Fraser Yachts honors captains and crews at Monaco awards ceremony
The yacht management company celebrated operational excellence across its charter and managed fleets with five award categories recognizing safety, sustainability and guest experiences.
Fraser Yachts gathered captains, crew and industry partners at the Monaco Yacht Club on October 7 for its 2026 Captains’ Soirée & Awards, an annual event recognizing excellence across the company’s yacht management and charter operations.
The ceremony handed out five awards, each sponsored by industry partners and designed to recognize different dimensions of professional yachting: environmental stewardship, operational safety, charter performance at different vessel sizes, and overall crew contribution.
Environmental Leadership
VIRTUOSITY, captained by Clive Harrison and Tom Versteeg, won the environmental category. According to Fraser Yachts, the vessel merges technological advances with sustainable operations through its onboard micro-ecosystem, solar installation and propulsion efficiency. Three other yachts—ARTEXPLORER, ADAMAR and LULWA—competed in the category, which was sponsored by Palumbo Upfit.
Safety and Operational Excellence
NAFISA, under the command of Captain Pierluigi Ippoliti, won an award honoring safety, leadership, risk management, crew retention and sustained performance in yacht management operations. The award, sponsored by Peninsula Yacht Services, cited NAFISA’s exceptionally stable and dedicated crew as key to the yacht’s continued success. FORCE BLUE, ANAWA and FINESSE NEW YORK were nominated alongside the winner.
Charter Performance by Vessel Size
Fraser split charter yacht recognition into two categories based on size. HAZE 2, captained by Tim Beebe and Andrew Gardham, won Best Charter Yacht Under 50 metres. The vessel logged 68 charter days in its debut season, split between the Caribbean and Mediterranean, with owners booking repeat engagements, according to Fraser. HELIOS, TONIC BLUE and SYLIA were nominated in the category, which is sponsored by GMT.
The Best Charter Yacht Over 50 metres Award, sponsored by Wheels Up, went to O’PTASIA, captained by Evangelos Berdos. The 85-metre vessel completed 117 charter days and was recognized for pairing the scope and amenities of a large yacht with first-rate crew performance. The award was accepted by John Dragnis of Golden Yachts on behalf of the captain and crew. Other nominees included CARINTHIA VII, EMIR, LADY A and O’MADELEINE.
Overall Achievement
K2, under the command of Captain Enrico Orselli, received an award for overall contribution to the charter experience. Sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the award recognized the yacht’s track record over six seasons of reliable charter bookings and the professional conduct of Orselli and his crew, according to Fraser. O’MATHILDE, VERTIGO and FELICITÀ were nominated for the same honor.
This article was compiled by the CityLifeBytes editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
