Monaco Yacht Show – Update 2

A bit of the show happenings and gossip from our resident Kiwi:

 Saturday evening show organisers gathered on the dock in front of KOKOMO, the stunning Alloy Yachts sailing yacht, to wrap up the show… champagne corks popping, tv crews filming… lots of laughter… And no doubt huge sighs of relief that the yacht show had been such a resounding success yet again…

Yachts’ fog horns blared deafeningly across the port when the clock struck 6 then again at the official end of the show 630pm. Through the eyes of a kiwi, it was impossible not to feel immensely proud that two NZ built yachts, KOKOMO and COMO, moored side by side at this most illustrious of yacht shows, received so many accolades.

KOKOMO was the yacht personally selected by Prince Albert to visit on Thursday; the Aga Khan was welcomed on board COMO for a viewing…as well as countless other visitors.

Also worthy of a mention were some fabulous vessels adding glamour on a smaller scale…the impossibly stylish classic Rivas, which ferried visitors to the show back and forth across the port to the floating jetties…transported to Monaco on a custom-built Riva carrying truck capable of moving 3 Rivas at a time!

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Monaco Yacht Show Recap

The Monaco Yacht show was glorious as always – weather, yachts, people, exhibits.  There’s really nothing like it.

We scoured the show for 3 days for all the boat news. Clearly, the boat of the show was the Oceanco “Alpha Nero”, with its infinite swimming pool, enormous decks and sheer size.  There was a constant jam of interested show goers in front of the yacht, trying to scam their way into a visit.

We look primarily for Charter Yachts, and of course there were some amazing ones on display. Our favorites were:

M/Y Sensation  (Sensation Yachts) – we finally got to see this beautiful New Zealand Yacht, with light, warm interior, sleek hull and peppy speed. It’s been on the market for a while but has a great new captain who’s putting together a world-class charter crew.

M/Y The Snapper (Sunseeker) – a Sunseeker 82 Yacht with modern but very tastefully done interior

M/Y Lady Michelle (Trinity) – classic interior, nice cruising speed, elegant. 49 Meters, 5 Cabins.

M/Y Starship (Van Mill). A classic 44 meter superyacht with all the amenities. Excellent finishings, top quality materials.

More updates from the show coming soon, as we sort through all of our compiled information!

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September in the Cote d’Azur – Yachts, Regattas, Shows!

If you’re in the yachting business, the end of the busy summer high season very quickly rolls into an even busier September, with the Cannes Boat Show, Monaco Yacht Show, Cannes Royal Regatta and the Voile St Tropez.  That’s a whole lot of Champagne to consume!  Our next post will feature the “inside scoop” from the Monaco Yacht Show, which just wound up last weekend.

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Jost Van Dyke’s beach bars – Foxy’s and the Soggy Dollar Bar – BVI

Jost Van Dyke, a largely uninhabited island in the BVI, boasts two of the most renowned and intriguing beach bars in the world.  Foxy’s is known for Foxy’s guitar playing, Beach BBQs and New Years Eve parties.  The Soggy Dollar Bar, is famous as the inventor of the “Painkiller” Drink, and because you need to swim from your boat to get to the bar – there is no dock (but a wire is provided to dry your soggy dollars, euros, etc.)

Both of these bars were established by local entrepreneurs and have remained unpretentious and largely unspoiled since their founding (although you’ll find a few hangers on at Foxy’s ready to take advantage of you by “finding” your lost dinghy for a few bucks.

They’re gotten their fame because of the interational nature of the BVI, with so many sailors arriving there and speading the recommendation to their friends.

We highly recommend both, but please don’t blame us for the hangovers! 

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