Yomira: The Boutique Charter Consultancy With A Difference

Neil Hornsby and Amanda Armstrong established Yomira towards the tail end of last year, at a time when the industry at large began to catch a glimpse of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Bringing to the venture 50 collective years of experience in superyacht charter, Neil and Amanda have had plenty of experience identifying both the strengths and pitfalls of modern charter services. Headquartered in London, Yomira seeks instead to offer clients a ‘bespoke consultancy approach’ to charter, with the 360º client journey at its heart.

Neil Hornsby looks to a shift in the wider travel industry as inspiration for this change. ‘High end travel clients have been well served over the last decade by a new breed of exclusive travel consultancies specialising in a very personalised proposition for the entire client experience,’ says Neil Hornsby. ‘We were therefore motivated to modernise and breathe new life into the charter process with Yomira, going the extra mile in designing life-enhancing superyacht experiences to become more relevant in a changing world.’

But what does ‘going the extra mile’ mean in this context? When it comes to the ultra-elite world of yacht charter, clients will not settle for anything but the very best.  

This means more than just deep diving into what clients want from their holiday, applying specific industry experience to foster an enduring relationship between client and consultant. Yomira also aims to streamline every aspect of the oftentimes convoluted process, while maintaining the highest levels of transparency and professionalism throughout.

Yomira aims to apply its considerable experience and systems to simplify many aspects of the long-winded booking process from charter to offer a more efficient transaction, enabling clients to focus their attention on planning the enjoyable details of their charter experience. ‘This is a critical factor in being able to attract new clients to the concept of chartering a yacht, especially next generation clients,’ says Amanda Armstrong.

When it comes to attracting clients of the future, Yomira acknowledges the need to re-calibrate the perception of the charter industry as that of a lifestyle choice, rather than a status symbol. ‘We aim to build a more favourable perception of yacht charter by making it more appealing and accessible to a wider audience in order to grow the market,’ adds Armstrong. 

In recognition of high demand for increasingly adventurous cruising, Yomira offers a spectacular selection of ‘next generation’ charter itineraries. These include: stay and sail programmes in the Maldives incorporating a private island, spa and wellbeing cruises in Indonesia, dive trips in French Polynesia’s Tuamotu Archipelago, bone fishing in the Bahamas, Arctic expeditions and a variety of naturalist voyages in Australia, such as whale watching and participation in reef projects. Closer to home in the traditional cruising grounds of the Mediterranean, clients can enjoy truffle hunting and wine tasting excursions in Italy or off-grid cycling tours in Greece.  

Hornsby and Armstrong also share a commitment to supporting sustainable yachting. Part of Yomira’s ethos lies in encouraging clients to opt for a sailing yacht in the effort to reduce carbon footprints. The approach is part of a wider industry drive to eradicate some of the misconceptions around sailing yachts which sees more and more traditional motor yacht clients opting for sail. 

‘We also foresee increasing interest from clients in ocean conservation projects going forward and we will be developing some exciting voyages with customised aspects to meet this demand,’ says Armstrong.

Offering professional consultancy for luxury yacht charter ranging from 25 to 100 metres in length, Yomira is a concrete commitment to ‘future-proofing’ the yachting industry as the world undergoes an immense transformation. 

Hornsby and Armstrong are offering clients expert advice on health, safety and travel protocols as we re-adjust to easing travel restrictions over the coming months.