The St Martin Heineken Regatta 2020

The four day regatta on the French/ Dutch Caribbean island of St Martin kicks off on Thursday March 3rd 2020. This world renowned regatta incorporates windward and leeward races, a 40 mile Anniversary Course and some of the worlds best rum-infused parties. This regatta is both an international sporting event and a key part of St Martin’s island culture. March 2020 will be the 40th Anniversary for this extremely popular inshore regatta.

The History

40 years ago, fun between a few friends on the water led to a huge increase in Heineken beer sales. Since then, Heineken have sponsored this yacht event that has become one of the largest water events on the globe, taking place every March.

The Racing

Set in crystal- blue Caribbean waters, the northeast trade winds offer idyllic racing conditions for all sailors. The regatta is run by a highly experienced racing team that welcome sailors from more than 35 countries to St Martin every year. The races are tailor-made for the winds ever day and allow for many different boats to compete. The racing usually follows the program of training for all entries on Tuesday and Wednesday 4th March 2020. The first race day will take place on Thursday 5th March and will go on until Sunday the 8th March. Sunday 8th March is reserved for a prize-giving and beach party. The cocktail of races includes 8 races over 4 days with windward-leeward races and coastal races included to allow all boats to play to their strengths on the water.

The Parties

The reputation for the parties is indicated by the name of the regatta, the beer sponsorship allows for heavy Heineken consumption throughout the 4 days. The regatta also has a reputation for hosting famous artists at the prize giving. Artists such as UB40, the Black Eyed Peas and Akon have been known to make an appearance during the regatta.

Available Boats

You can chose between a bareboat racing charter, a charter with a skipper or a fully crewed boat to enter the regatta. Please be sure to contact one of the Boatbookings brokers to get the most out of your 2020 Heineken Regatta yacht charter. Whether you’re a seasoned yacht racer or want to try something new, this regatta has something for everyone. If you are relaxing on a beach in St Martin this March be sure to watch some of the action unfold before your eyes. If St Martin is not the charter for you, also consider Antigua Sailing Week 2020 for your regatta charter.

Future dates

2021: March 4th – March 7th

2022: March 3rd – March 6th

2023: March 2nd- March 5th

Contact broker Alice [email protected] for further information on how you can get involved with a regatta charter.

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Alice Newnham

Crewed cats in the Exumas

2 top Crewed Catamarans in the Exumas/Nassau/area in the Bahamas that have not been affected by Dorian.

We all witnessed with grief the unimaginable destruction brought upon Great Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands by hurricane Dorian and we pray for the fast and smooth recovery of the stricken areas.

Regardless, the Bahamas remains one of our most popular year-long yachting destinations: Dorian only affected the above-mentioned islands but the rest of the islands is as beautiful as always.

In any case, the majority of charter vessels have always been based in the Nassau cruising area. The Exumas combine a protected sailing area with magic sandy beaches, turquoise waters and high temperatures all year long. Some of the most popular charter vessels in Nassau and the Exumas are crewed catamarans

AMURA II

AMURA II is a lovely Lagoon 560, with a professional crew of 2 (captain and hostess/chef). Based all year long in Nassau, AMURA II will also consider one-way charters starting Nassau and finishing in the Exumas; this will allow you more time in order to explore the islands!

SEA SENOR

Available out of Nassau for both day charters as well as for longer period cruises is SEA SENOR! Excellent catamaran with a very experienced crew, ideal for short escapes out of Nassau! Feel free to contact now our expert broker team and start planning your next crewed catamaran charter in the Bahamas.

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Alice Newnham

Sailing Watches that look good on Land or Sea

In general, sailing watches share the sporty, hefty, water-resistant traits with diver watch, but are further stacked with features useful to the yachtsman. Whether on the French Riviera or Amalfi Coast, in Greece or St Barths, here are Boatbookings’ favourites.

Panerai Luminor Regatta Chrono Flyback

At 47mm, the Panerai Luminor Regatta is certainly one of the largest classic diving watches around. With a retro shape and design borrowed from its mid-century ancestors, the Panerai Luminor Regatta is only water resistant to 100 meters. However, it certainly makes up for this in style. The large dial means room for oversized numerals with impressive luminosity as well as small seconds and chronograph hour counter sub dials. A tachymeter scale enables sailors to measure average speed in knots by the chronograph minute hand. Try this out on LITTLE ONE‘s 48 knot top speed!

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II

In 2007, when Rolex created the original Yacht-Master II, the rotating Ring Command bezel proved to be its most compelling function. Designed specifically for professional sailors, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II is an icon of regatta racing. Using it, the skipper can access the countdown programming and synchronise it with the official race countdown on the fly; the mechanism memories the programming and, at reset, returns to its previous setting. Moreover, a marine-themed Ring Command bezel which works in conjunction with the internal mechanism makes this is the quintessential nautical timepiece.

Garmin Quantix 3

The original Quatix was Garmin’s first GPS watch designed specifically for mariners and the new model is packed with features! In addition to all the basic watch functions, it features tidal information, Course Over Ground, Speed Over Ground and useful alerts for anchor drag. The altimeter, barometer and compass provide real-time navigation and MET data and it also has an integrated MOB function, which triggers an alarm on your boat’s Garmin chartplotter if you fall in. If your boat is appropriately equipped, you can even use your watch to wirelessly steer your boat via autopilot control. With sail racing data, a fish catch counter and a competition timer, plus much more than we can list here, the new Quatix is the keen sailor’s most helpful watch on their Greece Sailing Charter.

Contact one of our Brokers today to organise your Global Yacht Charter.

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Ben Sutton

IT’S ELECTRI-flying!

With the obvious trend shifting to electric power, how can you still travel in style but in an eco-friendly way?

Introducing the new electric, private charter plane – Alice.

Carbon Offset calculator

Now, I havent paid particular interest in this concept jet because we share the same name, it caught my eye because it is electric. This right here is the future of private travel. What’s more, is this is more affordable than you think. With the average Jet being around 600 USD per hour, this jet is set to be just over 200 USD per hour.

Quick facts

> Alice has been developed by Eviation Aircraft, and Israeli company.
> Powered by an aluminum-air battery and using MagniX electric motors.
> Business trips such as Nice > London and Paris > Geneva will be possible.
> 4 Million USD to produce
> 3 propellers
> Can seat 9 passengers
> Range 1,045km.

Green Yacht Chartering

Carbon Offset Calculator

Here at Boatbookings, we are extremely conscious of the environment. We owe everything to Mother Nature, from giving us those great winds n our beam or the stunning nature that is explored both below and above water. We are dedicated to creating options for clients if they wish to organise a Greener Charter. We have created a Carbon Offset calculator for you to use when you charter a yacht.

E-Fan X – developed by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens.

The E-Fan X is a collaboration between some of the biggest names in mechanics. Rolls Royce, AirBus and Siemens have set our to create an aircraft that vastly reduced its carbon footprint. A larger jet than ‘Alice’ she is capable of long haul journeys, with more space for passengers.

Quick facts:

> E-Fan X is a hybrid-electric aircraft .
> Release date 2020
> One of the four jet engines will be replaced by a 2MW electric motor, which is roughly the same amount of power of 10 medium-sized cars.
> The electric propulsion unit is powered by a power-generation system and > battery. When high power is required generator and battery supply energy together.
> Reduction of CO2 by 75%, NOx by 90% and noise by 65%

To see how you can reduce your cabon footprint while chartering a yacht, speak to one of out brokers today!

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Alice Newnham

Where to stay before your Virgin Islands Yacht Charter

The Caribbean Virgin Islands are back in full swing following regeneration works required after Hurricane Irma. You will most likely start your charter from St Thomas in the US Virgin islands, which has fantastic flight connections to most of the US East Coast. It is therefore the perfect pitstop to get into the Caribbean zone ahead of your Virgin Islands crewed catamaran charter. But where should you stay?

The most exclusive hotel on the island of St Thomas was always The Ritz-Carlton, which overlooks Great Bay. After a thorough two year renovation, The Ritz-Calton is now accepting bookings from the 22nd November 2019, just in time for your BVI Christmas Catamaran charter.

Guests will experience a new era of refinement at the Ritz-Calton, which welcomes families, couples, and adventure-seekers to encounter the beauty of the Caribbean in a new light. Get ready for turquoise bays, spectacular scenic views, white sandy beaches and exhilarating water sports. Our Brokers love it and know you will too!

Get in touch with the Boatbookings Broker team to plan your BVI bareboat sailing vacation, crewed catamaran charter or luxury motor yacht vacation!

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Ben Sutton