f you want to experience the Monaco Grand Prix from an aspect like no other, COSTA MAGNA is the boat for you. We’ve just received news that she has obtained a berth in Monaco for the weekend of the iconic Grand Prix which takes over affluent and picturesque Monte Carlo from 22nd to 26th May! This is a fantastic opportunity for large groups or your corporate event as COSTA MAGNA can host up to 100 guests at dock.
Her spacious three-deck layout means you have a range of spaces for your events, from the private and secluded vantage point of the fly deck to the opulent aft deck with a range of seating and entertaining space. Her crew of 8 are seasoned in event chartering and will help you in creating an unforgettable experience at the Monaco Grand Prix.
One of the most popular event boats on the French Riviera, COSTA MAGNA is already booked for MIPIM in Cannes. She’s still available for the Monaco Grand Prix so bring your offers and don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!
On Sunday, Tom from the Boatbookings Team was lucky enough to get out on the water for an afternoon of sailing on board THE BLUE PETER. Built in 1930, she has been under the ownership of owner/skipper Mat for 13 years. THE BLUE PETER and the ocean are evidently two of Mat’s greatest passions in life! He has nurtured her and restored her into the beautiful condition that she is now in – a true labor of love! THE BLUE PETER is currently undergoing a comprehensive refit following the installation of a completely new mast. Her new mast is 2.5m taller than her previous one and, with a larger mainsail, this makes her even faster and more spectacular than she was before!
She has had many successful regatta outings over the years, this year being no different. She has consistently been one of the top competitors with strong performances in the Monaco Classics Week, Regatta Royales in Cannes and Les Voiles de St Tropez. Mat and First Mate Gary welcome guests on board to join them for exciting Regatta Charters, their comprehensive packages ensuring that you will truly experience classic regatta racing on one of the most successful and prestigious boats in her class.
Mat, Gary and their crew are about to embark on a transatlantic crossing via Barcelona and the Seychelles before crossing the Atlantic to Antigua where she will be based over Christmas. In the New Year, THE BLUE PETER will sail to Barbados, Grenada, St Maarten, St Barths and the BVIs, entering regattas along the way, before returning to the Mediterranean in May for another exciting summer of racing on the Riviera!
With the round robin part for the Americas Cup over and it nearing the business end of the oldest trophy in international sport, we are delicately poised for the final all out effort to crown sailings most worthy champions. This year the Americas Cup takes place in San Francisco and is proving to be hugely popular both because of the easy nature with which fans and enthusiasts can watch defending champion Team Oracle and their potential challengers practice and compete in these warm blue waters, and because of the drama and the controversy that has often been a feature.
On Saturday, with the heartbreaking loss of Andrew “Bart” Simpson, beloved crew mate and the skipper's best friend forefront in everyone's mind, Team Artemis bowed out in a highly emotional but proud moment after losing its last race against Italy's Luna Rossa after a valiant comeback. Artemis skipper Iain Percy who won two gold medals sailing with Simpson and who acted as best man at his wedding said “I'm hugely proud of our team. It's been a terrible period, he would have been so proud of us, considering this is something that none of us thought we'd be able to do two months ago when we lost him.”
The elimination of who were, until this tragic event, a very strong contender has set up the semi final between the ever strong Team New Zealand and Italy's Luna Rossa in the best-of-13 races beginning this coming Saturday at 1:10 pm. The winner of this highly anticipated semi final will then face defending champion Oracle Team USA in the 34th America's Cup beginning Sept. 7.
Overshadowing much of the Americas cup however, is the on going investigation into Team Oracle's boat tampering to the smaller AC45 catamarans during the America's Cup World Series regattas. 40 key team members are expected to be interviewed as part of its investigation into a potential breach of rules that could have severe implications as well as substantial bans from the sport.
On Thursday 28th July actor Tom Cruise and his son joined the Emirates Team New Zealand that has now won an incredible ninth consecutive race of the Louis Vuitton Cup. After watching this in form team beat rival Luna Rossa Challenge from the team's VIP vessel, both the Hollywood star and his son jumped aboard and joined the 11 man crew in near perfect sailing conditions for an exhilarating demonstration of what these incredible yachts can accomplish.
Tom Cruise said “it was absolutely incredible, we got to work with the crew, it was remarkable actually, we thought we were going to get on and we would go cruising to the slip, and next thing we know I was on this one he was on that one, on the grinder, it was a privilege!”
Both father and son had a competition to see who could get the top speed on a yacht that is capable of speeds of over 44knots (50mph) thanks to their 130-foot (40m) tall wing sails, the equivalent of a 13-story building! Skipper Dean Barker even went as far as to say that “We had a nice reach back under the Bay Bridge, so Tom jumped on the handle bars and did a better job than I did. It was a real boost for the team to have someone like him come along.”
Emirates Team New Zealand also announced recently that they would choose to advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final that begins August 17th in order to give them more time to upgrade the yacht having won the round robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Stay tuned to our blog for the all the latest news and updates as well as articles on everything sailing, from water toys and the best yachts to charter all over the world to gourmet food and iphone apps!
The Americas Cup is the oldest active trophy in international sport and has been the pinnacle of sailing for over 100 years. It brings together the world's best sailors to compete at the highest level once every three years. The regatta combines the latest in sailing technology with sailors such as Ben Ainslie, Dean Barker, Francesco Bruni and Chris Draper as they are propelled along at speeds of over 45 miles an hour!
In the first time in the regatta's 162-year history, it is taking place inshore and hordes of people have lined up to watch this prestigious race in San Francisco with its stunning backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the Transamerica pyramid.
AP Photo:Eric Risberg
However this contest has been bogged down right from the start. Although the Louis Vuitton Cup has recently gotten underway that will select the challenger to face Oracle Team USA in the one-on-one final of the Americas Cup, the death of Andrew Simpson of Artemis Racing on May 9th has more implications than his very sad demise might initially suggest for this race.
This accident led regatta director Iain Murray to make 37 safety recommendations that will, if protests are dismissed at a meeting of an international jury, change the yachts design very slightly and hopefully give them more safety, particularly at high speeds.
artemis.photoshelter
On Sunday 7th July Team Luna Rossa were due to face Team New Zealand in one of the first round robins but Luna Rossa boycotted this in protest, saying that the regatta director did not have the authority to unilaterally change the rules. Both teams have also lodged protests as they feel that any rule changes would hand unfair advantages to the reigning champion, Oracle Team USA who would have an extra 2 months to test these proposed changes.
Bickering has subsequently broken out in the beginning of an Americas Cup that has not at all gone as the organizers had planned. The Italian team were labelled “a bunch of spoiled rich kids dressed in Prada gear” by Coutts, one of the most dominant skippers in the competitions history and Team New Zealand's skipper Dean Barker, lamented this lackluster start saying, “I feel sorry for people coming down to watch to only see one boat sailing around.”
For more news and info on the Americas Cup, the latest yacht releases and the best places to charter your yacht, stay tuned to our blog. If you're looking for a spectator boat in San Francisco Bay see our Americas Cup Page for details and availability.
Her spacious three-deck layout means you have a range of spaces for your events, from the private and secluded vantage point of the fly deck to the opulent aft deck with a range of seating and entertaining space. Her crew of 8 are seasoned in event chartering and will help you in creating an unforgettable experience at the Monaco Grand Prix.
