JUNE 2010

Dear Charterer,

Lynn, Amber, Katherine and Amanda have had a very busy month, sending final documents to all of our June departures. This year our e-docs have been replacing the traditional brochures, vouchers and ticket wallets sent by mail. While this is better for the environment, it also allows us to send more relevant and portable information.

As part of our final documents we have been compiling hundreds of suggested sailing itineraries with points of interest and of course mileages. This information is updated continuously based on our clients, operators and personal feedback. Of note is the reduction in average cruising miles per day of our charterers, particularly in the Mediterranean where the average time spent sailing and moving has reduced, quite markedly. Just sitting aboard in a stunning anchorage is so enjoyable, that we are being less anxious to lift the anchor and set sail. Cruising has become even more laid back!

DREAM PURCHASE QYC

Dream Yacht Charter have recently purchased Queensland Yacht Charters one of the most respected brands in Australia. Suzette Pelt has for over 20 years operated QYC from Abel Point Marina in the Whitsundays and they have been an extremely stable operator with excellent service standards. Given that Sunsail and Moorings are sister companies, Dream sits at number 3 on the yacht count, but offer probably the world's widest choice of charter destinations.

Loic Bonnet, who was a previous Manager of global yacht company Stardust, created Dream from the Seychelles in the middle of the Indian Ocean approx 20 years ago and this remains the companies' headquarters today. Offering unique charter areas such as Madagascar, Mauritius and the Maldives, Dream also have a large presence in most of the world's favourite cruising destinations including four bases in the Caribbean, Phuket, and Malaysia's east coast Tioman Islands as well as Langkawi, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Sicily, Corsica and France, Croatia, Greece and Turkey.

A wide choice of bareboats are available however Dream have created a cabin share product on large 60-80' catamarans in most bases. These cats are usually crewed by 2 or 3 and offer accommodation for 8-20 guests. Dream will continue to promote the Queensland Yacht Charters brand in the Australian market, but the world wide promotion under the Dream banner can only help Australian inbound tourism, which traditionally for yacht charters has remained small. Strong in the European markets we hope that they can entice many more charterers to head south.

CHARTERER IN FOCUS - PHIL BALMER

I did a story on Phil Balmer a year or so ago, he had booked his third charter in Turkey on a 38' catamaran and we discussed the merits of going back to the same charter area you had previously enjoyed or moving areas.

Phil did book to charter in Croatia this year again on a 38' cat, but took an even bigger step last month and purchased a Lagoon 380 in the South of France. The plan is to meander east for six months across the French and Italian Riviera, down to Sicily and across to Greece ending up in Turkey. Phil and his wife have been of course inundated with offers from friends to join them along the way. We wish them a safe and happy voyage, and from my side (and I'm sure the rest of you reading this) we are extremely jealous of the ultimate six month break.

FEATURE YACHTS - BENETEAU 57 & LAGOON 44 POWER

There was a time when I was consistently writing about newer and bigger bareboats on offer, and for a while it seemed like it would never stop. The incremental increases of course had to become smaller and will probably stop at 60'. Bareboating 60-70' yacht requires considerable expertise and is a huge leap even from 50-60' yachts.

At the end of the day, 10 people is probably the maximum anyone wants to travel with, and even with thrusters there is a limit to handling bigger boats in tight spaces.

The Beneteau 57 has been a favourite with several of our charterers who want to experience a big boat feel. All the extras you would expect including generator, airconditioning and even a dishwasher are offered. The centre cockpit creates unrivalled volume down below and makes this yacht a true bluewater cruiser. For power  enthusiasts, the Lagoon 44 Power with twin 310hp Volvo's is capable of a cruising speed of 20 knots.

Currently available in Croatia, it represents the largest and most comfortable motor cruiser bareboat available.

NEW CALEDONIA

I must admit that I have been a bit jealous of the number of boys' trips that we have arranged over the years.  Mostly groups are a bit older than I am, kids left at home and time a bit freer - I have only done one, a spur of the moment Langkawi 7 night circumnavigation which was a great trip about five years ago.

When a window presented itself to spend more than a night with the boys I jumped at it. Perhaps it is male bravado but the main differences I find is that we can push the boundaries a bit more, stay in uncomfortable anchorages, arrive after dark and enjoy a bit more adventure and so it was that we chose New Caledonia for its short travel time and wide cruising grounds.

To mix things up I decided to sail with one group of local friends for the first five days from Noumea to the Isles of Pines and then a new crew of old school mates would fly in for a complete crew change over. The one night with all eight of us aboard was a highlight followed by the legendary lobster restaurant on the beach at Baie de Ugo.

As the first group had to shop for the second group (there being no adequate reprovisioning point on the change over) the trip to the supermarche was epic. I decided to stay out of the provisioning busying myself with surveying the fleet of bareboats in Noumea.

Lynn has come from a long line of over-caterers but the boys I think panicked when I said this might be the last shop for 9 days. In typical male style and without a list the shelves were tipped into the trolleys with a bit of this and a bit of that.

Loaded onboard the freeboard diminished and we all knew we could never go close to eating what was in all lockers, and I was pretty confident we would also catch fish.

Day one and two were quite similar, 15 knots from the south which is an ideal direction to reach down to the Isle
of Pines.

The Fountaine Pajot Mahe 36 catamaran had a screecher from a bow prodder and we averaged close to 8 knots on both days - straight where we wanted to go. First night at the southern tip of the mainland Port Boise and second night at the legendary Isle of Pines anchorage of Gadji.

Clear skys and little wind at night made for great anchorages. Gadji with its spectacular stalagmite formation is the reason cruising yachtsmen rate the Isle of Pines as one of the two best in the whole Pacific (and the Pacific is vast - so this is no small claim).

Our IT specialist Jason, aboard the first crew, rated the snorkelling the best he has ever done, and it is a fact that Gadji makes the top ten reef dives in the world. Anchoring in 2 metres of water, the colours are spectacular and for me this was a highlight of the trip.

Circumnavigating clockwise, night Three was spent at Baie de Ugo near the luxurious Le Meridien Resort. The salt water lagoon again offers sensational snorkelling in a pristine environment (see pic). An evening meal at Le Meridien and back to boat where we could (and did) make as much noise as we wanted.

Changeover night was a big one with berths on the trampoline and the boom taken to fit us all in the separate areas. After farewells to my first loyal and competent crew we headed out and around to Kuto, a chance to get some basic provisions, see the old jail and finally catch a nice big tuna which added to our over-supply problem.

Unusually for New Caledonia, a large stationary high was producing light winds and we decided to head to an atoll on the Barrier Reef about 40miles out.

Kuare is as pristine as can be and part of New Caledonia's reef which has recently been added to the World Heritage list to ensure it is protected. 70% of the world's coral species are found here alone. From here we went through one of the several negotiable passes outside the reef and sailed in water two kilometres deep and a nice clean ocean swell. Entering back at Amedee, New Caledonia's main reef entrance, we anchored under the light-house with the light passing over us out to sea. Next morning we climbed the 283 steps for a magnificent
view.

Returning to Noumea we gave more than a couple of boxes of food to the locals near the fish market who could not have been happier.

I have returned to New Caledonia many times since I was a GO at Club Med in Noumea in 1983 - it has never disappointed me with a huge variety of cruising options and one the most pristine environments on earth.

Good chartering!
Brook Felsenthal
and the Charter World Team