I am writing this on my way to METS, the best marine equipment show in the world, taking place , as always for three days in Amsterdam. I will be joined by scores of visitors from our shores, all going to discover the latest innovations from around the planet, as well as networking and some serious partying !

It’s difficult to comprehend that this is the final editorial of the year, the adage of the years going quicker each year as you get older definitely rings true in our house !

The autumn/winter Boatshow season grinds relentlessly on, with Paris coming up in December, followed by the enormous Dusseldorf show in January. If you have never been to this show, I can thoroughly recommend it. I believe it is still the best attended show in the world.

The refit season appears to be as busy as ever, with STP and other yards totally booked up. This is leading to yachts having to look elsewhere to have their works done. More and more yards around the Med are seeing the potential within the Superyacht refit market, and are gearing themselves up accordingly. Palma ideally needs extra space, and quickly, before yachts get into the habit of going elsewhere. Finding available moorings is also an issue, even during the winter. These issues can be a double edged sword. Great that we have lots of yachts wanting to be based in Mallorca, but not so great if we lose them to other areas in the long term.

The Islander has generally had a great year, with increased readership , our recent partnership with Onboardonline, our new distribution throughout the South of France, our first participation in the Palma Superyacht Show, some of the best feature articles I can remember, but sadly this pales into  insignificance compared to the tragic loss of Emily Larkin in July. Emily was one of the nicest and most genuine persons you could ever meet. As well as working for us part time, she had a successful career in yoga teaching and massage therapy, and has already been missed by her huge number of friends.

Finally, I would personally like to thank all of  The Islander team, all of our contributors, our advertisers, and of course our readers for your continued support. It really does mean the world to me.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Simon Relph

Owner & Editor – The Islander