Today the yacht is symbolic of luxury vessels that cruise the oceans and seas elegantly in pursuit of leisurely indulgence. However, its origin is a little distant from this current image and heralds 
from a time when Pirates pestered the shallow waters of the Low Countries of Europe. The word yacht comes from the Dutch word jacht which means to hunt, the vessels described as jachtships where light, fast and used for pursuing (or hunting) the pirates and bucaneers that hounded the waters of these countries. It wasn’t until King Charles II of England famously chose the vessel for his return to Britain from the Netherlands for his restoration to the throne that the yacht was then identified as a vessel to transport important people and consequently as a luxury item for the rich and famous. Today this luxury has become accessible to more people than ever with the facility to charter a yacht available to everyone who considers themself to be important.
Some information courtesy of Wikipedia