So says Fraser Yachts Worldwide in the new edition of its e-newsletter, which describes the charter industry as a global marketplace filled with last-minute deal-making and more supply than demand.

I was struck by the bluntness of the following statement, which pulls no punches about the recent Mediterranean season. Based on what I’m hearing right now from top charter brokers, it’s likely that this market assessment by Fraser will remain true into the upcoming Caribbean season, as well:

“With very few exceptions, charter bookings came in very late over the summer period. While we used to see vacations being booked six to eight months in advance, this summer saw the majority of bookings being finalized just a couple of weeks in advance. Some yachts were booked with only a few days notice before the charter commenced. The number of yachts available for charter has risen steeply in 2010, although there has been a slight decrease in the overall number of weeks booked. The wider choice and availability put serious pressure on the weekly rates, and we saw a lot of heavy discounting. We worked closely with yacht owners to devise an array of innovative offers, adding value, offering complimentary relocation and other incentives. The market is getting tougher.”

Fraser’s e-newsletter goes on to say that the current market conditions are not all gloom and doom. They represent a real chance for seasoned charterers to snap up great deals, Fraser says, as well as a chance for the industry to attract first-time charterers through added-value vacation offers. I think that’s very true, and cause for optimism if leading companies act on the opportunity.

Also worth noting is Fraser’s new assessment of the market for crew placement. The recession, it seems, has weeded out “backpackers” who thought working on yachts might be fun, and has left the industry with serious, career crew members seeking the vast majority of jobs. That’s good news for charter clients who want to receive outstanding service. When combined with the previously mentioned predictions, it means you will be able to get a better charter value for less money, at least in the near future.

I believe that marketing claim is accurate, although it appears to me that the new site is very similar to Fraser’s existing website as opposed to being an entirely new online construction. When I click on the tabs that usually take me to a listing of charter yachts, for example, I get the same results in the same format–albeit with everything but the yachts’ names appearing in the Russian language.

“A company that puts its clients first should at least be able to speak to them in their own language,” Hein Velema, Fraser’s CEO, said in a news release. “Our clients from Russia have yachts under construction, under management and for sale and charter; we’re now in an even better position to meet their needs.”

Fraser has offered its charter brochures in Russian for several years. The company also has a number of Russian-speaking brokers and staff.

Hardly the usual yachting attire, but appropriate for a gala put on by Fraser Yachts to honor their top charter crews.

All of which is why I think it’s great that management company Fraser Yachts Worldwide holds an annual black-tie gala to celebrate the best captains and crew in its charter fleet. The yacht managers and retail charter brokers who work for Fraser often know these crew members better than anyone–they know how the crew treat their in-house VIP clients, they know how professionally the crew handle the business end of charter, and in general they know all the little details that separate a good crew from a great one.

When the votes were counted recently at the Yacht Club de Monaco, three charter yachts in the Fraser fleet took home top honors. Charter Captain of the Year went to Ronald Woods of the 139-foot motoryacht Paramour, Best Crew on a Yacht over 40 Meters went to Capt. Don Anderson and his team aboard the 164-foot motoryacht NewVida, and Best Crew on a Yacht under 40 Meters went to Capt. Ashley Benns and his team aboard the 124-foot motoryacht Coco Loco.

Capt. Ashley Benns and the crew of Coco Loco won Best Crew on a Yacht under 40 Meters.

I’m especially happy to see Benns and his crew on the list because I spent a horribly rainy week with them aboard Coco Loco in the Bahamas not too long ago. The sky went black a few hours after my plane landed in paradise, and the sun didn’t shine again until the morning I flew home. It’s under those conditions that you really can see whether a crew has what it takes to keep charter guests happy–and I was as comfortable as a favorite pair of slippers.

You might remember Benns as a recent CharterWave Captain of the Month. As he explains, he’s been boating all his life and has worked at virtually every job a person can have on a boat, including cook, steward, and engineer.

How nice to see all that hard work pay off with an honor like the one from Fraser Yachts Worldwide. Kudos to Benns, and to all his fellow winners.

Today comes news from competing management house Fraser Yachts Worldwide that the largest and most expensive of its fleet motoryachts, the 262-foot Oceanco Amevi shown in the photograph above, has availability the last week of this month and all of next month in the Western Mediterranean at a rate that is described as “negotiable.”

Amevi‘s base rate is still listed at €700,000 for 12 guests, making her one of the most expensive 12-guest charter yachts in the world. By comparison, the 230-foot Lurssen motoryacht Martha Ann takes 12 guests at a weekly base rate of about €610,000, and you can get aboard super-size charter motoryachts such as the 30-guest, 273-foot O’Mega at a weekly base rate of €380,000.

News that Amevi‘s owner is willing to negotiate his base rate because of continued availability during the end of the Western Med’s high season of course piques my curiosity. It will be interesting to see how the data from this summer’s Med season shake out in next year’s Superyachting Index, and whether the claim will still be able to be made that there is more supply than demand for charters at the top of the international market.

Stay tuned.