HORIZON YACHT CHARTERS – The business of helping people have fun is an enormous one here in the BVI.  Entrepreneurs have developed niches for all kinds of ventures, selling goods and services to charter guests, villa guests and sailors – taking away their trash, renting them fishing gear and scuba tanks, driving them around the island and plying them with frozen concoctions. The list goes on almost forever. Every now and then, though, somebody comes along who creates a new category or re-invents an old one.

Horizon Yacht Charters is one of the fastest growing sailing charter companies in the Caribbean with established bases at Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, British Virgin Islands; True Blue Bay Marina in Grenada & the Grenadines; and Jolly Harbour Marina, Antigua & Barbuda.  All the bases are owned and operated by keen sailors who have dwelt in the islands for a number of years.  Having recently opened its doors in Lagoon Marina, St Maarten/St Martin, Horizon now manages a fleet of 100 yachts across the Caribbean.

Horizon is an owner-operated company begun in the BVI in 1998 by Sylvia Driver and Andrew Thompson, who were seeking a more shore-based outlet for their 25 years of experience in the marine charter industry.  Realizing that the BVI was already well on its way to becoming the most popular charter destination in the world, they needed to tailor the company to really stand out from the competition.  “We have deliberately kept our base fleet sizes manageable in order to offer the quality of service and attention to detail larger companies cannot match,” says Sylvia, who takes a moment to point out the details: top notch snorkelling equipment stowed in lockers; a RIB tender to allow the clients to snorkel the best spots or go ashore; the matching, pristine linens and towels in the cabins; and the complimentary ‘starter pack’ containing all the sailing essentials a skipper may need.
“We can also help fulfill requests that might not ‘fit in’ to the usual charter package,” she continues, “whether it is getting married on a deserted beach, learning to dive or eating lobster every night of your holiday.  We like to think we  tailor-make the clients’ vacations to suit their needs.”  And it has been precisely that attitude that has resulted in their nomination for this spot in the BVIYG and two consecutive top spots in the ‘best customer service category’ for an international travel magazine’s on-line charter company rating survey.

Horizon Yacht Charters is also the region’s authorized dealer for the award winning, German built Bavaria yachts and an approved Caribbean dealer for Fountaine Pajot catamarans. Their fleets are made up largely of these fully equipped, superior quality boats, and owners buying into the fleet can be assured that they are immaculately maintained and operated under a rigidly supervised management programme. Horizon fleets are not restricted to these premier yachts; all their locations offer a diverse selection of other brand names to satisfy even the most discerning sailor.

Horizon Yacht Charters, Nanny Cay: 284 494 8787
www.horizonyachtcharters.com