Andrew Thompson answers his phone breathless, having just come ashore from the afternoon’s racing activity. “I’m on a busman’s holiday in the UK sailing my ‘Solo” – a 12-foot dinghy in a super-competitive fleet,” he explains. To say that the founder and director of Horizon Yacht Charters is passionate about sailing is an understatement. He lives and breathes life on the water.
Thirty years ago, a nine-month contract to run the watersports program for a five-star hotel on Virgin Gorda enticed the Englishman to the British Virgin Islands. In 1998 he co-founded Horizon Yacht Charters, and today Thompson is fully entrenched in the Caribbean life.
“Clearly I love it,” he laughs. “I certainly have a disposition for watersports and windsports. We kitesurf, we wingfoil; it’s just spectacular.”
Thompson is humble about his enviable sailing experience and accomplishments, which include myriad regatta-class wins, and more than 50,000 sea miles. Providing a charter experience that is far above and beyond the norm is his passion.
What began as a fledgling charter operation with three boats has expanded into a fleet of nearly 60 sailing yachts, including monohulls and catamarans, between 34 and 65 feet. Horizon Yacht Charters operates from two locations: the headquarters on Tortola in the BVI and another location on St. Vincent in the Grenadines. From learn-to-sail to bareboat and skippered to luxury crewed, Horizon offers the full complement of yacht charters—with the option of a private-jet charter in tandem. Thompson credits the company’s longevity to its relationship with its discerning yacht owners and charter clients.
A Stone’s Throw From the Dock
“Our clients know everyone in our reservations department,” Thompson says. “There’s Courtney, who has been with the company for 26 years; Christalen, who joined in 2006; and Sandra, who came on board in 2018. Kaleigh runs the crewed-yacht division, and everyone knows our operations director, Henry, who runs the dock.
“Our staff are right there,” Thompson continues. “Our guests aren’t dealing with a remote office or with someone who has never been to the location or on the boats they’re looking to book. When you book a boat with us at our Caribbean locations, you’re booking a specific boat, not just that model. Our reservation team have been on every boat and often walk clients through the yachts virtually to show the immaculate condition, the layout and specific equipment. They are a stone’s throw from the dock and are very integrated into the whole business.”
Perfectionism at Its Finest
The majority of the owners of the boats in Horizon’s fleet are sailors, and with that comes an expectation that the boat will be maintained to the highest standards.
“We have a long-standing relationship with the yards that build the boats for our fleet, and we have a commitment to the owners to maintain the boats in pristine condition. We can keep boats in our fleet up to eight years because we keep up with the maintenance. I’m a bit of a perfectionist in that area.
“We keep the canvas, sails, cosmetics, mechanicals and electrics in top condition,” he continues. “Each bareboat charter application is carefully reviewed to ensure that the charterer has the appropriate amount of knowledge and experience for the particular vessel. On the docks, there is not a stack pack open, the main sails are put away. That is the attention to detail and the day-to-day of how we operate. These standards are the bedrock to the experience.”
As the company grew, Thompson knew he didn’t want to spend his life on a plane trying to manage fleets all over the world to his exacting standards. So he developed a points system and a worldwide sailing program that allows an owner use of his own boat in the BVI/Caribbean and aboard other boats in partner fleets worldwide.
The Horizon Yacht Charters Difference
Charter guests who want to sail farther afield than the BVI/Caribbean don’t have to venture out on their own; Horizon Yacht Charters offers the same personalized service through a brokerage arrangement with preferred fleet operators in the USVI, Bahamas and Croatia and beyond.
Yacht management and sales are integral to the charter operation, and through the Horizon Yacht Sales division, Thompson and his experienced team consult with owners on every aspect of a yacht purchase, covering the nuances of builders, or boat models, factory options and bespoke customizations. The company is the authorized dealer for Nautitech Catamarans and Bavaria Yachts in the English speaking Caribbean and distributor for CNB brands including Lagoon, Beneteau, Jeanneau, and Excess, in addition to Fountaine Pajot among others.
Horizon is an American Sailing Association sailing school for its learn-to-sail charters and do offer some boats with asymmetric spinnakers. “We’ve had Quantum Sails design asymetric sails specifically for charter use,” he says. “It electrifies your performance downwind. We are the only charter company to offer these boats.
“We live and breathe the sport of sailing, and we do it to a very high standard. That’s what I’m most proud of,” Thompson continues. “We are a very knowledgeable team passionate about putting out immaculate boats and giving people a great experience. If they want to learn more, we have a sailing school. We can also arrange for excursions such as diving, mountain biking, kitesurfing, hiking and snorkeling. We aren’t just another charter company.”
For more information, please visit: horizonyachtcharters.com
