Prior to this year, the big Cannes-based conferences such as the Cannes Film Festival and MIPIM always had far more people who wanted yachts in the port than there were spots available.  But that has changed this year – in fact over 40 yachts (out of 100) were canceled for MIPIM 2009 due to the difficult economic times.  And there are still slots available for the Cannes Film Festival in May.  So if you or your company have always wanted to participate in a key Cannes event, 2009 may be the best year to make that decision.

About Chartering a Yacht for a Conference,  Event or Celebration in Cannes
First some background. There are multiple ways of attending a conference in Cannes, depending on your goals for the show.  To make the biggest splash, normally a company would charter a yacht large enough to entertain 50 to 70 people, and apply for a berth space alongside the Palais des Festivals.  This is called a “Static Charter” because the yacht doesn’t move, and these berths in Cannes are on the pier called “Jetee Edouard Albert”.  Many people who contact us about this type of charter assume that there is some cloak and dagger negotiation (with money changing hands) required to get these places.  This is not the case, in fact the process is straightforward, fair, and decided on a first come, first serve basis. So if you plan far enough ahead, you have just as much of a chance of getting a valuable slot as anyone else does.  Click here for additional information about Event Yacht Charters on the Boatbookings.com site.

Short of a full-blown static charter, there are several other alternatives for chartering a yacht during an event in Cannes.  The first is to simply charter a yacht in the port and use it for accommodation.  Often when hotels are full and charging double their normal price, you can find a nice sailboat or motor yacht to sleep 4 -8 people on, right next to the Palais. This is convenient, fun and very different from your normal hotel stay, and you also have use of the yacht during the day if you want to see the bay or entertain clients.

If you are looking to throw an event, instead of the same old hotel room or restaurant events, you can also charter a yacht to really show people a special time.  Normally, the yacht would be anchored in the bay, and you would ferry guests back and forth in the tender.  Because of strict maritime laws, there are only a few yachts that are licensed to run events like this – click here to see a selection of yachts for Events in Cannes for more than 20 people.

Again, because this is a down year for many of the shows in Cannes, you can find many more available yachts, often with prices that have been adjusted.  It’s the year that a charterer can really stand out of the crowd at any event in Cannes.  Please contact us if you are interested in an event charter in Cannes or see some of the great event boats that are available in Cannes.

Good news for all charterers who wish to visit the emerald shores of Sardinia this summer – the  controversial tax that cost up to €15,000 for the privilege of coming ashore (and spending money) in Sardinia will be canceled by the new governor of the island. The private plane landing fee, which was also exorbitant, will be stopped as well.

The new governor of Sardinia, Ugo Cappellacci, just happens to be the son of Silvio Berlusconi’s tax advisor, who just happens to have a villa on the island, but hey, we won’t look into politics or motives as long as this egregious tax is repealed.

So plan to charter in Sardinia this summer – our updated Sardinia Yacht Charter Guide is a great place to start planning.

One of the delights of sailing into a new port is discovering a beach bar where yachtsmen can meet, tell stories, watch a sunset, and just enjoy being on the water and away from civilization.

We’ve noticed, also, that around the world these bars tend to have a great sense of humor, and refuse to take life too seriously.  Many put up funny signs or paintings, or allow customers to do so. We thought we’d show you a few of our favorites – please add yours!

Each one of the 27 people who went on our BVI Charter said that it was either the best or one of the best holidays they’d ever had.  The variety the BVI offers, the comfortable catamarans, the superb beaches, and the freedom of a charter combined to create lifelong memories for everyone.  The BVI proved once again why it is the world’s top yacht charter destination.

Although it worked out well, it wasn’t without its risks and stresses.  Some conclusions about family and group chartering are the following:

- Kids will love it, but you have to plan for them and brief them properly. Beach toys, cards, electronic games, videos, guidebooks all are indispensable. And teach them to snorkel before they arrive in the BVI.
- Don’t skimp on the boat size or amenities.  Little things like an ice maker, flush toilets, and fully equipped kitchens make a huge difference.  The added cost will get lost in the increased enjoyment of the trip.

- The BVI is not cheap, especially the food, there’s no way around it. There are plenty of ways of making the trip more cost effective, but do be aware that the BVI is not a low cost holiday destination and budget accordingly.

- Unless you know all the islands and have sailed there before, we strongly recommend a Skipper.  He’ll take so much of the planning and worry out of the trip.  Trying to keep children and family happy while also concentrating on the day’s itinerary doesn’t leave a lot of time to relax and enjoy!

- Plan a basic itinerary before the trip, and communicate it to everyone.  There’s nothing more stressful than trying to get multiple groups and captains to agree on a destination and agenda for the day.  Of course it can be adjusted (we had a 5 minute nightly meeting to confirm the plan for the following day), but starting with a blank sheet of paper each day is asking for trouble.

- Have a group meeting before you leave.  We had everyone over and did a thorough briefing on the trip 3 weeks prior to departure.  Items discussed were travel plans, safety rules for the kids, provisioning, general itinerary, and, importantly, how to make a pina colada.  Some of our European Friends also had to learn who Jimmy Buffet was (yes, hard to believe).

- Finally, plan your trip with like minded people who like to have fun, are flexible and aren’t looking for all of the creature comforts of a 5 star hotel.  Even though our catamarans were comfortable, they are not a floating resort.  People who are used to boats understand that weather can be bad, things may break, and changes of plans will inevitably occur.  If you don’t think they will be happy on a boat for a week, put them in a resort such as the Bitter End and meet them along the way!!

The last two days of our charter were spent on Jost Van Dyke, with a quick stop on marvellous Sandy Spit – the glorious deserted island ringed with an excellent sandy beach and offering some nice coral snorkeling. The main events on Jost were to be Saturday night at Foxy’s and Sunday all day at the Soggy Dollar Bar, just around the corner.

Foxy’s, to be honest, was disappointing.  We had geared the whole party up for a great party on Saturday, and had been building up Foxy’s throughout the trip (based on previous visits there). But, even though it was a Saturday night and probably 60 boats were anchored in the harbor, there was no atmosphere at Foxy’s and almost no people. By 9pm, there were maybe 20 people in the place, and the recorded music was certainly not begging anyone to hit the dance floor.  Disappointed, we headed back to our cats and had our own parties!

We certainly did not have the same fate at the Soggy Dollar Bar!  White Bay has a gorgeous beach, just as nice and clean as Deadmans Bay, Peter Island. And the Soggy Dollar bar was everything you’d want it to be – relaxed, with great beach food (we all had Cheeseburgers in Paradise), magic Painkillers, uplifting Caribbean music, and plenty of happy people arriving and partying throughout the day.  We rafted 3 of our cats together and anchored them 20 feet from the beach, so everyone could swim to shore whenever they desired.  It’s hard to imagine how we could have spent a better day at the beach.

In the evening all of the crowds left, leaving just our boats and 2 others in the Bay. We helped close down the bar, bought our obligatory t-shirts, and then had a group dinner on our rafted boats.  The Soggy Dollar Bar is also a hotel, with elegant evening candlelight dining, but kids are not allowed.

Our suggestion is that perhaps it would have been better to spend two nights in peaceful and beautiful White Bay, and just take a quick taxi over to check out if there was any action at Foxy’s.

The sail to Anegada, which took only 2 1/2 hours, was simple – one tack is all that’s required because you’re sailing north with a predominantly easterly wind. Instead of mooring with most of the other boats, our captain Alex suggested that we moor at the western side of Pomato Point.  This is a great anchorage if you want to truly have the beach and water to yourselves – there was literally no one else but us moored there, and the only establishment was a small hotel that will be happy to make you a pina colada if you’re in need.  You can walk the beach to the lobster restaurants (we enjoyed the Lobster Trap) – it takes about 15 minutes. Or cabs are available via the radio.

The beach here really is fantastic – clean, white with small pink specks, seemingly endless. The closer you get to the western point of Anegada, the more fine it becomes, until you’re almost walking in a light powder. And the nicest thing is, that there’s virtually no one on it, as can be seen by this picture taken early-afternoon.

What to do on Anegada? There are really only a few things, all enjoyable.  Hang out on the beach, watch the sunset, eat fresh grilled lobster, go snorkeling, experiment with Rum drinks.  To this we added “make a bonfire and have a party on the beach”, which was highly successful!

We set sail from Cam Bay across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda and its main event, the Baths. This unique rock formation, which looks like a huge truck has just dumped many enormous boulders on a beach, was caused when volcanic eruptions deposited granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach.  This type of formation is found only in the Seychelles and Virgin Gorda.

The Baths is a must visit for virtually everyone, but especially for families with children.  The boulders that form a series of caves, grottos and pools, create endless possibilities for exploring, playing and snorkeling. The waters are calm and sheltered, so even the most novice snorkeler can enjoy the spectacle. Your children will invent games on the spot, and will most likely be entertained for hours.

One warning - hordes of tourists descend upon the baths between 10 am and 3 pm most every day. Many arrive from large cruise ships.  The trails at the baths are very narrow, and you will find yourself in the middle of a “tourist jam” if you time your visit wrong.  We strongly recommend that you either arrive quite early in the day, or just be more relaxed about it and arrive at 2 or 3.  You will enjoy it a lot more, as the Baths is a peaceful place best experienced when you’re not bumping into other visitors.

Top of the Baths

The “Top of the Baths” is a gem of a restaurant, with a free, freshwater pool, a varied lunch menu, and refreshing drinks. It’s just a short walk up and unmarked path, but well worth it! The view north toward tortola is stunning  – you could look at it all day long.

There are also some shops for beachwear and t-shirts and the Mad Dog restaurant, famous for great sandwiches.

Sailing from Peter Island we headed for Marina Cay, the tiny island with the Red Roofs of a Pussers Resort on it.  The Cay itself is pretty and has a nice outdoor Bar and Restaurant looking onto Sir Francis Drake Channel.

We were disappointed, however, because from the anchorage behind Marina Cay, you have a view of a large and particularly ugly development being built on Scrub Island.  After the gorgeous beach at Peter Island, we decided we didn’t want to spend the evening looking at a construction site, and so pulled up anchor and moved around the corner to Cam Bay, which was quiet and we were virtually alone.  It was an excellent decision, as everyone enjoyed the peace of the area away from the scores of boats anchored downwind from Marina Cay.

The sail from Norman Island to Peter Island, stopping for a snorkel at the Indians, is fairly quick, just 1-2 hours depending on how many tacks you need to make.

Peter Island is special. Perhaps it’s because it is owned by one company (the Peter Island Resort was built by Avon as a reward for their highest achievers) that has kept it almost completely unspoiled.  Or because sea turtles greet you when you anchor, or because the white sandy beaches are so pristine and unspoiled that you don’t really know how the charter could get any better.  No matter what the reason(s), as soon as we arrived at Deadmans Bay we knew we were in Paradise.

A bit of history. Deadmans Bay is the westernmost bay on the north coast of Peter Island.  The small, uninhabited island across from this bay is called Dead Chest.  They were so named because Blackbeard punished 15 pirates by stranding them on Dead Chest with only a bottle of Rum.  They tried to swim the short distance to Deadmans Bay, but didn’t make it – their bodies floated up ashore.  Thus came the lyrics “15 men on Dead (mans) Chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum” and the names of the island and bay.

It’s a shame the pirates didn’t make it to land, because they missed a truly extraordinary beach. It has perfect sand, nice breakers that kids can play in for hours, and an upscale beach bar and restaurant run by Peter Island Resort that welcomes of yachties (you will need a reservation, however, if you want to eat there).  It’s more expensive than your typical beach bar, but if you want to taste a bit of luxury along the way, it’s a nice place and there are plenty of Rum Drinks available at the bar.

Deadmans Bay is difficult to anchor in, the bottom is covered with thick sea grass, which makes it difficult to get the anchor to hold. But if you put out a lot of lead and anchor on the eastern end of the bay, near the hotel, you’ll grab eventually.  There are smaller swells at this side of the bay as well, making for a nicer night’s sleep.

While we were in the bay, we constantly saw Green Sea Turtles cruising around, many with remora fish attached to them to pick up scraps along the way.  You can put on a snorkel and fins and follow these turtles around the bay.  The Eastern half of the beach is private for guests of the hotel, but all yachties are welcomed on the Western half, which is equally nice.

If you love beautiful beaches, you’ll love Deadmans Bay!

Sopers Hole, Tortola

As mentioned, we chartered out of Sopers Hole, which is on the far west end of Tortola.  Most charter yachts are based in Road Town, and that’s where nearly all of the provisioning is located, but we have to say it was very pleasant being in a small, pretty port instead of the large port of Road Town.  The cab ride is farther and a bit more expensive (count on $12 to $20 per person), and you’ll probably end up spending some time in Road Town for provisioning, but our party spent an enjoyable and leisurely afternoon at Pussers while the boat was being readied, instead of running around Road Town.  Highly recommended, if you can can find the right charter yacht out of Sopers.

Pussers Landing has great food and drinks, but we found the service speed a little, shall we say, Caribbean.  But that too was good for the group, because they had to learn how to relax and live in Caribbean time!

Sopers Hole also has a number of boutiques if you need a hat or beach wear, and a small grocery store.

The Bight, Norman Island

As is so often the case, we chose a counterclockwise itinerary around the Islands.  So the natural first destination is Norman Island, anchoring in the Bight, and visiting the Caves and Indians for snorkeling. It’s a beautiful sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel and right beside St Johns, providing perspective to the group as to where they will be heading in the upcoming week.

While everyone hears of Willy-T’s in the Bight as a great floating bar and restaurant, we chose to head to the beach and hang out at Pirates instead.  Pirates has nice food, a beach with a floating climbing mountain, which I believe is called an Iceberg, and shoots a cannon off every day at the start of Happy Hour. No need to have a watch on to know when to drink!  Pirates is also more kid-friendly than Willy-T’s (you don’t need to explain to them why men are drinking shots off of a woman’s stomach…).  We also danced to a great reggae/rock band until quite late.

The Caves and the Indians

The Caves and the Indians are the two key snorkeling areas near Norman Island.  The Caves, which can be reached in a dinghy from the Bight, are famous because not only do they have good snorkeling, but they also were reputed to be hiding places for Pirate Treasure. The way to snorkel the caves is to pick up a mooring ball with your boat or dinghy, swim to the first cave, go in as far as you dare, and then continue to the others at a leisurely pace being pulled by the current.

The Indians are a great stop on the way to Peter Island or Tortola. They are so named because the rocks stick out of the water in a line like feathers in an Indian headdress (with a little imagination).

The general opinion of our group was that the Indians had better snorkeling, and that small children find the Caves a bit intimidating.