charter yacht EleonoraHercules Port, which is ground zero for the annual Monaco Grand Prix, has extended the deadline for yachts to apply for slips from February 28 until March 15.

When I saw this news bit come across the YCO Twitter feed this morning, I was more than a little surprised. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the premier yacht charter events in the Mediterranean each summer. Traditionally, there are waiting lists because so many yachts want to be inside the marina for the event. Marina slips have been reported to cost as much as €30,000 in years past, a fee that is in addition to the high-season rates that many clients pay to charter premier yachts. (An example of charter yachts being promoted for this year's Grand Prix is the "modern classic" 162-foot sailing yacht Eleonora, shown in the photograph at right when she was in New York City).

I got hold of the harbormaster's office at Hercules Port this morning, and a woman claiming to speak for Port Director Daniel Realini told me that the application deadline has been extended because of "internal organization." I asked whether that meant that not enough applications had been received to fill all the berths during the 2010 Grand Prix, and she said no, it meant the port was "still going through the applications that are already received."

With that said, the idea that a deadline extension has been deemed necessary struck many charter insiders the same way it struck me: noteworthy.

YCO Marketing Director Lisa Peck, after speaking with YCO's charter brokers, told me today, "I've never heard of it happening before. It's always been overbooked. It's definitely unusual."

A longtime charter yacht manager in the Monaco office of Camper & Nicholsons International also told me this morning that he had never heard of a deadline extension for Grand Prix berths, and that it made sense to assume that there might not have been enough prior demand. "However," he added, "there has been a flurry of activity since the announcement was made, so the point might be moot."

I asked Peck if YCO's brokers had heard of the deadline extension having any effect on the cost of marina slips for charter clients who want to attend the Monaco Grand Prix. They had not heard of any such discounts, she said, and then added, "you would think it would be open to negotiation if they haven't yet filled the berths."

The upshot for charter clients is that, even at this late date, you still might be able to get a marina slip if you're interested in chartering a yacht for this year's Monaco Grand Prix. Any reputable charter broker can help you with further details.