France

Jean-Michel Folon

With signs of the second world war still visible on this historic yacht,&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> is one of the oldest charter yachts on the market today. With more than 11 owners and six name changes throughout her 95-year-history, she is the ideal yacht for those who love history, culture, and a unique charter experience. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383956/image/large-9c04175c1f73aa7deb3b7a1b62e5e3e6.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383956">Chartering through historyStaying onboard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> is more than chartering the Mediterranean for a week; it’s a journey through time. With a beautifully preserved Honduras mahogany interior and teak exterior, this 1930s yacht still has much of her original beauty. Even the walls hold scars of the many games of dart played while cruising from the United Kingdom to the Mediterranean and all the way down to Tanzania. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383940/image/large-cffca6aa1f3413bcf622563d668fa135.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383940">She hasn’t always been available for charter. During the second world war, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>, then named <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Janetha IV</a>, was owned by the British government and joined the Royal Navy. Later on she belonged to the Hellenic Mining Company before making its way into the hands of Belgian artist <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/175" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Jean-Michel Folon (Company)">Jean Michel Folon</a> in the early 2000s, who named her&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383912/image/large-1e4acc45d538ee613eb888d16f0d1797.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383912"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383924/image/large-78237c0a6a46f762bb35c868365586ef.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383924"> Folon, upon meeting the yacht, became so enchanted he just had to have her. It was under his care that <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> underwent very necessary extensive refits. Lasting from 2002 to 2004, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> returned to sea, her 1930s exterior beautifully preserved. The magic that this yacht holds hasn’t gone unnoticed. Even a superstar as big as Madonna has stepped onboard, featuring <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> in her movie W.E. (2011). <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383911/image/large-dd962f4e24d2d5c82453209d23fe4e79.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383911">Cruising the Mediterranean: from France to TurkeyOriginally launched in 1930 by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/174" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dickie & Sons (Company)">Dickie &amp; Sons</a>, anyone who steps onboard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> will notice she still has the same glow 95 years on. Guests who charter her will enjoy a trip back in time, while enjoying her modern amenities added during her refit in 2019, including starlink, air conditioning and stabilisers.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383932/image/large-bcc47d834ae59c0e4580452efe09d22b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383932">Her warm and spacious interior welcomes eleven guests across four versatile staterooms, including a full-beam master suite. Her intricately restored wood panelling, together with her soft furnishings create a cosy feel onboard, with many nooks to retreat to, ideal for sunbathing, enjoying a good book, or sipping a cup of coffee. Or you can take a nap while the creaking original wooden flooring lulls you to sleep. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383904/image/large-c6e66f4c6e5927dcea6477bb7a26bf26.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383904">At&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow’</a>s helm is Captain Tim Cooter, who’s been with the yacht for a little less than a decade. He lives onboard, with his two co-captains, dachshunds Duke and Sandy. While they don’t get to charter along with guests, the four-footed captains do join Captain Tim when exploring new coves, bays and beaches throughout the Mediterranean. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>’s owner has specifically tasked the captain with finding new chartering routes, ensuring each guest experience is unique. Chartering <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> means no route is the same, making each journey onboard unique. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383909/image/large-71255487e3046e8a486317e9aaf31cfe.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383909">When chartering, Captain Tim is joined by a crew of five. From March to December the team charters the Mediterranean, stretching from France and Monaco to Turkey and Greece. Along the way, there are plenty of stops and moments to jump in the azure blue waters. The water toy collection is extensive, ranging from jetskis and electric surfboards to fishing equipment and an inflatable trampoline. Recently, Captain Tim even taught a 72-year-old guest how to wakeboard. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383920/image/large-dfdbbb176396e6722aa700571ff43f27.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383920">Captaining Over the RainbowWhat is most striking about Captain Tim, besides his wakeboard-teaching skills, is his love for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>. A ship with such charisma and history can only be captained by someone passionate and respectful of her history. Just like the superyacht, Tim’s own history captaining <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> has been quite a journey. From the South Coast of England, handling lobsters and crabs and running his own boat-delivery business, to spending a few seasons as first mate in the Mediterranean: all have prepared him to be at the helm of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383929/image/large-9fac1511d6f3af1188d7f0fc272cbf99.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383929">After ten years at sea, Captain Tim thought he was ready for a land-based job. Back in England, Cooter felt like a fish out of water and, once again, went in search of a yacht with personality; not another season treading through the Mediterranean. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383930/image/large-55027386be18989756707dde0954516e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383930">At the time, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> was looking for a new captain, keeping her owner busy, filtering through 250 applications. Tim Cooter stood out. Yet it wasn’t just because of his extensive resume; Cooter added a personal letter explaining why he was the right guy to captain <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a>. Two days later he got the call; nearly ten years later he still has the role. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/383939/image/large-30343b67a51937ccc0fab6ebdbdea3d2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/383939">Chartering onboard a yacht as iconic as <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Over the rainbow of London35.0m (114'10&quot;)Dickie & Sons1930">Over the Rainbow</a> allows guests to be enriched by her history while enjoying a leisure charter vacation spent exploring the Mediterranean. This article was first published in the <a href="https://yachtchartermarket.com/" target="_blank">Yacht Charter Market</a> newsletter. You can read more <a href="https://yachtchartermarket.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Chartering a 1930s icon: Over the Rainbow

Charter the iconic 1930s motor yacht Over the Rainbow and cruise the Mediterranean aboard one of the oldest and most storied yachts at sea.