Writing this in brilliant early Spring sunshine, is a reminder of how lucky we are to live on this wonderful island, able to sit outside for lunch, whilst Northern Europe is shivering in freezing temperatures. Talking of which, our trip to Dusseldorf Boat Show (Boot) was a tad chilly, with heavy snow falling on the second day, making moving between halls a bit of a challenge. We have a full overview of the show later in this issue.
We also have an article on the new boats in town, the Viper 6.40 fleet, taking Palma by storm. This boat is going to attract a lot of interest over this season, with yours truly having a go too !
Also featured, is a profile on our very own Stuart Pearce, renowned international photographer and friend of The Islander. We are very lucky to have many of his shots adorn our front covers, for which we are very grateful. He is a super guy and great photographer. He is also the photographer of Vijonara, the beautiful Hoek design, which we also feature in this edition as she has recently won a design award!
Also featured this month is an article on the recovery still taking place in the Caribbean and BVI’s after the visit of Irma in September 2017. I guess we tend to forget the devastation caused by the two hurricanes, Irma and Maria, but for many of the islands the entire infrastructure was decimated. Antigua was the exception, missing both storms, which has meant they have had two busy seasons.
Back home, the refit season is going at full tilt, with most local contractors super busy until May/June, and work already booked in for the winter. Happy Days !!
Let’s hope the charter season kicks off well, with their springboard being the MYBA show in Barcelona in May, immediately after the Palma Superyacht Show. We have now been allocated our stand for this years Superyacht Show, right at the end of the floating bridge, so we look forward to seeing you all there.
The evening prior to the show, Friday 25th April, we have been asked to help organise a charity dinner evening on behalf of The International Superyacht Society. We will have confirmation of the venue and costings very soon, so please keep your eye on our website and social media for sponsorship opportunities, raffle prizes etc We hope to raise a huge amount for deserving charities.

Fair Winds.