Courchevel has earned renown for its powder skiing conditions. While you’ll never find a superyacht at the top of the mountains, you will find yacht charters. Specifically, superyachting in Courchevel is coming this winter thanks to a yacht brokerage joining forces with a concierge and ski specialist headquartered in the area.
MYSEA, the brokerage, has essentially created an office in the French Alps with Elite Ski Travel. The latter is in Méribel, a short distance from Courchevel, and designs ski holidays for discerning visitors. It additionally provides ski instructors and other services. The partnership sprang from observations by Frank Benoit, currently a MYSEA charter and sales broker. Four years ago, he moved full time to Courchevel, following nearly 20 years as a charter-yacht captain. Embedding superyachting in Courchevel simply made sense to him. “Courchevel hosts one of the highest concentrations of UHNW travelers in the world,” he says. “Yet there wasn’t a single dedicated yacht broker anywhere in the region.” Benoit convinced MYSEA’s founder, Laurent Roussillon, who’s also a good friend, to change that.
Aurélia Chrétien Pomès, co-director of Elite Ski Travel, says the partnership was instinctive. “With more than 20 years of experience in Courchevel, we’re not just a travel agency, we’re an on-site DMC (Destination Management Company),” she explains. “Our instructors spend entire weeks with the same families, understanding their tastes and lifestyles. Adding MYSEA’s expertise allows us to extend this trust from the mountains to the sea.”
Thanks to the collaboration, ski enthusiasts can learn about charter between ski runs or in the privacy of their chalet. Despite the snowy environment, it’s the perfect time to plan. Similar to other charter brokers, Benoit notes that up to 75 percent of peak summer bookings take place between December and March.
Naturally, those bookings can be for traditional yacht vacations in the Med. However, leveraging the superyachting in Courchevel concept, MYSEA can arrange Alaska heli-skiing charters with an expedition yacht. Simultaneously, it can suggest itineraries through the Chilean fjords, or “sail and ski” trips in Norway.
Elite Ski Travel eliteskitravel.com
MYSEA mysea.co