Yacht brokers, crewmembers and vendors mill around Nanny Cay beach during the first night of festivities at the 35th annual Charter Yacht Show. (Photo: CONOR KING DEVITT)

In the crowded Nanny Cay Marina on Monday, charter yacht brokers passed from boat to boat, inspecting cabins, snapping photos and socialising with ever-smiling crewmembers.

Yacht brokers, crewmembers and vendors mill around Nanny Cay beach during the first night of festivities at the 35th annual Charter Yacht Show. Photo: CONOR KING DEVITT
Captains and chefs made sure to ready their vessels for the event: Tables were set, flowers were arranged, and refreshments were at the ready.

But to some brokers, it was the crewmembers themselves who mattered far more than any table spread.

“For me, the most important thing is that [crews] love doing what they’re doing,” said Fiona Williams, managing director of Indigo Bay Luxury Yacht Charters, a brokerage in the United Kingdom. “They have to enthusiastic about it.”

Ms. Williams — one of about 130 brokers attending the 35th annual BVI Charter Yacht Show this week — said she works to match her customers with the crews that best fit their personalities.

Meeting people and figuring out those connections was a more important part of the event than any physical yacht tour, she said.

“Each person has characteristics that are their strongest, that they’re great at doing,” Ms. Williams said. “Some might say, ‘I just love taking somebody on their first real snorkelling trip,’ or, ‘I love teaching somebody to dive’ — or there was another girl who was saying she loves taking people hiking over the islands.”

Brokers from the Caribbean, United States, Canada and Europe had about 75 boats to choose from at the show, which was organised by the BVI Charter Yacht Society and lasted from Monday through Thursday.

See the Nov. 10, 2016 edition for full coverage.

{fcomment}