At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, charter yachts were seen as a private oasis for guests to safely enjoy spending time together. As the industry welcomes a new pool of clients and demand for high-quality vessels increases, the discerning new guests want to make the most out of their time onboard. “The pandemic brought people into the yachting world that previously were just on the fringe, and these new charter guests want to experience everything as it’s all new to them,” starts John Courtney, managing director of FunAir.

The demographic of charter guests has evolved, with yachts now positioning themselves to cater to clients who prefer charters with an abundance of toys, activities and sports equipment.  “Millennials are now chartering yachts and they are really active groups, so inflatables play a huge role in that,” Courtney continues. “Whether you're going for the most extreme slide in the world, or if you're more interested in lounging on beach setups or the floating islands, we offer it all the way from start to finish.”

One such offering is FunAir’s Beach Club Sea Pool which can completely transform the stern of the yacht. It provides docking for the jet skis, a platform for scuba diving and snorkelling, a mooring for stand-up paddleboards and an extended aft deck complete with inflatable loungers. “The Beach Club Sea Pool sets itself apart for three reasons,” Courtney explains. “Firstly, it offers a completely different perspective of the boat. You view the yacht in a way that guests typically only experience when they arrive on a tender and they love seeing that. The second thing is that all guests can participate in the on-water experiences, which works perfectly for multi-generational charters – you don’t have to be in the water but you can be there relaxing. Finally, it changes the entire atmosphere of the on-water experience. As it’s an enclosed space, children, guests and the crew feel much more comfortable knowing how much it increases safety.”

The beach club has undoubtedly become one of the biggest trends in yacht design and is now often highlighted as a key feature for guests. FunAir’s Beach Club Sea Pool allows owners to offer this to charter clients without the expense of refitting the yacht and spending time in the shipyard. If a charter yacht is looking to increase its appeal, the FunAir inflatables can quickly elevate the onboard experience and set it apart from competitors. And the positive relationship between FunAir and popular charter vessels is now further established with its ‘FunYachts’ initiative, a place on the website that showcases yachts that have an array of its products on board. Guests can peruse the growing library of yachts that carry FunAir inflatables and enquire about their availability.

Guests undoubtedly enjoy the FunAir experience, but Courtney also stresses how the crew-friendly products and designs are a reason why captains and owners are repeat customers. FunAir has purposely designed each yacht toy to fold tighter and be lighter, and the patented RapidFlate technology inflates and deflates the products six times faster than any other inflatable on the market. Larger products such as Climbing Walls and Beach Club Sea Pools inflate and deflate in minutes not hours.

The loyalty to FunAir’s products runs deeply through all facets of the industry, from owners themselves to crew. Courtney recalls a story of a well-known celebrity guest who stayed on board and enjoyed the Beach Club Sea Pool experience so much she now insists her charter yacht must have one. “I find that the most successful charter boats out there are the ones that have a full complement of toys and that includes inflatables,” he concludes. “At the end of the day, happy charter guests mean a happy boss and a successful crew.”

Profile links

Funair

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.