Christophe Harbour Reports Continued Growth in Yachting in St Kitts & Nevis

For the fifth consecutive year, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Christophe Harbour welcome news of another banner year in yachting and 20% continued growth year on year since marina operations launched at the Eastern Caribbean resort community.

Christophe Harbour attributes this growth to increased in­‐season repeat visits, length of stay, and vessel size throughout its second full season of operation. This positive report comes despite a reportedly slower charter season in the region.

In­‐season repeat visits to Christophe Harbour’s new state­‐of­‐the­‐art marina are on the rise as are the average length of stay (4 nights). The average length of vessel has increased and now surpasses 50m. The marina is homeport to the Perini Navi sloop Perseus^3, which has the world's third largest carbon mast and the world’s largest single sail.

It has also played host to several high profile yachts this season such as 72.6 m Lürssen M/Y Coral Ocean designed by Jon Bannenberg. The largest yacht in the marina to­‐date was the 92m M/Y Mayan Queen, who visited earlier this year (pictured below).

 

Director of Yachting Aeneas Hollins, said, “With the marina firmly established, St Kitts and Nevis is a welcomed addition to the sailing triangle that includes Antigua, St. Maarten and St Barths. Our services here are growing in line with demand, and we are getting ready for our third vibrant season at Christophe Harbour.”

Such positive reverberations not only buoy The Marina at Christophe Harbour, but also businesses throughout St. Kitts and Nevis. Since 2016, Christophe Harbour has reported a 60% increase in the number of local companies who do business with the marina, and this number will continue to grow along with the marina and the yachting industry.

By 2026, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is forecast to rise by 5.2% per annum to 33.2% GDP, and account directly for 2,000 jobs. The tourism sector currently contributes to 28.1% of GDP and 1,500 direct jobs (source: World Travel & Tourism Council, Economic Impact 2016 St Kitts and Nevis).

Christophe Harbour and its superyacht marina were founded by S/Y Andromeda la Dea owner Buddy Darby and was designed with the needs of superyacht owners and crew in mind. The marina currently houses 24 alongside superyacht berths and is estimated to provide 250 state­‐of‐the­‐art alongside berths, several of which will accommodate superyachts, at full build.

As a private or charter yacht homeport, the marina is considered an extension of crew ashore and offers exceptional guest concierge services to fulfill guest and crew needs, such as customs and immigration assistance, provisioning, freight forwarding, local itineraries and ultra­‐fast wifi. The marina is also served by the YU Lounge private jet terminal and Robert L Bradshaw International Airport with direct flight service from several hubs including Miami, New York and London.

With an onsite tank capacity of 48,000 US gallons, the marina features the largest refueling station dedicated to a marina in the Eastern Caribbean. This state‐of‐the­‐art facility can provide 40,000 US (duty free) gallons per day of in­‐slip fueling for vessels, with up to 125 gallons per minute of Sol-­supplied, ultra­‐low sulphur diesel. The marina also features a professionally­‐engineered entry and turning basin with a designated point of entry allowing for onsite expedited clearance.

Already offering a variety of retail points and arguably the ‘best cappuccino on the island,’ the shoreside marina village continues to expand. This season the resort community will welcome the Caribbean’s first five­‐star Park Hyatt hotel along with the iconic Customs House, which will house a crew lounge, fitness center, real estate discovery center, additional dining options, shops and services.

About Christophe Harbour

Under the long­‐term stewardship of Charles P. Darby III (Buddy), who created Kiawah Island in South Carolina over a period of three decades, Christophe Harbour is an integrated luxury residential and resort community with shorelines along the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Christophe Harbour features a world­‐class superyacht marina surrounded by oceanfront and hillside homesites, custom homes, turnkey villas, a members-­‐only Pavilion Beach Club, and the award­‐winning beachside bar, SALT Plage.

Slated to become the Caribbean’s leading destination for superyachts and luxury island living, Christophe Harbour opened its first luxury retail shops at the marina village in late 2016 and will welcome the Caribbean’s first Park Hyatt St. Kitts in 2017. The resort will also include a Tom Fazio championship golf course.