Last month saw a highly successful Palma Superyacht Show and Palma Boatshow, held in perfect conditions with clear blue skies every day. The reports seem to suggest that most exhibitors were very happy with the results of the show and the number of visitors. It’s such a pity that the shows do not fall under the umbrella of the IFBSO (International Federation of Boat Show Organisers) where the number of visitors would be accurately audited and therefore give the exhibitors accurate and valuable marketing data on which to base their decisions. It would also mean that the shows would appear on the official International calendar of boatshows and therefore attract much more international coverage in the media.

Moving swiftly from Palma, we visited the MYBA Charter Show in One Ocean Port Vell, Barcelona, for a quick visit. I have to say I really enjoy the show with a more laid back atmosphere due to the strict admission policy. This enables us to speak to the right people and organise meetings in advance. The marina itself lends itself perfectly to hosting a yacht show with super modern facilities.

We also saw the first major Mediterranean Regatta in Palma, Palma Vela, where the competitors enjoyed Champagne sailing conditions over the four days of racing. We have a report on the event in the Regatta section of this issue.

This month we will see the Palma Superyacht Cup, the premier big boat event of the season to be held here in Palma. We always enjoy the event following the fleet in The Islander Rib, and  this year will be no exception. The event will have two J Class yachts competing this year, Velsheda and Topaz, which should provide some spectacular images for future issues of The Islander.

As the refit season slows down for a couple of months, the Charter season kicks in around the Med, and early signs are that this season will be a healthy one according to several brokers. The last few weeks have seen plenty yachts arriving back in to the Med from the Caribbean, many ready for the new charter season.

One issue which will affect the charter yachts around the Balearics is the ridiculous banning of anchoring around the islands’  many popular locations due to the governments continued insistence that anchoring is destroying the Posidonia grass and conveniently ignoring the raw sewage which they allow to be pumped into the sea in many local areas. We have an article covering this topic inside this issue which helps to explain the current situation.

Fair Winds!