Each week, we place a spotlight on one of the world’s finest yachts for charter. This week, BOAT turns to a sailing great for a closer look at the 58.4-metre sloop Kokomo, one of the best-performing charter sailing yachts.
When it comes to a design team, it doesn’t get better than Kokomo’s staggering list of credits. She was built in 2010 by the renowned New Zealand-based shipyard, Alloy Yachts, designed by Dubois Naval Architects and has contemporary interiors by RWD. She is by any account a sailing great, with a long list of regattas under her belt and a series of attributes that make her a fiend on the racing circuit.
It was only recently in 2024 that Kokomo joined the charter fleet following her sale in December 2023. The 58.4-metre sloop was very much a beloved private yacht that belonged to the late Australian property developer Lang Walker, who had three Kokomo superyachts – each remarkably ambitious and designed for peak performance.
The sloop was famously commissioned by Walker on the day of his previous yacht’s launch. He told BOAT: “The day I launched that boat [a 52-metre sloop], I could see that there were probably about 20 or 30 things that I wanted to change about it. So, the same day I booked a slot for the next one and set to work tweaking all the things I wanted to change.”
Read More/On board with Lang Walker, owner of the Kokomo yacht seriesThe Kokomo we see here is the result of those tweaks, featuring a host of amenities that not only make her remarkable in the luxury charter fleet but also in the world, with a host of amenities and custom designs that place her comfortably within the sailing greats.
Key Features
LOA: 58.4m
Builder: Alloy Yachts
Year: 2010 (2018)
Guests: 10
Crew: 10
Cruising: Western Mediterranean, France, Italy
While she may have been used exclusively by her owner, Kokomo was immaculately looked after and even saw a refit in 2018 to revive her back to the day of her delivery. Having joined the charter market just a few months ago, Kokomo is the largest pedigree sloop sailing yacht available for charter globally and one of the few yachts that boasts such a masterful build team.
Kokomo is a blend of luxury and sport detailing. She has a host of relaxing elements including an on-deck jacuzzi, expansive lounge areas, full air conditioning and year-round comfort. Stepping on board into her masterful interiors by RWD, you wouldn’t know that you’re standing on board a real racer, as her interiors are a mix of cream furniture and light woods with pops of colourful art and intricate sculptures placed around the interiors.
She features a 100-tonne bulb fitted at the end of a 30-tonne keel, but that can be extended from 4.8 metres to 8.1 metres below the surface, allowing space to be freed up in the interiors. The lifting keel ensures performance while fully deployed while she grants access to shallower areas during cruising. She also features the largest asymmetric sail globally and a remarkable 75-metre carbon fibre mast by Southern Spars, inclusive of carbon fibre EC6 fore/aft rigging.
In terms of performance, the masterful design allows Kokomo to reach up to 15 knots, with additional power coming from two Caterpillar engines. At 450GT, this is beyond impressive, making her a fine choice for anyone who feels the draw of a pedigree sailing yacht.
Life on board Kokomo
Accommodation on board is for 10 across five equally lavish cabins, each with marble bathrooms and a combination of light and dark timbers. Light pours into Kokomo’s interiors and illuminates the neutral colour scheme. Despite these relaxing interiors, however, most of the guest’s time will be spent out on deck, preferably at a heel where Kokomo comes into her own.
The yacht has spent time in the South Pacific, quite comfortably so, but the height of her mast makes her pass through the Panama or Suez canals rather tricky and it’s a long slog around the capes. As a result, much of Kokomo’s life has been spent in the Mediterranean, where she will spend the summer season.
Where will Kokomo be cruising?
Kokomo is available for charter with Cecil Wright and Partners with a weekly rate from €260,000. She will be cruising in the Western Med this summer, visiting France and Italy during this period with availability in August.
Read More/The hottest superyacht charter deals on the market