Beyond striking a cutting figure, classic yachts offer more than the routine experience of most modern charter yachts. These vessels are living narratives—laden with stories and personalities from bygone eras—with details that carry a legacy of old-world sophistication and finesse: Think Christina O’s distinctive swimming pool or Shenandoah of Sark’s dramatic sail plan.
“Whenever I step on board a classic yacht, I like to imagine where the yacht has cruised through the decades,” says charter broker Céline Pujol. “Who were the guests who stepped onboard?” Christina O, for example, served as a wedding venue for people ranging from supermodel Heidi Klum to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wed Grace Kelly in 1956. This vessel also hosted an unusually large share of prime ministers, presidents and celebrities, so that a charter today could mean sleeping or eating in the same areas as Winston Churchill, JFK, Frank Sinatra, or Elizabeth Taylor.
Time is the essence of a classic yacht, Céline explains. “First, you travel back in time, being onboard a unique piece of history. Second, the travel actually takes time, because these yachts aren’t fast. But that allows you to indulge and live each moment to the fullest. You simply can’t rush from one place to another.”
With many vintage vessels, both power and sail, now part of the global charter fleet, a growing number of charter clients are considering immersing themselves in the rich, wood interiors, eating at formal dining tables with 1930s china, or gazing out at the ocean from deck-chairs. The experience, really, is not comparable to life aboard a modern yacht. Many charter guests are asking themselves: Why chase trends when you can relive history?
Here are nine of our favorite classics.
