Here we are, half way through 2017 already !!
May saw a great Palma Superyacht Show and Palma Boatshow come to a close, with record crowds and good levels of business reported, especially by the brokers. Sailboats dominated the show once more, with 42 of the 65 Superyachts on show cementing Palma as THE Sailboat capital.
Our own event, Nautifest, held a week before the main Palma shows was also a successful show, albeit on a small scale by comparison. We had good numbers in attendance, especially for the Friday night party , sponsored by e3 systems. It would have been nice to see a few more crew during the daytime, and we are very open to ideas of how to achieve this. Our next Nautifest will probably be in October 2018, as many felt that April/ May was very busy with other events including the MYBA Charter show, now held in Port Vell, Barcelona.
MYBA had a great show, and I thoroughly enjoyed a day there, probably not long enough to be honest. It seemed to be the perfect venue , which was backed up by the numbers. It was the highest number of yachts on show, almost double the number of registered brokers compared to previous years, a larger than expected number of visitors and a huge array of ancillary stands , proving that Barcelona has that pull which many other places simply do not have. I was amazed how many people present were from Asia, America, The Caribbean and the Southern Hemisphere.
This month sees the return of The Palma Superyacht Cup, albeit on a smaller scale this year due to the large number of Superyachts and their crew attending the America’s Cup in Bermuda, which is also hosting a one off Superyacht Regatta, plus a J-Class regatta, where seven of these beauties are expected to line up for the first time in history. To me, this event will draw the most interest and the best photo opportunities.
The Islander is very lucky to have the world renowned Ingrid Abery out in Bermuda who will be providing us with a full report and lots of her fantastic images , hopefully in time for our July issue, but if not , August’s edition.
The America’s Cup should provide some thrilling sailing for the teams in their flying foiling machines, but to me the J-Class is a spectacle far more akin to the America’s Cup traditions. Maybe I’m a dinosaur, but there is nothing quite like seeing the J’s powered up in a 15 knot breeze sailing upwind at 13-14 knots !!
By the time we read our next issue, we will know who has won the Auld Mug !

Fair Winds