Category Archives: Catamarans

Make a Splash at The Baths when you Charter a Luxury Yacht in Virgin Gorda!

Virgin Gorda is the third largest of the British Virgin Islands, and a popular destination for anybody who is looking to charter in the Caribbean. Said to have been named the 'Fat Virgin' by Christopher Columbus, the island's profile on the horizon looks like a fat woman lying on her side. If you're looking to charter a yacht to explore Virgin Gorda, The Baths are a necessary stop-off point.

The Baths are situated about 2 km south off the main town Spanish Town at the southern tip of the island between Spring Bay and Devil's Bay. The beach here shows evidence of how the BVI were formed through volcanic activity. White sand beaches are scattered with huge granite boulders, which create spectacular grottos with sea pools reflecting the light that shines down on them. The boulders form an inviting maze, which you can clamber through as you explore. The Baths provide an excellent chance to marvel at the wonders the world can create, so taking your yacht around to view them will leave you stunned. Along with such beauty on land, snorkelling in the warm waters will also amaze you. Around The Baths you will find a great range of fish and rays; if you're lucky you may even spot a herd of seahorses in the clear blue sea.

If you are looking to explore Virgin Gorda and The Baths, GYPSY PRINCESS is an excellent choice to charter. A stunning Lagoon 450, she was one of the favourites at the BVI Yacht Show, where she won Best Catamaran Under 55ft. GYPSY PRINCESS has a very experienced and friendly crew, who will welcome you on board for an unforgettable sailing vacation. New this year, she has 3 spacious cabins and will comfortably accommodate 6 guests, whether you choose to spend time inside or on the padded sun deck which is perfect for catching some rays.

Interested in chartering a yacht? At  www.boatbookings.com, we welcome everyone from sailing professionals to complete novices and will help you at every step of the way to make your dreams a reality. We have a team of highly skilled professionals who are extremely knowledgeable in their destinations and will be able to help you with any questions you may have.

Watch this space for the latest industry show releases, news and gossip in the yachting world. If you liked the content on this page and our previous posts, please become a fan and like our Facebook page
to receive up to date information on our publications.

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Another reason to Charter a Luxury Yacht!

1Gorgeous-salad-of-prawns-avocado-and-bulgar-wheat-tabboulehYesterday, we published our first blog trying to convince you that chartering a luxury yacht was one of the best experiences in the world. Today – we will show you another reason, especially if you’re a ‘foodie’, why you should charter a luxury yacht in 2013! We were recently inspired by the food on show at the Antigua Yacht Show 2012, having experienced some of the best gastronomy that would match the food in top European kitchens! No matter whether you were on a 60ft Monohull or a 60m Super Yacht and sampling homemade breads and cupcakes to poached lobster and champagne, the food at this years show was truly stunning.

Do you prefer a light lunch? Two of our favourites were a stunning carpaccio of wahoo with a soy dressing and a very simple prawn salad with fresh herbs and bulgar wheat tabbouleh.3The-finest-fish-carpaccio-in-the-CaribbeanWe were also very impressed with the poached lobster, served on a timbal of mango and cilantro salad with a lobster claw tempura. Charterers with a sweet tooth would have loved the banana cake, which was served with flambeed bananas and homemade vanilla ice cream. The food on board was truly scrumptious!

If you are looking for Luxury Crewed Catamaran with great food, look no further than the Privilege 75, MATAU. This crewed catamaran features 4 cabins, accommodating up to 8 guests with a fantastic can-do crew. The master cabin is quite something and offers incredible space for a Catamaran of this size. There is nothing better after a relaxing days sunbathing than to enjoy a cocktail and canapes whilst watching4Poached-lobster-on-a-mango-and-cilantro-timbale-with-lobster-tempura the sunset before a private lavish dinner. She is in great condition and the open-plan layout makes her a very sociable yacht and therefore, one of the finest in the Caribbean.

Do you need some inspiration where to charter? One of the most popular destinations is the BVI, using Tortola as a start destination. Many people choose to charter in the BVI for the following reasons:

1) There are plenty of islands to explore
2) The weather around Christmas makes for the perfect destination.
3) The water is crystal clear and tranquil
4) Great choice of yachts, including some of the worlds best crewed catamarans.
5) Easily accessible from the U.S.

2Banana-Cake-with-flambeed-bananas-and-homemade-Vanilla-ice-creamHave you never chartered before? At  www.boatbookings.com, we welcome everyone from sailing professionals to complete novices and will help you at every step of the way to make your dreams a reality. We have a team of highly skilled professionals who are extremely knowledgeable in their destinations and will be able to help you with any questions you may have.

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The Youth America’s Cup 2013

The Red Bull Youth America's Cup, which shall be joining the America's Cup Finals in San Francisco, is the perfect chance for young sailors to improve their skills and make their way up in the professional sailing world. Yesterday marked the announcement of the 12 youth teams to be invited to the February Selection Series, taking place from the 9th-24th February in San Francisco. These 12 teams are some of the best national youth sailing teams in the world, and their skills and competences will be put to the test in February.

The 12 teams were chosen by the Sports Directors for the Youth America's Cup; double Olympic gold medallists Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher. They looked through over 30 youth team pplications, assessing their fitness, how the teams worked together as a crew, and of course their standard of sailing. They needed to choose the best of the bunch, given they shall be sailing the physically demanding AC45 wing sail catamarans in both the selection series and the race in September. These are the same boats that will be raced by the teams in the AC World Series, proving just how good these young sailors have to be, to be able to sail the same boats as the more experienced racing teams.

The selections will be held in two sessions, with one group sailing the 9-15th February and the other group the 18-24th February. The teams will be put through a rigorous training workshop and regatta, to see just how good they are, and put the very best on the start line for the main event.

The youth teams selected are:

  • Australia – Objective Australia                                             Argentina – Argentina AC45 Youth Team
  • Austria – Team Austria                                                         France – French Youth Team
  • Denmark – Danish Vikings                                                    Italy – Team Italy
  • Germany – STG/NRV Youth America’s Cup Team               Netherlands – Flying Dutchies
  • New Zealand – Full Metal Jacket Racing                              Portugal – Team Cascais
  • South Africa – Team i’KaziKati                                             Switzerland – Team TILT

If you want to know more about The America's Cup 2013, watch this space for the latest industry show releases, news and gossip in the yachting world. If you liked the content on this page and our previous posts, please become a fan and like our Facebook page to receive up to date information on our publications.

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Charter a Luxury Yacht with Amazing Cupcakes!

With our Managing Director, Capucine de Vallée and Charter Director, Mimi Andain at the 2012 Antigua yacht show, inspecting the finest boats in the market, they told us about  LADY ALLIAURA, a Privilege 75 Catamaran which they ranked as one of their top 3 favourite catamarans from Day 1 of the show. They were very complimentary about the food that they were served on board, made by LADY ALLIAURA’s Italian chef; this included home-made bread and cupcakes, and the latter made us start thinking creatively…Boating Baking!

Cupcakes are fast becoming a great power in the culinary world; it makes sense that the luxury yachts are going to start serving them on board. If you’re looking to charter a yacht as part of a celebration, whether a birthday, anniversary or wedding, being able to serve mini celebration cakes on board is fantastic! So, to get the process started,
we have had a look around for nautical and yacht themed baking treats.

So, if you’re looking to charter a luxury yacht with us and want something to get you excited, here is a simple recipe to make cupcakes:

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, line a cupcake tray with cases
  2. Cream the caster sugar and butter, until light and fluffy.
  3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then add gradually to sugar and butter, making sure they are mixed in well
  4. Fold in the flour
  5. Divide between the cupcake cases.
  6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are springy to the touch

For the buttercream icing:

  • 250g icing sugar
  • 80g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 25ml milk
  • A few drops of vanilla essence
  1. Mix together  the icing sugar and butter (carefully!)
  2. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla essence, here you can add food colouring if you want (preferably blue to match the nautical theme!)
  3. Ice your cakes!

If you would like to receive more information with regards to booking your luxury 2013 charter yacht, please enquire through our website, www.boatbookings.com, where one of our Charter Specialists will be happy to help you plan the experience of a lifetime. You can also send your charter enquiries to [email protected], and one of the team will get back to you shortly with some proposals.

Watch this space for the latest industry show releases, news and gossip in the yachting world. If you liked the content on this page and our previous posts, please become a fan and like our Facebook page to receive up to date information on our publications.

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Luxury Yacht Charter in Belize!

Belize combines a mixture of Central America and Caribbean influence, with the lush rainforests in the west to the crystal clear waters in the east. Many regard the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea as the world’s ultimate diving and snorkeling destinations, but you cannot forget about Belize, which possesses the second longest barrier reef in the world. This is home to over 100 types of coral and around 500 species of fish, as well as turtles and underwater caves, making this a spectacular dive spot. Belize is also the perfect location for those who enjoy kayaking, windsurfers and for sailors, who are able to pass from one paradise island to another. If you prefer to take things a little slower on vacation, there are many white sandy beaches for you to relax and sunbathe on. Foodies will be amazed at the quality of the local seafood and fresh fish, which is best cooked simply on a BBQ whilst watching the sunset.

Further inland, you will be amazed by the natural lagoons, rivers and national parks, which are home to over 500 species of birds. You will have to have a keen eye or a great pair of binoculars to see these. Belize is also home to spider and howler monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas. The national bird of Belize, the keel-billed toucan may also make an appearance. If you find that you still have time left on your Belize holiday, it would be a shame to miss out on the mysterious Mayan archaeological sites and artifacts. You will find stone temples with 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding jungles, as well as tombs, hieroglyphics and caves which were used for Mayan rituals and sacrifices.

If all this has taken your fancy, we cannot recommend chartering a luxury crewed catamaran in Belize highly enough. There is no better way of exploring this paradise destination than by having your own private yacht to entertain your friends and family. Graced with a beautiful climate, people and so many attractions, what could be better than chartering in Belize? Our luxury yacht charter of choice would be LOLALITA, a stunning 65 ft Privilege, accommodating 8 guests in 4 cabins. She is lavishly appointed and has a young, dynamic and can-do crew who will attend to your every need to make your trip as memorable as can be.

If you would like to receive more information with regards luxury charter yachts in Belize, please enquire through our website, www.boatbookings.com, where one of our Charter Specialists will be happy to help you plan the experience of a lifetime. You can also send your charter enquiries to [email protected], and one of the team will get back to you shortly with some proposals. Watch this space for the latest industry show releases, news and gossip in the yachting world. If you liked the content on this page and our previous posts, please become a fan and like our Facebook page to receive up to date information on our publications.

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