ENCORE

Horizon Encore — 97ft · Great Barrier Reef & the Whitsundays Some cruising grounds ask more of a yacht than others. The Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays are among them: long anchorage days, water clear enough to see the bottom from the flybridge, and a crew that needs to know exactly which bay to slip into at four in the afternoon. Encore, a 97-foot Horizon refitted in 2021, has been built around precisely that kind of week. Accommodation is arranged over four cabins for eight guests: a full-beam owner's cabin, a VIP cabin forward, and two further cabins each fitted with twin beds. All have private bathrooms, so nobody negotiates for space in the morning. Detailed bed configuration is available on request. The layout follows the logic of a warm-water charter. The aft deck is generous enough to host every dinner of the trip outdoors, the foredeck is set up with proper seating for the panoramic run through the islands, and the sundeck carries a jacuzzi for the hours between swims. Inside, the saloon is bright and open, with a formal dining area for the evenings when the breeze turns cool or the conversation runs long. At the stern, the swim platform is the real centre of gravity. Snorkelling and diving off the reef, jet skis, and a full complement of water toys are all launched from there with minimal ceremony — which is exactly how it should work. Encore has been looked after by a professional crew of four since she was built, and that continuity shows in the way she is presented and the way a charter unfolds: quietly organised, without visible effort.