A day charter to Club 55 in St Tropez – what to expect, why it’s so popular. First in a series.

The beach at Club 55 as seen from the pier Our most requested charter worldwide is a day charter from either Cannes or Antibes to Club 55 on Pampelonne Beach, St Tropez. In fact, many people who come to the South of France view a charter to Club 55 as the most special day of their holiday or business trip. In the next couple of blog entries, we will attempt to give you the inside scoop on the fun and events of a day trip to St Tropez.

First, some background. Club 55 was founded in, yes, 1955, to feed the cast during the filming of “And God Created Women”. Brigitte Bardot starred in this film, and ever since St Tropez, and Club 55 have been associated with celebrities and a laid back/hedonistic way of life. Pampelonne beach (which is not actually in the town of St Tropez and best reached by boat) has since spawned many beach bars and restaurants and has become world renowned as a playground for the rich and famous.

Dining under the trees at Club 55 in St Tropez Club 55 has evolved into a classy, but very laid back, beach restaurant that serves 1000 lunches a day during high season. Seen from the water, you’d hardly know what the fuss is all about – just some white beach umbrellas and a pier, much like many others on the beach. But as you walk into the actual restaurant, under the canopy of leaves, it’s clear that the entire place is immaculately taken care of, has a subtle buzz, and that everything about it is class. We’ll return to this later, but we’ll discuss the charter first, as that’s how you get to the club!

Chartering to Club 55 from Cannes or Antibes

St Tropez is generally about 1 hour motoring from Cannes or Antibes, depending on the boat and weather conditions (a sailboat will take longer, of course). It is a beautiful charter – alternating between some of the most famous resort towns in the world, to spectacular cliffs, to quaint seaside towns. All with a backdrop of the French Alps.

Normally you would board your boat in the still air of the port between 9 and 10 am, in Cannes, Antibes, Golfe Juan or Mandelieu. We don’t recommend a day trip from Monaco or Cap Ferrat unless you’re on a very fast boat, as the cruise takes up a lot of your day (Better to make it a two day trip, with a night in St Tropez old town!)
Normally you will cruise around the Lerin Islands to see the Monastery and Fortress where the Man with the Iron Mask was kept prisoner. You will usually see many beautiful yachts moored between the islands enjoying the calm and the great views of the bay and mountains. If you want an early morning swim, this is the place, as the waters are clear and good for swimming.

A view of the old town and port of Cannes, French Riviera Next cruise the Bay of Cannes to see the famous Croisette and the 5 star hotels including the Martinez and Carlton. At the western end of the bay you will see the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival is held, and the quaint old port of Cannes. If you want to snap a picture of yourselves walking the red carpet, your skipper can arrange for you to stop off the boat for a quick tour. There are lots of designer shops here, so beware of being sidetracked, you have a lot to do still today!

Next entry – cruising to St Tropez along the Cote d’Azur. Click here if you would like to see our Cannes to St Tropez video or see our page about Chartering a yacht to Club 55.

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

More flights to the BVI from San Juan – American Airlines to have 7 flights a day

Getting to the BVI has been particularly difficult since American Airlines cut back their flights last year. Good news – beginning May 2, AA has announced that it will have 7 flights per day. The earliest leaves at 8:36 am, and the new late flight leaves at 8:05 pm – making it much easier to start a charter the day after you leave the States (and also removing stress about missing that last flight and being stranded in San Juan). The flight takes 40 minutes on Aerospatiale/Alenia 72’s which have 64 seats – no need to be in a little Cessna, unless you like them!

Shame they didn’t do this during the 2009 high season, but it will certainly help charterers next year.

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

Getting Berths for Static Charters at Cannes Events – this is the year!

Prior to this year, the big Cannes-based conferences such as the Cannes Film Festival and MIPIM always had far more people who wanted yachts in the port than there were spots available. But that has changed this year – in fact over 40 yachts (out of 100) were canceled for MIPIM 2009 due to the difficult economic times. And there are still slots available for the Cannes Film Festival in May. So if you or your company have always wanted to participate in a key Cannes event, 2009 may be the best year to make that decision.

About Chartering a Yacht for a Conference, Event or Celebration in Cannes
First some background. There are multiple ways of attending a conference in Cannes, depending on your goals for the show. To make the biggest splash, normally a company would charter a yacht large enough to entertain 50 to 70 people, and apply for a berth space alongside the Palais des Festivals. This is called a “Static Charter” because the yacht doesn’t move, and these berths in Cannes are on the pier called “Jetee Edouard Albert”. Many people who contact us about this type of charter assume that there is some cloak and dagger negotiation (with money changing hands) required to get these places. This is not the case, in fact the process is straightforward, fair, and decided on a first come, first serve basis. So if you plan far enough ahead, you have just as much of a chance of getting a valuable slot as anyone else does. Click here for additional information about Event Yacht Charters on the Boatbookings.com site.

Short of a full-blown static charter, there are several other alternatives for chartering a yacht during an event in Cannes. The first is to simply charter a yacht in the port and use it for accommodation. Often when hotels are full and charging double their normal price, you can find a nice sailboat or motor yacht to sleep 4 -8 people on, right next to the Palais. This is convenient, fun and very different from your normal hotel stay, and you also have use of the yacht during the day if you want to see the bay or entertain clients.

If you are looking to throw an event, instead of the same old hotel room or restaurant events, you can also charter a yacht to really show people a special time. Normally, the yacht would be anchored in the bay, and you would ferry guests back and forth in the tender. Because of strict maritime laws, there are only a few yachts that are licensed to run events like this – click here to see a selection of yachts for Events in Cannes for more than 20 people.

Again, because this is a down year for many of the shows in Cannes, you can find many more available yachts, often with prices that have been adjusted. It’s the year that a charterer can really stand out of the crowd at any event in Cannes. Please contact us if you are interested in an event charter in Cannes or see some of the great event boats that are available in Cannes.

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

Sardinia Yacht Tax Scrapped

The glorious coast of Sardinia Good news for all charterers who wish to visit the emerald shores of Sardinia this summer – the controversial tax that cost up to â‚¬15,000 for the privilege of coming ashore (and spending money) in Sardinia will be canceled by the new governor of the island. The private plane landing fee, which was also exorbitant, will be stopped as well.

The new governor of Sardinia, Ugo Cappellacci, just happens to be the son of Silvio Berlusconi’s tax advisor, who just happens to have a villa on the island, but hey, we won’t look into politics or motives as long as this egregious tax is repealed.

So plan to charter in Sardinia this summer – our updated Sardinia Yacht Charter Guide is a great place to start planning.

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Odyssey – Final Thoughts and Suggestions for your BVI group charter

Each one of the 27 people who went on our BVI Charter said that it was either the best or one of the best holidays they’d ever had. The variety the BVI offers, the comfortable catamarans, the superb beaches, and the freedom of a charter combined to create lifelong memories for everyone. The BVI proved once again why it is the world’s top yacht charter destination.

Although it worked out well, it wasn’t without its risks and stresses. Some conclusions about family and group chartering are the following:

– Kids will love it, but you have to plan for them and brief them properly. Beach toys, cards, electronic games, videos, guidebooks all are indispensable. And teach them to snorkel before they arrive in the BVI.
– Don’t skimp on the boat size or amenities. Little things like an ice maker, flush toilets, and fully equipped kitchens make a huge difference. The added cost will get lost in the increased enjoyment of the trip.

– The BVI is not cheap, especially the food, there’s no way around it. There are plenty of ways of making the trip more cost effective, but do be aware that the BVI is not a low cost holiday destination and budget accordingly.

– Unless you know all the islands and have sailed there before, we strongly recommend a Skipper. He’ll take so much of the planning and worry out of the trip. Trying to keep children and family happy while also concentrating on the day’s itinerary doesn’t leave a lot of time to relax and enjoy!

– Plan a basic itinerary before the trip, and communicate it to everyone. There’s nothing more stressful than trying to get multiple groups and captains to agree on a destination and agenda for the day. Of course it can be adjusted (we had a 5 minute nightly meeting to confirm the plan for the following day), but starting with a blank sheet of paper each day is asking for trouble.

– Have a group meeting before you leave. We had everyone over and did a thorough briefing on the trip 3 weeks prior to departure. Items discussed were travel plans, safety rules for the kids, provisioning, general itinerary, and, importantly, how to make a pina colada. Some of our European Friends also had to learn who Jimmy Buffet was (yes, hard to believe).

– Finally, plan your trip with like minded people who like to have fun, are flexible and aren’t looking for all of the creature comforts of a 5 star hotel. Even though our catamarans were comfortable, they are not a floating resort. People who are used to boats understand that weather can be bad, things may break, and changes of plans will inevitably occur. If you don’t think they will be happy on a boat for a week, put them in a resort such as the Bitter End and meet them along the way!!

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓