Ghiolman Yacht Vies For World Record

Michael Ghiolman of Ghiolman Yachts-Travel-Aviation hopes to get his name in the Guiness Book of World Records with his yacht Nidri. The Greek-built ‘Skipper 53,’ he says, was chartered out for the longest term ever by a broker, and accordingly Mr. Ghiolman has sent an application to Guiness publishers attesting to the fact.

The Nidri was chartered out to sailors Paul d’ Hooge and Elke Gisels of Belgium for some two years and it sailed about 17,000 miles during that time. From the Greek island of Hydra, the Nidri sailed the Mediterranean and continued on to the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean before stops at Venezula and Cuba. (While in Cuba, the skipper forwarded 1,000 non-smoking stickers to Fidel Castro.)

From Cuba, businessman Paul d’ Hooge returned directly to Greece in time to take part in the festivities featured during the official opening of the new marina at Kos. Mr. Ghiolman refused to let us in on how much he received for the charter.