Celebrities and their Charters – Who’s on What this Summer!

Cannes, Monaco, St Tropez, Porto Cervo and Capri – the hottest yachting destinations in the world. The summer sees the rich and famous descend on the most exclusive towns in the Mediterranean, embarking on the finest of the world’s super yachts and taking dream vacations with family and friends. We’ve spotted the most talked about celebs on the planet on some pretty incredible yachts, and bring you our favourites in the West Mediterranean this season…

Sylvester Stallone onboard TE MANU. Seen in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat partying and enjoying some relaxation with his family onboard the luxury 49 metre motor yacht. The 1998 super yacht has been maintained and re-fitted meticulously to maintain her traditional style. Stallone and family enjoyed her extensive array of water toys including her Yamaha Waverunner and tender with 70hp engine with which they enjoyed some serious water-skiing.

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden onboard LADY BRITT. An iconic boat in terms of both style and reputation, LADY BRITT is a colossal yacht from the Feadship yard. Her elegant interior mirrors huge outdoor spaces and expansive sunbathing areas, Cameron has obviously been keeping healthy onboard with the beautiful panoramic gym leading into a fully equipped spa and large jacuzzi. Cameron and Benji left the boat looking happy and heading off with a healthy summer glow.

Whether you’re looking to see the hotspots of the French Riviera this summer, or wanting to join the likes of Elle Macpherson and Lindsay Lohan in the beautiful waters of Italy we can match your needs with the perfect luxury motor yacht. Contact us today for expert charter advice.

Posted on July 28, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Cutting Edge Technology Unveiled in Monte Carlo

Racing is as much a part of Monaco as tennis is a part of Wimbledon. Earlier this year, thousands of spectators watched as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton furthered Mercedes domination at the Monaco Grand Prix in a season which has seen a huge step forward in the engineering in the cars and a move to hybrid engines. The racing in Monaco is far from over however and the boating world is certainly not being left behind in terms of innovation as the Solar1 cup came to Monte Carlo.

29 teams from 11 different countries arrived with their entirely solar powered boats for a weekend of racing. The President of Solar1, Sergei Dobroserdov, sees Solar1, “As a great opportunity to animate and excite a new generation.” The likes of Mangusta are as popular as ever in the yachting industry but, just as the Toyota Prius has come to rival V8 powered sports cars, so we might anticipate a new range of luxury yachts in the near future.

For those of you who are worried that a new era of fuel efficient yachts will come at the expense of design, luxury and comfort, look no further than M OCEAN. She showcases fine Italian design with every conceivable comfort whilst 8 solar panels power all of the electrics on board and the hybrid engine allows her to travel up to 8 knots in total silence.

On board, the stunning aft deck is vast and merges seamlessly with an elegant and airy, open-plan salon. Those looking to work on their tan can happily spent hours on large sun pads on the flydeck or soaking in the jacuzzi on the forward main deck.

Below deck the saloons are magnificently lit by large windows offering panoramic views but pull the blinds down and enjoy an intimate cosy atmosphere in which to enjoy a film in the evening.

M OCEAN is available to charter in the South of France. If you are interested in chartering her or any of our extensive range of yachts, please don’t hesitate to contact the Boatbookings team.

Posted on July 18, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

HIGHLANDER – The Forbes Family Superyacht enters the Charter Market!

HIGHLANDER, built in 1986 for Malcolm Forbes, the editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine boasts entertaining celebrity guests such as Ronald Regan, Baroness Thatcher, Liz Taylor and Sir Paul McCartney. Previously based on the East Coast of the US, offering famous “money tours” with her money-green hull, HIGHLANDER is now available for charter on the French Riviera.

Recently acquired by American financier Roberto di Guardiola, who has extensively re-fitted the yacht in a hugely sympathetic manner, she now feels like a yacht of the modern day but still boasts the prowess and tour de force of those who have walked her beautiful teak decks. Following Malcolm’s death in the 1990s, his son Scott recalled entertaining the late Baroness Thatcher and her husband Denis when he was seeking Republican Presidential candidate nomination in 2000.

Admittedly it’s easy to see why heritage alone may tempt you into chartering HIGHLANDER but with a new offering of 162-feet of living space, a classic tender, expansive sundecks, gym facilities and an outstanding design including her freshly painted dark and dominating hull she sells herself even without reeling off her impressive CV of guests.

For more information on this stunning super yacht like no other contact us today.

Posted on July 10, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Thailand remains one of our top charter destinations. Find out why from our regional expert Kevin

Boatbookings.com expert in South East Asia, Kevin has given us an update on the situation in Thailand, read on to find out why Thailand is still a safe and breathtaking charter destination.

Kevin has lived in South East Asia for 12 years now, and has visited Thailand countless times over the years. Thailand is the country that he never tires of visiting. In particular the great scenery and food, happy, smiling people, nice beaches, good water sports are what makes it a special place. It really does have everything as a holiday destination, both sailing and non-sailing according to Kevin.

In light of recent events Kevin has spoken to many personal friends and Boatbookings suppliers and yacht owners over the last couple of weeks, to try to get a sense of what might happen going forward. Many of those people have lived in Thailand for many years, and have lived there through previous periods of instability.

Kevin points out that a coup or martial law in Thailand, is not the same as it would be in many other countries. It is more like a change of government, and most prople just get on with their daily lives. He notes that you can see a few soldiers on the streets of Bangkok, but in the tourist destinations you would not know anything out of the ordinary was going on.

From a tourist’s perspective, here are a few comments Kevin has received:

Tourism is rarely affected by these types of events. The exception to that was the airport closure in 2010, and no-one believes that will be allowed to happen again.

Government advisory announcements are always excessive. They have to be. Most government advisory notices over the last 6 months have said “don’t go to the protest sites”, rather than, “don’t go to Thailand”.

Airports, taxis, hotels, shopping malls, and tourism related services are all operating as normal.

The overnight curfew that was announced 2 weeks ago has been lifted in all sailing destinations, including Phuket, Koh Chang and Pattaya.

Yacht charter guests arriving as normal and sailing as normal.

In short, come and enjoy Thailand and enquire today!

For further reading:

You can see regular updates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand on their website:

https://www.tatnews.org

An open letter written by highly respected US born entrepreneur in Thailand:

https://phuketwan.com/tourism/open-letter-coup-nobody-wanted-thailand-needed-20444/

Posted on June 11, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

INDULGING on a Day Charter on the French Riviera!

Charles, Cordy and Tom from the Boatbookings.com team in the South of France were lucky enough to enjoy a day out on INDULGENCE OF POOLE yesterday, a beautifully maintained Mangusta 86 motor yacht based in the heart of the Old Port of Cannes. Following our day out, we cannot recommend her highly enough for day, weekend and week-long charters on the French Riviera and in surrounding areas.

The team were warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic captain Yanko and his partner and chief stewardess, fresh canapés and some lovely wines were enjoyed following a viewing of the two large master and VIP cabins with double beds and two further twin cabins, comfortably accommodating two. INDULGENCE is also perfect for meetings with her large saloon and separate dining area seating 12 for a more formal venue. On the aft deck, they said goodbye to Cannes on a beautiful Monday morning and sped along the coast to the beautiful bay of Theoule where we anchored for the day. A delicious lunch onboard was enjoyed by all – the refreshing classic of Parma ham and melon, followed beautifully roasted chicken with garlic purée and chocolate cheesecake with crème anglaise to finish!

After soaking up the sun, taking a swim and enjoying the extensive water sports inventory we headed back to Cannes where Yanko showed us that INDULGENCE can match the newer Mangusta cruising at an impressive 29 knots! A thrill for everyone, whilst enjoying the comfort of a much larger yacht.

We cannot recommend INDULGENCE OF POOLE enough for your family vacations on the French Riviera this summer, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on her all-inclusive packages.

Posted on June 3, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓