St Barts Bucket Recap

With a record breaking fleet of 39 megayachts, the 2010 St. Bart’s Bucket has come to a close. At the end of it all, it was the J-Class Ranger that took the 2010 Bucket. John Williams and his crew raced consistently and well, earning a well-Meteor at teh St Barths Bucketdeserved victory. Second place belonged to the Perini Navi Andromeda la Dea (which you can charter through Boatbookings.com), with the Perini Navi P2 in third place overall.

The sailing and the shore side activities were of the customary caliber. Conditions included sunny skies and fluky winds from 10-15 knots. Shoreside festivities included a yacht hop on Friday night, Bucket Bash on Saturday and Awards Presentations on Sunday.

Though St. Bart’s has long been considered the playground of the rich and famous, the local communities are solidly behind the bucket regatta. President Bruno Magras greeted the crowd at the Awards Presentation on Sunday to thank participants and invite them all back next year for the 25th anniversary of the bucket regattas.

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Greece VAT rises from 4.5% to 5% on yacht charters

Greece yacht charterDue to the austerity measures being implemented in Greece at the moment – the VAT rate on yacht charters has risen from 4.5% to 5.0%. But we certainly hope that won’t discourage charterers from visiting this Mediterranean charter paradise. In fact Greece is putting out the welcome mat more than ever to attract visitors.

To remind you of the wonders of sailing in Greece – Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, etc. see our Greece yacht charter guide.

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ASIA – a true luxury sailing yacht in Phuket, Bali and Southeast Asia

Asia - luxury sailing yacht in SouthEast AsiaWhile there are scores of excellent barboat sailing yachts and catamarans in Southeast Asia, until recently there haven’t been many true luxury charter sailing yachts in the region. ASIA, a 100 ft sailing yacht built in Phuket in 2008, changes all that.

ASIA offers up to 10 guests in 5 cabins luxurious comfort while exploring some of the most remote sailing destinations of Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Andaman Islands and Southeast Asia. She is capable of 10-12 knots with comfort.

ASIA is crewed by her professional dedicated owners as captain and chef. They both have a superb reputation during 12 years of chartering in Southeast Asia. They are experienced sailors, divers and adventurers who will take care of your every need, together with 3 experienced local crew members (2 deckhands and a hostess).

She is extremely spacious and luxurious, finished in Burmese teak with a combination of plush leather sofas in the saloon and waterproof sofas in the pilothouse and cockpit.

ASIA luxury sailing yacht salonGuests can relax in the beautifully crafted teak pilot house with its 360 degree view, or lounge in the saloon with its plush leather seating and large picture windows.

There is a large, comfortable, shaded cockpit area with twin dining tables at the rear of the yacht, that seat 10 guests – the perfect place to relax or for alfresco dining.

The salon below deck has a dining table for 10, a lounge area, an office area with PC and broadband internet, and a wet bar. The 5 luxurious cabins are air-conditioned with en-suite bathrooms and LCD TVs.

Read more about charter sailing yacht ASIA or contact us for a free proposal about how you can have the luxury sailing vacation of a life time in Southeast Asia!

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Expedition Yacht Charters – going off the beaten track to some of the world’s most amazing destinations

Not all yacht charters are in the well-traveled ports of the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Increasingly, charterers are looking to cruise in remote areas such as Alaska, the Galapagos, Patagonia, Myanmar/Burma and Belize – areas where nature is essentially untouched and yachting is truly an adventure that will never be forgotten.  This type of yachting is growing for many reasons, one of which is man’s increasing understanding of how fragile our planet is.

Big Aron Expedition YachtExpedition Yachts tend to be sturdier and have a longer range than typical charter yachts, and may contain scientific equipment and tenders designed for exploration. But this doesn’t mean that you have to be “roughing it” on this type of charter. Quite the contrary, many expedition yachts have plush interiors with all the amenities including internet, a vast array of entertainment options, water toys, saunas, etc.

Key Expedition charter areas include the Galapagos, where we have both expedition sailing yachts and motor yachts, Belize, the Mergui Archipelago, Patagonia, even the Arctic Circle.  The commonality is untouched nature and a desire to immerse oneself in it.

We have compiled an exclusive listing of some of the world’s most amazing Expedition Charter Yachts. Look at them, dream of the ultimate escape vacation, and then please contact us to discuss some alternatives!

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