Yachtly Introduces New Charter Payment Platform, and Island Life Watersports Showcase @ USVI Charter Yacht Show November 11-14, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2023

Yachtly Introduces New Charter Payment Platform, and Island Life Watersports Showcase @ USVI Charter Yacht Show November 11-14, 2023

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Nearly half (41%) of Americans have a travel rewards credit card, with bonuses like air miles, according to a 2023 NerdWallet survey conducted by The Harris Poll*. Financial services sponsor, Yachtly, will host two seminars at the USVI Charter Yacht Show, November 11-14, 2023, where they will demonstrate a multitude of cutting-edge features such as credit card booking by clients and easy tracking of multiple payments by brokers. Also, new this year is a Watersports Showcase within the Show, featuring the ZUP brand, in partnership with Island Life Watersports. The latest water toys will be displayed, with product demos and a Q&A session to help crews dial their best choice armada for floating fun. Seminars and demo sessions are two of many reasons that make the USVI Charter Yacht Show, hosted by the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA) a one-stop destination for brokers and crews to meet, greet, and get the latest industry updates.

“The larger yachts of today mean larger groups, with multiple paying clients, many of which want to pay by credit card and use air miles for their flight down to their charter,” says Dennis Dori, yacht broker and owner of Chicago, IL-based Charter the Caribbean, who in the past year has booked 8 charters using Yachtly, including a 3-vessel charter for a group of 28 people. “The Yachtly platform is a convenient way to bill clients separately and track multiple payments over time, which is especially useful when clients book early. Trying to do this all myself would take time away from what I do best, sales and marketing.”

Yachtly Seminars – Charter Payments 2.0

Yachtly will officially launch its software at the 2023 USVI Charter Yacht Show. It is the only comprehensive payment system that has been custom-built for the global luxury yacht charter industry. The platform, which uses the payment processing platform, Stripe, which is also used by big names like Amazon, Spotify, and Tesla, provides yacht business stakeholders, such as charter yacht brokers, with a single, intuitive interface that automates and tracks each transaction from initial deposit to final payment. It also gives guests funds security and the flexibility to pay how they want, such as by credit card and ACH transfers. In a nutshell, Yachtly makes getting paid and paying simple for everyone from clients to brokers in one easy-to-use dashboard.

“A charter yacht vacation is a bucket list trip for many who save up and plan. Booking and paying for the charter shouldn’t be a struggle. We’ve solved this and made it easier for brokers to accept credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers. Essentially, the platform looks like other online ordering and payment sites,” says Judy Price, chief executive officer, who works closely with co-founders Brian and Elena Christiansen, now head of operations and CSO, respectively, and Peter Luce, chief compliance officer. Most recently, Price worked as a charter yacht owner/operator and the Christiansen as term yacht charter crew. “For brokers, stakeholders, and yacht managers, it offers a convenient and transparent way to move money behind the scenes.”

Photo: Yachtly team at the 2022 USVI Charter Yacht Show. Courtesy Yachtly.

Yachtly invites attendees to their seminars on November 12 and 13, from 12:30-1 p.m., on ‘How to Attract the NextGen of Yacht Charters.’

Based in the U.S., Yachtly is first launching its platform for brokers in the U.S. and Caribbean. Over time, the company plans to refine, evolve, and offer the service for yacht charters worldwide, as Stripe is global.

What’s New – Island Life Watersports Showcase

Island Life Watersports, Virgin Wakes Surf & Kite Shop, ZUP and WakeUpVI will participate in the Watersports Showcase at 5:30 p.m. on November 10, 11 and 13. Plus, each company will offer prizes for Show awards.

Sublue Underwater Scooters, stand-up paddleboards, and inflatable docks will be on display, and two scooters will be awarded as prizes, according to Marcelo Perez, co-founder and chief financial officer of Island Life Watersports. The company carries major brands such as ZUP, Bote Boards, Dutchie Surf Boards, Ocean Rodeo Kite Gear, Starboard Wing Foils & Kite Wings, Electric Bikes, and Orca Coolers.

Wing Foils and e-foils are among the top water toys today. Virgin Wakes, Surf & Kite Shop, will display the former and have the latter to demo ride at the Show, according to owner, Oliver Shanklin. The company offers Foils, e-foils, and kiteboard rentals and lessons. A two-hour foil lesson will be a Show prize.

“Charter yachts will have all the tools they need to provide a successful riding experience to their guests by having ZUP boards in four set-ups: the DoMore and DoMore Foil, Double Handle and Tow Rope, the Glide, and the Wakesurf 4’11,” says Captain John Carpenter, founder of WakeUpVI, the only wakesurfing company in the USVI. “I’ll be bringing my Super Air Nautique G25 around to provide brokers and crew with 30-minute to 1-hour experiences wake-surfing in VI waters.”

Island Life Watersports is the official ZUP dealer on St. Thomas. Put your yacht logo on a choice of iSUP, inflatable mat, and inflatable ZUP board that match the classic white and teak look for a stunning promotion.

Sneak Peek @ Who’s Attending

Over 70 yachts ranging in size from 42’ to over 100’, both power and sail, multihulls, and monohulls, will be on display at IGY’s Yacht Haven Grande St. Thomas for the Show. One of these is the brand-new Lagoon 51’, La Sirena.

Photo: La Sirena. Courtesy Charter Caribe.

“This 2023 build showcases what can be expected in the future of charter yachts,” says Kendall Canfield, clearinghouse manager at Charter Caribe. “We are also excited to introduce her new crew to the industry and our network of brokers.”

La Sirena has an updated one-of-a-kind cockpit with a flybridge perfect for happy hours, an extended transom, and a hydraulic tender lift that also doubles as a diving/swim platform, as well as a dive compressor on board. Captain Dustin Bumgardner is a PADI dive instructor. Both Bumgardner and his wife/chef Alli, have a private yacht background and specialize in luxury charters and taking care of VIPs.

Register Now!

Yachts can register at usviyachtshow.org/register/ with slip space available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Brokers can also register at usviyachtshow.org/register/.

“It’s the opportunity to see over 70 yachts in one place at one time that makes the USVI Charter Yacht Show a must to attend,” says Charter the Caribbean’s Dori. “It’s the seminars too. The new broker seminar was helpful and opened my eyes to what’s new after a short hiatus from the industry. Building relationships is another big part of the show, both in the business-like setting of touring the yachts and talking with the crew in more informal social settings.”

The Show is FREE for VIPCA member brokers. This is a great deal as VIPCA membership offers additional year-round benefits including advertising opportunities and the latest industry updates, plus supports the association’s year-round work. Brokers can receive a discounted rate of $244 per night on accommodations at Bluebeard’s Castle by booking by phone and giving the discount code ‘VIPCA Yacht Show’. A daily shuttle service will offer easy access to and from the marina.

Strong Sponsor Support

Sponsors of the USVI Charter Yacht Show include the USVI Department of Tourism; Yacht Haven Grande; IGY Marinas; Mango Media; Catamaran Central; the Gowrie Group representing Trawick and Cigna; Grey Goose, distributed by West Indies Company; Veuve Clicquot and Captain Morgan, distributed by Bellows International; Offshore Marine; VIYA Business Solutions; Cardow Jewelers; Yachtly; Ankor Software; Island Life Watersports; Offshore Marine; Parts & Power Ltd., distributor of Northern Lights; Seachange; the Charter Yacht Broker Association and Harbor Shoppers.

For more information about the USVI Charter Yacht Show, visit usviyachtshow.org. For information about VIPCA and its programs, visit www.VIPCA.org, Email: info@vipca.org, or call (340) 642-0656

*Source: NerdWallet survey conducted online Feb. 7-9, 2023, by The Harris Poll. Respondent.

ABOUT VIPCA

VIPCA is the territory’s 501(c)(6) non-profit marine association, whose purpose is to preserve, protect, and promote the charter yacht sector of the U.S. Virgin Islands marine industry and the businesses that sustain them. VIPCA’s focus is multi-faceted and includes offering membership benefits such as access to health and hull P&I insurance; sharing pertinent and timely industry updates and information; producing a Marine Directory of marine vendors and services; promoting USVI marine charter tourism; liaising with USVI, BVI, and PR to assist in cooperative efforts; seeking relevant official rulings from Customs and Border Protection (CBP); developing USVI marine infrastructure, including moorings; providing compliance guidance for mariners and vessels; and providing marine vocational training for USVI youth under VIPCA’s charity, the Marine Rebuild Fund, which is fiscally sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI.net). www.VIPCA.org

Media Contact:
Carol Bareuther
Media, USVI Charter Yacht Show
Tel: 340-998-3650
Email: bareuther@earthlink.net
Skype: Carol.Bareuther

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