northrop and Johnson of Massachusetts, we are pleased to offer clients a variety of yachts in Newport available for charters.

M/Y SOVEREIGN is a 120′ Broward tri-deck motor yacht with six sumptuous staterooms and a massive sky lounge. The perfect family getaway and corporate entertaining yacht, SOVEREIGN, will delight you with its new pair of jet skis and water sports equipment.  SOVEREIGN is also for sale and available for viewing all summer in Newport, Rhode Island. She has an exceptionally busy charter year in New England this summer and already has bookings in the Caribbean for the 2008/2009 season.

At Northrop and Johnson, we have yacht brokers who can assist with finding the right charter yacht. For more information please call 978.921.6600 or visit our website at www.njyachting.com.

On Father’s Day, June 15th, Northrop and Johnson of the Massachusetts had the privilege of becoming one of the sponsors for the Larz Anderson Auto Museum’s German Car Day. This summer lawn event took place at the museum’s Brookline, Massachusetts location. Our broker, Richard Hamel, organized and manned our booth.

Despite the early rains a great day was had by all. Collectors from all over New England brought autos built by such well known marques as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen.

A few of the highlights included a 1960 Mercedes-Benz SL, valued at more than $500,000 and a classic Porsche Speedster worth more than $250,000. However, the car that attracted the most attention was the brand new Smart Car Pure which is built by Mercedes-Benz.

Many people stopped by the Northrop and Johnson booth to talk about their boats and the yachting lifestyle. I was pleased to find that a lot of car collectors are also yachtsmen.  A
Retired Yacht Captain who is seeking to sell his classic 1977 47’ Concord came by and spun tales of the old days of yachting.

Attendees showed up asking questions about all sorts of boats. Everything from J24 sailboats to 40’ Tiaras and 65’ Sunseekers. Several people expressed interest in chartering yachts in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

The event was such a success for Northrop and Johnson that we intend to participate in the Tutto Italiana coming up on August 3rd.

In February of 2007, the 1987 151′ Feadship, Sea Jewel, was sold at the Miami Boat Show and renamed Time for Us. The yacht was put into a shipyard for a complete refit.  The owner cruised for less than a year. Realizing how enjoyable the yachting experience is, the owner decided to move up to a larger yacht.  After a brief search he was able to identify and purchase a larger feadship.

Time for us is back on the market.  After the loving attention from the past owners, she is now available for purchase at $16,900,000.  She is ready to go anywhere and go into charter.  She has 6 staterooms and is Lloyd 100 A1 and LMC Class.  Previously, the yacht was one of the world’s most demanded charter yachts in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

For additional information you may visit www.njyachting.com and check our yachts for sale or call 978.921.6600 and ask to speak to one of our yacht brokers.

Steve Doyle, yacht broker of Northrop and Johnson Boston office, has sold numerous yachts to a high profile Detroit businessman over the years.

“When I first got into yachting, I thought the yacht was 90 percent the experience and the crew maybe 10 percent.  It was when I purchased my first yacht that I realized the percentages were the other way around.  A boat is a boat; it’s the crew who makes the experience a pleasure”, says the Michigan businessman.  “The yacht is a part of their lives – it’s their home and they treat it with enormous respect and affection.  That feeling transmits itself to us and to our charter guests.”

“Part of the beauty of owning a yacht is that it’s also a learning experience for our children.  My son is mechanically inclined and I wanted to encourage that.  The captain and crew made a commitment at the onset that they would teach him whatever he wanted to know about all aspects of the operation and now my son helps plot charts and has learned what the engine room systems do and how they work.”

“Another reason yacht ownership is such a luxury, it seems to me, is that no five-star hotel or resort is remotely comparable in terms of quality of service and amenities.  You can stay in the best hotel in the world and maybe there’s a concierge 20 floors below you, but on the boat the concierge and his staff are just a few feet away.  Anyone leading a high profile business life will find that when looking for the ideal “escape and relaxation” environment for their families and themselves, nothing comes close to the yachting experience.”

The Detroit businessman currently owns M/Y Sovereign, a six stateroom, 120’ Broward that charters approximately 18 weeks of the year.  For more information on how to charter this yacht or if you are interested in yachts for sale, contact info@njyachting.com or call 978.921.6600.

May 22-25 found Steve Doyle, yacht broker of the Boston Northrop and Johnson office, in Monaco with clients for the Monaco Grand Prix. Steve’s description of the patronage was as follows; “The Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby and Nascar combined do not equal the per capita wealth of the patrons attending the Monaco Grand Prix.” Steve’s clients are building twenty marinas in Abu Dhabi, UAE.  In November of 2009 the Aldar owned Race Track marina will host an F-1 grand prix auto race. Steve has secured the charter rights from Aldar to handle the yachts chartered by sponsors, team owners and guests.  For more information to charter a yacht for the Formula One race in Abu Dhabi, please contact steve@njyachting.com.

Northrop and Johnson is experiencing a period of tremendous growth in yacht sales, charters and partnerships in and around the yachting industry. From Dubai, to Moscow, Shanghai, to Vancouver and of course, to the good old USA, you will find Northrop and Johnson yacht brokers and affiliates worldwide.

The Boston office of Northrop and Johnson has created a strategic alliance with a jet charter company in Moscow. The jet company is marketing sales and charters of yachts for Northrop and Johnson in Russia. George Georges and Peter Griffin from the Boston office and Ann Avery of the Fort Lauderdale attended the Moscow Boat Show in April and reported the potential for a successful partnership between Boston and Moscow appears to be a promising relationship. The Fort Lauderdale office has hired several yacht brokers in the San Diego area and is opening an office in Southern California. We are pleased to welcome David Roscow and Greg Morton, who bring many years of experience in the yachting industry. They also will have support staff to man the new Northrop and Johnson office of Southern California. Northrop and Johnson ownership has recently granted a license to operate under the Northrop and Johnson banner to a company in Palma Mallorca, Spain. The office in Spain also represents Nautor Swan. A yacht broker from our Rhode Island office, Fred Trombley, has requested a license to operate a Northrop and Johnson office in Dubai. Fred has been with Northrop and Johnson for almost a decade. Fred attended the recent Dubai Boat Show, along with Steve and Paula Doyle of the Boston office and Russell Nelson out of London. Northrop and Johnson witnessed firsthand the potential for growth in that region. The Northrop and Johnson holding company has recently hired Barbara Tierney to fill the position of Managing Director. Barb brings her expertise in the yachting industry to the company and for a slight change will manage the day to day operation of the parent company.

Barb’s tasks also include reorganization of the infrastructure, managing the boat show. She is also in the process of planning and creating a whole new company wide ad campaign.

For more information of upcoming events, please visit http://www.njyachting.com.

The Bucket, organized by Northrop and Johnson Rhode Island, is a luxury sailboat regatta which takes place in St. Barths in the Caribbean Islands to attract enthusiasts with sailing yachts that are not necessarily designed for racing. Attendance was 27 super sailing yachts and 600 crew. MY Sovereign, a Northrop and Johnson charter vessel, participated on the first day as a committee yacht.

The weekend of March 27 – March 30 found 27 luxury sailing yachts from around the world in St. Barths participating in the “Bucket”. The bucket is a sailboat regatta designed to attract sailing enthusiasts with sailing yachts that are not necessarily designed for racing. With 27 super yachts and 600 crew in attendance, the regatta provided the normally tranquil Caribbean Island with a level of excitement seen only once per year. The regatta was one of the most exciting races of the decade. All three days of racing had perfect weather. After the first day of racing all of the super sailing yachts lined up at the dock and welcomed all the bucket participants to a yacht hop. Attendees were welcomed onboard every yacht for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Day two of the race welcomed owners of the magnificent sailing yachts to a reception which featured an auction. The auction raised $200,000.00 dollars for the local hospital. The attendees were treated to a surprise concert by long time bucket supporter, Jimmy Buffett. Day three of the race concluded with awards ceremony. On July 18 – July 20, the bucket moves to Newport, Rhode Island. Special thanks to Hank Halstead and Lisa O’Connell of the Northrop and Johnson Rhode Island office and all who assisted in organizing this exciting event. Also, a special thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell and family for the use of their yacht, MY Sovereign. Photos taken of 2007 regatta by yacht photographer Billy Black may be viewed at http://www.bucketregatta.com.