Over the last few years the Barcelona International Boat Show has been increasingly seen as one of the Europe’s most popular and influential nautical sport events, with extensive coverage in the specialised press. The show now represents one of the largest display of yachts, boats and accessories for sailing, fishing, surfing and scuba diving in the world.
This year the dates of the show have changed. Instead of the usual dates in November, organisers have chosen to stage the event at the end of September in order to take full advantage of the daylight hours. Around 175,000 visitors are expected to visit the Gran Via Exhibition Centre and the 200 boats that will be mored at Port Vell over the next four days (September 26th-30th).
Azimut 55S and Atlantis 34 (of the Azimut Benetti Group) will make their very first début in the spanish market at the Barcelona Boat Show and are expected to be hot properties at the exhibition.
With many of the world’s biggest and most luxurious chartered yachts heading over to the Caribbean for the winter season, now seems like the appropriate time to write about chartering a yacht from the beautiful island of Antigua. Antigua is one of the most beautiful island getaways in the Caribbean, and a favorite sailing charter destination. It is particularly popular with those who wish to go snorkeling and scuba diving on the coral reefs.
The main Caribbean charter season runs from early November through to June/July, with the high season from around mid-December to March. This is the period in which those wishing to escape the cold temperatures of North America and Europe arrive in huge numbers. A large proportion of the islands revenue is made during this time through tourism.
Antigua
English Harbour (and the neighbouring port of Falmouth) has gained international recognition as one of the best yachting and sailing destinations in the Caribbean. Situated on the southern coast of the island, these ports are mostly sheltered from the violent storms and hurricanes which can hit the island between July and late October. The area gets its name from the harbour in which the Royal Navy established its base of operations during the eighteenth century. It is also home to the Nelson’s Dockyard cultural heritage site, named after Admiral Nelson (who lived in the Dockyard from 1784 to 1787).
One of the most important upcoming events is the 51st Antigua Charter Yacht Show, which will take place in the first week of December. The yachts on show at this event range in length from 46 feet to 245 feet and are berthed in the three marinas mentioned above. The basic premise of the show is to gather Yachts that have come to the Caribbean for the winter yachting season in order to allow charter agents to view exactly what is on offer. This includes meeting with captains and crews and sampling the delicacies provided by the many talented chefs. Many of the chefs will have the opportunity to participate in the 13th anual “Concours de Chef”. The theme for this years competition is the Healthy Dinner Challenge. Chefs must create a 3-course menu which promotes healthy eating with “great tasting local Caribbean cuisine and simplicity in preparation.”
The success of the island as a charter destination is hardly a surprise. The local yacht workers are known for being extremely and helpful, while there are many small businesses which cater to all yachting requirements. The historical ambiance of the Dockyard and the friendly locals are also crucial factors.
This Lagoon 620 has large windows which allow for an extremely light and spacious modern interior with wenge woodwork and white leather sofas.
CROCODILE DADDY also has a large deck area, which is the perfect place to enjoy fine alfresco dining.
SELENE, Swan 80
Another boat that will be on show is the Swan 80 SELENE – a world class sailing yacht built by Nautor’s Swan and designed for comfort and performance.
Selene has both won and placed well in regattas around the world. With an open deck layout, top rate galley and luxurious interior, this sailing boat provides the ideal setting for a sunset dinner with an exotic backdrop.
We would recommend starting your charter from Mahé, the largest island and home to Victoria, the main port and capital. Mahé has a 44 mile scenic coastline, which includes many secluded spots, which are perfect for anchoring, as well as over 65 white sandy beaches and coves. It is a beautiful island to discover and will leave charterers feeling lost for words. We would highly recommend a luxury honeymoon charter, due to the pure romance that the Seychelles has to offer. One of our favourite Seychelles monohulls is DEMOISELLES, a CIM 88 Crewed Sailing Yachts. She is a great choice for sailing the Seychelles, with 4 cabins, making her perfect for family charters or entertaining friends, especially with her spacious deck.
DEMOISELLE, a luxury Monohull
If you are looking for a destination with the X Factor, Praslin may be the island for you. Charterers will find stylish boutique hotels, the finest restaurants offering the freshest fish, mountain peeks and crystal clear waters. Therefore, Praslin has something to offer for everyone, especially as it is the halfway house between the hustle and bustle of Mahé and the tranquility and sleepiness of La Digue. I would strongly recommend Praslin as a family and child friendly destination, as the opportunities to spend time in the water are endless. The snorkeling and scuba diving is second to none, as well as offering great bird and wildlife.
We would recommend a Luxury Catamaran Charter onboard a Lagoon 450, with great accommodation for up to 10 guests. She is a bareboat charter yacht, allowing the experienced sailor endless opportunities to explore the Seychelles.
The Perfect way to sail around the Seychelles on a Lagoon 450!
If you are looking for that picture postcard destination of pure white sandy beaches, mountainous backdrops and jade green waters, La Digue is the destination for you. Despite its beauty, it has surprisingly remained undeveloped and has remained humble to its heritage, despite the recent construction of a Casino. La Digue has a very laidback vibe to it, making her a great choice for a stopover on your yacht charter from Praslin and/or Mahé.
More often than not, a well planned and executed modification to a yacht’s paint scheme can yield aesthetic improvements way out of proportion to their cost. Consider the 90-foot Bahamas Cruiser style yacht seen above. This luxurious, spacious, and ultimately very practical charter vessel exhibits an admittedly somewhat boxy, some might say ferry-like look. However, the addition of three well-planned paint stripes transforms her into an exceedingly handsome yacht, by anyone’s standards. The broad “window” stripe brings a longitudinal unity to her overall appearance and reduces the apparent height of her superstructure. The mid-topside hull stripe gives her a longer, leaner look. And the eyebrow stripe produces a pleasingly crisp transition from house to flybridge structure. All at a cost far less than you might ever expect.
This unusual yacht, by the way, is very nearly perfect for leisurely island-hopping, what with shallow draft, waterjet drives, a full eight feet of headroom in her common areas, and a flybridge/boat deck that can carry all the water toys needed for a week or two of sun and sea diversion.
More information on paint schemes, paints, and coatings is available from:
Phil Friedman, New Build and Refit Consultant, Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. Author of the recently published eBook “Ten Golden Rules for Successful New Build Projects,” Phil has broad experience in mega- and super-yacht construction, being a former president and CEO of world-class yacht builder Palmer Johnson Yachts. He is always ready to gam about the ins and outs of yacht building and refit.
Luxury Yacht Charter VIBE, a Sunseeker Predator 68.
September is a great month in the South of France. It is much quieter than July and August, as well as offering the same great weather as the high season summer months, making it the perfect time to charter a luxury yacht. Here at Boatbloggings.com, we recently experienced our very own day charter onboard REHAB.
She is a stunning Sunseeker Predator 68 with 2 crew, Michael and Emma. This combination has proved a real success, having had 37 days of charter this summer. Michael is an experienced Irish captain, who is very professional and insightful on the local area. Emma is the chief stewardess and fantastic at her job, making guests feel comfortable onboard as well as being very attentive to the needs of the charterers.
We started the day from Port Vauban, Antibes and were greeted with a lovely selection of breakfast pastries from a local patisserie. Once everyone had embarked, Emma delivered a safety demonstration, highlighting that safety onboard is paramount. I was very impressed by the teamwork between Captain and Stewardess, shown by the implementation of a new itinerary by 9 am, due to bad weather in Saint-Tropez.
The natural beauty of the French Riviera
We departed Antibes and went for a swim between the Lerins Islands, where the water can only be comparable to that of the Caribbean. It was truly breathtaking, as there were very few yachts in the water and it felt as if we had the place to ourselves. Once everyone had been in the water, we headed towards Cannes and the view of the Croisette from the water is spectacular. Michael then turned the yacht around and we started to head towards Beaulieu sur Mer and St Jean Cap Ferrat, where we would be dining at Paloma Beach. REHAB was the perfect companion for our day charter. She was sleek, spacious, elegant and most importantly comfortable. Once we had passed the airport, the views of the Riviera were picture postcard material.
We arrived in St Jean Cap Ferrat for our lunch reservation at Paloma Beach, a restaurant specialising in local seafood and Provencal cuisine. Guests enjoyed appetisers; a Seafood Trio of prawn, crab and salmon, along with a delicious Fritto Misto. Main courses of Steak Tartare, Sole Meunière and Grilled Sea Bream were enjoyed by all, along with a very nice House Rosé. The seaside setting of Paloma Beach, with view s along the Cap and the Riviera were the secret ingredients for what was a great lunch.
Relaxing on the bow of REHAB
We all boarded REHAB and began our return to Antibes. She, in my opinion, is the perfect day charter yacht, due to her spacious bow and aft lounging areas. There were at least 6 of us who laid comfortably on her bow, soaking up the last rays of the day. Captain Michael took us to some of the most beautiful and secluded bays of Villefranche on our return and it was his knowledge, as well as Emma’s service, which provided us with a unique experience on the water. We returned to Antibes to see the sun set over Fort Carre, which was a fitting conclusion to what only can be described as the perfect day.
If you would like additional information on how to charter this yacht or any others on our website, please do enquire via the yachts page or send us an email at [email protected]. We would be delighted to assist you with organising the experience of a lifetime.
