First Impression: Sublime

Date toured: November 2006

Yacht designer Ted Irwin created the Irwin 72 sailboat with charter in mind. Each Irwin 72 has four equally sized cabins with double beds and en suite bathrooms, with all of those guest cabins being nicely separated from the crew cabins at the other end of the yacht. In between those two sections is a large living area with a U-shaped couch for sprawling or dining and a second area for sitting, plus stairs leading up to the sailboat’s cockpit, where there’s plenty of room for lounging while under way.
     These design characteristics are among the things that made Brian and Stephanie Johnson want to purchase the Irwin 72 Sublime for themselves. The couple, who previously worked as crew onboard a 100-foot motoryacht, decided in January 2006 that they wanted to run their own ship for a change. They intentionally sought out the Irwin because they knew they wanted to offer their yacht for charter, and they wanted to buy a boat that was built specifically for the purpose.
     Since buying Sublime in January, they’ve added all new cushions, bedding, water toys and scuba gear (Brian is a dive instructor). They also put a good deal of their own money into upgrading the onboard stereo systems, which now include a Bose 321 surround-quality system in the main saloon and Bose 151 systems up in the outdoor cockpit. “And we have an XBox 360,” Brian told me during my tour. “That’s really important if you’re a kid. If you’re 14, it makes all the difference in the world.”
     Perhaps that’s one of the reasons charter brokers refer to Sublime as a family-friendly boat that’s great for kids. I can’t verify that claim for sure, but having met the Johnsons, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second before bringing my nieces and nephews onboard.
     Sublime is based in the Virgin Islands with plans to cruise south starting in July 2007. First stop will be St. Maarten, on the way all the way down island to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
     The weekly all-inclusive rate is $12,500 for two to five people; $14,500 for six or seven people; and $16,500 for eight people (about $2,060 per person with a full boat). Sublime is part of the Flagship fleet.--Kim Kavin