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EYOS is pleased to present our Expedition Partner Proposal for Enigma XK. EYOS would be honored to represent the yacht as both the Central Agency and Expedition Management partner, leveraging our unparalleled expertise and close connection to the vessel.
This is not a conventional proposal. We believe Enigma XK is best served by a hybrid relationship—combining the generalized Central Agency function with the highly specialized Expedition Management one. And there is simply no other company in the yacht industry equipped to provide it.
EYOS pioneered expedition yachting, defining the category in 2008, and remains the world leader in private superyacht expeditions. Our leadership team has been in the expedition cruising industry since its inception—with 350 years of collective experience and a network of travel and marine specialists spanning seven continents. Our team's nautical expertise ranges from sailing yachts and motor vessels to cruise ships, research vessels, icebreakers, and superyachts.
In addition, we provided both Central Agency and Expedition Management to Enigma XK when we originally brought her to market as a polar expedition ship.
As a result, our unique expertise is invaluable to:
Experience matters is our core belief. And relationship matters is the core of our business practice.
For that reason, our proposal foregrounds the benefits to Enigma XK to forge an Expedition Partner relationship with EYOS for both sales and marketing effectiveness and expedition expertise.
We welcome the opportunity to further discuss EYOS × Enigma XK, and we look forward to reaching an agreement. Our team is ready to begin immediately.
Ben Lyons
CEO
EYOS Expeditions
EYOS is ideally positioned to act as both the Central Agency and Expedition Management partner for Enigma XK.
Unlike other traditional central agents in the yachting industry, we live and breathe the expedition business and expedition geographies. Top industry brokers look to EYOS. If we're endorsing a vessel, they know they can trust in our management.
The fact is, we operate approximately 95% of all Antarctic yacht expeditions and about 90% of all Arctic yacht expeditions. Last year alone, in Antarctica alone, EYOS staff were on 11+ vessels, making us by far the single biggest operator by number of vessels in the entire Antarctic tourism industry.
In terms of operational capabilities, we are simply without peers.
Our dedicated team manages highly complex operations with innovation, knowledge, and experience, making us a dependable partner for captains and owners—from yacht rebuilds and marine consultation to voyage planning and permits. EYOS is the only dedicated superyacht expedition company to be full members of AECO and IAATO and operate with our own permits—we're not reliant on a third party to deliver this important asset. Choosing EYOS as your Expedition Partner streamlines selling to brokers, providing timely, accurate information and deployments.
And with our extensive network of private aviation operators and knowledge of challenging polar weather conditions, we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of one of Enigma XK's core attributes—the heli deck—to deliver exceptional experiences in remote and remarkable locations.
As Enigma XK's single point of contact we would ensure the entire process from initiating sales to delivering superb experiences is cohesive and consistent.
Now, let us introduce you to the EYOS Leadership Team.
Three founding partners and a leadership bench who built the category — Antarctic and Arctic yacht expeditions — and still operate at the front line of every voyage we run.
When the vessel was market launched, EYOS was the yacht's exclusive Central Agency and Expedition Management partner.
During the time EYOS marketed the vessel, we garnered continuous broker-based charter business. We also generated lucrative charters from non-traditional sources, ranging from major motion picture production and research companies to support for superyachts.
Unlike conventional yacht brokers, EYOS has connections that extend far beyond wealthy families. As a trusted expedition operator EYOS gets many requests—from private yachts for support vessels, from science missions, for regular charter use and UHNWI clients both in the Arctic and Antarctic—which don't go to the commercial market. This is key to EYOS' ability to maximize Enigma XK's revenue.
And the broker community knows that EYOS is highly selective, focusing on unique best-in-class yachts in their various categories.
Since Enigma XK is firmly associated with EYOS, returning her to our management as Expedition Partner will send a strong signal to the industry to expect best-in-class expedition planning, operations, logistics and staffing.
Based on our experience with Enigma XK, her polar heritage and her capabilities, we envision her amid a competitive set that includes Hanse Explorer, SuRi, Arctic and Argus—with distinct advantages. Each yacht shown is a comparable expedition yacht based on overall size, polar experience, and in the case of SuRi, with a competitive feature: a heli-pad.
She has a potent combination of a strong ice class and a large commercially certified heli deck. EYOS would seek to position her as a unique platform—leveraging these advantages to open new destinations and create new opportunities, like early spring heli-skiing in Greenland.
As we've said, experience matters is our core belief and relationship matters is core to our business practice.
Our success and that of our clients has been intricately linked to exceptional partners who share our passion for innovation, excellence and the natural world.
Here are only a few examples that indicate how EYOS' network of partners can add value and further differentiate Enigma XK's offerings in the market.
Unlike other superyacht companies with membership in these organizations, EYOS has been a full operating member for over a decade, occupying advisory board positions over the years, as well.
An innovative EYOS-founded program that recognizes the majority of ocean scientists struggle to get vessel time at sea, and that yachts can be effective science platforms. By matching top-tier ocean science projects with yacht owners willing to provide a temporary research platform, YFS enables owners to host small teams and support vital ocean research. And Enigma XK's clients could enjoy exclusive and engaging access experiences.
Marketing is a core EYOS competency. While the tools we use—a website, social media, advertising, editorial and PR—are also used by our competitors, our industry reputation is our superpower.
As we've explained, top industry brokers look to EYOS. If we're endorsing a vessel, they know they can trust our yacht selection, our management, and our ability to deliver an exceptional experience for their clients. Simply stated, most inquiries, whether through brokers, direct clients or travel agents, come to EYOS.
It's why we currently operate approximately 95% of all Antarctic yacht expeditions and about 90% of all Arctic yacht expeditions. And why Enigma XK can rely on EYOS for consistent charter sales.
However, we offer Enigma XK even more—our proprietary in-house Media Studio, a team of professional photographers and videographers who work exclusively for EYOS, documenting our Expedition Partners' yachts and expeditions. We have created an unrivaled library of superb images and dynamic videos that are never generic or cliché—expertly wielded by our marketing team to capture prospect attention and drive interest.
Our team and our credentials have made EYOS the go-to source in expedition yachting—a powerful resource we offer as Enigma XK's Expedition Partner.
The EYOS website was refitted in 2023 with a focus on large-scale, high quality still and motion imagery and expanded content.
Underpinned by newly implemented, best-in-class SEM & SEO initiatives, our marketing is dynamic, and prospect-focused, not merely a passive listing site.
In addition to the Enigma XK webpage, the yacht will be supported by blog posts, prominently featured in the EYOS video library, in destination-centric videos and in social media Reels.
Visit eyos-expeditions.com →
EYOS has in the past regularly featured Enigma XK across our social media activity—on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. And EYOS has consistently grown friend/follower counts across every platform in 2025:
Our advertising ranges from ads promoting image/brand and destinations to ads for specific yachts. Because we are selective and work with a limited number of best-in-class yachts, we can focus our advertising dollars to drive interest for our clients. The following are some recent examples of ads run in BOAT Magazine, where EYOS maintains a regular advertising and editorial presence.
Depending on the contract, we can create standout advertising for Enigma XK given our Media Studio's outstanding archive of proprietary images.
Two recent examples — one image-led destination ad, one yacht-specific spread. The same template is available for Enigma XK under this partnership.
EYOS engaged a new PR agency in 2025 that has enhanced our ability to attract attention—for our company and our clients. Since our partnership began in mid-2025, EYOS has received the Condé Nast Traveler Bright Ideas award for our work with Camp Dominica. We've planned two press familiarization trips on two yachts for winter 2025–26 and are preparing for next year's annual Explorer Yacht Summit, exclusively sponsored by EYOS. Spanning the world of both the yachting industry and luxury travel, the EYOS team appears at a variety of events each year, from PURE and Do Not Disturb in the luxury trade, to Monaco Yacht Show and the Antigua Charter Show on the yachting side.
We have received over 98 press placements this year, with features in Forbes and Robb Report, among others, generating high-impact media attention. More importantly for Enigma XK, we're not just seen by the world's press as a yachting company. We're seen as a luxury travel company—greatly increasing our market reach.
We are confident in our ability to create a deployment schedule that will maximize revenue. For example, EYOS has successfully operated several 'single cabin' scheduled departures, a strategy we could employ to extend Enigma XK's operational windows and increase revenue opportunities.
Anticipated revenue is based on Enigma XK chartering for 12 weeks in Antarctica every year and 15 weeks in the Arctic at 290K EUR per week plus expenses. Alternative, Arctic only deployments may also be considered.
Our fee incorporates the traditional Central Agency commission of 20%, with an industry-standard 15% to the broker bringing the client, and a simple Expedition Management fee of $2,000 per day, inclusive of an EYOS Expedition guide.
Traditional Central Agency commission on charter rate.
Industry-standard commission to the broker bringing the client.
Simple daily fee, inclusive of an EYOS Expedition guide aboard.
Rob has spent three decades guiding and leading expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica—including several record-breaking expeditions to the Ross Sea and multiple visits to the South Pole. In the Arctic, his expeditions have spanned the Arctic Circle and on to the North Pole—from record-breaking transits of the Northwest Passage to the first descent to the deepest point of the Arctic Ocean, along with a host of Guinness World Record accomplishments.
Rob managed the 4-year design and construction of the hybrid research vessel and yacht Alucia, considered a turning point for the world's expedition fleet. As part of the core design team, he contributed his global expedition experience on a wide variety of vessels into SeaXplorer, a turning point in design and capability for the world's expedition fleet and the Damen Yachting 'Xplorer' designs.
Living in Papua New Guinea for 15 years, and working throughout Melanesia—Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands—for five decades, he has extensive knowledge of the region and its complex cultures.
Recently named a semi-finalist for KiwiBank's Kiwi of the Year in 2025, Rob is the deepest diving New Zealander having reached the Challenger Deep in 2021. He has planned, managed and led deep submergence expeditions across every ocean, including the Five Deeps Expedition, the multi-year 'Ring of Fire Expedition', all of the world's 10,000m+ trenches, the world's deepest shipwreck (6500m), RMS Titanic (7 times) and the battleship Bismarck. Widely consulted on privately funded ocean science initiatives, Rob has worked with Harvard University, the Norwegian Navy, National Geographic Society, the Discovery Channel, BBC, NHK, CNN and more.
As Expedition Leader and Divemaster, Tim has led over 100 polar expeditions and spent years exploring tropical waters, discovering remote islands and coasts across every ocean.
His expeditions span Earth's extremes—from the geographic North Pole to Antarctica's Bay of Whales, including a record-breaking furthest south and complete circumnavigations of both polar regions. Beyond nearly 100 Antarctic Peninsula voyages, Tim has led yacht and heli-equipped icebreaker expeditions deep into the Ross and Weddell Seas, circumnavigated the Antarctic continent, and managed film projects to the Antarctic interior and South Pole.
Tim has transited the Northeast Passage, exploring Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands, and reached the North Pole by icebreaker. He has led pioneering expeditions through the Northwest Passage and across Svalbard, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, North Atlantic islands and the Russian Far East.
A keen skier and snowboarder, Tim pioneered EYOS's yacht-based heli-ski expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica—using heli-equipped superyachts as floating ski lodges that relocate daily, opening entirely new dimensions in expedition yachting.
In tropical regions, Tim has worked as Divemaster and Expedition Leader across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, visiting remote islands of Madagascar, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Central America, the Caribbean, mid-Atlantic islands and South America's coasts and rivers.
Tim's expertise has proved invaluable for private owners and shipyards. He contributed to the Damen SeaXplorer series from design through operation and led La Datcha's first Antarctic voyage, directly informing innovations enhancing guest experiences.
Ben graduated from Groton School in Massachusetts and attended the US Merchant Marine Academy, going on to serve as an officer aboard vessels ranging from large cruise ships in Hawaii to cable ships installing undersea fiber optic systems.
In 2003, he was recruited to join Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 during her construction in France—becoming the first American officer hired in the company's two-century history. He served aboard the QM2 for five years, rising to Chief Officer.
An avid traveler to unusual, less-developed regions, Ben simultaneously spent over a decade as an active travel writer with articles and reviews in guidebooks, magazines and newspapers. After several years specializing in expedition cruising coverage, he traveled to Antarctica in 2007, subsequently leaving Cunard to join Lindblad Expeditions, serving as Chief Officer, Ice Officer and later Captain aboard National Geographic Endeavour, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Orion.
After achieving an MBA at Columbia Business School, Ben joined EYOS in 2012, bringing a rare combination of operational expertise and strategic business thinking.
He maintains an Unlimited Tonnage Master's license with an Advanced Polar Code endorsement and holds a Pilotage Exemption Certificate for Svalbard. Believing in the value of fresh, first-hand experience, Ben takes select trips as the EYOS Ice Pilot on vessels ranging from 2,000 tons up to 60,000 tons—including yachts, research vessels and expedition ships.
Ben is a Member of The Explorers Club and serves on the Board of the Steamship Historical Society of America.
With more than two decades in the expedition industry, Jen Martin brings deep operational expertise, field leadership, and a passion for remote destinations to every charter. Her extensive time in the field has given her an intimate understanding of complex destinations, logistics and the itinerary design necessary to deliver the best guest experiences.
Jen has led expedition voyages across the globe, serving as an expedition leader and naturalist in both Antarctica and the Arctic, the South Pacific, Asia, the Russian Far East, Alaska, Central & South America, coastal Europe, and the Baltic Sea.
Jen spent formative years at sea with Cruise West before joining Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic, where she progressed from field staff to expedition management, ultimately managing a department of nearly 300 team members, overseeing global staffing and operations. Starting in 2016 as Director of Expedition Development, she designed the company's international itineraries and programs.
Jen was then recruited by Seabourn to assist in the launch of their expedition product, by leading product development and itinerary planning.
Most recently, Jen brought her expertise to a private family office, as part of travel team supporting business and personal travel needs.
Jen joined EYOS in August 2025. From field team leadership to itinerary creation, Jen combines strategic vision with on-the-ground experience to deliver thoughtful, well-executed voyages rooted in curiosity, respect, and discovery.
Tamsin has spent the past 15 years working in the yacht industry and cultivating her travel portfolio. From visiting indigenous tribes in Colombia's Sierra Nevada to traveling through Antarctica aboard Legend, she is committed to discovering the wild and remote regions of the world.
As our Client Director, Tamsin works closely with preferred suppliers and operators with global expertise and unparalleled access—to help the EYOS team introduce yacht owners, agents and charter guests to exhilarating new itineraries in remote and off-the-beaten track destinations.
Tamsin began her business management career with Porto Montenegro before working in business development for Campers & Nicholsons and YPI, two of the yachting industry's leading brokerage houses. Inherently entrepreneurial, she has been at the forefront of developing new products in super yachting, including offering clients the opportunity to charter yachts on a per-cabin basis and being one of the first to embrace the burgeoning expedition yachting industry.
Peter Butz has a rare past in expedition travel beginning with an improbable first job in the industry. In his early twenties, planning to quit a dull reservations job in New York City, he was tapped by Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the pioneer of expedition travel, to head to Antarctica immediately and begin the (seminal) job of driving Zodiacs.
Peter's bona fides in expedition travel are unassailable. He has been everywhere in the adventurous world, including Antarctica, the Great Barrier Reef, the Arctic and the Amazon. Through extensive hands-on experience, Peter has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of expedition cruising. He has progressed from his beginnings in the field through positions of increasing managerial responsibility, culminating in COO positions, including at Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic where he managed a fleet of six expedition ships that carried thousands of clients annually to far-flung destinations worldwide.
Since joining EYOS, he considers the best part of the experience, for clients and their guests, to be "the part they never see." His penchant is for the planning, the tailoring of every expedition EYOS operates specifically for the participants of that particular trip—their individual interests, their abilities, and their preferences. He believes there is no cookie-cutter approach to any aspect of EYOS Expedition Management. He's participated in developing hundreds of expeditions—to Antarctica, the Arctic, Melanesia, and other remote corners of the globe—and takes professional pride in the behind-the-scenes preparation that makes our clients' charters exceptional.
×ENIGMA XKThank you for your time and attention. We hope we have provided a compelling case for continuity—to resume the productive EYOS × ENIGMA XK Expedition Partnership and explore the future together.
We look forward to discussing all possibilities very soon.
