All the yachts have now left the Monaco Yacht Show and most will now be preparing for their annual migration to Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean for the winter.  The success of this year’s show is testiment to the thriving status of the Mega-yacht industry despite the recent economic crisis.  The Boatbookings team were out in force to see the yachts and find the newest additions to the Super and Mega Yacht charter market; among those yachts viewed by the team were Martha Ann, Newvida, Makululu and Leonora, Daybreak, Midlandia and Parsifal III.  Updates on these boats coming soon…

With the high price of fuel, nearly everyone wants to know what a boating trip will cost.  Boatbookings.com has just released a nifty new tool that lets you do exactly this.  Just click on a Google Map to draw your itinerary, enter the fuel consumption per hour and price of fuel, and you get a great estimate.  It gives you distance, fuel consumption, and estimated cost. Check out the boating distance and fuel price calculator here.

Tragedy struck at the Régates Royales Trophée Panerai in Cannes on Tuesday when the Wilfred Tolhurst, owner and skipper of one of the 8 Metre class boats, Safir, died after a collision with 65 ft Rowdy.

Safir was trying to avoid the 35 tonne Rowdy who was competing in the Admiral’s Cup race, however disaster struck and Safir and Rowdy collided, dismasting Safir. Wilhurst was struck by the falling mast and despite the efforts of the Race Committee together with the CROSS Med and maritime safety crew (SNSM), nothing could be done to save Wilhurst’s life.

Enquiries are underway to try and determine the cause of the incident.The Yacht Club de Cannes as well as all of the event organisers and sponsers offer their deepest sympathies and support to the friends and family of the skipper.

Information courtesy of Yachting World, photo courtesy of Regates Royales official website.

The Monaco Yacht Show has always been a platform for the newest luxury, the most up to date technology and of course the latest Yachts to excite the yachting enthusiasts that travel to the event in a pilgrimage to their passion. This year the Ferretti Group (Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Itama, Bertram, Riva, Apreamare, Mochi Craft, CRN and Custom Line) are presenting 9 elegant yachts at the show, 2 of which are world previews produced by CRN:

The CRN 54m MARAYA and the CRN 57m ROMANCE.

New models Riva Duchessa 92’, Apreamare Maestro 82’, Custom Line Navetta 33, Custom Line 112’ Next, Pershing 80’ are also being displayed, which were presented at the recent Cannes Boat Show, as well as the already well-known and much admired Pershing 90’ and Itama Forty

Some information courtesy of BYM Product and Industry News

The Yacht Haven Group have completed a £1m investment into Plymouth’s waterfront in a bid to enhance the waterfront and satisfy the city’s growing appetite for new and fresh culinary experiences. The success of the venture will provide a blueprint for potential further investment into the six other UK based marinas supported by the Yacht Haven Group. The improvements along the English South Coast will no doubt make this already ideal coast for exploring by yacht, a more attractive destination for sailing enthusiasts.

Some information courtesy of boatingbusiness.com

The Voiles de St Tropez began 26 years ago, and gave birth to one of the most spectacular yet simple sailing race in the Gulf of St Tropez. Running from the 29th September - 5th October, 2008, the Voiles de St Tropez is one of the most incredible Classic Yacht Regattas in the world, and you have the opportunity to sail on one of the most beautiful Classic yachts on the Mediterranean, the Adria, is available for charter.

The races showcase some of the most beautifully crafted boats in the world, with over 300 boats taking part and many more simply spectating out on the water. The Adria is available for charter, either taking part and crewing, or simply observing from her polished wooden decks! Originally crafted in 1934, this beautiful boat truly embodies a Classic Sailing yacht, and what better way to experience the Voiles than aboard such a magnificent boat?

The Emirates Team New Zealand have invited some of the world’s top sailing teams to enter a round-robin event to be held in the inner Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand as early as next January.  The annoucement is in an attempt to ‘get a little love back’ as said managing director Grant Dalton, whilst court procedures in the US have stagnated over the state of affairs surrounding the America’s Cup.  This new Louis Vuitton-sponsered yacht regatta will race the full America’s Cup sized boats and sailing teams and will be closer to land than usual offering spectators a better view of the races. It is not yet known which teams will accept the invitation to race the Emirates Team New Zealand but have until 30th October to enter.

Follow this link for more information about perfomance sailing and other regattas around the world.
Some information courtesy of nzherald.co.nz

Team Russia’s Volvo 70, KOTSATKA, reached Alicante in Spain on Monday morning to join the rest of the teams preparing for the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race (formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race).  The event begins with an in-port race on 4th October before the first leg of their 10 leg race covering nearly 37,000 nautical miles (42,600 miles) of open ocean and 7 in-port races.  The gruelling race will see the 8 teams currently entered travel southwards from Spain to encompass Africa, Asia, South and North America before heading back to Europe and finishing in St Petersburg on 27th June 2009.

When asked why would someone want to endure 10 months of crampt living, with little to no sleep, freeze-dried food and the unforgiving, constant motion of the ocean, the skipper of the Chinese-Irish entry GREEN DRAGON, Ian Walker summed it up by saying:

‘The answer is simple – it is a chance in a lifetime to be part of an incredible sporting event and to pit ourselves against some of the best sailors in the world – we all want to win. We have a fantastic team both ashore and afloat, and we will share life-changing experiences over the next 10 months.’

All the boats have had to endure a 2,000 nautical mile race qualification, providing many teams with their first chance to really test to the yachts and their sailing tenacity.There are now 8 teams competing after the announcement of the Dutch Team Delta Lloyd joining the line up. The entries:

DELTA LLOYD, Netherlands

ERICSSON RACING TEAM INTERNATIONAL, Sweden

ERICSSON RACING TEAM NORDIC, Sweden

GREEN DRAGON, China-Ireland

PUMA OCEAN RACING, USA

TEAM RUSSIA, Russia

TELEFONICA BLACK, Spain

TELEFONICA BLUE, Spain

The Volvo Ocean Race is this year set to be a spectacle of some of the best sailing to be seen in the oceans and seas of the world, pitting the best talent against the elements and testing the determination and grit of humans living on the edge.
Some information courtesy of Sail-World.com

Luxury catamaran charter will be even easier now thanks to fresh new designs of some of the most luxurious catamarans in the world. A 70ft Sunreef PowerCat was unveiled and although this model is privately owned, more are under construction and will be available for charter next year! This magnificent boat contained 5 luxury custom made cabins, with the same quality and style you would expect in any top hotel, ample living space both indoors and out. The flybridge has room for a jacuzzi and bar as well as an ample eating area.

This distinctive and stylish catamaran can be yours for a week in the Mediterranean next year, so book early to avoid disappointment! All the comfort of luxury charter at less than half the price of any equivalent super yacht, with hand picked crew for your unique crewed charter experience it is a recipe for great sailing holidays and unforgettable memories!

The Boat Show season is well and truly up and running; Cannes, Yachtfest and now one of the biggest trade shows around the Southampton boat show opened its doors today to 1000s of visitors all eager to see the latest and greatest that the boat show has to offer, and with over 600 exhibitors and 700 boats on show, there is no shortage of things to see! As well as showcasing the most popular yachts available for sale and charter, the Southampton Boat show will also be debuting a number of new boats with the cutting edge in boat design. Sailing boat and motor boat manufacturers alike will all be there en masse to offer insight into some of the most incredible boats available in the Solent and the UK, offering the next thrill. The incredibly successful UK Olympic sailing team will also be there, as well as the record breaker Ellen MacArthur.

Tickets are available on the door, so go along this weekend! The show is running from the 12th-21st September.