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The CharterWorld Team

Here are some details about the professional and friendly broker team at CharterWorld. 

We are a dynamic, next generation company established to improve service, value and professionalism in the luxury yachting industry.  We deliver excellent, well organized charters around the world.  We objectively choose from and access the best yachts in the world.  Our free service comes with a modern, service orientated, positive, professional and friendly attitude.

REIA STANNARD

Director

Over many years as a luxury yacht charter consultant, Reia’s dedication to service and excellence has created an exclusive and loyal client base. Her attitude also encourages the high level of service you will receive from any of CharterWorld’s consultants. Reia grew up amongst boats and the water. "Sailing around on the family yacht was a normal way to spend the weekend." After traveling around the world for years in her younger days, she found herself once again becoming involved in yachting and began working as a head stewardess on large luxury yachts in the Mediterranean. "I found that luxury yachts were the best way to accomplish my desire to travel and experience new cultures as well as meet people." This superyacht charter experience was valuable background in learning how great charter yachts work, from a management to crew performance and service perspective.

Reia's love of travel later compelled her to start a shore based career as an international luxury travel consultant at management level: "I get great satisfaction from organising the best possible vacation for each individual client". Reia brings to CharterWorld 'insider' charter industry experience, general luxury travel management experience, a Bachelor of Business Studies and an IATA qualification for international luxury travel.

Reia's favorite charter area: The Mediterranean

"Mediterranean yacht charter vacations provide a combination of stunning natural beauty mixed with a rich history, culture and energy."

 Matt Somerville-Smith - Business Development

Matt has always been around the yachting world. He learnt to walk on a yacht, and then grew up on one for 3 years as a boy cruising the pacific with his family. Since then boating has always been his main concern, from racing sailing dinghies and keelers to cruising on super-yachts. He has sailed all over the world, including working for several years on charter super-yachts as engineer, first mate as well as captained smaller yachts.

His non-marine experience includes practicing briefly as a commercial law solicitor, as well as internet and business development. He has a law degree (LLB) and has been admitted to the Bar, as well as a double major bachelor of arts degree (Political Science & History). He believes in promoting a happy, positive and energetic work environment for employees and clients. He is keen to share his skills and experience from on and off the water to make your charter experience the best that it can be.

Matt's favorite charter area: Oceania and the South Pacific. "I love to really get away from it all and feel a sense of adventure when on a yacht charter vacation. The marine and shore-based ecology, from bird-life to whales is second to none in this un-crowded, exotic and stunningly beautiful area."

 Nicolas Benazeth – Charter Director/ Europe

Nick is a senior charter broker with many years experience organising luxury yacht charters and a further 5 years working within the luxury travel industry. Having been born and raised on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Nick has always had a passion for the sea and the outdoors. After studying Biology at Imperial College in London, and spending a year as a guide in luxury safari camps in southern Africa, he moved back to the UK, where he spent 5 years organizing luxury tailor-made and adventure holidays. With projects to manage ranging from polar expedition cruises and whale watching trips in the Pacific to luxury safaris in Botswana, he gained a valuable understanding of the high-end travel and service industry. Moving to the south of France, he then worked as a luxury charter broker in one of the leading yacht brokerage companies.

He now brings his experience of the charter market to CharterWorld, and is ideally based at the heart of the Cote d’Azur between Monaco and St Tropez. Perfectly bilingual, he enjoys being in constant contact with many of the world’s best yachts and crews, as well as being lucky enough to travel through the Mediterranean and beyond to keep improving his local knowledge. He particularly enjoys designing tailored itineraries, and finding the perfect yacht and crew, as no two charters are ever the same.

Nick's favourite place to cruise: "It is impossible to really choose between all the great charter destinations worldwide, but if pushed, Nick will have a soft spot for the East Mediterranean – from the multitude of islands and bays of Croatia, to the diverse natural beauty and local hospitality of Greece and Turkey."

Trina has worked within the charter Industry since 1997 and previously worked for a large, well know, charter operator in the Asia Pacific in a Management role. Working from the New York City office, Trina brings a wealth of knowledge to the CharterWorld team.

“Sailing vacations and helping our clients plan them is something that I truly enjoy. All of the best vacations I have had, have been when sailing in an exotic location on board a beautiful yacht…you just cannot beat it! It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to help my clients decide where to spend their precious vacation time. I truthfully love matching my clients with the perfect vessel in the perfect location as I know firsthand just how special it can be when it’s planned correctly.

I have been lucky enough to have sailed in some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. At last count my personal sailing experience includes New Zealand, Australia, Sydney and the Whitsundays, Asia, Thailand, The Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, the Western Mediterranean, The Spanish Balearics, The South Pacific, French Polynesia and most recently the Caribbean and in particular the British Virgin Islands.

All of these varying destinations have been incredible in their own way but the last place I visit is always my favorite. I can definitely say that the BVI’s deserve their reputation for excellent cruising. The waters are calm and protected, the restaurants are excellent and there are some beautiful bars dotted all through the anchorages should you fancy a cocktail to watch the sun go down.”

 Lara-Jo 'LJ' Houghting -  Charter Marketing & Luxury Yacht Charter Broker America

Lara-Jo joins CharterWorld as a seasoned professional knowledgeable about all aspects of the business: Time spent as a stewardess and massage therapist gave her solid experience of life on board before she made the move into marketing, management and sales.

Her land-based career began as a Boat Show Coordinator and Yacht Sales Coordinator to Charter Marketing at the Sacks Group Yachting Professionals from 2002 to 2005, moving on to become a Charter Fleet Manager at Northrop and Johnson until 2010, then at Churchill Yacht Partners until mid-2020.

A driven nature and true passion for the travel and hospitality industry brings LJ constant personal and professional development. She so far holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences, numerous diplomas in massage therapy techniques and alternative healing, is a committee member of the International Yacht Brokers Association Charter Professionals Committee as well as being a member of MYBA.

Originally from South Africa, now a proud American Citizen, she has and continues to travel extensively, working from warm and sunny Florida with the beautiful Caribbean and Bahamas yacht charter grounds close by.

LJ’s favourite charter areas include Alaska and the Galapagos for wildlife viewing, the Exumas for solitude, the Cyclades for fun, and the Amalfi Coast for culinary experience.

Charter Marketing & Luxury Yacht Charter Broker Lara-Jo 'LJ' Houghting is well known in the yachting industry and has a stellar reputation with owners, clients, captains, crew and media connections established over 20 years. With a true passion for travel and hospitality, her focus is serving a quality experience rather than quantity for an elevated charter experience.

 Amanda Brilliante – Luxury Yacht Charter Broker America

Amanda's first love of yachting came after joining a friend aboard her parents’ 46-foot steel sloop for 6 weeks of adventure in South America during their circumnavigation of the globe.  Returning to California, she began racing, cruising and crewing on yachts from the Channel Islands to Mexico and the Caribbean before leaving a successful career in the entertainment industry to permanently “mess about on boats.”

In addition to many years working as a Charter Broker, Amanda brings almost twenty years of diverse yachting experience to the CharterWorld team.  She has professionally crewed and cruised on everything from small private sailboats to charter mega yachts on both coasts of the US, the Bahamas, Caribbean and Greece.   In addition to working for a yacht brokerage and service facility, she has owned and refitted two sailboats of her own, and worked as an event planner and caterer/cook on both sea and shore.  Her passions for boating, travel and entertaining ensure that she will match you with the perfect charter yacht and crew, in a fantastic destination, for a holiday you will never forget.

While Amanda feels fortunate to sail her sloop from her home port of the Virgin Islands year-round, the southern Caribbean chain of the Grenadines are her favorite charter destination.  "From lush tropical rainforests, soaring mountain peaks and stunning waterfalls to uninhabited, palm-fringed islands with turquoise lagoons and powder-white beaches, they are a conveniently reached from the Americas or Europe, but far enough to truly “get away from it all.”

 Martha Lukasik – Luxury Yacht Charter Broker America

Martha brings to CharterWorld a wealth of knowledge. As the manager of Sunreef Charters Poland and President of Sunreef Yacht Charter, Inc USA Martha has around a decade of experience arranging charter vacations around the world on everything from crewed catamarans to superyachts. In 2008 Martha attended the MYBA Superyacht Brokers Seminar which enhanced her knowledge of all aspects of the yachting industry.

Martha has a Masters in Scandinavian studies and she has continued to improve her education with various seminars, lectures and courses in business strategy and marketing. Martha works very assertively to ensure she finds the best deals for her clients and she’s fluent in Polish, English and Norwegian and has a good understanding of French, Danish and Swedish.

She is a member of important international organizations such as, MYBA (Mediterranean Yacht Broker Association); CYBA (Caribbean Yacht Broker Association) Contract Commitee Chair and Board member since 2018; as well as IYBA (International Yacht Broker Association) member. She is also the Vice President of AYCA (American Yacht Charter Association) since January 2022.

Martha has traveled extensively and has personally sailed many of the seven seas from the East & West Med, to the Caribbean to the Norwegian Fjords to Mexico & Alaska. When asked what her favorite cruising destination is, Martha says “West Mediterranean with Corsica and Sardinia being my favorite. Its unique culture and history is what makes this sailing destination so special and enchanting for me. There is just so much on offer with sailing, diving, magnificent scenery and coastlines, breathtaking views & bays with crystal clear blue waters. Each anchorage brings new and unforgettable experiences, not to mention gourmet food and my favorite ….local cheeses and fine wine. As for the winter season, you cannot ever go wrong with the British Virgin Islands which offer protected anchorages, uninhabited islands and cays for lounging in the sun, swimming and snorkeling.”

 Sally Gardner-Cochran  – Charter Marketing & Broker America

Sally literally grew up in charter when her family relocated from New Zealand to the British Virgin Islands on their schooner to pursue the charter industry while it was still in its infancy there. Sally’s passion for travel was therefore planted at an early age and has taken her on three Atlantic crossings and six years of on board crewing, ranging from smaller to larger luxury yachts within the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Americas. Following this she returned to The BVI where she spent the next several years working on creating charter vacation experiences that were second to none, ‘just to see them go home happy and relaxed, full of memories they will cherish for years to come, that’s what it’s all about’.

Sally’s favourite charter area is undoubtedly the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. “I love the opportunity to go for a lovely sail and yet have several spectacular destinations so close together which allows for more discoveries every day. With so many islands in once place you can easily find a piece of your own island paradise or join in on one of the many fun stops along the way.”

 Eva Belanyiova - Marketing & News

Eva’s main responsibilities include our Superyacht News section, created to keep our clients and readers up-to-date on the latest developments in the superyacht industry. At CharterWorld we like to know what is happening in the yachting world, the minute it happens. Eva’s job is to research the best boats and the best yachting destinations around the world. This way, we can advise our charterers on the latest and best types of yachts available on the market at the destination of their choice; and are able to organise their dream holidays at the best value.

If you have any questions, or would like to speak to one of the management team, please contact us using the form below: