Antibes Yacht Show 2012

Well, not just any day, last Friday, the 13th April, and the 2nd day of the Antibes Yacht Show. Having been invited to an exclusive ‘Yacht Hop’ event, which involved a four-course meal, each course on a different yacht, I knew from the outset that I was in for a treat.

It kicked off with a champagne reception with appetizers on the sleek Sunseeker, NEW BEGINNINGS OF LONDON, where we were able to admire the elegant decoration of this beautiful charter yacht. Next was starters aboard D5, where we experienced the chef’s delightful gazpacho and cheese biscuits and then it was on to LADY SOFIA for mains, salmon cooked to perfection with asparagus wrapped in parma ham…simply delicious!

However, it was the fourth and final sunseeker vibe (VIBE) where the party really started with chocolate mousses, fruit and chocolate fondue, strawberry daquiris and Pimms. sunseeker VIBE itself is a fantastic vessel, sporty, sleek and modern with a great minimalistic interior and fabulously spacious cabins. Captain Phil was certainly the life and soul of the party and it’s evident that with his expert mixologist stewardess Melissa, anyone would be guaranteed endless fun on a charter on this 23m Sunseeker.

BoatBookings Team with Captain Phil on Sunseeker Vibe

Next we continued on into the actual Antibes Yacht Show where hundreds of beautiful yachts were all open to the visitors to explore their interiors and meet their captains and crew. We also had the opportunity to walk around the stalls and talk to businesses from all aspects of the industry. Overall, it was a fascinating experience not only to go on board some stunning yachts, but also to discover all the industries related to yachting too.

As part of the BoatBookings Editorial Team I would just like to add a note to Krisha’s article : Krisha has started new trends in the yachting industry by adding her special touch to the boating world!

From the Chanel cushions in the cabins, the beautiful scent of Joe Malone candles drifting through the salon to the Molton Brown soaps and Ralph Lauren robes in the bathrooms, this Mangusta is a delightful vessel, fully equipped with the best of the best amenities on board. The gorgeous sun lounge area on the top of the boat, for adults only, is the perfect getaway (not just from the kids!) since it was easy to imagine the pure sunbathing heaven you would be in, anchored anywhere in the Cote d’Azur, soaking up the sun, being gently rocked by the sea.

And one thing that certainly can’t go without mention is the food! We were lucky enough to sample some of the chef’s amazing work…ranging from sushi to gazpacho that would nicely finish a day on your luxury yacht charter! The divinely presented Maki rolls and wasabi mayonnaise were made to perfection and a definite favourite amongst the guests were the Tempura prawns with sweet chili sauce, not to mention the delicious wines that came with it!

If you are attending the Antibes yacht show 2012 in the next few days please do not hesitate to contact us to meet up at the Antibes Yacht Show 2012 , and also we have many day boats for hire for events of all types in the French Riviera.

The Antibes Yacht show 2012 , from the 12th to the 15th of April will be the hotspot for any yacht lovers on the Riviera. Since it started in 2007, brokers and charters from all over the world, let alone just the Cote d’Azur region, have fled to Antibes every year for the famous display of boats, from small classic sailing yachts to huge luxury motor yachts. The well-known Port Vauban was host to more than 13,000 people last year and this figure is set to rise again this month.

What’s different about this years show is that there will be an evening, Friday 13^th, dedicated to cocktail parties on board the best charter yachts which will be a great opportunity for socializing and networking. With seminars happening, a Refit Planning Area in place, complimentary drinks and VIP services, the Antibes Yacht Show 2012 in not an event to be missed and should certainly be a highlight of this year’s calendar!

If you are going to the Antibes yacht show please do not hesitate to contact us to meet up at the Antibes Yacht Show 2012 , and also we have many day boats for hire for events of all types in the French Riviera.

As a new year arrives, we’re often asked about what we see for the upcoming charter seasons. Having been at numerous shows (many of them chronicled here), seen hundreds of charter yachts, and spoken to Captains, Crew and Owners – here are some of the trends we see for 2012.

Wellness: Whereas once it was a novelty to have exercise equipment or a massage table on a yacht, we’re now seeing yachts that rival even the best land-based Spas. Wet and dry saunas, masseuses and wellness crew members, aroma therapy, manicures/pedicures and yoga classes are all common now on many of the top yachts.

We think this makes great sense, of course!  It’s hard to imagine a better environment to focus on wellness than the serene atmosphere of a yacht anchored in a quiet, beautiful, secluded bay.  Click here to see a selection of our yachts that emphasize Wellness Chartering.

Green Chartering: Environmental awareness has become a big issue in the charter business. Using Water Makers instead of bottled water, avoiding plastics wherever possible, sailing instead of motoring and buying carbon credits are all trends. CYBA, The Charter Yacht Brokers Association has denoted 2012 as the “Going Green to Save the Blue” year, with emphasis on reducing bottled water consumption on charters.  They’ve sponsored taste testings with desalinated water to show that its taste is virtually indistinguishable from regular water.  For further details, we’ve created a new page dedicated to Green Yacht Chartering.

Exotic Locations: More and more yachts are circling the world, and offering charters in locactions such as Vanuatu, Tahiti and SE Asia. This is often at the owner’s desire, but when the yachts are in the regions, they are normally available for charter as well. We’ve heard from several captains that Vanuatu offers the best diving and most amazing marine life anywhere!

Focus on Service: The customer is king in 2012 – yachts are doing whatever they can to make the charters a great experience. Extra attention is being paid to all parts of the charter experience, from cuisine to onboard amenities to water toys. You can expect service with a smile in 2012 on any crewed yacht charter you’re interested in!

Show producers provide a free smartphone app, MyBoatShow, available on iPhone and Android platforms. Attendees will be able to access show maps, search for exhibitors, manufacturers, product categories and boats by specifications and size, show schedule, seminar information, show transportation schedules and maps, food and drink locations, restroom locations and emergency services.

Diamond Girl

Also new to this year’s Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach is TrawlerPort, which will offer an impressive display of long-range cruisers in lengths ranging from 35 to 90 feet that are designed for long-term cruising of regional and worldwide destinations.

The Show features many yachts available for crewed luxury charter, including DIAMOND GIRL, a very popular Johnson 103 currently available for charter in the Virgin Islands and DAMRAK II a stylish and sophisticated Sunreef power catamaran. Please contact Sharon@boatbookings.com to arrange for a personalized viewing of luxury charter yachts on display.

DAMRAK II

BOAT SHOW SCHEDULE:

Thursday, Feb. 16: 10am – 7pm

Friday, Feb. 17: 10am – 7pm

Saturday, Feb. 18: 10am – 7pm

Sunday, Feb. 19: 10am – 7pm

Monday, Feb. 20: 10am – 6pm

Follow these comprehensive links for information about Luxury Yacht Charter and Charter Destinations Worldwide.

On board CALLIOPE, the immediate impression of sophistication and refinement is augmented by impressive design innovations that are the result of input from an experienced Owner. On CALLIOPE the details are as remarkable as the overall ambiance. For example, the custom made, graceful mermaid door pulls, which stand alone as works of art, were designed by the Owner.

Other subtleties on board CALLIOPE, not immediately visible, raise the level of livability and service. The main deck salon is furnished in understated elegance featuring neutral tones with touches of delphinium blue, and connects to the formal dining room. The space can be left open for entertaining or separated by sliding shoji doors for a more intimate setting. Cleverly concealed cabinetry allows for easy access to tableware and the crew can provide discreet service through an electronic pocket door leading to the pantry and commercial galley.

The guest staterooms on board luxury yacht CALLIOPE, located on the lower deck, are finished in a soft lime oak with French provincial decor. The crew is able to service the guests by way of a secret, soundproof door in the paneling that leads to the crew quarters.

The bridge deck is a very popular area with guests and the main social area on CALLIOPE. State-of-the-art equipment allows the space to transition from a library to a media room to a party deck. The salon’s full width folding French doors open up to the aft deck providing a seamless transition from interior to exterior creating an even larger al fresco dining and entertaining area.

CALLIOPE is an intrinsically chic yacht that even the most demanding charter clients will recognize as superior in all respects. This unparalleled superyacht is an excellent charter option for corporate retreats, or families and friends that demand five star service and luxurious accommodations aboard a prestigious vessel.

Follow this link for detailed information about charter on board CALLIOPE.

These useful link provide information about Luxury Superyacht Charter and Charter Destinations worldwide.

The interior of this luxurious Heesen 130 was designed by Clifford Denn and features contemporary architecture and furnishings in opposing dark and pale tones with dark wood highlights and rich hardwood floors. The atmosphere is sophisticated and stunning. The main deck on LIONSHARE features a plush lounging area with only the suggestion of separation from the dining area produced by two columns and a buffet cabinet.

LIONSHARE features accommodations for 11 guests in five ensuite staterooms. Crisp white linens, soft lighting and minimal furnishings create a zen-like environment conducive to relaxation.

LIONSHARE features plenty of open deck living space and an especially awesome, forward facing Jacuzzi with a generous surround of sun pads. It was easy to imagine sitting in the Jacuzzi, making a grand entrance into a new and exciting port of call, tropical cocktail in hand, magnificent view all around.

LIONSHARE is currently available for charter in the Caribbean with plans for summer 2012 charters in the Eastern Mediteranean region. This is an excellent yacht for discriminating guests who require the utmost in service and appreciate nautical tradition with a contemporary aesthetic.

Please follow this link for detailed information about chartering LIONSHARE.

Here is a useful link to explore all the possibilities of Luxury Superyacht Charter in destinations worldwide.

Side swim platform is ideal for launching water toys

James Bond is right at home in this superbly elegant environment of cutting edge design. PANTHALASSA`s sumptuous teak sole and saddle leather wall paneling integrate seamless social spaces defined by functional furniture groupings. Interior accents are bathed in natural

The acrylic stairwell connects levels and streams in daylight.

light that flows through a sweep of windows and an array of skylights.  The area is designed for guests to melt into a state of blissful relaxation amongst throw cushions, cashmere throws, ergonomic chairs, sprawling couches and handmade silk floor rugs.

The huge skylight, left of Captain Greg, replaced the Jacuzzi

PANTHALLASSA is number nine in the series of ten 56m hulls built by Perini Navi.  Built to spec for individual owners, each has special details.  For example, on the upper deck of PANTHALASSA, the Owners opted for a huge skylight in place of the on-deck Jacuzzi, a better fit with their ideology. They feel that the deck is for relaxing and the ocean is for swimming.

The Captain has been on the yacht from the design stage at the Perini Navi shipyard. He describes the build process as “fascinating, a real challenge and something as a yachtie I’ve always wanted to do…the timing was pretty bad though. It was all through the real horror of the financial crisis, not the best time to be building a big yacht.  Perini though, if anybody is recession proof those guys are. They’ve boomed, that’s the only word for it.” PANTHALAASSA emerged as proof in 2010.

PANTHALASSSA is a high performance sailing machine that finished well in the Perini Cup this year, winning the race on day two. Her helm display is an amazing array of state-of-the-art navigation equipment, computer screens, gages, dials and controls, and the Captain is adept with optimizing the technology in any sea conditions.

Just off the helm is the cylindrical video chamber, which, with the touch of a button, becomes completely enclosed by a curved sliding door. The space can also serve as a dining area or a massage and relaxation room. However, we are told that this room gets used the most for the PlayStation.

There are many design aspects about PANTHALASSA that make it unusual. The six- cabin configuration has no master, but rather two identical aft cabins and four equal guest cabins with Pullmans. The hierarchy is there, but it is very subtle. This is an optimal layout for situations in which two families are chartering together.

Needless to say, PANTHALASSA is a very popular yacht with an enthusiastic repeat clientele. Although there are still openings available for charter this winter in the Caribbean as well as next summer in the Mediterranean, they are filling up quickly.

Charter PANTHALASSA and be guaranteed a spectacular, one-of-a-kind experience in flawless surroundings,with impeccable service and gourmet cuisine on board a true sailing machine.

Click here for details about chartering PANTHALASSA.

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MUSE is a spacious Sunreef 70 that features three doubles, two twins, one single and a Pullman, making it an ideal option for families with children. The yacht is very informal, not showy or ostentatious, guests can relax without worry that their young ones will endanger artwork and décor. The Owner successfully designed interiors with the charming ambience of a house in the south of France.

While the heart of MUSE is home, the soul is food. Chef Caro and her husband, Captain Jez Fletcher, are world travelers and both love to cook cuisine incorporating menus and ingredients from distant lands. Captain Jez invites guests of all ages to assist with the handmade pasta that they can hang on a rail above the galley counter.

Our lunch on the aft deck of MUSE that day started with a course of delicate prawns dusted in coconut and served on a locally grown pineapple wedge. This was followed by pork belly confit marinated overnight in a dry rub of coriander, cumin, rosemary and sea salt and slow cooked, also baked pork ribs inspired by Vietnamese cookery, finished in a Vietnamese caramel sauté with balsamic and tamarind glaze. These innovative and delicious dishes were a testimony to the creative talent that seems to come quite effortlessly to Chef Caro.

The dessert was a delightfully effervescent champagne jello, which we all decided was perfect for any final course, but particularly for the forthcoming holiday celebrations. We asked Chef Caro for the recipe, which, transcribed below, presents a very clear picture of how easy it is to do at home, as well as the endearing charm of Chef Caro.

Champagne Jello
Ingredients:
12 sheets or 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 coffee mug water
1 coffee mug sugar
1 bottle champagne

“You start off with ½ a coffee mug of water at room temperature. I’m very low tech. Dump in either 12 sheets or two packets of unflavored gelatin and stir it through the water, this is called blooming the gelatin. You let it soak up a bit of the water so that its easier to dissolve later.

Take a small pot and pour another ½ coffee mug of water and a full mug of sugar. Warm up gently until the sugar is dissolved, kind of like bartender syrup, and pour this into the bloomed gelatin. At this stage it will look like a grainy mess. Stir it through to dissolve it nicely and just let it sit to cool. You can do this in the morning, then have a cup of coffee, or do your face, that’s what I do.

Here’s the trick; the sugar and gelatin syrup, which has been well mixed through, should be just nice and cool, not setting. It should be in a big mixing bowl because the next thing to do is get a bottle of champagne, cava or prosecco. This is really important; you resist the temptation to just down the champagne yourself. Instead you must dump the entire bottle into the bowl, a very liberating experience.

Give it a quick whisk through, pour it into a non-reactive container, plastic or good stainless, give it a quick taste, but not for the reason you think. You taste it to see if you want a little squisher of lime or lemon juice. I used a quarter spoon for brut champagne, if you’re using a demi-sec that somebody mistakenly gave you and you think, well I’ll make a bit of champagne jello, you may want to use a bigger squisher.

Pop it in the fridge for four or five hours. If you prefer you can pour it into nice little shot glasses or martini glasses and layer it with berries soaked in Cointreau. Do not use pineapple or kiwi because they have an enzyme that dissolves the protein in the gelatin, use any other fruit you please.

The trick to preserving the bubbles in the champagne is to be sure the syrup mixture is cool but not yet set. Do not put it in the refrigerator to cool because the sides of the container will start to gel to quickly. As you can see, it’s dead easy and tends to be very popular!”

Thanks so much Caro! Happy Holidays!

Click here for details and information about chartering MUSE in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.

Chef Caro Uy won third place in the Concours de Chef at the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show.

Follow this link to explore Yacht Charter in the Caribbean.

Hemisphere

The annual World Superyacht Awards, held in London for the last three years, are moving to Istanbul, Turkey. Next year’s event will be held on May 5 in Çiragan Palace Kempinski, a former Ottoman palace situated on the European shores of the Bosphorus.

Nominated yachts include the 70.5m (231ft) Talisman C, built by Proteksan Turquoise, the 63m (207ft) Feadship Lady Britt, the 50m (164ft) Satori by Heesen Yachts and the 44.2m (145ft) Pendennis-built Hemisphere.

The basic requirement for the awards is that the nominated yacht must be of over 30m (98ft) in length and have been completed and delivered to its owner between January 1st and December 31st, 2011.

Follow this link to explore Yacht Charter in Turkey.
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