From June 22 to 25 at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, the 2026 Newport Charter Yacht Show displayed exceptional captains and crew at the heart of the U.S. charter industry alongside an impressive fleet of charter yachts. Yacht inspections, onboard luncheons, seminars, and crew competitions filled the action-packed days.
Tuesday evening kicked off with the Captain and Deck Challenge, which featured fender inflation and floral design. Winners were Away for best time fender inflating (male) and No Surrender for best time (female), and Bella Vita for crowd-favorite floral arranging.
The crew on 180-foot M/Y Lady Beth, the largest vessel in the show, showed their talent and enthusiasm in their winning “Po Rom Po Po Pom Punch” in the Signature Cocktail Competition, along with their short video centered around a technical challenge solved by teamwork — a guest was stuck in the elevator but it turned out to be a dream.
For a yacht whose name was inspired by the owner’s love of Bruce Springsteen, M/Y No Surrender’s crew carried the inspiration into their “Born to Dine” table and won the mocktail category of the Signature Cocktail Competition with its “Thunder Road” drink, plus they earned the Herman Pundt “Best Party Yacht” for Wednesday night’s Yacht Hop.
No Surrender’s Chef Anastasiya Verenich secured the title of “Best Charter Yacht Chef” with her “Elevated Family Style” theme with “A Journey Through Morocco.”
“I knew I might take first or second,” said Verenich, who earned the competition’s $1,000 top prize, “because I distinguished myself from others who I thought might go Italian, French, or New England with their dishes.”
Judges were captivated by Chef Verenich’s bold yet balanced Moroccan flavors in her creation of fried goat cheese with dates, pomegranate, and mint; scallop crudo with pomegranate, pistachio, and citrus; and lamb tagine with apricots, prunes, saffron-herbed couscous, and roasted local mushrooms. Finishing touches, including a lit ghee butter candle served with sourdough bread and traditional Moroccan mint tea, sealed her victory.
Captain Dan Douglas and his wife Chef Gillian Wright on 129-foot M/Y Bella Vita were hired after developing a relationship with the yacht’s new owner during a previous charter experience. Chef Wright’s talents earned her second place in the chef competition.
“We are unique in that everything cooked aboard is made from scratch… and we mean everything, even if it is a burger bun,” said Douglas. “There are no boxes, and we don't use a provisioning company.”
M/Y Avalina made her Newport debut, showing off her classic styling and cherry wood interiors, which inspired Chief Stewardess Jena Geach’s winning “Coastal Antique” tablescape with keepsakes collected from the yacht’s travels — winning the Professional Judges Award in the Tablescaping Competition. Featuring fresh-cut citrus and warm summer colors, M/Y Away’s “Tropical Sunset” table captured attendees’ heart as the fan favorite.