Feel the wind in your hair as you experience true blue-water sailing aboard a high-performance ketch or indulge in aft-deck relaxation in the company of friends and family. Here we profile the top five charter yachts in the hottest destinations for 2018.

Romea

Encompassing no fewer than 182 different finishes garnered from all over the world, 82m RoMEA built in 2015 by German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen is a tour de force. Among the largest yachts available for charter, and listed with Imperial, she features an extravagant beach club encompassing a Finnish sauna, one of several media rooms and a beauty-dedicated area with massage room.

Equipped with a 23-member crew carefully trained to offer a six-star experience, she will be the stand-out yacht cruising the Mediterranean this summer.

Visit imperial-yachts.com

Cloud 9

The extraordinary 74m motor yacht, built by CRN in 2017, takes in the Adriatic cruising ground of Croatia this summer, chartering through Burgess. Drop anchor in idyllic isolation at Krknjaši-Blue Lagoon, around 25km from the sailing hub of Split, and relax in the spectacular glass-bottomed spa pool on the main aft deck.

Or head to the Pakleni Islands, where the waters surrounding these thickly wooded isles are temptingly translucent, and abundant with secluded anchorages, hidden beaches and deserted lagoons.

Visit burgessyachts.com

Here Comes the Sun

The sublime South Pacific archipelago of Fiji offers a breathtaking fusion of cultures, cuisines and tropical surroundings boasting some of the most biodiverse waters in the world. Chartering through Fraser, Amels’ 83m Tim Heywood-designed yacht, launched in 2017, heads to the warm, clear waters of Fiji and French Polynesia this winter.

Take in the majesty of untouched cruising grounds, dramatic cliffs that plunge into turquoise waters and deep lagoons surrounded by forests from her vast 300sq m private owner’s deck.

Visit fraseryachts.com

Aquijo

This 86m sailing yacht is the world’s largest high-performance ketch. A collaboration between Dutch shipyards Vitters and Oceanco in 2016, she is designed for long-range worldwide sailing, reaching a rapid top speed of 35 knots when under full sail.

Chartering through Y.CO, Aquijo heads north in February 2019 to the hottest destination on the superyacht circuit – Japan. The coral reefs of Okinawa, the pristine dive sites of Iriomote-Jima and the seaside hot springs of Yakushima are simply awe-inspiring.

Visit y.co

Haida 1929

Fresh from an 18-month refit at Pendennis, this 71m classic is the yachting pinnacle of the beautiful 1920s era. First commissioned during World War One, she still features her original (fully reconditioned) twin 750.0hp Krupp Germaniawerft 6L40/67M diesel engines.

Chartering through Edmiston in the Caribbean for winter 2019, head off the beaten track to Puerto Rico where small batch rum and impressive architecture abound, while unrivalled island hopping is located in the Guadeloupe archipelago, from Montserrat and St Kitts to Antigua and Barbuda.

Visit edmiston.com