The 2014 Antigua Charter Yacht Show saw the beautiful Victoria 67 Catamaran LIR hold two fantastic lunches to showcase her beautiful interior and the crew’s outstanding capabilities of service, customer care and Chef Natalia Sanchez’s delicious menu, offered to the group of international brokers attending the show.

The lunches, hosted by Captain Chris Stollery, Chef Natalia Sanchez, Deckhand Edd Collins and CharterWorld’s charter consultant Trina Howes aboard LIR were held on the 7th and 9th of December with 16 brokers from various international companies attending. Several of the brokers reported that it was the best lunch they had during the show. Captain Stollery entertained the group with stories about the boat and his wonderful crew. He began with an explanation of how the yacht’s name came about before moving on to describe his career and background. Following this he introduced Edd, the deckhand who explained how he ended up in the yachting industry and aboard LIR. A beautiful ‘Spanish Rose’ wine was poured freely during this conversation by the hosts, who made sure the glasses were never empty.

“The Paella was placed on the table with applause from all of the brokers. It looked stunning and it was quite a show.  Natalia then served it to everyone, making sure to scrape of the crispy bits from the bottom (the best bits).  The Paella was made with the finest ingredients and spices, some from her Grandmother’s vegetable garden in the form of dried sweet peppers. We could feel the love.” One of the brokers recalls.

The crew was around and present for the entire lunch, which helped everyone feel really welcome.  Trina Howes describes the experience: “Chris told us the story of how he met and “caught” Natalie, then Natalie told us stories of growing up in her family’s restaurants which explained her love for cooking.  It just felt like we were on charter with them, they were so friendly, relaxed and present and not just there to serve, even though they handled service perfectly.  All the brokers got to know the crew over lunch and I think they really enjoyed that aspect the most. The food was also amazing, which of course also helped.”

Sailing yacht LIR is a 20,44m catamaran that was delivered in 2014 by the renowned Fountaine Pajot and Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design. She can accommodate up to eight lucky charter guests, in four spacious and comfortable cabins with en suite bathrooms. She is a fantastic choice for families or groups of friends, wishing to sail in style and ultimate comfort.

Yacht charter broker Amanda Brilliante described the boat and her experience aboard LIR during the show as: “…absolutely immaculate; tons of natural light, very spacious throughout and with a light and soothing decor reminiscent of the sea. She was beautifully presented – even in the midst of preparing for a broker lunch!

Lunch itself was amazing; especially in light of the fact that we had a gluten-free vegan onboard, so she “tweaked” the meal to suit and you would never even know.  I think we were all surprised at the delicious salad starter with tofu…it seems NONE of us are big tofu fans, including the vegan, so that was truly a triumph as we all found it to be (surprisingly) delicious.

But the star of the show was Natalia’s authentic Spanish paella…presented with a flourish and served “family style” on the table in a gorgeous (and HUGE) paella pan – something I’ve never seen even on “big boats”!  Stunningly golden rice generously studded with peppers, shrimp and locally sourced clams – properly served up by Chris with some of the “crusty bits” on the bottom of the pan.  Paired with several specially chosen wines, it was simply a wonderful presentation and a very, very special treat for them to share their culture with us.  We finished with a light and refreshing lemon-passion fruit granite…a perfect end to fantastic meal!

Aside from the meal, I must mention that the crew was absolutely adorable!  Chris, Natalia and Edd’s enthusiasm, the love for LIR and caring for guests were evident the entire time.  They are friendly and engaging, with great attention to detail, well spoken and just a joy to be around.  During our lunch each of them shared some history about themselves, their passions, and how they came together on LIR.  I just adored them, and could have happily remained chatting and laughing with them the rest of the afternoon!  They are the most bubbly, enjoyable, wonderful crew that I have met on any catamaran, ever and I would not hesitate to most highly recommend LIR and her crew to my clients.”

“Thank you again for a wonderful respite!”

For more information about luxury catamaran yacht LIR contact: CharterWorld – Luxury Yacht Charters