Dear Islander,

This month sees a facelift to The Islander magazine, moving to a glossier finish to both the inside pages and outer covers, a move which I hope you all like. We felt we needed to just step up a level to maintain the development of the business which we have had for almost three years now. Those three years have seen some fairly big strides in terms of the amount of content we now carry and the vastly increased circulation, which now includes a much larger readership in mainland Spain ( Barcelona, Catalunya, Valencia, Denia, Gibraltar), as well as Gibraltar, Malta, Antibes, Italy and of course the other Balearic Islands.

This issue also sees the start of a new regular columnist, Alice Widdowes, who is going to bring her vast experience of the Classic yacht scene to our pages, and with it some amazing photography. I am thrilled to be able to have Alice on board and I’m super excited to learn more about these iconic yachts and their regattas.

The end of April also sees the start of the Palma Super Yacht Show and Palma Boat Show, where attendance records are expected to be broken yet again as the show gains more traction and popularity from all over Europe and beyond. Space is fully sold out with a waiting list, a far cry from four years ago when the show was cancelled through lack of interest !

The first regatta of the Med season, Palma Vela, also takes place, running concurrently alongside the show. This has now become a really important event for the racing fleets in the Med, with many yachts using it as their main tune up event for the season. The ever growing TP 52 fleet will be once again here in force before their Super Series gets underway with their first event being held in Sardinia in May.

Many of you will know of Asociacion Ondine, an initiative founded around three years ago by the amazing Brad Robertson who is passionate about the conservation of OUR local seas. The project has consistently gained momentum over the three years, so much so that they now have influence amongst local schools and government; not bad for a long haired antipodean !! They are now at a stage where they desperately need funds to continue their work, and you will see from their article in this issue how you can become a member and help the cause.

Fair Winds.