The Islander Magazine - June 2022

Kurt Arrigo World Renowned Photographer Palma International Boat Show Scuba Diving in Fernando de Noronha Ibiza JoySail Growing in Size and Stature Thailand, Now Reopened to the World

Photo by Kurt Arrigo

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Islanders, Well, someone appears to have flicked the switch for summer weather at long last, after one of the coldest and greyest springs I can recall!

Sadly the Ukraine situation seems to be getting no better, with thousands of innocent casualties on both sides. We can only hope that someone can talk some sense into Putin, although I’m not holding my breath. The plight of the refugees appears to be working out for many, with most European countries welcoming them with open arms. The long-term situation is obviously less certain for them all.

The seizing and arresting of Yachts appears to have settled down over the past few weeks, maybe the authorities have realised that these yachts need constant and expert maintenance, and are also using up valuable marina space which isn’t being paid for. It appears this strategy was headline grabbing at first, but the harsh reality is somewhat different now the dust has settled, and is possibly having minimal effect on the perpetrators of the war. Turkey seems to be the destination of choice by many of them, including Abramovich’s fleet.

On a brighter note, the recent Palma International Boatshow was a resounding success, with bumper crowds attending on each day. The quality of visitor appears to have been high too, most certainly due to the past two years of pent-up hunger to attend a show again and get back to meeting people from the industry for the first time in three years for most of us. Business was reported to have been brisk for many exhibitors in the “Superyacht Village”, although some brokers were a tad disappointed that there weren’t the potential “buyers” around in the numbers they had hoped for. Generally though it was a really positive vibe, and it was certainly good to see it back in the calendar.

Immediately preceding the show, we visited the MYBA Show in Barcelona, which certainly did not have the same upbeat atmosphere as Palma. Only 17 yachts were on show, along with a reasonable number of accompanying stands. Footfall on the day we were there was very slow, and the show for those who had travelled substantial distances was very disappointing. The reasons given for the lack of yachts attending was the fact that most charter weeks had already sold out for the season, plus many yacht owners have decided to use their yachts themselves rather than charter them out. Both reasons make sense, but maybe MYBA need to look at ways of enticing more yachts to attend.

Finally, I have heard from a reliable source, that Palma is going to be the base for the UK INeos America’s Cup team, from August onwards.

Watch this space!!

Fair Winds!

Islander Magazine S.L. - B57952517 Apt 144, Crown Marine, Paseo Illetes 9-13 07181 Illetes, Baleares, Spain Deposito legal: PM 146-1997 Editor: Simon Relph simon@theislander.net (+34) 607 911 898 Sales: Damian Raxach damian@theislander.net (+34) 615 992 203 Accounts: Helen Relph office@theislander.net Whilst the publishers have taken every care to ensure that the contents are correct they cannot take any responsibility for any losses incurred by readers as a result of any editorial or advertisement.

The opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers who therefore cannot take any responsibility for any opinion expressed. All rights are reserved and no part can be reproduced or stored without written permission. La revista The Islander no se hace responsable necesariamente de todas las opiniones vertidas por sus colaboradores.

FEATURE: KURT ARRIGO WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER

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KURT ARRIGO – DEEP DIVING WITH ONE OF THE WORLD’S FINEST MARINE PHOTOGRAPHERS Kurt Arrigo is a busy man and when you look at the photos surrounding this feature, or take a moment to peruse the abundance of images on his website, it’s not difficult to understand why. Whether it’s his ariel shots of races such as the Rolex Fastnet, his character driven movie stills, his stunning underwater mermaid series or his beautiful environmental shots showing just what a world we need to protect,

each and every one is evocative and captures a story without words.

That the sea plays a leading role in his photography is also not surprising. He grew up on Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean and was always at the water’s edge. He was heavily influenced by his father early on who was one of the first scuba divers back in the

1970s, and so it was he found himself on the water often more than off it, enjoying windsurfing, sailing, diving racing. If it involved water and nature you can be certain that that is where he would be found.

He picked up a camera when he was very young but it was when he was about 15 that he became serious about photography, when he bought his first proper camera and turned his love of being on the water to a passion of taking photographs of anything to do with it instead. When he manages to find a moment between all of his shoots to speak to me from his beloved Malta he explains that he never actually received any formal training in photography. It was a case of trial and error, of learning by being passionate about his subjects. Of finding new and exciting angles to capture the beauty of movement over and under the water. Playing with different formats, colours and styles. He says he learnt the old school way via the University of Life.

It was at age 21 when things really took a turn for sending him down his future path when he ended up covering the America’s Cup in San Diego. Whilst he was still new to the scene it was obvious that he had a flair for capturing the essences of yacht racing and the boats out on the water. But it wasn’t just above the water where he found his calling it was also beneath it where his images really came to life and he was able to combine his two passions

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of underwater photography and marine life.

Something that has never waned throughout his career.

One of the early challenges was how to make a living out of this path. As he says again, he really never set out to choose this as his career, but he found that it was a career where he could challenge himself and so he really

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FEATURE: KURT ARRIGO WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER

embraced it, finding new and wonderful ways to push himself, from taking to the skies in helicopters, to being the first to jump out and into the water. A lot of what fuelled this desire to succeed and become the best were the people around him. As with most things there were many who supported him, but there were those that would also call into question his life choices. And as many of us know, those

that try to push us down only ever succeed in raising us up.

And raised up Kurt was is. Well it is clear that from that very first outing they recognised something very special in the images that he took as over the past 20 years he has covered all the major international Rolex sponsored yachting events, namely the Rolex Sydney

FEATURE: KURT ARRIGO WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER

Hobart Yacht Race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, TP52 World Championships, Maxi Worlds and that much beloved Rolex Middlesea Race.

As he mentioned early on, the environment and the marine world are subjects very close to his heart and it was a great honour when he was commissioned by the United Nations to shoot a series of photographs to underpin

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the message of sustainability and saving our oceans. His eye-opening photography brought ghost nets and overfishing into our living rooms and realities. He says that growing up on a small island in the Mediterranean has meant that this desire and love for the marine environment has been in his blood his whole life. He intends to keep working with the UN to highlight these issues, that

to those who perhaps don’t live beside the sea, regard as someone else’s problem. It is only through education and understanding, whether through photographs or stories or first-hand experiences that we begin to implement change.

It’s not surprising to discover that his spare time sounds a lot like his work days. Later this year

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he is planning to join his friend from Norway who has a small sailboat and they are going on an expedition up to the Faroe Islands for a jaunt around the Arctic. A busman’s holiday that truly isn’t. In fact everything Kurt talks to me about has a tinge of excitement to it that I can tell he is holding in for the sake of the fact that we are on a bit of a time limit. I too am the same. I want to ask him about shipwrecks and

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FEATURE: KURT ARRIGO WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER

scary dives, and my all time can’t help myself question with anyone who spends a lot of time in the water. What of sharks? I know there will be another opportunity and definitely a book in there.

And it seems that creativity runs in the family as his eldest daughter, 19, is currently studying fashion design in Amsterdam and his youngest,

16, loves acting and stage performance. It would be difficult not to be inspired by a man who is so full of creativity himself. I finally ask the question that we don’t seem to be able to avoid these days, how did he fare with one of the biggest challenges thrown at us that none of us could have expected was around the corner. How did Covid affect him? He says he was actually lucky. He was still able to continue

FEATURE: KURT ARRIGO WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER

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with a lot of the work he did, albeit more locally, but he was also able to investigate new lines, such as his online printing shop where he is creating fine art prints for sale. Whilst the life of a freelancer is sometimes lonely, it can have its upsides when the world grinds to a halt in a pandemic.

what Kurt’s situation would or will be, he is so full of passion and enthusiasm and humour that he will always come out swimming! It was a great pleasure to begin this conversation and I look forward to continuing it long into the future! _____________________________________

I do, however, get the feeling that no matter

By Victoria Pearce

Kurt Arrigo www.kurtarrigo.com +356 99 47 25 33 kurt@kurtarrigo.com instagram.com/kurtarrigo facebook.com/kurtarrigophotography youtube.com/kurtarrigophotography twitter.com/kurtarrigo

FEATURE: PALMA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

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PALMA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW The 2022 Palma International Boat Show (PIBS 2022) has made a strong comeback after the Covid pandemic period and a number of exhibitors we spoke to described it as being the best show ever. It must surely rank as one of THE top Boatshows in Europe, if not the world. This is especially true if Sailing yachts on display is your yardstick. It was probably the finest array of Sailing Superyachts seen anywhere on the planet, including Rainbow, a majestic J Class yacht.

There was a reported attendance of 32,000, many making the trip from other European countries. This figure is unaudited, which I find frustrating, and especially for exhibitors who need to look carefully at how they spend their marketing budget. In my humble opinion, the show should join the IFBSO, (International Federation of Boat Show Organisers) which is a worldwide organisation of Boat Show organisers, and one where all its member’s shows are officially audited. This would also mean that the show would mean a much

wider international recognition and thereby attracting a much wider press coverage, which in turn leads to better attendances, therefore satisfying exhibitors aims. Whilst there would be a cost to this membership, I believe that this cost could easily be recouped by extra ticket sales, and less free tickets being handed out. Currently the following Boat Shows are members of IFBSO : Dusseldorf, Southampton, Barcelona, Genoa, Sydney, Stockholm, Helsinki plus many many more.

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Many exhibitors said that they had achieved significant sales at the show or that they had strong leads to follow up on after the show.

Several boat brands said that sea trials had been arranged for the coming days.

One aspect that was highly-valued by both exhibitors and visitors was the show’s balanced offerings, with a representative sample of the full ranges of boats and all the equipment and accessories that go with them for visitors to view. The Superyacht Village was well represented by a cross section of brokers, refit companies, service providers and sailmakers, and there was a positive vibe throughout the exhibitors.

Roger Horner, Group Managing Director of e3 Systems commented: “What can I say? The Show was fantastic!

There was a buzz in the air on set-up day that lasted every day of the Show. There were a lot of visitors, friends, and industry colleagues, new and old, from far and wide. I must be honest and say that we exhibited primarily

to support our home base, not having had a booth in 2021. We had become cynical of boat shows, especially after the disastrous turnout at the MYBA Show earlier in the week, so we were astonished that we conducted a considerable amount of B2C and B2B business during the Show, even on the graveyard watch on Sunday afternoon. It helped considerably that the weather was perfect for Palma with sun, blue sky, and a gentle breeze. Well done to the organisers! Viva Palma!”

Steen Christensen from Fraser Yachts had a different perspective: “The show was good overall with a very good selection of premium Super sailing yachts and several smaller (less than 30 m) motor yachts which is insufficient but also a reflection of the availability in the current market. Excellent with the 4 day show and had some good clients and leads but still far below expected activity which was obvious throughout the Super Yacht Village as mainly B to B activity and quite disappointing considering that all North Europe have not had a single yacht

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FEATURE: PALMA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

show in 2022 so would have been logical for Buyers to attend the Palma Show. However with the organiser’s very limited international advertising and mostly only in the local press and road advertising (??) the “international” Palma Boat show remains local, not event national with many missed opportunities in the most buoyant market in recent history.

Had foreign yacht owners who did not even know the show was happening!” Considering that 85% of the yachts in the Super Yacht Show were sailing yachts which we know is only 8% of the pre-owned sales market so leaves little interest for the 92% of buyers to catch interest and this MUST change if the show shall become a success.

Patrick Reynés, CEO IPM Group stated: “We can say that this nautical show usually marks the start of the summer season and allows us to anticipate how it will be. This edition of the Palma Superyacht Village has been very positive, and we have been very pleasantly surprised in terms of the quantity and quality of visitors and exhibitors, which

FEATURE: PALMA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

has been the best so far. Our IPM Group booth offered a relaxed space to meet again with captains and crew, and receive people interested in mooring or repairing in our facilities. In general, we have perceived a lot of desire to sail, it has been a very productive show in all senses.”

The organisers said: “In fact, it has been an edition marked by the presentation of new products from around the world, both boats and products and nautical equipment. In addition, it should be remembered that 28% of the exhibitors

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are companies that have participated for the first time in the fair, which has increased the variety of the offer.”

Part of the growing status of PIBS is that it was also visited by consular members from New Zealand, Austria and the UK. In addition, the organisers will continue to support local companies, which represent 54% of the participants, as demonstrated by actions such as the agreement signed with the Association of Nautical Companies (AENIB) to promote the participation of their members in the Palma show.

During the four days, over 2,200 people worked at the show, including exhibitors and crew. In addition, some 350 Spanish and international journalists were accredited for PIBS 2022. There were 276 exhibitors, 49 more than last year, which represents an increase of 18% over 2021. Some 264 boats were on the water.

The marine industry is one of the sectors considered strategic by the government as it generates more than 4,500 direct jobs, is made up of some 650 companies and generates around €840m a year.

FEATURE: SCUBA DIVING IN FERNANDO DE NORONHA

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SCUBA DIVING IN FERNANDO DE NORONHA There is something exciting about diving from mid-Atlantic islands. I believe it has something to do with the contemplation of their deep-ocean-blue over a white-sandybottom. Just as with St. Helena, Ascension Island, or the Azores, they get under your skin, and one island, in particular, got into my heart: ‘Fernando de Noronha’! Locally called ‘Noronha’, it is said that visitors get the ‘Euforonha’, a frenetic fever of joy, because

of its beauty. One can relate to the feeling when experiencing the emerald-green waters and a picturesque landscape. When Amerigo Vespucci landed in 1503, he said: “Paradise is Here”!

The Archipelago is situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean 360 kilometres east of mainland Brazil. It consists of one main inhabited island of 26 square kilometres surrounded by 109

kilometres of a marine park that include some 20 smaller islands and rocks. The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha has been protected under National Park regulations since 1988 and has been elected as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1992.

The unique characteristic of this Archipelago is that it rises from the seafloor from a depth of around 4,000 metres as part of the

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FEATURE: SCUBA DIVING IN FERNANDO DE NORONHA

submarine volcanic mountain range known as the Fernando de Noronha chain. The nutrientrich seawater around the archipelago is an important breeding ground and pantry for tuna, sharks, and marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. Fernando de Noronha is also visited by several turtle species and is home to the hawksbill sea turtle, which makes approximately 100 nests on these beaches, and about 8900 baby turtles hatch each year.

Whilst diving, one may experience larger fish species, unpredictably appearing from the blue, and any diver in the group may suddenly point out with their finger sharks, rays, or even dolphins. The dolphins are not guaranteed to be seen during diving. Still, as one of the largest know pods of resident spinner dolphins is part of the island’s ecosystem, it is highly probable that the visitor somehow will meet them. These spinner dolphins have their daily itinerary, which I witnessed from the anchorage or bow riding a tender, and sometimes can even be seen from the beach at sunset. During one of the dives, we could hear their whistling far before we could even see them. The whole group of divers changed course towards the big blue, and all of us were excitingly looking in all directions. It felt like they were teasing or spying on us; “yeah, we know you humans are there”. And then suddenly, they were above us, causing euphory amongst the divers.

The Archipelago is vital for protecting biodiversity and endangered species in the Southern Atlantic and is of great importance for conserving endangered and threatened marine species. The site also accommodates the largest concentration of tropical seabirds encountered in the Western Atlantic Ocean of the Insular Atlantic Forest and the only oceanic mangrove in the South Atlantic region.

In addition, the islands play a critical role in reproduction, dispersal, and colonisation by marine organisms in the entire Tropical South Atlantic. These parameters are well-known amongst conservationists, and the necessity to preserve the islands is crucial for their unique ecosystems and future generations. The island is generally well taken care of, thanks to the efforts of the Natural Park authorities. Over the years, some steps towards preservation have already been enforced. For example, just a few hundred visitors are allowed every day, and no big hotels are permitted, nor building on the beaches. To protect this little pearl of the Atlantic Ocean, further efforts are to be undertaken, especially in the marine area of the Natural Park. Minor steps have already started, like the prohibition of large cruise ships, the limited number of visiting vessels, and a total ban on jet skis, but a more realistic protection plan is still to be defined.

In February 2021, dob, in collaboration with a series of local businesses, opened a conversation with the National Park Authorities to file a proposal to extend the marine park and list vulnerable points to better protect the marine environment for the future. The project proposal was run through the Hope Spot programme of Mission Blue. Several months of hard work, in collaboration with the National Park and the assistance of Noronha Diver, took place to identify possible threats and allow an agenda to be drafted within an

international framework. The undisputable experience of the Sylvia Earle Ocean Alliance programme is the most valuable option.

Three main points were addressed with the intention that the national government engage in a more concrete proposal, and the outcome is still to be confirmed. a) Contingency planning for fossil fuel contamination: To protect a marine environment in case of fossil fuel spills, a contingency plan is required in case of a minor fuel spill in the port or anchorage,

as for a major crude oil spill from a nearby tanker. Implementing such a contingency plan involves planning, training, equipment, and an action plan. Therefore, a specialised company was approached to identify the basic work plan and specific equipment like contingency barriers, absorbing materials, and PPEs, which should be locally available. In addition, the emergency preparedness of the local authorities and population needs training and communication drills with the Navy; the close by port of Natal and surrounding oil rigs are highly recommended. The goal to close off the little port of Noronha, surround a vessel at anchor with contingency barriers,

FEATURE: SCUBA DIVING IN FERNANDO DE NORONHA

or have an action plan in case of a significant oil spill from a tanker in the vicinity, needs attention. Since Exxon Valdes (1998), and with Noronha being at the crossroads of the main cargo artery between the North and the South Atlantic Ocean, the considerations are a reality nowadays. b) Extension of the marine park and patrolling possibilities: Just over a hundred km² perhaps seems like a large area. But, in comparison to the two million Km² granted to the National MPA (Marine Protected Area) of the national park of Malpelo (Colombia), one may realise the scarcity of the matter in Noronha.

Nevertheless, the Colombian marine park protection programme has much to thank for

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the efforts of ‘Fundación Malpelo’ run by Mrs Sandra Bessudo and serves as a guideline for Fernando de Noronha. Still today, no patrol vessel is available to the park rangers of Noronha, and vessels with dangerous cargo may still transit through the marine park. The necessity to have a better maritime regulation, an independent vessel or at least a clear agenda for a collaboration with the Brazilian Navy is indisputable. c) Shark conservation: Sharks are facing unprecedented overfishing, targeted directly for their fins or caught accidentally (by-catch). Generally, overfishing has led to what has been termed a mass extinction among ocean species, and sharks are no exception to this. As a result, many species

of sharks are now listed on the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Shark conservation in Brazil is a hot topic, as the country still refuses to sign the shark fishing ban proposed by the IUCN. To assist the mission, PADI approached fifteen dive centres in Brazil, offering ‘Shark Awareness courses’ for free in 2021. In Noronha, sharks have been commercially fished for many years, and it was only about ten years ago that sharks were not allowed to be caught within the National Park. Reef sharks, nurse sharks and lemon sharks are quite common, but species such as tiger sharks or hammerhead sharks have also been documented. Unfortunately, there is no programme to protect sharks in Brazil, and the importance of the species for a healthy marine ecosystem has not yet been considered.

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The team of Noronha Diver took the initiative to register several parameters of sightings and water conditions after every dive. The research is a voluntarily project by the company’s instructors, available in their shop in the “villa de remeidio” (old town). The first report was released with data gathered between February 2019 and March 2020. The future of this study will be particularly interesting in years to come. It will enable us to compare and see the evolution of species with data that caught the attention of the National Park authorities.

As a small example of their first annual report on sharks: Sharks (including four species) are seen during 66% of the dives, Rays (including three species), 43% of the dives, and Turtles (including two species) 24% of the dives.

The support and hospitality of Maristela and Paulo, who run Noronha Diver has been a blessing in disguise for the conservation project. The dive operation owns several dive boats, of which one is a large catamaran, which is the most comfortable and spacious option locally. Experienced divers have the unique opportunity to participate in what could be called a “Discovery Tec Dive”. One of their smaller boats, called ‘Mero’, is designated specifically to allow a decompression dive experience for divers who are not necessarily Tec divers. You can participate if you have at least fifty dives, are certified in Nitrox, and have a minimum advanced diver level. Shipwreck “Corveta V-17” was a military vessel that sunk after grounding in 1983 and remains at a depth of 54 to 56 metres, depending on the tide. I was honoured to be invited by Noronha Diver to participate in the dive, and the experience felt comfortable and safe. Five staff, including a tec-instructor and photographer, are at your service to make it happen. Plenty of tanks with three gases (Nitrox, Trimix, and O2) were filled for the occasion and monitored accordingly for a comfortable ascent after 22 to 24 minutes of bottom time. The scenery is picturesque from the moment you can distinguish the wreck’s appearance while descending by a rope. The wreck lies on the sandy white bottom, surrounded by a clear dark blue atmosphere, and is fully covered in sponges and other bright organisms. This guided multilevel dive is planned very carefully to go from the propeller blades up to the main deck and bridge deck, before reaching the thick line for the ascent. A unique discovery opportunity for those who have never done Tec diving before!

In addition, being on the wish list of divers, surfers, or paradisiac beach lovers, Noronha is not only the safest place in Brazil, but the nature is fantastic, and the beaches have been voted the most beautiful in Brazil. It is relatively unknown to the international public but well known amongst the wealthier Brazilian holiday makers. For most nationals the rates of flights and park fees are simply too costly. In the last ten years or so, the island has become more accessible due to increased and better flight connections from the GOL or Azul airlines through Natal or Recife. Ensure you have availability for the return flight before buying your international flight, as the number of seats to the island are limited. No hotel infrastructure is available, and accommodation is catered through “pousadas”. (Check out PousadasDeNoronha for all options available

on the island). Buggies are the best choice for driving around from beach to beach and having your surfboards tight to the bull bars.

It is highly irresistible to smile when you first start up your buggy. Between the colourful pousadas and buggies, the beautiful beaches, and cool people, it simply is a great place to be!

For captain and crew interested in sailing to Fernando de Noronha, please check the article published in The Islander Magazine of January 2020, “Sailing via Fernando de Noronha”, through their webpage. _____________________________________ Bon Mergulho!

Capt. Dominique Geysen www.diveoperationsbuddy.com Special thanks to Noronha Diver and PousadasDeNoronha for their great assistance, and the local underwater photographers of Ciliares for the photo credits.

FEATURE: IBIZA JOYSAIL GROWING IN SIZE AND STATURE

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IBIZA JOYSAIL GROWING IN SIZE AND STATURE The Islander Magazine are very proud to be appointed as the official media partner for this prestigious regatta.

After a successful first edition in October last year, the interest in Ibiza JoySail is spreading far and wide with entries for the 2022 Ibiza JoySail coming in steadily. It is particularly

gratifying that the majority who were there last year are coming back for more this year.

As it stands in early May the fleet looks set to include: ALIX Swan 98 Nautor’s Swan BE COOL Swan 98 Nautor’s Swan BLISS YD 120 Yachting Developments DARK HORSE Swan 80 Nautor’s Swan HAVANA OF LONDON Vitters 100 Vitters Yachts MOAT Swan 115 Nautor’s Swan PEREGRIN Y8 80 Y Yachts SHANGRI-LA Oyster 72 Oyster TURCONERI Baltic 70 Baltic Yachts Looking to guarantee the highest standard of event and race management, Palma based America’s Cup, Superyacht and TP52 navigator Nacho Postigo has been recruited as Technical Director of Ibiza JoySail. Postigo has raced everything from tiny Mini 650 to giant Superyachts inshore and offshore. He is passionate about his love of the Balearics and whilst he might be one of the most renowned experts on the winds of his home waters, the Bay of Palma, Postigo loves Ibiza and Formentera and loves the idea of creating the

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perfect Superyacht regatta on waters which many big boat sailors have yet to experience.

Nacho what is your vision for Ibiza JoySail, what makes it is special and why are we getting excited about it?

The biggest appeal is that everyone loves Ibiza. When I tell people I am working for a new Superyacht or big boat regatta they are ‘really?, do we need another one?’ and then I tell them it is based out of Ibiza and everyone is interested. Everybody is charmed by the idea. They maybe do not really know the real Ibiza yet but they like the idea. They want to know.

And other than the beautiful backdrop of the

islands and the chance to see them from the waters of the race track why are the waters so good for this kind of racing?

From the sailors point of view, from the technical point of view when you do race these boats you need to really be in a controlled environment. You cannot be sending them out to race in waves and in big winds. And in Ibiza we have two bays and so you can always going to have an area which is perfectly protected.

And it is great because you will nearly always find somewhere to race.

The regatta is growing nicely since last year but the organisers are keen to produce a well run, exclusive event which has special attributes?

My personal feeling this will take a few editions before it really starts to be inked on to boat’s agendas, hearing it is a nice

FEATURE: IBIZA JOYSAIL GROWING IN SIZE AND STATURE

venue and the whole event is very well run year in year out. For the number of boats I think that maybe 12-15 boats would be the optimum size of the regatta. We love events like the Saint Barth’s Bucket with 25 or 30 boats but that it might be difficult to have a regatta of that size in Ibiza and really this

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Ibiza JoySail is really about it being exclusive with a specific ambience and atmosphere.

We are looking to have a fleet size which allows us to deliver a really top-quality regatta whilst being able to split the fleets into good sized classes.

And September fits the calendar in many different respects?

The dates in September are perfect. We want to make sure that the atmosphere on Ibiza is just right, much later and things start to close down and in the high summer it is too busy,

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too crazy. September is just right, you have more people ‘in the know’ people who go there who are there because they go regularly because they are in love with Ibiza and have been for years. There is not so much clubbing, it has quietened down.

What is that the owners and their crews are looking for?

The first year was interesting. Some of these owners and crews were there to share a great time with friends and families and they literally said to us ‘we are not interested in the results, we go out there to go sailing round a race course and the result is not important.’ People told us that straight. We had that profile of teams and sailors and we had the sailors who were training for two weekends before Ibiza JoySail who were using the event as they ramped up their campaigns for the Swan 115 for example. So we had the two approaches, the super relaxed guys and the super pros.

And everything between. Both groups enjoyed it equally. The super pros thought it was well organised with good courses and did not think it at all boring, whilst the relaxed guys did not think it too high calibre or too hard. So we got that right and I think we can keep that spirit alive.

A key component, a unique aspect is the opening passage race from Palma and the STP base to Marina Ibiza?

This race has to be fun. If it is not fun it will be stopped or abandoned. We cannot have the boats drifting around in a few knots of wind

and we cannot have the boats slamming and it all becoming too hard and unpleasant. It is not supposed to be Volvo Ocean race sailing, slamming against waves. If there are either extreme it will be ‘motor to Ibiza and we race tomorrow’ no one wants to drift around for 30 hours! The perfect conditions are 15 knots of wind downwind and we can get that often.

time the winds are between eight and 15kts which is just perfect. If there is a risk it is the wind can be too light for a small percentage of time, but the main thing is that it is very, very unusual at that time of year to get too much wind.

What is the typical weather in September?

Ana Teske marketing2@group-ipm.com

We commissioned a long-term weather study for the period and it showed that 65% of the

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https://ibizajoysail.com

FEATURE: THAILAND, NOW REOPENED TO THE WORLD!

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THAILAND, NOW REOPENED TO THE WORLD! Thailand has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from all over the world.

The country has also scrapped the predeparture RT-PCR and arrival RT-PRC test requirements for all fully vaccinated travellers.

Unvaccinated travellers are also welcome; however, currently they will need to comply with quarantine regulations.

Understandably, many yacht travelers are looking to reacquaint themselves or discover the extraordinary beauty and cultural uniqueness to be found in cruising the country’s western Andaman Sea and the eastern Gulf of Thailand.

Phuket, the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ for many centuries, was an important stop for trading ships on the route between India and China in the western Andaman Sea. Because tourism started to flourish much earlier in Phuket and as it is more accessible, it is significantly more developed than its cousin island, Samui. Conversely, the very charm of eastern Thailand’s Koh Samui is its well-kept laid back island vibe.

Each area offers unique cruising itineraries.

There are more villages than commercial areas in Samui and many places are quiet and serene with the island only to be reached through air and sea. Phuket is easier to reach since it

is connected to the mainland of Thailand via several modern road bridges and through air and sea travel. Both offer an international airport and easy flight from Bangkok.

The country is world renowned for the genuine warmth and gracious hospitality of the Thai people and was voted as having the ‘World’s #1 Favourite Food’. A wide variety of Thai dishes can be found in street stalls with classic Thai food and at international 5-star dining and Michelin stared restaurants. A vibrant nightlife is now returning after the lifting of restrictions throughout Thailand at clubs, pubs, beach, and resort entertainment locales.

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Andaman Sea - Phuket Today Phuket is the country's major land attraction with its scenic beaches, water sports and ancient Sino-Portuguese buildings with its architectural style and ancient temples. At sea you’ll find stunning cruising and adventures.

The island’s landscape is one of forested hills, coconut groves, rubber plantations and a coastline dotted with numerous spectacular beaches with surrounding waters with varied marine life. Phuket’s scenic beaches and water sports are a big draw while the ancient SinoPortuguese buildings are popular among those fascinated by this architectural style and ancient temples.

Providing a well-designed base for the cruising season, Phuket and the surrounding 32 smaller islands forming the Phuket Province total an area of 570 square kilometres. The ‘Superyacht Hub’ of Phuket Island offers marinas that can handle all needs with berths available for yachts up to 130M’s in length, a growing superyacht labor force and excellent docking facilities. And, the marinas offer a better rate and better services than the Med and Caribbean, reports Gordon Fernandes, cofounder of Asia Pacific Superyachts.

The full service marinas and professional yacht and superyacht services make for an inviting and stress-free holiday, and also used as a base for yachts staying the season. Located in the Northeast of the island the four marinas are operated by private companies and can serve, respectively: 173 yachts and 135 other vessels on the ground for repair work; 76 yachts and 35 on ground; space for 300 yachts and 100 on ground; and accommodate 300 yachts at sea.

A tropical paradise is just a short cruise to the

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FEATURE: THAILAND, NOW REOPENED TO THE WORLD!

outer islands and a world away from Phuket.

The country’s nature rehabilitation programs, along with the past 2 year’s absence of visitors, offers amazing sights.

SAMPLE 7-DAY ITINERARY (provided by Asia Pacific Superyachts Phuket)

Among the Similan Islands off Phang Nga bottlenose dolphins and other marine life are returning to the area following a fiveyear closure of the park (for the environment to rehabilitate). The area’s sea and wildlife numbers are growing and includes new species due to more and wider feeding grounds.

Depart to Ko Hong, offering kayaking, caves and beautiful scenery. Located in the narrow channels separating Phuket from the mainland, you’ll cruise east towards Phnag Nga Bay past fish farms and coconut, rubber and pineapple plantations. The water is very shallow here – less than 5m for most of the bay, so you can easily anchor.

“Koh Phi Phi in Maya Bay, the island famous for filming the Leonardo De Caprio film ‘The Beach’, has reopened and a shoal of 60 black tip reef sharks were recently spotted cruising the shallow waters. Four years ago, there was no hope. Now sharks are swimming in kneedeep water along the coral reefs around the national park. These advances can be credited to the tireless effort of park officials to restore the environment of the marine park”, reports Fernandes.

The 32 smaller islands off Phuket’s coast is perfect for cruising and exploration and the uninhabited marine parks are perfect for relaxing voyages. Starting out and close by is Phang Nga Bay, with its limestone monoliths rising up out of the sea like a science fiction film and mysterious caves to paddle through.

Further south are the islands of Koh Phi Phi and idyllic offshore islands for exploring secluded coves, white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and returning sea life.

The upgrading of the International Airport and the new Private Jet Terminal fits well with Phuket’s high-end villas, exclusive beach clubs, fine dining and 5-star hotels - a long established elite destination where visitors can be as social or as private as preferred.

DAY 1

Take a small tender to Koh Phanak with numerous caves, each with secret lagoons (to discover only at low tide). After lunch head north to Khao Phing Kan – known as ‘James Bond Island’ – and end at private anchor off the island of Koh Roi. This little island has an easily accessed lagoon and a few small beaches. Anchor at Ko Hong overnight.

DAY 2 Yacht heads south for Ko Kai Nok for beach time, snorkeling and swimming. Midmorning head to the East side of Ko Yao Yai and Ko Yao Noi for a very nice sail through the Ko Pak Bia group of islands. Again, large limestone islands are found here and it is less touristy, with the best beach at Ko Hong.

Anchor overnight.

DAY 3 Head southeast to Krabi and anchor at Rai Leh Beach. Spend the day rock climbing, swimming or just chill out under the limestone cliffs. Here high-end resorts sit side-by-side with a few private residences scattered around. The Krabi headland is an opportunity to try out low-level ‘bouldering’ right on the beach, or take on the

FEATURE: THAILAND, NOW REOPENED TO THE WORLD!

roped-climbs up the limestone cliffs. Evening dinner at the Dusit Ravadee Hotel.

DAY 4 Early morning depart for Phi Phi Ley. Here you’ll find crystal clear water, huge limestone cliffs and some lovely beaches with a small bay that’s worth a visit by tender or kayak. There is also a small cave which houses Chinese Viking paintings where locals collect birds’ nests, used to make the famous ‘Chinese Birds Nest Soup’.

Late evening/overnight depart to Phuket Surin Beach.

DAY 5 Spend the day at the world famous Amanpuri hotel, reported to be among the top ten of hotels around the world. Guests can relax with pampering, relax on the beach or enjoy the many activities on the island like the elephant sanctuary and famed “Fantasea’ (stage show).

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The Banyan Tree Spa has a reputation as one of the best spas in the world, ideally to be followed by dinner at the Amanpuri.

Anchor overnight – there can be a large swell rolling onto this beach so anchoring and tender runs will be weather dependent.

DAY 6 Surin Beach to Similan Islands - the Islands lie northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, a 128 sq kilometer marine national park. Spend the day diving and anchor here overnight.

DAY 7 Similan Islands return – prepare for Myanmar journey or other destination.

November to April is considered the best time to enjoy a cruising holiday. The eastern side of Phuket is sheltered from rains and winds, making it possible for calm, leisurely cruises throughout the year.

Gulf of Thailand – Koh Samui Located in Thailand’s far less populated Gulf of Thailand is the second largest island in the country, Koh Samui, the ‘Crown Jewel of Thailand’.

Blessed with much natural beauty, Captain Charlie Dwyer, co-founder of Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) and based in Koh Samui, enthuses: “You can cruise the coast of the picturesque islands with many options for anchoring to enjoy numerous attractions on Koh Samui - elephant sanctuaries, trekking, snake, monkey & bird shows, Buddhist Temples, waterfalls, cultural dance performances, mountain safari trips to the interior along with water sports, Muay Thai boxing, Frisbee Golf and luxury golf course, Santiburi”.

Koh Samui is home to some of the country’s highest rated fine-dining restaurants and finest 5 and 6-star spas, resorts and hotels.

Or you can simply enjoy the pristine white

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sand beach and massages, turquoise sea and strolling along beach road for delicious Thai food.

A great option is to strike out to a nearby private and uninhabited island for a restorative ‘Private Island Beach Picnic’, all arranged by your APS agent. A colourful ‘Longtail’ boat with your own private captain and staff will take you on a journey that will make you feel you’ve stepped back in time. You can enjoy snorkeling and feeding fish while awaiting a delicious picnic with a fully customised menu. A Thai menu is recommended, one with wonderful dishes such as ‘Som Tam’ (Spicy Papaya Salad) and ‘Pla Sam Rot’ (traditional fish dish, made with fresh sea bass, tilapia, or snapper).

Looking out over a turquoise sea with a variety of chilled beverages and a simple but gourmet luncheon served under swaying palm trees by the most hospitable people on earth, you’ll feel you’ve reached heaven, enthuses Captain Charlie.

Departing the island and 15 NM from Samui, are the 82 uninhabited islands of famed Ang Thong National Marine Park. The first of a 5-day journey takes you to a pristine archipelago featuring towering limestone mountains, thick jungle, white-sand beaches, waterfalls and hidden coves and lakes. Next destination is Koh Tao, an island featured as one of the ‘Top 10 Dive Spots’ in the world.

Completing your journey before returning to Samui is her sister island, Koh Phangan.

SAMPLE 5-DAY ITINERARY (provided by Asia Pacific Superyachts Koh Samui) Day 1 Anchor and swim in the turquoise waters off

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FEATURE: THAILAND, NOW REOPENED TO THE WORLD!

the boat in Chaweng Beach with its beautiful fine white sand. Visit Big Buddha and the Fish Temple, to see the workings of a Thai Wat (Temple). An evening stroll through the festive walking street of ‘Fisherman’s Village’ with its many beach-front restaurants, pubs and Thai craft stalls is a fun experience.

Day 2 Relocate to the Anthong National Maritime Park for kayaking and trekking. Anthong National Park is located a mere 15NM from Chaweng Beach. From here the tender can be launched and sent to the shore where a park ranger will have your kayaks ready.

It is suggested to relocate to the next island of Koh Phangan overnight. Note: Hat Rin Beach is famous for the wild monthly ‘Full Moon’ parties and best to skip this date.

Day 3 In the morning snorkeling and beach walks and relocate to Koh Tao late afternoon.

The palm-fringed island of Ko Tao takes its name from the abundant sea turtles that reside on its shores and has white sand beaches sheltered by steep hills – some only accessible with four-wheel drive vehicles. Here you’ll find a laid-back island vibe and world famous diving.

You might want to extend your trip as the more adventurous will find the best diving in the Gulf of Siam at Sail Rock, a huge underwater pinnacle with only the tip sticking out of the water and currents swirling around the rock.

Dropping down to 40 meters you can expect an explosion of marine life. A mere 2-3 NM from the shore.

Day 4 A 40 NM mile trip will run you back along the coast of Koh Phangan. This is a charming, lightly developed island with white powdery sand beaches and fringed by coconut tree groves and a hilly hinterland covered with lush vegetation and small villages. Most of the attractions and activities are closely related to nature, from beaches to waterfalls to viewpoints. In the evening, watch a cultural dance show and hang out with friendly locals at a few low key pubs and restaurants.

Day 5 Return to Koh Samui to enjoy onshore delights and relax at a 5-star Spa, such as world-famed Kamalaya, 4-times recipient of ‘Worldwide Health & Wellness Destination of the Year’ and 6-time winner of ‘Destination Spa of the Year – Asia & Australia’.

Samui offers a relatively long cruising season with moderate seas from January to April and steady easterly winds providing the best conditions for relaxed cruising. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings calm seas and clear skies to the Thai Gulf while other sailing destinations in Thailand are being hit hard.

Voted ‘World’s Most Beautiful Airport’, Samui International Airport is an hour flight from Bangkok and 1.5 hour from Phuket. _____________________________________

By Linda Cartlidge Photos Credit: Asia Pacific Superyachts www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com gordon@asia-pacific-superyachts.com charlie@asia-pacific-superyachts.com

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BALEARIC YACHT DESTINATION – INTERVIEW WITH ANDREU GENESTRA

Have you ever cooked for a yacht? If so, how was your experience?

Balearic Yacht Destination had the pleasure to interview Andreu Genestra one of the most well-known chefs in the Balearic Islands.

I have had many experiences cooking on a yacht... every dinner is different and unique, as all clients are. For me, to bring my gastronomy to an environment that I love such as the sea is always a pleasure.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

Born and raised in Mallorca 38 years ago, I consider myself a restless person with a very strong vocation for the world of hospitality.

When it comes to cooking, there is no stipulated menu...each catering has been different...what I can say is that I have never been coerced when it comes to the menu, the client asks for their wishes, and we shape them in form of delightful dishes.

I started in gastronomy quite early, starting with characteristic sun and beach hotel business of the island.

With the desire to learn I packed my luggage and moved to Barcelona and the Basque Country, where I cooked in haute cuisine...

EspaiSucre, Arzak, Mugaritz, El Bulli among others are great restaurants where I have carved out my national training to larger go abroad, to countries such as Kuwait, London, Paris, India ....

Describe each island with one flavour

I think that the combination of our islands with the flavour of the sea and the mountains would be the most characteristic flavour, with milky notes and the essence of lots of spices.

What inspires you when it comes to creating a new dish?

When it comes to creating a new dish, several factors can play a role, the seasonality of a product, the value of tradition or the use of a technique to enhance a flavour... In the end, the single most important thing is the final taste... that is the ultimate inspiration.

Right now, you own three restaurants in Mallorca. Two of them in Capdepera: Bistro Senzill and Restaurant Andreu Genestra, which has been awarded with 1 Michelin Star and 2 Repsol Suns and a restaurant in Palma, Bistro Aromata, which has been recognised by the Michelin guide as Bib Gourmand.

How do you feel about it?

I really appreciate all those rewards, but all those recognitions are not the most important to me. What matters, is that our customers want us to keep improving, to keep working to make their palates happy. We believe that we are in a great moment as a team, and we want to prove this to all our customers.

What role do you think gastronomy plays on the experience and enjoyment of a yachting destination?

Gastronomy is a language, a form of expression of the culture, religion or nature of the area.

You cannot enjoy a destination if you do not enjoy gastronomy.

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BALEARIC YACHT DESTINATION – INTERVIEW WITH TONI COVAS

Balearic Marine Cluster had the pleasure to interview Toni Covas, founder of Baleos Yacht Carpentry.

Why do you think the Balearic Islands are a top destination when it comes to REFIT? Is it a logistical challenge to be located on an island?

Tell us a bit about yourself and your work in Baleos.

The Balearic Islands have always been a strategic spot in the Mediterranean as they are renowned for their good climate, their perfect location with a long marine tradition, where large boats have been built and where professionals offer the best refit services. It is a place with well-prepared facilities for the repair and maintenance of boats.

My passion for carpentry and working in outdoor environments was what made the fact of being able to work on the Palma dock more than just a job, it became a way of life for me.

I was very lucky to be trained as a ship's carpenter by the great masters of the time.

The idea of forming Baleos arose from the need to introduce the concept of innovation and modern techniques to nautical carpentry.

Nowadays, at Baleos we carry out carpentry projects using developed methods of digital measurements, processing and production of parts on CNC machines, which increases our efficiency and competitiveness.

These factors lead us to carry out increasingly complex projects and allow the company to be in constantly development.

Tell us about a challenging project and how you overcame it.

One of the most challenging projects in the beginning of my career was the hull repair of the classic Creole, a wooden sailing yacht with a lot of history behind her.

Regarding more recent projects, another challenge has been the construction and installation of the teak deck on the S/Y Twizzle which is a 58m long sailing yacht from the Royal Huisman shipyard.

For me, dedication is key. At Baleos, we treat every project in a unique way, taking care of the smallest details. My team and I put a lot of effort into finishing our projects with the desired result and achieving our goals.

Which is your vision of the sector?

The Marine industry is one of the most important engines in the Balearic Islands and I do believe that the nautical sector has been experiencing a significant growth over the last few years. We are seeing more and more large mega yachts taking Mallorca as their refit destination. I reckon that we offer a wide range of services in terms of refit as well as in other branches of the sector. This turns us into an industry of reference at an international level with a high level of competitiveness.

Balearic Marine Cluster has launched a Dual Training project in Nautical Carpentry which is planned to be launched next September, and Baleos participates with 4 workers. Why did you decide to join this initiative? And how do you feel about it?

As I see it, Dual Training in carpentry is a much-needed program as it is a response to the high demand of professionals within the sector. Many companies can't find trained people and for a long time we have been needing a professional course that would give opportunities to people who like both carpentry and the nautical sector.

We thought it was important to join the program because our company employs carpenters with many years of experience who can provide their knowledge and experience to people who want to be trained. Baleos is committed to the training of new generations given the high demand we are experiencing right now in the Balearic Islands.

From your point of view what advantages do you get from being part of the Cluster?

We joined the Cluster a few years ago and we believe that being part of the association has given us more visibility within our sector.

For us, the connection among the companies which are members of the Cluster is crucial, so that together we can support each other and represent the Balearic Islands Nautical Sector in the essential events of the marine sector as for example in the last edition of the Monaco Yacht Show.

What would you highlight about the work of the Balearic Marine Cluster?

The Cluster initiatives are very varied: they launch innovative projects, promote the destination of the Balearic Islands as the right place for refit, offer opportunities to participate in the most important nautical fairs and with all this, they make the nautical market constantly develop and grow at an international level.

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PLASTIC FREE BALEARICS CERTIFICATION ELIMINATES MORE THAN 16,000KG OF PLASTIC THROUGHOUT THE FOUR ISLANDS

The Plastic Free Balearics certification has eliminated 16,394kg of plastic waste throughout the archipelago during its 10-month pilot phase, according to the results of the initiative announced today in Palma.

This includes nearly 760,000 33cl plastic bottles, which have been removed from the supply chain.

Since the new certification was first launched in June 2021, and March this year, a total of 115 establishments have been assessed: 53 in Ibiza, 29 in Mallorca, 19 in Menorca and 14 in Formentera. 67 of those were certified as Plastic Free Guardians and awarded between one and five stars corresponding to the percentage of so-called "Honest Alternatives"

Plastics Free Balearics Team

implemented in place of single-use plastic (SUP) products.

be a destination free from single-use plastics that sets an example for others.”

48 other establishments, including some hotel chains, were unable to obtain the certification because they did not meet its minimum requirements, such as compliance with the Balearic Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils and EU directives. Additionally, the certification does not permit the use of bioplastics as an alternative to SUP.

The Minister of Environment and Territory for the Balearic Regional Government, Miquel Mir, lent his support to the certification, saying: "Waste management must begin with us individuals in our daily lives. The Balearic Waste Law, which goes further than European policies and state regulations, is a milestone on the road to waste prevention. But it is also essential that there are grassroots initiatives such as Plastic Free Balearics.”

All the companies evaluated were given a report proposing further steps to prevent further waste generation and reduce their environmental footprint. Plastic Free Balearics estimates that implementing these changes would eliminate an additional 28,450kg of waste per year, 6,319kg of which would be plastic.

“It is fantastic to see more and more companies

"The Balearic Islands is the autonomous community that generates the most waste per capita in Spain and the Plastic Free Balearics certification has been created to turn off the plastic tap and curb the pollution it produces on our islands," said Bradley Robertson, president and co-founder of the Save The Med Foundation, "Our vision is for the Balearics to

Sebastià Sansó, CEO of Residus IB

Miquel Mir, Regional Minister for the Environment

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joining the initiative, to which we offer our support in order to continue working together.

The only way to face this challenge and the overall environmental emergency is by building a joint, transversal and holistic approach," he added.

Plastic Free Balearics was developed from two pre-existing plastic reduction initiatives led

by Save the Med foundation in Mallorca and IbizaPreservation in Ibiza and Formentera, thanks to co-financing from the Monacobased association Beyond Plastic Med. BeMed launches annually a call for micro-initiatives to support projects whose objective is to reduce plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. “These initiatives aim to reduce single-use plastics, find alternatives, improve collection systems, raise awareness, collect data and help implement new certifications. We are so pleased to see the progress and the enthusiasm of Plastic Free Balearics” stated Mr. Philippe Mondielli, Scientific Director of The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, one of the entities behind BeMed.

The Plastic Free Balearics certification developed with co-funding from BeMed aims to be a seal of quality in the prevention of single-use plastics in the hospitality sector of the Balearic Islands. As part of the initiative, Save the Med and IbizaPreservation developed tools to facilitate the certification process, such as a self-assessment APP for interested companies and a Guide to Honest Alternatives to help counteract greenwashing.

The certification relies on additional financial support from the Consell de Mallorca and is implemented in the other Balearic Islands by Plastic Free Ibiza and Formentera and Plastic Free Menorca. ______________________________________ Fiona Bruce - Save The Med Foundation (Previously Asociación Ondine) T. (+34) 971 485 106 M. (+34) 696 939 538 www.savethemed.org © Save The Med Foundation, Cami de Muntanya 7, 1ºF, 07141 Marratxi

experience inspired interiors since 1996 covers, awnings, carpets, bedlinen, exterior & interior upholstery (+34) 971 692 919 | info@revival.es | www.revival.es

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MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

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HEAVY SEAS Heavy Seas opens in STP to improve the service they offer to their superyacht clients.

Heavy Seas is a yacht refit and maintenance company based in STP Shipyard Mallorca that provides a wide range of yacht services for different sized yachts. STP Shipyard caters to yachts of up to 120 meters in length or 1,000 tonnes in weight and has an area of 130,000m2 for refit and repair. What was it that prompted HeavySeas to open their offices in STP Shipyard and how does it benefit them when carrying out their day-to-day marine services?

What are the benefits of having an office in STP? First of all, it allows us to be close to our customers. Most of the boats we work on are located in and around STP so we are on hand should they need anything.

What type of projects are you currently working on in STP? We can't specifically name which boats we are working on at the moment due to confidentiality contracts but we are working on some really interesting projects. One particular project involves repairing a Volvo Penta engine onboard a large yacht ready for them to set sail for their Mediterranean season in May. Are there any challenges working in Mallorca, particularly STP? In all honesty, things are running pretty well on all of our projects. STP has a lot of the facilities we need to carry out our work and most of our suppliers and partners are nearby and willing to help us if we need them.

What is the Heavy Seas approach to each project?

Our team is made up of a number of experts in each division that all pull together to get the job done. Our main goal when we take on a project is to bring your vision to life and make sure that everything is communicated from beginning to end.

Have you noticed that there is more movement in the industry this year?

After the last two years, we have noticed a

Milton & Javier Massetani - Heavy Seas

huge increase in the number of boats coming into Palma and especially choosing to keep their boats here over the winter period. It has certainly been difficult for everybody but fortunately, we have had plenty of work to keep us busy throughout. The yachting industry is incredibly resilient.

What are the main services that boats have needed from Heavy Seas so far this year?

As many of the boats have been in the yard for some time we have had a lot of requests for upholstery as a lot of the biminis and awnings have needed replacing. Also, changing the interior upholstery is an easy way to give the boat a new look and feel, so there have been a lot of requests for this before the season.

Refrigeration is another one as a lot of the boats have not used their air conditioning for quite some time.

Are there any fun projects that have stuck in your mind this season so far?

We have recently repaired a huge slide for one of the superyachts that we are working on. This is fun for us as we know the fun the guests are going to have using it onboard.

And how about the most difficult?

All of our projects are carried out by experts in their field so they aren't normally too difficult for them. The most technical projects are the ones involving metalworks. We have all the latest, high-quality heavy machinery in our workshop but it is still one of the more involved services that we offer.

Who can benefit from using Heavy Seas?

Anyone in the industry. We have a 360 degree offering for our clients whether you are looking for marine design services, yacht care services or marine repair services, we have got you covered.

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MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

Creative Solutions for Superyachts Glazing Perspex & Felted Fabrications Refit Engineering Solutions Air Spring Designs & Custom Seals

Palma

+34 678 899 038

michael@yesyes.es

MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

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SUPERYACHT LINKED TO PUTIN SEIZED IN ITALY A superyacht worth an estimated £570m with alleged ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin has been seized. This is part of the European Union’s ongoing sanctions against Russia, according to a statement from Italy’s Economy Ministry.

The vessel, registered in the Cayman Islands and undergoing refit in Tuscany, was impounded on Friday (6May22).

Scheherazade has ‘significant economic and business links’ with ‘prominent elements of the Russian government,’ the Italian ministry says, without specifically naming Putin in its statement.

According to Politico, Italian police originally boarded the superyacht in March. At that time, local Italian media linked the boat to Eduard Khudainatov, the former president of Rosneft, the Russian state energy giant.

Scheherazade has been undergoing repairs in the port of Marina di Carrara since last September. Recent activity at the dockside suggested that the crew were preparing to put the yacht to sea, as calls grew for it to be included in the sanctions.

US officials have previously told the New York Times that the vessel could belong to Putin, though there has been no official confirmation of this.

Supporters of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny also believe that the vessel belongs to the Russian president, says The Independent. In a report released in March, an organisation set up by Navalny said it had evidence that the boat belonged to Putin, as several crew members were drawn from Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO), which is tasked with protecting the president (see video below).

The yacht has been the subject of an investigation by the Italian financial police since the end of March. Around this time, as more and more attention was drawn to the vessel, its Russian crew left in the middle of the night, replaced by an all-British team, says the Metro.

The ship’s British captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce,

denied that Putin had ever owned or set foot on the Scheherezade. “I have never seen him. I have never met him,” he told the the New York Times in March.

A Metro source says: “Officers boarded the vessel late on Friday and told the captain and the crew were not to leave pending further investigations by the Italian authorities.

Days later, Bennett-Pearce said he had been left with “no choice” but to reveal the owner’s identity to the Italian police, adding: “I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this will clear the vessel of all negative rumours and speculations.”

“I personally was not there but I did hear back from some of the squad who commented on the level of luxury onboard – they said it was exceptionally well furnished with beautiful artwork and interior decor of the finest quality.”

Officials say they have struggled to identify the real owner of the boat. It was built by the German firm Lürssen. The yacht was delivered to its owner in 2020 and can host up to 18 guests and 40 crew, Reuters reports.

A statement from the Italian Financial Police reads: ‘After verification by the fiscal authorities it has come to light that there is a significant economic connection between the owner of the Scheherazade and senior elements of the Russian government.

‘On the basis of these elements it has been recommended that the yacht be placed on the current European Union sanctions list and the Minister of Finance in Rome has agreed.’

The Italian state will have to pay for the upkeep of the yacht whilst investigations are ongoing.

The Agenzia del Demanio, the Italian state property agency, will be responsible for ordinary maintenance work, custody and management fees, lawyer Tommaso Bertucelli told Il Tirreno newspaper.

“It will be the Agenzia del Demanio who will pay, including for the the crew which remains on board,” says Bertucelli.

The arrangement is standard practice for assets seized from Russian oligarchs in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

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SUPERYACHT UNIFORM NEWS BY WAVE UNIFORMS

This Month we would like to introduce you to ZHIK Gear Made For Water: Whether pushing the boundaries on the forefront of innovation, defying expectations in design and technology in water sport apparel or kicking back after the race and watching the sunset, Zhik is never far from the water. They challenge the status quo, identify problems, and find breakthrough solutions to continually set the benchmark.

Tested and proven, Zhik gear is the choice of Olympic and world champions around the globe.

Leaving Tradition Behind: Zhik apply themselves

to yachting apparel technology with the same passion and dedication they show the dinghy market. Their yachting innovations have been gamechangers, tried and tested in some of the world’s toughest ocean races - including the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, where it won alongside Dongfeng Race Team.

Apparel Technology: At Zhik, They believe in a ground-up approach to their garment technology. While other companies utilise shells and materials already on the market, their in-house research and Development department trial and test their proprietary materials and technologies to bring you the cutting edge in high performance gear. They work with pioneering laboratories to produce

market-leading apparel and design.

Sustainability: Zhik are working towards a more sustainable and eco friendly future for their clothing and packaging.Taking away traditional non bio-degradable oil based neoprene, and replacing it with a natural plant based alternative. In the last few years they have also redesigned their packaging to limit or remove all single use plastic, replacing it with paper or other materials. They aim to be completely packaging plastic free in the near future. ______________________________________ Wave Uniforms & Active Wear (+34) 971 571 392 www.waveuniforms.com

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AXOPAR: FROM START-UP TO GROWN-UP

Above Photos: Axopar X Jobe Revolve © Axopar

This year, premium Finnish boat brand Axopar sidestepped the Palma International Boat Show and instead commandeered a large chunk of Port Calanova for its concurrent press, customer and dealer ‘days’. Alongside key collaborators BRABUS, Panerai and Jobe, they staged multiple world premieres and displayed 15 of their standout boats in the water. It was the biggest event Axopar had ever done outside of the traditional boat show format – and the gamble certainly paid off.

Rewind a decade, and co-founder Jan-Erik Viitala started working on the Axopar brand back in 2012. He shared a vision to create a completely new boat concept with headturning design, competitive pricing, superior fuel efficiency and an exhilarating driving experience. First off the production line was the Axopar 28, which had its debut at the Helsinki International Boat Show in February 2014.

With a twin-step deep-vee hull, a modular deck layout, and five versatile versions – the Open, T-Top, Sun-Top, Cabin and Sports Cabin – the 28 was an immediate hit. But nobody, not least Jan-Erik, could have predicted the considerable impact that Axopar would go on to have on popular boating culture.

Within months, the 28 was collecting awards like they were going out of fashion. First came Motorboat of the Year 2014 from Sweden’s Vi Båtägare (We Boaters) magazine, followed by a victory in the ‘Best for Fun’ category in Best of Boats 2015. It then picked up Motor Boat of The Year 2016 in the UK’s Motor Boat

Awards and European Powerboat of the Year 2016 as judged by an expert panel of editorsin-chief from Europe’s top eight motorboat magazines. A little sister 24 and big sister 37 arrived in 2017, followed by a 22 in 2020 and a 25 (effectively replacing the discontinued 24) in 2021. And then, in 2022, before our very eyes at Port Calanova, the much-anticipated flagship: the 45.

Axopar may have strong Finnish heritage, but it is now most certainly a global company.

Using ever-expanding manufacturing facilities in Poland, it has built more than 3,500 boats which are marketed through a 100-strong dealer network in more than 50 countries – in fact, 40% of production is delivered to North America. Axopar remains Europe’s fastestgrowing boat brand, comfortably the biggest boat producer in the Nordic countries, and has featured in the Financial Times’ list of fastest growing companies in Europe - the FT 1000 – in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

But is this what success means to Jan-Erik?

Chart-topping statistics? Perhaps it once was, but it’s unlikely to be true today. Now selfstyling as The Adventure Company, Axopar has made a prominent pivot towards passion and purpose. And it’s a path that suits the bearded, baseball-cap-wearing Viking down to a tee. “We are The Adventure Company,” said Jan-Erik enthusiastically at the press launch. “We do something more than just produce powerboats, we change views and perceptions.”

In a Port Calanova presentation space peppered with mountain bikes, wakeboards, pop-up tents and kayaks, Jan-Erik spoke of his love of the great outdoors. He pointed out the synergy between Axopar and the venue, which was inaugurated by Spain’s King and Queen in 1976 as the National Sailing School. Both businesses were founded on the intention and desire to get people out on the water. Jan-Erik says his ‘Axopareans’ use their boats to explore, go on a voyage and experience the joy and freedom of adventure. His customers get close to nature, escape their daily routine, recharge, and create memories with their loved ones.

During his pitch, Jan-Erik quipped that his Axopar colleagues had coined a new word to unseat ‘downsize’ and ‘supersize’, and that word was ‘rightsize’. On that note, the covers were whipped off the all-new 45 XC Cross Cabin - the first ever 45-foot fully-enclosed cabin boat with outboards.

The culmination of a four-year project, the 45 boasts all the luxury and handling of larger more expensive yachts but without the heavy price tag or maintenance commitments. It’s also one of the most economical 45-footers on the market, able to cruise between 19 and 35 knots yet still remain within the most costeffective fuel range. Standard features include gullwing doors, an electrically-operated canvas roof, and fold-out midship balconies. Axopar launched the cabin boat first (apparently it’s the hardest model to make) but it will eventually be part of a five-model range - Spyder, T-Top, Sun-

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MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

Above Photos: BRABUS Shadow 900 Deep Blue © BRABUS Marine

Top, Cross Top and the Cross-Cabin – all built in a new 2,400m² production plant created just for the Axopar 45.

BRABUS CEO Constantin Buschmann was also on hand to reveal its latest ‘BRABUSized’ Axopar: the BRABUS Shadow 900 Deep Blue Signature Edition. The German tuning company originally worked with the Finns in 2018, launching the BRABUS Shadow 800 which was based on Axopar's 37 Sun Top. Many BRABUS Shadow superboats have since followed, and BRABUS and BRABUS Marine are now an integral part of Axopar’s product development.

Each Axopar is tested ready to be a BRABUS product and have core BRABUS values right from the drawing board. Constantin explained that it took four times more man hours to finish a BRABUS, to BRABUSize it and add the

‘one second wow factor’. With the ‘Deep Blue’, BRABUS had departed from the signature black and red corporate identity palette and opened up the colour spectrum.

And finally, Jobe took the floor to describe how they’d come to form an alliance with Axopar.

Initially, the watersports brand had put together a collection for BRABUS - an impact vest, bodywarmer and matching SUP – and that inevitably brought them into contact with Axopar. Having realised that their DNA and values were a perfect fit, they decided to target young people already into watersports and make them a boat. Based upon the Axopar 22 Spyder – winner of Best of Boats Awards 2021 (‘Best for Beginners’), European Powerboat of the Year 2022 (‘up to 8 metres’), and the Motor Boat Awards 2022 (‘Sportsboats up to

30ft’) – the Axopar x Jobe Revolve was officially launched in 2020. Jobe’s best-selling teal/lime SUP sparked the colour scheme for the boat, and they co-created the features with Axopar.

Clients can buy the boat, then mix and match the watersports products to go with.

Axopar is no longer a start-up company, but a grown-up company with authenticity and passion at its heart. While it’s unlikely that Axopar’s ‘rightsize’ will go any larger than 45 feet - at least not with outboard engines - rest assured that Jan-Erik, his design team, and his band of collaborators, are already working on the next chapter of The Axopar Adventure. ______________________________________ www.axopar.com

Above Photos: Axopar 45 XC CrossCabin © Axopar

MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

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LACK OF STOCKS TEMPORARILY SLOWS DOWN THE BOAT MARKET IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

Between January and April 2022, 319 recreational boat registrations were recorded in the Balearics, representing a slight decrease of 4.2% compared to the same period in 2021. This information is extracted from the 'Recreational Boat Market Report. JanuaryApril, 2022', prepared by ANEN from data provided by the Directorate General of Merchant Marine. The decrease is not as marked as the fall in registrations at national level, where the decline has reached 14.9% to 1,688 units.

"the forecasts that we announced during the last Nautical Congress, held in March in Valencia, are fulfilled. The nautical market, like other sectors linked to the industry, including mobility, have been suffering a slowdown initially caused by the logistics crisis and lack of supplies, and aggravated in recent months by the war in Ukraine. Only the charter market remains positive, which shows that the love of sailing and the demand for sustainable nautical tourism remains high among the preferred proposals by the users".

This result is mainly due to the lack of supplies suffered by the sector, preventing the manufacturers to finish off new vessels despite the fact that the intention to buy by the clients remains positive. In the words of Carlos Sanlorenzo, secretary general of ANEN,

In this regard, the nautical charter statistics are certainly much more flattering. In the Balearic Islands, the yacht charter market has experienced a year-on-year increase of 47.24% between January and May, reaching 187 units, thus making 34.19% of the national total,

which stands at 547 units and has recorded an increase of 3% in the period.

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MALLORCA YACHTING INDUSTRY NEWS

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J CLASS SVEA SET TO RETURN TO RACE IN EUROPE WITH SWEDISH SYNDICATE A group of successful Swedish entrepreneurs and businessmen who are all passionate about sailing, will campaign JS1 Svea and plan to start racing this summer in Europe with a mostly Swedish crew.

Svea is under new ownership and due to be shipped from Charleston, USA to arrive in Palma in May where the new team will prepare the boat in time for June's Palma Superyacht Cup where she is set to line up against Velsheda, Ranger and Topaz.

When Svea, JS1, became available the syndicate of Swedish sailors Niklas Zennström, Filip Engelbert and Hjalmar Winbladh, decided to collaborate together to have the Tore Holm design return to her Swedish roots and to race finally under the national flag.

She was launched in January 2017 and was initially raced in Bermuda and at the J Class World Championships in Newport RI. She is the largest J Class yacht ever and was built from original designs drawn by Swedish naval architect and boat builder Tore Holm, well known as a noted designer of Six and Eight Metre yachts.

The 1937 drawings were unearthed from a drawer by a well-known Dutch Metre class aficionado and after analysis, her potential was immediately evident.

The intention of the new syndicate is to have a crew which is largely Swedish. But J Class experience is vital and so the crew will be led by eight-times round the world racer Bouwe Bekking, who won the J Class World Championship with Lionheart. Magnus Woxen is helping put together the crew, but it will certainly include Bekking's long-time collaborator Jens Dolmer and Zennström's regular navigator Steve Hayles as well as project manager Tim Powell.

"When Svea became available it was seen to be an opportunity which was too good to be missed. There is a natural connection for all of the syndicate who wanted to have Svea race in Swedish colours," project manager Tim Powell enthuses.

"Now we are all looking forward to going sailing for the first time," Powell adds. "We are very much of the view that the learning curve will be steep to start with and it will take time to get the team fully up to speed with 30 or so on board and all the jobs so interlinked it is a very specific learning programme."

The team plan an extended training period just before Superyacht Cup Palma and thereafter plan to race at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in Sardinia in September.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

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E3 SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE After the disappointment of the heavily undersubscribed MYBA Show in Barcelona, the Palma International Boat Show (PIBS) encompassing the Palma Superyacht Village (PSV) was excellent. So what happened? I understand that MYBA have said that many charter yachts are not chartering this year as their owner’s plan to use the vessels themselves, or that the limited weeks they have available for charter are already filled.

As I said, PIBS 2022 was a resounding success.

There were well over 70 large yachts plus hundreds of smaller vessels and toys. There was a buzz in the air from happy people, visitors, yacht crew and exhibitors. The yachts were for sale and charter and business was being done.

I have never witnessed so many international visitors, and I am told there were over 300 people from the international media present.

It was helped considerably by the relaxation of Covid restrictions, blue sky, sunshine, a perfect temperature, gentle breeze and the splendid backdrop of Palma with its imposing cathedral on the skyline.

For obvious reasons, we haven’t exhibited at MYBA or Palma for the last two years. We will definitely book again for PIBS 2023, but not at all sure yet about MYBA. Clearly the primary reason for spending marketing bucks on exhibitions is to generate business. We expected to secure business at MYBA but didn’t, whereas we went to PIBS with quite low expectations, and were frankly delighted at the results. Interesting!!

Many people in the yachting industry, ourselves included, were wondering whether the Palma Show area may be expanded next year into STP or Astilleros to accommodate 10-15 larger yachts?

be registered at a specific location, but we think there is some development here coming from demand in the USA from the RV community.”

This development has been launched in the last month. On May 5th, Starlink rolled out a Portability $25 additional monthly fee for customers who want to temporarily relocate their sat dish. Portability does not mean mobility. SpaceX still does not authorize customers to use the service on a moving vehicle and it cannot be used at sea. Starlink say they will void the warranty for anyone who tries to use it on the move.

I have also learnt this month that OneWeb, the competitor to Starlink, has two launches planned in the near future, which will increase their global coverage by the end of the year.

There will be a presentation of the Kymeta u8 panel in Paris in June at the Eurosatory Defence Show using OneWeb. We are planning a beta mobile test on a yacht later this year.

Cyber Security dramatically!

Threats

are

increasing

Currently cyber-attacks are on the increase.

Beware - this is getting serious. There is an organic growth in people and organisations expanding their attack strategies and techniques, as they are seeing good results and unfortunately now the Russian war is feeding it. As a result, we all need to be considerably more vigilant. To be honest, too many of us are pretty blasé about this, but here at e3 we have witnessed a number of real-life attacks on yachts which have been expensive and scary.

LEO satellite tech update In my column last month, I talked about whether Starlink could be used on a yacht at sea. If you didn’t read it, please do so, as we were asked this same question many times at the Palma Show.

I do have an update on Starlink. Last month I wrote: “We have been asked if the current Starlink residential terminal can be moved from one fixed location to another, such as from the dock at the home berth and then redeployed on the dock in another port. This is currently not possible in the beta test phase as they need to

Have you heard of Predator Theory? This is what is happening right now, and our colleague Richard Hodder of Pelion Consulting wrote about this very eloquently in Onboard Online last month. He wrote:

What is Predator Theory?

Humans are the most successful predators to have ever existed, unrivalled by no other species. They have the ability to work in teams to attack teams of the same species. Predator Theory suggests that as humans we are more adapted to attacking than we are at defence.

As he says we are not adapted to defend ourselves from attack, particularly attack strategies that change continuously. We need to develop our defence and adapt it rapidly.

Attacks are happening frequently now.

Here are some recent examples.

From our own experience at e3, our office firewall defences are identifying spam and phishing emails many times every day.

Just last week we got phishing emails from a yacht client who had been hacked and from a partner who had been hacked for the second time.

We have had two brute force attacks on our server over the last year. We have protection built in, but we still need to keep it updated.

One of the brute force attacks originated from South Korea, but that’s as close as we could get to identifying the source. They hit our login with thousands of automatically generated password attempts in seconds before our systems automatically detected it and shut down.

We came across a 70m yacht that suffered a malware attack on their duplicated and isolated ECDIS system. They thought they were safe with a stand-alone, duplicated ECDIS system which was not connected to the yacht’s network. However, the yacht’s primary navigation system became inoperable when they were at sea. The source of the problem was discovered to be the captain’s laptop which had been infected by a malware attack.

He was using his laptop to download the chart updates and transferring them, together with the malware, on a USB stick to the ECDIS system.

A hack on a captain’s email earlier this year was a lucrative result for the hacker. We had completed a job on a yacht and were waiting for payment before we activated the service.

The yacht was in a hurry to get the service activated as guests were due and kept chasing us, but we still hadn’t received payment. The

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yacht said it had been sent, we asked for the bank transcript and discovered the yacht had sent payment to some 3rd party bank account.

The yacht captain’s email had been hacked and monitored, and an email was intercepted from their management company on which our bank details were changed by the hackers. The captain made the transfer to the hacker’s bank account and, by the time this was discovered, the money had been transferred out of the rogue account.

In March, ANONLEAKS a German group affiliated to the Activist Hacker ANONYMOUS tampered with the AIS data from Putin’s yacht Graceful changing its position, call sign and destination. It can easily be done and is a threat to safety.

A scary ransomware test was proven a few years back on the 64m yacht White Rose of Drachs when a live GPS spoof took place in the open sea with no land in sight, and the captain and crew on the bridge were none the wiser.

This was a test under controlled conditions, but in reality, the yacht could have been taken to

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

a different location with a rendezvous, turned dead ship, intercepted and even had owners and guests kidnapped!

What are the biggest threats?

People are the weakest link in the cyber security chain. A large new build with 35 crew contracted our colleagues to carry out a penetration test. The yacht had been in build for 2.5 years and they had invested a lot in cyber security. Our colleagues got into the systems on-board in 3 hours! They decided the system installation was done very professionally and that it would probably be easier to penetrate the yacht’s systems by finding the key to the front door via the crew. They identified some of the crew, tracked them on social media and followed up a few who were very active, hacked them and found their passwords stored on their personal device!

Sadly, I think these few examples are just the tip of the iceberg! This is becoming a real issue and could happen to you or the yacht tomorrow. If you would like some help to build your defence strategy we would be happy to guide you.

Yachts broadcasting wi-fi SSIDs! At the Palma Show last week I sat on our booth and scanned the wi-fi SSIDs being transmitted by all the yachts on the dock. There was a huge list! A hacker can have a field day, take control of the yacht, do whatever he/she likes then wipe the data to erase any evidence of what he/she had done.

What is the risk & why do they do it?

Financial gain, ideological motivation, corporate espionage, opportunism, maybe a malicious insider. None of this is helped by the recent press reports about the outrageous costs of the Russian oligarch’s yachts.

Email accounts for 94% of attacks this last year.

______________________________________ Roger Horner E3 Systems e3 VSAT or SUPER DATA: (+34) 971 404 208 info@e3s.com www.e3s.com

CREW MATTERS

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5 REASONS WHY CREWING POCKET SUPERYACHTS IS TRICKY

Pocket Superyachts are luxury yachts between 15 and 30 meters run to superyacht standards.

They have complex technical systems providing comfort on board. The owners desire a service that is similar to what you find on super yachts.

But that is a tall order because of a number of reasons. 5 of which, I’ve listed below.

1. All Round Skill Set Due to the size of Pocket Superyachts the number of crew can go from as little as one single skipper to maximum 4. We work mostly with couples. That means that the Stewardess is also

the Chef as well as the first mate and often she takes on the expense reports and a few other administrative tasks. The captain is also the engineer. That’s not simply looking after diesel engines but also after electrics, electronics, hydraulics, watermakers, and so on… The crew are also the owners representatives often forced to make decisions in the owners names.

We offer our crews support with professional knowledge and sometimes, simply, a second, reassuring opinion.

2. Adventurous / Responsible The crews on these yachts have to be adventurous enough to pack their bags, move on board and work anywhere in the world for 11 months a year. At the same time they have to be level headed and mature enough to carry the responsibility over a multi million Euro craft. That is a rare combination of personality traits and we’ve become well versed at selecting these.

3. Personal / Professional Owners spend some of their most relaxed days of the year on board. Some owners can become quite chummy with their crew. It’s a natural effect when you are sharing the amazing experiences with each other that yachting offers. However, at no point can the crews lose

track of their responsibilities even when they get lured into the guests and owners relaxed state of mind. Again, this requires a certain intelligence and personality. It’s something that can be learned so as managers we have included this potential pitfall in our briefing to both owners and crew.

4. Inexperienced Owners / Inexperienced Crew Two wrongs don’t make a right. While we are always looking for crew that posses the right amount of experience, these yachts will always be a stepping stone for those who want to grow their careers in yachting. We’ve had most success with candidates who are taking a good step up with the job we offer. At the same time these yachts are an entry level for owners who have never employed crew before. So our role is to guide both parties.

5. Life on Pause Another reason why longevity over 2 years is hard to achieve is that the crew has to put their social life on pause. This is not just a job it is a life. That means that you are dedicating your life to the yacht, its guest and owners. The traveling and the variety that comes with the job is amazing but only for so long… Once some crew have missed their brother’s wedding, their niece’s first birthday or their home team winning the title, the appeal van start to wear off… With the support that we offer we aim to offer solutions that can increase longevity.

Working out a rotation scheme or offering quality stand-in crew so the permanent crew can attend an important event can make a big difference.

If you want to learn more about what Invisible Crew can do for you as crew or owner, have a look at www.invisiblecrew.com or contact jens@invisiblecrew.com ______________________________________ Jens Oomes CEO (Creative Encouraging Organiser) www.invisiblecrew.com (+34) 674 838 368

CREW MATTERS

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HOW DO YOU INCREASE CREW PRODUCTIVITY? and motivates crew. Set whole crew targets where possible targets which encourage cross departmental team working and work towards the common goal with greater efficiency and enthusiasm.

Use ‘walk about’ management. Catch crew doing great work and give them meaningful feedback and praise. Be creative and find ways to reward crew individually (but not with money!), such as a sight-seeing trip, vineyard visit or meal out with the Captain. Tailor the reward to the individual and mix it up. Don’t let the rewards reach a point where they become ‘expected’. Spend quality 1 to 1 time with each member of your department at least once a month and discuss opportunities for them to learn, develop and progress.

We know that working with the dream team results in the impression that the job is easier, although nothing in the work itself has changed. The difference is the level of crew productivity. So how do you increase crew productivity?

One solution of the problem to raising productivity might be to increase working hours. But we know this leads to burnout and in turn high crew turnover, such as on a back to back charter yacht. Another suggestion could be that we need to run a tight ship and closely manage crew, but that’s a fallacy.

It sounds crazy, but it’s a fact: if you want crew to be more productive, manage less. Encourage

autonomy rather than micromanaging crew, give them the opportunity to take ownership of their time and resources and they will surprise you (in a good way!).

Interestingly, business has repeatedly proven that it is actually happy and engaged staff who are the most productive. So the question that really needs answering is not how to increase crew productivity, but how to engage crew and have happy crew.

Communication is important, and regular whole crew meetings are a great opportunity to engage and motivate crew. Having sight of the end goal or understanding the ‘why’ of the work you have been asked to do engages

What is measured can be managed. Find a way to measure productivity on board – how long does it take to complete a wash down or to flip a bed? Trust your crew to do a good job, unlock their potential and benefit from their great ideas. Much like the F1 racing teams, ask everyone to find 1% improvements in efficiency. All those one percenters will soon add up.

Stress can have a negative impact on crew performance. Encourage crew to take responsibility for their own mental, physical and emotional health and demonstrate this yourself by leading by example. Stress is often caused by conflict between crew, or feelings of being treated unfairly. Give your crew the best leadership you can, be fair, be honest and deal with issues early.

Finally, treat crew as we treat our guests with respect, care and consideration. Watch the culture on your vessel flourish and see your happy crew be more productive than ever before.

Impact Crew specialises in working with you and your crew to get the culture you want on board. Give us a call to see how we can kick start your season, help you find your one percenters and increase crew productivity. ______________________________________ Karen Passman (+44) 1425 614 419 info@impactcrew.com www.impactcrew.com

CREW MATTERS

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HOW TO HAVE A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER CREW MEMBER

Conflicts in workplaces are tales as old as time, and in environments like yachting, where there exists a strong sense of hierarchy, high pressure, and long unsociable hours, conflict is nothing short of inevitable.

allowing behaviour that you don’t agree with to continue. Just remember that we are not all from the same backgrounds and so something that is obviously not right to you may be less obvious to another.

To avoid conflict, we may find ourselves needing to have conversations that may feel uncomfortable but are quite possibly necessary. It is common knowledge amongst many, that communication is the cornerstone of success in any relationship in our lives, and in turn, the breakdown of communication is proven to dismantle our relationships with others.

Feel the fear but do it anyway It can be nerve wracking and uncomfortable to have tricky conversations, but ultimately if something has been on your mind for an extended period of time, expressing your feelings is only going to relieve further stress. The outcome of your conversation may surprise you, and however tricky the communication is, once you have put across your views successfully you are sure to be able to move forward in a more positive way and feel a sense of relief.

Leaving things unsaid in the workplace about the issues that bother us causes emotions and feelings to fester and can lead to outbursts later on. For example, if you were heading on a long transatlantic crossing with someone whose habits irritate you on a daily basis, it might be a good idea to voice your irritation before heading out to sea for three weeks with said person. It could be as small an issue as your cabin mate leaving their clothes on the floor, or a bigger issue such as inappropriate language and upsetting behaviour.

Wether or not to bring up the habits that irk you about the people you work with is a hard call to make but it’s almost certain that raising your grievances in a healthy and considerate way will strengthen your ability to work successfully with your colleagues.

To ensure that you are having successful conversations with fellow crew members you may wish to follow this guideline: Allow your values to lead you Preparing to have a difficult conversation can come with some trepidation over wether or not what your feelings on a certain subject or issue are justifiable. The answer to this is to always lead with your core values, as in: what do you believe in? If something you are witnessing in the workplace doesn’t align with your core values then you can rest assured that raising this issue with a colleague will only result in your own peace of mind rather than

communication we create better environments within which we can thrive and enjoy our time onboard together, staying true to the main goal.

If you interested in developing your skills as a leader in greater depth then join us for The Advanced Leadership Course in July! For more info contact Karine. ______________________________________ The Crew Coach Karine Rayson karine@thecrewcoach.com

Practice empathy and courtesy Perhaps your difficult conversation is focused around someone else’s behaviour or even their personality, therefore treading gently around certain subjects is recommended. Avoid using language that can be deemed as aggressive or patronising and take the other persons feelings into account. Practicing empathy is important, putting yourself in the other’s shoes reminds us to remain gracious and calm.

Be direct and assertive, within reason Directness sometimes gets a bad rep, or can come across as confrontation. But most would agree that direct and clear communication can avoid lengthy explanations later down the line and ultimately cuts out a lot of extra work.

Practice articulating yourself in a clear way and avoid over explanations where you can.

It may feel unnatural at first to communicate this way, but most people who work in high stress environments will understand that it is not personal. The more you practice this type of communication with those you work with, the easier it will be to continue in this way.

And lastly, try not to take it all too seriously.

We are all trying our best and most of the time others around us are not doing things with the aim to personally upset us. Remembering this can help you to stay calm and keep your emotions from boiling over. With better

Karine Rayson

CREW MATTERS

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ARE WE SETTING UP OUR CREW FOR FAILURE? the dynamic of winners and losers continues.

Breaking this cycle can be done, but it takes a willingness on the part of senior supervisors to ensure that crew work in an environment in which they can realise their potential, and are encouraged to do so. In most cases, the set up to fail syndrome is not even intentional, so it also requires a willingness to talk about the fact that it can occur.

Pushing for increased crew performance is important, but of equal importance is ensuring that the entire crew environment is conducive to ensure that performance can be delivered.

There are many examples of crews that, on the surface, are moving in a positive performance improvement direction. But, when exploring beneath the surface, it is possible to see that these same crews are in reality, preventing performance to really improve. This is because many owners and/or managers are creating structures in which their people are doomed to fail. The ‘set up to fail’ syndrome is becoming more and more clear as we learn how to better understand the various dynamics at play in organisations through research, but more importantly, through real hands-on experience.

The ‘set-up to fail’ syndrome is a dynamic in which a manager assumes that he or she is responsible for creating a decision-making environment in which there are winners and losers. In this type of environment there are those who succeed quite well – the winners.

But anyone who does not succeed to the level at which the manager expects becomes the loser. And as we all know, being a ‘loser’ in an onboard environment is not something that can be changed easily. Most manager’s believe that ‘once a crew loser, always a loser,’ and consequently, that person (the who has become the ‘loser’) becomes doomed to an environment in which success very quickly takes on the appearance of ‘not good enough,’ or mediocrity or even worse.

The dynamic looks and acts like this. There are multiple crew under supervision. Sometimes the supervision comes from a Captain, sometimes from an Exec Officer, sometimes from some other titled person. They both have been working for the same supervisor in the same department for quite some time, and when pressure to improve performance increases he or she looks to the employees to see how they are doing. Employee ‘A’ has been performing well, but not as good as employee ‘B.’ What does the supervisor do? What would you, as their supervisor, do? You probably would begin to supervise employee ‘A’ lot more than in the past. And in the process of doing that, the ‘supervision’ can evolve into ‘second-guessing’ and then a reduction in the

number of decisions that employee ‘A’ is even allowed to take.

In nautical environment, the dynamic can show up when two different crew are working to support the same guests. Crew ‘Y’ has been successful in the past and received continual kudos from the guests; whilst Crew ‘Z’ has not been delivering the performance that is expected to be delivering. You are the supervisor for both of the crew members – what do you do?

Do you reward success (Crew ‘Y’) with rewards or perks and better hours so they can continue to demonstrate success? Or do you try to understand what are some of the underlying reasons that Crew ‘Z’ has not been delivering expected performance? In most cases, what happens is that success is rewarded.

This is as it should be – we should always reward success, but we also need to understand why some crew are not as successful instead of propagating a structure in which success will never occur. Don’t forget that supervisors manage crew and the stigma of ‘low performance’ sticks like glue, and then

Being ‘set up to fail’ can result from many things: supervisors may be given guest expectations that are not clear; they may be given goals without the needed resources to attain them; they may be unintentionally prevented from attaining goals and targets by being pushed and pulled in non-valued added directions; they may be trying to satisfy ‘urgent’ needs instead of being able to focus on those that are important; they may be thrust into situations in which they do not have the requisite skills or competencies. The list can go on and on.

Creating an environment in which crew can realise their potential requires that they are provided with opportunities to improve their decision-making skills, ensuring that they have the resources that they will require to deliver the performance that is expected of them, and they have the ability to work collaboratively.

Setting crew members up for failure is a symptom of a crew management structure that does not value people and their ability to contribute. It is a symptom of an team in which ‘hitting the numbers’ is deemed more important than ensuring that gains that are made can be sustained. It does a disservice to its other crew, guests, and the owners over time. It is a symptom of an crew management structure that I would not want to work for.

Would you? ______________________________________ Dr. James B Rieley jbrieley@rieley.com www.rieley.com (+34) 620 224 341

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SEASONAL SOLUTIONS Employing seasonal crew and paying them in cash is not a viable, nor legal option for yachts.

If you are a yacht owner, or captain, looking for some temporary crew for the season, and wish to engage crew properly, SEASONAL SOLUTIONS by Sovren may just be what you’re looking for.

At any moment a yacht may need to take on extra crew on a short-term or ‘seasonal’ basis.

The ‘extra’ crew have to be properly declared and registered with the appropriate authorities to avoid unnecessary complications. This, of course, generates a huge amount of administrative work and costs to cover all of the legal, contractual, and financial requirements.

Seasonal Solutions is a rapid and efficient way to engage temporary or seasonal crew.

The yacht owner, or captain, can forget legal, contractual, and financial requirements for each crew member, as Sovren provides crew as and when they are needed. The yacht simply has a contract with Sovren, and they do the rest.

The Seasonal Solutions service is flexible, providing anything from deck crew for a week and, additional interior crew for a particular charter, to a captain for the season or experienced crew for a delivery. The yacht enters into one service agreement with Sovren, and Sovren engages the crew on the yacht’s behalf.

Crew can be engaged through the Seasonal Solutions service for as little as one day and up to three months. If the yacht later chooses to engage the seafarer as permanent crew onboard, this transition is managed with the minimum of fuss.

With ever increasing employment legislation and the repercussions of paying ‘on the black’, engaging Seasonal Solutions is an increasingly valid option.

Sovren has MLC specialists on-staff and have established Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEA) to cover every eventuality and yacht requirement. Employing the seafarer through Sovren’s own Incorporated Cell Company (ICC), the seafarer is engaged by Sovren thus providing a completely safe service to the yacht owner.

The Sovren team are in a unique position to look after the employment welfare of the seafarer, as well as the interests of the yacht owner. All SEAs strictly adhere to the MLC guidelines and the agreements ensure the seafarer is well looked after including, but not limited to, the appropriate allocation of leave, medical and accident cover, and the correct hours of rest. The benefits to the yacht owner are plenty, including, but not limited to, protection against any litigation issues.

If the yacht wishes to take advantage of the Sovren in-house recruitment team and an active database of over 50,000 professional yacht crew, then the Seasonal Solutions service can be tied in with Sovren Crew recruitment.

If the yacht has found the right crew member directly, and does not require the services of a recruiter, Seasonal Solutions is still the best option as the SEA is prepared by their in-house experts, the crew member is engaged by Sovren, then delivered to the yacht.

There are no conflicts, discipline or financial issues, no work permit or employment contract concerns because the crew work for Sovren and Sovren deliver that crew service to the yacht. The setup fee is from €250.00. If Sovren are working with a yacht for the first time, an inspection is required to ensure the vessel is seaworthy and a safe place for the seafarer to work. The inspection will check all life saving equipment and safety systems onboard, plus

a review of the documentation to ensure it is correctly registered for its activity, holds the appropriate insurance, including a crew accident and medical insurance. Inspection fees vary on the size of yacht and location and is a one-off fee.

Crew payroll is handled on a monthly basis, ensuring the seafarer has the correct allocation of leave, and is issued with a monthly pay slip reflecting the transfer and the employment status. The crew payroll monthly service fee is from €100.

For the yacht, it is as simple as one monthly invoice that can cover all the seasonal crew onboard.

The associated crew service also monitors the crew’s certificates and qualifications to ensure the crew remain compliant at all times thus reducing the possibility of delays in visited ports.

For more information and a rapid response to your seasonal crew issues, contact info@sovrencrew.com or pop into the Sovren office in Palma. ______________________________________ SOVREN Group Palma Office Carrer d’Espartero 8, 07014 Palma info@sovrencrew.com (+34) 971 677 785 (+34) 662 473 137

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HEESEN RESPONDS TO RUSSIAN OWNER’S UK SANCTIONS Russian dependency, and says it works with customers from America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia origin.

‘Our craftsmen are constantly working to deliver the high-quality technological yachts for which our country is renowned and will continue to do so.’

Dutch superyacht builder Heesen Yachts has issued a statement condemning ‘violence in every form’ and saying it’s ‘saddened by the ongoing situation in Ukraine’. The move comes as its been confirmed that Heesen’s Russian owner Vagit Alekporov has been added to the UK’s list of sanctioned businessmen.

The company is manoeuvring to present its Dutch credentials. Heeean has pointed out that earlier in March this year, immediately following the developments of the war against Ukraine, one of Heesen’s current UBO’s publicly called for an end to the war, and two of Heesen Yachts’ supervisory board members, Pavel Novoselov and Pavel Sukhoruchkin stepped down from their positions. This, says Heesen, was to further emphasise the shipyard’s independence and Dutch nature.

The Oss-based company says Alekporov’s UK sanctions have no direct consequences for its business as he is not currently sanctioned by the European Union and Heesen is a Dutchregistered limited company.

In its statement, the company says: ‘Heesen Yachts has learned that one of its

Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO’s) has now been listed on the sanctions list of the United Kingdom following a recent update on 13 April 2022. He is not on the EU sanctions list – applicable to Heesen.

‘Heesen is a Dutch company qualified as a (socalled) structure-company, which means that we are managed by a professional management board, with an independent supervisory board which appoints the management board members. Heesen only reports directly to its sole shareholder, Morcell Ltd. ‘Heesen’s UBO’s do not actively or directly involve themselves in the way the company is run. Heesen is financially independent and in good shape, with a strong order book, and currently employs around 1,000 individuals in the Netherlands.

Alekporov, the president of Russian oil company Lukoil, succeeded Frans Heesen as one of the ‘ultimate beneficial owners’ of the yacht builder and has commissioned several vessels, including the €100m Galactica for himself, says Dutch News.

Heesen has built boats for other Russian oligarchs who have since been sanctioned, including former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who reportedly transferred ownership of several yachts including the Heesen-built Aquamarine on the day Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

Targeting Russian oligarch’s yachts has become a regular occurrence, as reported by MIN. But Heesen is one of the most reputable boat builders in the world, known for delivering countless award-winning, stunning superyachts. Its customers are typically among the world’s richest people, says Auto Evolution.

‘Heesen has always worked closely with the authorities adhering to all relevant laws and regulations, and we are cooperating in full transparency with government agencies.’

Vagit Alekporov is not only the president of Russia’s oil giant Lukoil, but also the owner of Heesen Yachts. However, the builder stated that its business won’t be affected, because Alekporov was added to the UK sanctions list not on the European Union’s one, while Heesen is a Dutch-registered company.

The company’s statement then lists its international client bases, moving to pull away from the wider superyacht market’s supposed

Dutch News reports Heesen will continue with business as usual, including finishing work on Galactica, Alekporov’s $108m superyacht.

IAN WALKER JOINS NORTH SAILS North Sails says world-renowned sailor Ian Walker is joining its management team this August. Walker is a two-time Olympic medalist, an America’s Cup veteran, and winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 as skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. He most recently served as performance director to the British Sailing Team, who claimed five medals at the 2020 Tokyo games. Walker’s next career move puts him at the helm of North Sails UK for the world’s leading sailmaker.

“Lowell North founded this business on a simple philosophy – get the best people and commit yourself to make the best product,” says Ken Read, president of North Sails.

“Ian sits amongst the best in our sport. He possesses a winning attitude and a level of knowledge that’s invaluable to our brand and all North Sails customers. Having sailed against Ian, I know he’s a fierce competitor and simply a good guy. We’re honoured to have him join our team.”

our customers,” says John Welch, COO of North Sails. “Each North Sails manager is more than a champion sailor or a sail expert. They become a part of a tight-knit team working towards the common goal of developing superior products and delivering exceptional support for sailors at every level of our sport.”

“North has a long history and rich tradition of being at the forefront of sailmaking,” Walker explains. “Joining North Sails is an excellent opportunity to be an active voice in the marine industry and part of the industry’s leading brand. It’s clear that everyone on the North Sails team has a passion for helping people get the most of their sailing, and my new role presents a unique opportunity to work alongside talented, likeminded sailors.”

“The expertise from someone of Ian’s calibre is one of the greatest resources we can offer all of

Walker’s official start date is August 1st, 2022.

He will be based at the North Sails loft in Gosport, UK.

Where your visions meet our innovation

REFITS / REPAIRS / PRODUCTS / NEWBUILDS www.i3composites.com

mike@i3composites.com

(+34) 693 724 020

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FIRST DAMEN YACHTING YS 53 SOLD - BECOMES INTEGRAL PART OF LEGENDARY SPORTFISHERMAN ANTHONY HSIEH’S BAD COMPANY FLEET Damen Yachting’s Commercial Executive, Jan van Hogerwou, worked closely with Neil Emmott from Superyacht sales and Charter in Fort Lauderdale on behalf Hsieh throughout the sale. “This is one of the most exciting projects we have worked on. Not only is this the first of our new YS 53 range but this is also the first Yacht Support we have built that will be used exclusively as part of a sport fishing fleet and programme. Hsieh’s unique vision and mission he has planned for this all-new Yacht Support is very inspiring and we are looking forward to the next 12 months and getting her ready to head out with the rest of his fleet.”

The team at Damen Yachting is delighted to announce the sale of the first vessel from the all-new YS 53 series. This 53-metre (175ft) from the Dutch builder’s Yacht Support range will be delivered in 2023 as part of Anthony Hsieh’s unique and extensive private fishing programme.

“What we are planning to do with the 5301 no one has ever done before, and I think this will set a whole new tier of adventure for future sportsmen to explore. My hope is that this ambitious programme will inspire a whole new generation of sportsmen to create their own programmes. It will be good for the sport, yachting and the fishing industries.” Anthony Hsieh, owner of the Bad Company fleet.

Hsieh has ambitious goals for the YS 5301 when it joins his Bad Company fleet in 2023.

Primarily located in the Indian and Pacific

Oceans, she will form the home and hub of his unique and extensive fishing programme that will incorporate fishing in relatively unchartered waters and support several marine conservation projects. The YS 5301 will be equipped with a 43 ft Release Game boat and a 32 ft Blackfin – a boat which carries significant sentiment for Hsieh. Recently repurchased and refurbished for this adventure, the Blackfin was Hsieh’s first Game fishing boat purchase more than 30 years ago. Both Game boats will be deployed into areas where the programme does not already have Bad Company fleet.

The programme’s Atlantic operations are covered by the 46-metre YS 4508 Yacht Support, BAD COMPANY SUPPORT. Featuring a 33 ft. Game boat on board, the vessel was original built and delivered by Damen Yachting in 2019 and was sold and joined the Bad Company fleet in 2021.

The YS 53 range, which was introduced to the market in February of this year, marks a strategic shift in the builder’s Yacht Support approach. The new design represents the next generation of Yacht Support vessels designed from scratch specifically for the yachting market and encompassing all the experience from the near 20 Yacht Support vessels built and sold over the last decade. A design that is both highly flexible and customisable, delivering the most seriously fun set-up you can dream of. As the first of the range, YS 5301 is certainly leading by example.

YS 5301 at a glance: • YS 53 (53 metres / 175ft) • Delivery 2023 • 499 GT • 6-16 guests / staff, 10 Crew + Captain • Exterior design by Damen Yachting • Interior design by Damen Yachting • Naval Architecture by Damen Yachting ______________________________________ sarah.flavell@damenyachting.com

THE AMERICA'S CUP LANDS IN BARCELONA of Barcelona in what is the blue economy", concept referred to economic activities related to the maritime and nautical sector.

Besides, he announced the promotion of a foundation to assist as "structural element" for the organization of this event, with publicprivate participation of all the institutions that have been involved promoting Barcelona as the America's Cup 2024 venue.

Calvet explained: "We will reformulate the current Barcelona Ocean Sailing Foundation to become the structural element of this interinstitutional public-private commitment that will have a relevant role" during and after the celebration of the sport event”.

The president of the Port of Barcelona, Damià Calvet, assured last month on the America's Cup conference held at the WTC Barcelona, that the event could have an impact of 1,000 million euros for the city and that it will boost

the nautical industry and related sectors such as tourism.

Calvet argued that the event, scheduled for autumn 2024, will help to endure "the role

In the same event, the industrial engineer and former America's Cup crew participant Agustín Zulueta, recalled that the celebration of this event means "more than two years of economic activity" for the city - it is expected 5,000 people organizing mobilization - and will leave a permanent legacy.

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52 SUPER SERIES GO SMARTMARK IN 2022

During the upcoming five regatta season the 52 SUPER SERIES will utilise autonomous remote controlled marks from the German company Smartmark. The buoys were comprehensively tested last season at the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Mallorca. The marks can be precisely remotely controlled to a GPS position said to be accurate to within 11cms.

The Smartmark will significantly reduce the number of RIBs and personnel required on the water each day thereby reducing the fuel burned and thereby contributing to the circuit’s sustainability targets this year. It will also eliminate the use of anchors for mark buoys which damage the seabed.

And while the sustainability gains are significant and long lasting there are expected to be some improved efficiency and accuracy in course laying which is all controlled from the Race Committee Boat.

The Smartmark are built around a GRP hull – like a small RIB - and are positioned using 3-D Drone technology. Each has quadruple sensors - four gyroscopes, four barometers, four compasses and seven thermal sensors. One part of the sensors is thermally encapsulated whereas the other part is located in the

atmosphere. With the help of the intelligent software the sensors are responsible for more than 70% of the precision of the Smartmark (30% by GPS). Allowing to distinguish whether the mark is moving or it’s deviations in the GPS signal. They are positioned using two electric motors. A web based interface system makes it relatively straightforward for the PRO to set up the desired course geometry and make any changes quickly and efficiently.

“We are very excited to be moving to Smartmark. It is important for us to be leading by example and adopting pragmatic new technologies which will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint by cutting back on what has been a significant daily fuel use. We are looking to improve in all areas all the time.”

The marks have proven efficient in recent high wind, strong current tests in the Solent off Southampton operating in four knots of current and 25kts (on the Baltic Sea the marks operated in 35 knots of wind) true wind speed they are reported to have stayed to in position to within 11cms. And while the marks are controlled from the committee boat because of the web based interface control can be assumed from other remote locations or stations in extreme situations.

“We estimate this will save us the need for two RIBs operating on the water each day and that means saving more than 100 litres of fuel each event. We are very much looking forwards to working with Smartmark and seeing the savings and the improvements we can make.”

The mark’s exact positions can be interfaced into the 52 SUPER SERIES race tracking during racing and can be positioned into each boat’s navigation software.

Sustainability Director of the 52 SUPER SERIES Lars Böcking commented,

Marine Engineering Palma, C/ Alexandre Laborde, 3, local 3 07011 Polìgono Can Valero, Palma de Mallorca Office: 0034 - 971 447 477, info@me-palma.com, www.me-palma.com

CEO of 52 SUPER SERIES Agustin Zulueta reported,

CEO & Co-founder of Smartmark Jonas Schumacher stated, “It is great to be chosen by 52 SUPER SERIES and get the trust in our technology by one of the most professional race circuits in the world.

The core values of Smartmark are highest quality standards in sail racing by boosting efficiency and sustainability. 52 SUPER SERIES practices these values in all their events and daily business too.“

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PICK A PIER SEES MASSIVE SURGE IN MARINA SIGN UPS, WITH MORE THAN 30 PRIME MARINAS IN Q1 JOINING THEIR PLATFORM especially to help in communicating with our existing berth holders and promoting the marina to new visitors.”

"We look forward to using Pick a Pier to help us optimise our berth availability and reduce admin burden for both us and our boaters,” says Tom Marfleet, Marina Manager at Emsworth Marina.

Pick a Pier’s CEO Idan Cohen comments, “Our mission is to make boating more accessible, convenient, and sustainable. Marinas using Pick a Pier are able to offer an increased level of customer communications and service, resulting in maximised profitability. It also allows Marinas to provide boaters with quick responses, excellent customer service and easy access to berthing.

Pick a Pier, founded in 2017 by a team of passionate boating enthusiasts using technology solutions to connect boaters and marinas, has gained over 30 new marina signings to their AI-driven platform in Q1, 2022, offering hundreds of marinas on their platforms.

Marinas from across Europe have signed up to the Pick a Pier platform, including UK-based gold anchor awarded, TransEurope Marina, Emsworth Yacht Harbour. Joining them on the list of new signings includes Blue Flag certified Marina di San Lorenzo, the 830 berth Port de

La Baule Le Pouliguen, Blue Star Marina awardwinning Marina de Lagos, the Netherland’s Jachthaven Waterkant and Real Club Náutico Castellón in Spain, and many others across the continent.

One particular benefit of the Pick a Pier platform for marinas is the inclusive payment service that makes the lives of both boaters and marina staff easier and enables the marinas to provide fast and smooth service.

President of Marina Uno, Giorgio Ardito: “We are excited to get onboard with Pick a Pier

“We are excited to have new marinas onboard with Pick a Pier and know they will instantly benefit from optimised operations and unlocking berths to accommodate boaters. By joining Pick a Pier, these marinas have access to boaters and berth holders in real-time using our intuitive platform that provides a new level of transparency, communication, and profitability.”

The Pick a Pier platform is the innovative tool marinas need to make the most of their resources and embrace environmentallyminded business practices while providing a simple and effective option for boaters to plan their voyages. It also includes the exclusive boater loyalty programme, Popeye® Sail Club created to provide the most passionate boaters with a better way to set sail.

FIRST AQUA SUPERPOWER CHARGER INSTALLED IN SPAIN converting the port of La Ràpita into a Green port. Sant Carles Marina is the first nautical sports facility in Catalonia and the State that has an electric marine charger of 75 kW power to bring the arrival of ‘zero emissions’ boating,” says Isidre Gavin, president of Ports de la Generalitat.

The first Aqua superPower marine fast charger has been installed at MDL’s Sant Carles Marina in Spain.

“Given the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, marinas, ports, and harbours are looking to incorporate sustainable technologies and practices into their operations to reduce pollution and mitigate their environmental impact,” says Nicolás González, general manager Sant Carles Marina. “We have always aimed to lead the way and our decision to be

the first in Spain to join the Aqua superPower network is to become a leading destination for electric boats and the first charging hub along the Catalonian coast marine fast charging corridor.”

The port is adjacent to La Ràpita port within the Alfacs Bay and offers 1,150 moorings for boats ranging from 8 to 33 metres.

MDL’s Sant Carles Marina - “With this electric boat charger, another step is taken towards

Alex Bamberg, CEO of Aqua superPower says: “This installation is the realisation of Aqua superPower’s recent partnership with The Catalan Association of Tourist Marinas (ACPET). We are delighted to be working with MDL Sant Carles Marina as the first in Spain and Catalonia to join Aqua’s marine fast charge network. This also fits well into our partnership with MDL Marinas Group.”

“Access to charging that provides a reliable ‘plug & charge’ experience and offers features like charge point visibility, is essential for boat owners if they are to develop the confidence to transition to electric boats,” continues Bamberg. “We look forward to bringing clean electric boating to Sant Carles Marina and supporting the Port de la Rapita’s wider green ambitions.”

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SUNSEEKER UNVEILS NEW 100 YACHT UK boatbuilder Sunseeker International launched its highly anticipated 100 Yacht in Poole harbour recently. The 29.9m (97ft) vessel is preparing for its maiden voyage ahead of delivery to the Med this summer.

“We are incredibly proud to unveil the 100 Yacht here in Poole with the owner in attendance to see, for the first time, this spectacular new model,” says Sunseeker CEO Andrea Frabetti.

“Our project team has worked incredibly hard to present the first build and prepare the vessel for initial sea trials and testing.

“The second hull is following in close succession and our teams are now busy building multiple 100 Yacht orders for delivery in 2022 and beyond: it’s been a remarkable success. The order book is a reflection of our brand strength, the in-house creativity and the passion of all involved to deliver a spectacular new model.

“This is the only yacht offering seamless access between flybridge, foredeck and owners’ private terrace on the sea,” he adds.

The 100 Yacht marks the start of a new era in flybridge design and functionality for the British yard. With new entertainment features

at the fore, it offers great versatility with a truly global appeal, Sunseeker says.

The flybridge, with complete walk-around access from bow to stern, is one of the exceptional entertainment areas that defines the 100 Yacht. The vast space on the flybridge is cleverly zoned to offer seamless entertainment.

The foredeck has two separate seating arrangements with cinema screen capability,

while the central flybridge has L-shaped seating, a fully equipped wet bar and space aft for free-standing furniture or a spa bath.

The 22ft beam adds significant interior volume feeling much larger than a 100-footer, matched by interior features typically found in bespoke superyachts. The full-beam master suite on the main deck benefits from floor-to-ceiling windows port and starboard, as well as a glass atrium door forward, leading to an owner’s private bow terrace.

EU TO HELP UKRAINE EXPORTS

The European Commission has proposed to suspend all import duties on Ukrainian exports to the European Union. The proposal, designed to help boost Ukraine’s exports to the EU, would include recreational boats and other vessels used for pleasure or sports, such as rowing boats and canoes.

This unprecedented step is designed to help Ukrainian producers and exporters in the face of Russia’s military invasion. The proposal needs to be agreed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU before implementation.

taking today responds to this call. It will greatly facilitate the export of Ukrainian industrial and agricultural goods to the EU. We continue to stand by Ukraine in these dire times.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, says: “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression is severely affecting the Ukrainian economy. I have been in discussions with President Zelensky on ways of supporting the economy, beyond the macro-financial assistance and grants we are providing. We both agree on the critical importance of a quick and broad import duty suspension to boost Ukraine’s economy. The step we are

European Commission executive vicepresident and commissioner for trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, says: “The EU has never before delivered such trade liberalisation measures, which are unprecedented in their scale: granting Ukraine zero tariff, zero quota access to the EU market. Since the start of Russia’s aggression, the EU has prioritised the importance of keeping Ukraine’s economy going – which is crucial both to help it win this

war and to get back on its feet post-war. These measures will directly help Ukrainian producers and exporters. They will inject confidence into the Ukrainian economy and send a strong signal that the EU will do whatever it takes to help Ukraine in its hour of need.”

The news comes as the EU leader called for a ban on Russian oil imports, in the bloc’s sixth and latest package of sanctions. AP reports that von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, proposed to the EU’s member nations to phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year.

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DSV AURELIA TO CHAMPION A NEW GENERATION OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

The world’s deepest diving three-person acrylic submersible was baptised ‘Aurelia’ today as it prepares for its first missions.

The ‘first-of-its-class” sub was built by Triton Submarines LLC for REV Ocean, and the final assembly took place at the Triton facility in San Cugat, Spain. A deep-submergence vehicle (DSV) is a deep-diving crewed submersible that is self-propelled.

The sub offers scientists, researchers and guests an unrivalled experience in ocean observation achieving depths up to 2300 m (7500 ft). Aurelia’s huge acrylic sphere provides a truly immersive experience for occupants, with near 360-degree unobstructed views.

The sub is also fitted with comprehensive scientific sensors, tools, cameras, and sampling equipment.

A public naming competition for the sub was launched in February and the winning name was submitted by Ivar Ruijten an ROV supervisor/pilot from the Netherlands. The name is fitting because it means gold, or “The golden one” (from the Latin Aurum) and because Aurelia aurita is the commonly seen moon-jellyfish which can easily be recognized by its distinctive four horseshoe-shaped pattern, seen through the top of the bell.

REV Ocean’s other deep-sea vehicle, ROV

Aurora entered service in October 2021 and successfully dove the Malloy Deep and the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean (3800 m), successfully sampling hydrothermal vents for the first time.

REV Ocean’s CEO Nina Jensen said, “Aurelia is absolutely incredible and perfectly designed for REV Ocean’s scientific goals and ambitions.

With both Aurelia and Aurora now in service we have the best tag-team in the world for conducting cutting edge ocean science, education, and communications.”

The whole REV Ocean team was on site to observe the final certification (harbour tests) and participate in the baptism ceremony.

Aurelia will now go through extensive sea trials around the Balearic Island in the Mediterranean over the coming weeks to test its capabilities, performance and science equipment. The sea trial is the last phase of construction.

Representatives from Triton, governing and certification officials, and representatives of the owner will participate. This will lead to Aurelia's certification for commissioning and acceptance by its owner.

Said Triton Co-Founder and President Patrick Lahey, “Triton is proud to support Project REV Ocean’s ambitious initiative to dive deeper, explore further and learn more about the

ocean. With the introduction of the Triton 7500/3 (Aurelia), it is now possible for REV Ocean to take a pilot and two crew members on dives as deep as 2,300 meters or 7,500 feet while they enjoy the most compelling viewing experience achieved to date from inside the thickest acrylic sphere ever created. Aurelia will also feature several other new technologies, which increase endurance, expand utility, and enhance effectiveness in ways not possible before. At Triton, we never stop innovating and it is a privilege and an honor to work collaboratively with an organization like Project REV Ocean, which shares our passion and enthusiasm for ocean exploration.”

About REV Ocean REV Ocean is a not-for-profit company created with one overarching purpose and ambition – to make our oceans healthy again. Established in Norway in 2017, REV Ocean’s mission is to enable and inspire ocean solutions and combat the negative pressures currently affecting the ocean. ______________________________________ For more information, please contact: Leighton Rolley Science Systems Manager, REV Ocean Leighton.Rolley@revocean.org (+44) 7463559291 revocean.org

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SUPERYACHT CHARTERING VAT EXEMPT IN SPAIN would no longer be subject to Spanish VAT but to the local taxation applicable there.

It is well known among yacht professionals and especially those involved in superyacht chartering that the VAT regime in Spain has been always particularly tough. Spain, unlike other surrounding countries, as France or Italy, did not implement in National legislation the possibility of a lower effective taxation for charters starting in Spain and cruising into international waters, on the basis of the Use and Enjoyment principle laid down in the EU VAT Directive, resulting that charters starting in Spain have always been fully VAT taxed at 21%, the Spanish standard rate.

However, what is not so well known is that the Use and Enjoyment provision could also tax those charters starting outside the VAT area and entering the territory of the Community -Article 58.b, VAT Directive. That principle is indeed applicable in Spain. In this regard, the wording of the Spanish VAT law in force until 31st December 2020 stipulated that, among other services, the hire of means of transport made available to clients outside the VAT area would be subject to Spanish VAT on the part of the journey taking place in Spanish territory.

Nevertheless, the Spanish government has introduced a slight but significant amendment to the VAT provision that sets out this principle.

In the State General Budget Law for 2021, a mention was included to the Spanish special territories of Ceuta and Melilla –which are outside the VAT Area, EU Customs Territory

This new approach is a very interesting opportunity to apply tax planning to charter operations. Although this option might not be suitable in all cases, depending on the yacht logistics and a proper planning of charter operations, it could represent a significant tax saving and a selling point for clients starting a charter in southern Spain. Needless to say, all that without even considering the natural and cultural wonders that the region has to offer. Thus the possibility of VAT-free chartering in Spain is available. It should be noted that alternative indirect taxation would be applicable to charters starting in these locations, however the actual taxes could be as low as 0,5% on the charter fee.

It would be interesting to see how this new approach might clash with the interpretation of the Use and Enjoyment regulation in other Member States that effectively apply Article 58.b of the VAT Directive.

Maltese Falcon

and Excise Duties Area- and the Canary Islands -which are outside the VAT Area, but within the EU Customs Territory and Excise Duties Area.

The modification of the VAT law implies that any charter starting in any of the above places

In any case, this is a very positive and interesting opportunity for the Spanish yachting Industry. _________________________ Tax Marine (+34) 932 008 453 (+34) 934 442 137

OCTOPUS AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

The 126-metre motor yacht Octopus – commissioned and formerly owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen – is heading to Antarctica in late 2022 and will be available for charter.

Built by the German shipyard Lürssen, to a design by Espen Øino, Octopus is one of the largest superyachts in the world, with space for 12 guests and a crew of 42. Until her sale in 2021, she was kept incredibly private. Images of her interior were only released to the public after she was added to Camper & Nicholsons‘ charter fleet following the sale.

The swimming pool and accompanied by multiple bars.

jacuzzi

are

This is the first time Octopus has been available

for charter, marking the occasion with a twoyear round-the-world tour, which began in January this year. So far, the itinerary includes Costa Rica, Panama, and South America and will wrap up with an Antarctica tour in early December.

At the time of her launch in 2003, Octopus was a pioneer, commencing a trend for vessels to be equipped for science, research and true ocean-crossing travel. She sports an ice-class 1A steel hull, allowing her to safely traverse the iceberg-filled seas surrounding the southernmost continent.

“She’s the perfect yacht to undertake such a voyage,” says Jacqui Lockhart, head of charter marketing Europe for Camper & Nicholsons.

“She’s well-equipped to host intrepid

charterers off the beaten track with a fully equipped medical suite and dive centre on board – complete with hyperbaric chamber – as well as a submarine and two helipads.”

Octopus also boasts an underwater lounge, an entertainment deck with cinema and spa, a swimming pool with multiple bars, a forward-facing indoor observation deck, and seven tenders.

Camper & Nicholsons has designed a sevenday Antarctic tour, departing from King George Island and passing through the Gerlache Strait, taking in sights such as humpback whales, Gentoo penguins and the wreck of the SS Guvernoren.

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IMMERSION - TONY'S LATEST SUPERYACHT EXPERIENCE Enjoying a superyacht charter is said to be all about having unrivalled experiences; experiences which include exclusive locations, distinctive culture, exquisite food, opulent accommodation, rousing water sports and world-class entertainment. A sort of magical experience that we mere mortals might only dream of or yearn for. Courtesy of magician, Tony Steward and his new onboard experience, “Immersion”, superyacht charter guests can share in appreciating some real magic. These will inevitably be recalled as among the standout memories of the trip. An associate member of the Inner Magic Circle, Tony’s level of skill, notably, his sleight-of-hand, is sure to leave guests scratching their heads long after they depart.

A preview of his new show was performed to an audience of around 100 charter brokers and managers, onboard the outstanding 72-metre superyacht Stella Maris, at the MYBA Charter Show, Barcelona. The size of the audience on the Stella Maris was naturally much larger than that which Tony would present to on a superyacht charter, which would be 10 or 20 guests, however, this proved to be no problem for Tony. Perhaps with a touch of magic, he appropriately upped his game to entertain and astound the audience with his mind-blowing and confounding illusions. ‘Immersion’ lasted for just under an hour, where Tony held the audience in the palm of his hand, each illusion bringing with it much applause and delight.

Tony made a very strong opening impression with an illusion involving a bottle of champagne and a balloon; an odd combination you may think, but one that was so impactful it left everyone’s mouths wide open and the audience still deliberating it after the show had concluded. This was followed by a series of diverse illusions, including card tricks, tech illusions, mind games and even one starring live butterflies, all of which held every ounce of the audience’s attention from start to finish. Just as Tony commenced with a compelling opener, naturally, he concluded his performance with a simply unforgettable and unfathomable illusion, where I witnessed an item of furniture levitating right in front of my eyes. Brokers were invited to investigate the illusion, swiping their hands above and below and given a full 360-degree view, leaving them utterly dumbfounded. A spectacular ending to an exhilarating show!

The performance generated a very positive response from the sizeable group of yacht charter specialists. They all operate in a fiercely competitive marketplace where satisfying and exceeding their charter clients’ expectations is crucial to winning repeat business. Therefore, learning about original and out-of-the-ordinary experiences, such as the one presented by Tony, is a key part of their job.

Tony will without doubt, further enhance his already eminent track record of performances within the superyacht charter market with ‘Immersion’. This is an area where he has been active for several years and the testimonials from Captains and senior executives within the sector readily highlight how exalted

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his previous presentations have been. The combination of Tony’s diverse array of tricks; his affable and engaging style, plus his aptitude and professionalism in working with the audience, all contributed to the delectation of the performance and Tony’s impact on his audience.

Lies Sol, a charter broker working in Phuket for Northrop & Johnson who participated directly in one of the card tricks, commented: “Wow that was very impressive! I have no idea at all how he managed to do that. I would certainly be interested in using Tony!”.

Another broker who wanted to remain nameless so that she did not possibly spoil the surprise for her guests later in the year, said: “I have already booked Tony to perform during a couple of upcoming charters to entertain the guests. The show was excellent.”

Susan Kidd, a Senior Charter Broker with Camper & Nicholsons International, remarked: “A very entertaining performance and Tony has a very warm, engaging style with the audience, which is a must when working with charter clients and guests.”

The rapturous applause received throughout the show, and particularly at the finale, made it clear the audience had in fact been immersed in Tony’s magical performance. _____________________________________ David Smith david@tonysteward.co.uk

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CHARTER IN ITALY

DAY 2

With a summer filled with travel ahead, there is no time like the present to make your summer plans become a reality! We love a summer spent in the Mediterranean and Italy certainly ticks all the boxes for enjoying a European summer. Spend time exploring Europe's most magnificent coastline when you book a yacht charter along the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Visit ancient historical sites, play in crystal clear Mediterranean waters and soak up that hot Italian sun living la dolce vita. Welcome to your possible itinerary for exploring this fantastic gem in the Mediterranean.

DAY 1 Spend the morning exploring Naples before heading to your yacht at noon. Your captain and crew will be ready and waiting, cold drinks

Today you'll spend the day in Ischia and it's time to be pampered! Visit the thermal spas and hot springs or get lathered with volcanic mud at Sant'Angelo d'Ischia and Casamicciola Terme. Head back to the yacht and swim in volcanic springs or take in the views of the Medieval castle that still stands today.

DAY 3

in hand, to show you around your new floating home for the next week. The chef has prepared lunch alfresco so you can enjoy their delicious creations while taking in the coastal views.

Enjoy a fresh cup of coffee brought to you on the foredeck this morning as your captain cruises down to Ponza. Stop on the way in Ventotene for a dip in the sea, discovering the many fish, shipwrecks and caves this region is famous for. Take the tender into Ponza to explore the town in the afternoon.

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DAY 4 Enjoy another morning in Ponza visiting the beaches, taking the jetskis for a spin or relaxing in the jacuzzi in the sun onboard with a good book. This afternoon your captain will head for lovely Capri. A formal dinner is served by your chef and crew tonight - a toast to another fabulous day on the water!

DAY 5 Capri is one of the most photographed regions of Italy and you'll see why! Breathtaking scenery, Blue Grotto caves and the many historical churches on land will keep you busy this afternoon. Tonight you'll definitely want to dine in town and experience Capri at night... don't forget your camera as the sunsets here are hard to beat!

DAY 6 Another day, another island and another heritage site to behold! Visit Salerno with the Duomo of Salerno and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park. Amalfi has a strong history of fishery so make sure you stop in for a bit of lunch to take in the culture here.

DAY 7 Take a short cruise to Positano today and stretch your legs climbing to get a picture of the fantastic views below you. Make sure you try and spot your yacht out at anchor! Head back to the yacht for more time in the water before dining alfresco on your cruise to Sorrento.

DAY 8 A quick final historical visit into the town of Pompei - you can't come to this area without checking out the Roman ruins of Pompei. Head back to the yacht as you have one final lunch from your amazing chef before pulling back into Naples to your journey home. _____________________________________ OceanScape Yachts rebecca@oceanscapeyachts.com www.oceanscapeyachts.com

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BIG CHANGE II

"The most beautiful, comfortable boat, but more than that, the most welcoming, attentive and knowledgeable crew" Relishing the luxury yachting lifestyle on BIG CHANGE II is easy, combining fun activities, excellent performance and comfort throughout. An outstanding charter yacht, ideal to really maximise precious times with family and friends, she is available for Mediterranean cruising this summer.

Built by Turkish shipyard Proteksan Turquoise in 1986, 38m BIG CHANGE II returned years later and underwent an extensive re-build, seeing her completely revitalised and subsequently relaunched in 2012. Featuring a steel hull

and aluminium superstructure, she has been equipped with an ultra-modern system of zero speed stabilizers to reduce roll motion and also deliver a smooth cruising experience.

She cruises at 10 knots with a top speed of 13 knots.

Sporting a well-thought-out interior together with a stunning combination of external areas, BIG CHANGE II is a go-to yacht for soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine.

The main deck aft offers an excellent zone for both dining and relaxation with a large, covered area, perfect for evenings enjoying the chef's delicious cuisine and watching lights twinkle ashore. The comfortable salon with neutral tones highlighted by colourful accents

offers a welcoming ambience with plenty of lounging space. Upwards and the panoramic sky lounge is also a popular hub, simply ideal for watching the sunset or enjoying leisurely family time together. Offering seating, a bar area plus dining table, the opportunities here are endless. Out on deck is a selection of comfortable seating and dining areas to enjoy socialising and relaxation. The stylish sun deck is the prime spot for soaking up stunning views whilst cruising the Mediterranean. Sun pads are placed forward and aft plus a central Jacuzzi and table arrangement, making this a big draw for guests on board to fully relax in comfort. Forward of the wheelhouse is also a fabulous sun pad zone giving privacy and, of course, access to more amazing views.

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Offering four doubles and one twin stateroom, BIG CHANGE II provides spacious and tastefully decorated accommodation for up to eleven guests. The master stateroom with office and en suite is located forward on the main deck.

On the lower deck is the VIP double stateroom situated aft to starboard and a double stateroom on port side. Forward starboard is a smaller double stateroom and a twin stateroom located forward port side with two singles plus a Pullman, suitable for a child up to the age of 13. All staterooms are beautifully decorated with a splash of colour and have en suites and TV/entertainment systems.

Access to the water is easy with dual stairs leading to the spacious swim platform. A vast

array of water toys are available to make the most of some fun in the sun this summer. From the calmer opportunity to enjoy paddleboards and kayaks to the adrenaline rush of Jet Skis, wakeboard and inflatable tows, there is certainly something for every charter guest. In addition there is a selection of gym equipment for those looking to keep up routines whilst away, plus an ultra-modern AV system plus range of media and gaming consoles.

Ocean Independence Senior Charter Broker, Stephanie Archer, commented, "BIG CHANGE II is a highly popular choice for Mediterranean charters, thanks to many features but notably her great choice of socialising areas both inside and out. The colourful interior will brighten up

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anyone's holiday and the sun pad forward is popular for teenagers wanting to escape the adults – or vice versa! With her amazing crew under Captain Andrew Wilson, service, fun and an unforgettable getaway are on the cards".

Thanks to her ideal mix of luxury, craftsmanship and plenty of amenities, BIG CHANGE II is a stylish choice for a summer getaway. Add in her superb accommodation, excellent entertaining zones together with a topflight crew she has massive charter appeal! ______________________________________ Ocean Independence enquiries@ocyachts.com www.oceanindependence.com

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THE MED'S BEST SCUBA DIVING SITES, FROM MALLORCA’S EL TORO TO MALTA’S BLUE HOLE Whoever said Mediterranean dive sites lack marine life and visibility obviously hasn’t been to Croatia’s Premuda or Sardinia’s Capo Caccia.

From spots vibrant with colourful fish to sites boasting eerie shipwrecks, we bet naysayers will sing a different tune after delving into our pick of the Med’s best dive locations!

Mallorca’s El Toro Marine Reserve will blow your mind The first site that blows misconceptions about Med diving out of the water is Mallorca’s El Toro. Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Mission Blue, explained it best when she enthused: “I’ve been diving in the Mediterranean before, but nothing I’ve seen before compares to what I’ve seen today. The diversity of life, the quality of the systems, the big fish, the amount of fish, and things that I don’t see elsewhere, like grouper!”

Malta’s Blue Hole is a veritable diver’s dream Descend to Malta’s Blue Hole, a veritable divers’ dream, and be wowed by the clearest, bluest waters you’ve ever seen. Spot octopuses and lobsters living amongst the rock and ogle beautifully coloured parrotfish (note how hard it is to decide which of the parrotfish's features is most remarkable). Dive deeper and marvel at the atmospheric reflections in two underwater

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caves. And if you’re lucky, you may even be greeted by a brightly coloured triggerfish on your Maltese adventure!

Dive through history and discover Premuda’s war wreck With a fascinating World War I wreck and vibrant marine life, it’s no wonder that Croatia’s Premuda is a favourite with newbie and experienced divers alike. Follow the bubbles and explore wrecks the SMS Szent Istvan — a battleship that was torpedoed in 1918. Another divers’ must-do is a visit to ‘the cathedral’, a system of connected caves with depths ranging between 10-30m. Otherworldly light rays fall through the caves’ porous ceilings and make for a dramatic light show and superb visibility.

Giglio Island, worthy of the most discerning divers’ bucket list Kaleidoscopic colours await divers that plunge into Giglio Island’s emerald coloured waters.

Descend and be dazzled by blue barracudas, yellow moray eels, giant orange spider crabs (some with a body diameter of over 30 cm), and moss green crawfish, to name but a few.

And if that’s not enough to impress you, surely the sight of pink gorgonians, orange candlestick sponges, yellow crust polyp and black coral will do the trick. Oh, and keep an eye out for seahorses, the most magical of marine creatures.

Capo Caccia, a unique portal to Sardinia’s magical underwater world

Boasting some of the cleanest water in the Med, Capo Caccia is what divers’ dreams are made of. Lorenzo Giacomuzzi, superyacht captain and scuba instructor, wholeheartedly agrees. “It’s one of the few places in the Med rich with red coral and soft corals, like sea fingers and sea whips. You’ll also see schools of barracudas, large grouper, and octopuses — diving here is just spectacular!”

With its shallow waters, caves and tunnels, the Capo Caccia Marine Reserve offers diving opportunities for all levels, from beginners to case-hardened divers.

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_____________________________________ As a boutique charter agency, we offer a personalized service and smooth negotiation process. To put it in a nutshell: we're great at doing big things with less.

Captains keen to hear about our various management options or owners wanting to know more about the benefits of putting their yacht on the charter market are invited to get in touch via phone / email or to drop into our Palma office. www.snsyachtcharter.com

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I am a passionate sailor and island-hopping enthusiast, especially around The Balearics. Overleaf you will find my superyacht regatta calendar with my season’s highlights, get inspired!

Alice Widdows Events and Marketing is a full-service event management company committed to creating the next generation of bespoke luxury superyacht events.

We would love to help you experience the best of the superyacht life. Let us help you to organise a superyacht regatta charter in some of the world’s most beautiful, and exclusive destinations.

Looking to build a luxury brand, we can organise exclusive superyacht events and experiences for you. Connect with us here: LinkedIn: Alice Widdows Instagram: @superyachtevents Email: alice@alicewiddows.com www.alicewiddows.com

FROM PORTO FINO, PALMA, PORTO CERVO: THE MEDITERRANEAN YACHT RACING SEASON IS NOW OPEN

The fleet racing off of Portofino | © Carlo Borlenghi

Sailors are shaking down and gearing up for the Mediterranean sailing season. Local businesses and the economy couldn’t be more ready for us to go big boat yacht racing. Let’s go!

main partner is Rolex, the regatta is known for the stunning location, sailing in the waters and against the beautiful backdrop of Portofino is a firm favourite with maxi owners.

Regate Di Primavera Regate Di Primavera saw some of the racing yachts sail 26 - miles around the picturesque Ligurian hamlet of Portofino. Participants competed for the Mylius Cup over the fourday long weekend from 22nd - 25th April marking the start of the Mediterranean Maxi racing season.

This year however, weather conditions were not so idyllic on the Gulf of Tigullio and were more like winter than their spring we have come to know and love. Although bad weather meant only three of the scheduled races could go ahead, spirits refused to be dampened.

Racing was still passion fuelled and the best efforts from the race committee ensured the spirit of the regatta was not lost.

Organised by Yacht Club Italiano in conjunction with the International Maxi Association whose

Yachts ranged in size from Francesco De Santis’ Southern Wind 100 Morgana down to several

60 footers such as the two Mylius 60’s Antonio Romeo's Jecaluand Franz Wilhelm Baruffaldi Preis's Manticore. As racing begun it was clear that the unreliable weather wasn’t the only drama, a pecking order for the remainder of the regatta was quickly established for the 26mile race. The 30.5-metre Morgana led the fleet home on the water, but it was the allblack Mylius 80, Twin Soul B that won under IRC corrected time.

Morgana, launched in late 2020 by SWS is new on the regatta circuit and all eyes will be on her regatta performance this season. And she started strong with a serious statement, Brazilian five Olympic medallist Torben Grael was onboard calling tactics. I am looking

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We love Portofino | © Carlo Borlenghi

forward to seeing how her initial performance compares to when she next lines up in the superyacht division at The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda this month. One to watch.

Secretary General of the International Maxi Association, Andrew McIrvine, summarised the weekend’s events in Portofino; “A great location, perfect organisation, outstanding and stylish social events, but sadly let down by the one thing regatta organisers and sponsors can never control - the weather. Racing on two out of four days is not ideal, but well done all to achieve that against the odds.”

18th Palma Vela

across the Bay of Palma, Galateia maintained their perfect tally to win by eight points ahead of Andrea Recordati’s recently acquired Wally 93, Bullit competing for the first time. Second place ensured the Italian flagged team finished runners-up at their first competitive outing on the boat.

is difficult as you are always compromised by the big boats. But it is a nice boat, lighter and more agile than the others in some situations.

The boat is still improving. We will make some small changes. Now we have a good feeling for how to improve the boat, like where to position the weight, improve the sail and mast set up.”

Luna Rossa’s Francesco Bruni, Bullit’s tactician, confirmed the new owner and the team are delighted with their Palma debut, “We are super happy with second as we have never raced it before and so it was like racing a new boat, so to finish second is great. It is a hard boat to sail here in this class because it is slower than the big boats and so tactically it

I look forward to seeing Bruni and the Bullit crew in Porto Cervo and how they build on their performance over the season. Bullit will also be participating in The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta this month in her home waters of YCCS. Another one to watch.

In the fleet of seven Maxis, four of them 100

Hosted by Real Club Náutico de Palma and returning to its normal dates on the racing calendar this year was the 18th edition of the Palma Vela, running from the 1st - 8th of May. The 100 - boat strong Palma Vela regatta, Mallorca’s early season curtain raiser welcomed back a strong IRC Maxi/International Maxi Class for the first time since the 2018 event.

The seven strong IRC Maxi/IMA classes featured four Wally yachts, a Nautor Swan 80, the Farr 100-footer Leopard and the Spanish flagged, Mills designed Vismara 68 Pelotari Project which had just won the Palma Vela long offshore race, the prelude to the main event.

Opening with a blast of gusty NE’ly winds, the 18th edition produced spectacular and challenging conditions during the 28-mile coastal race which was sailed by the seven strong fleet of IRC - IMA Maxi yachts.

In a final light-winds coastal race back-and-forth

Superyacht events & regattas have a positive impact on the island | © RCNP

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feet or bigger, Galateia again finished more than two minutes ahead after time correction, leading all the way around the 30 nautical miles course.

“Once again it was not easy out there. But it was good fun and challenging. The breeze was quite streaky and changeable, sometimes filling right into the Bay and then withdrawing again so sometimes we were stretching away and sometimes losing to the fleet. It was a close race all the way until Magic Carpet had an issue with their kite and then even after that it was close with Bullit. I think we had a good week, we had fun.” Palma’s Jordi Calafat, 470 Olympic gold medallist who is strategist on Galateia enthused.

Apart from the competition on the water, the return of the regatta meant a huge positive impact for the beautiful city of Palma and its local economy, with Emerico Fuster (President of the Real Club Náutico de Palma) highlighting.

Wally Galateia wins Palma Vela | © RCNP

“The regatta will bring about two thousand people into the city of Palma, adding to the good Easter that our hoteliers and restauranteurs have had. Without a doubt one more sign that we are returning to a certain type of normality!”

I love to appreciate real data and see the positive economic impact superyacht events have on local businesses and to the local economies. It’s an extremely positive sign for the business of superyachts.

Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta Organised since 2008 by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with new sponsor for 2022, Giorgio Armani, the Superyacht Regatta will run from 31st May - 4th June 2022. The regatta is open to superyachts with a minimum length of 90 feet and multihulls of at least 50 feet in length. As in previous editions, the event will also include the Southern Wind Rendezvous and Trophy and opens the superyacht racing calendar.

The Palma Vela welcomed some challenging weather conditions | © RCNP

As entries shape up nicely for the regatta, we are glad to be welcoming back past participants including Schooner Mariette of 1915, Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design Ribelle and previous title holder Wally Yacht Magic Carpet 3, along with many other stunning superyachts.

The regatta will also be welcoming Sailing Yacht of the Year; superyacht Geist to the regatta line up, a 34m Gary Rhodes Design built by Spirit Yachts who scooped two accolades at the prestigious World Superyacht Awards 2021, winning both the Sailing Yacht category and the coveted Sailing Yacht of the Year Award.

We are looking forward to welcoming owners, captains, and crew back to the beautiful Costa Esmeralda for a spectacular week of sun and superyacht racing at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta.

It’s not one to miss! Save the date 31st May - 4th June 2022 and follow live updates on www.theislander.net ______________________________________

Ribelle will return to race at The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo | © Carlo Borlenghi

By Alice Widdows

www.alicewiddows.com

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FLYING FIFTEEN MALLORCA the churning maelstrom at the mark… twinning line on, jib sheet set, pole back … helm up and around she goes … simple. Oh oh… some overripe bananas had managed to break free from the captive net and were now underfoot…

Alan´s feet. The gybe was perfectly executed… pole on the new side, crew trimming like blazes – minus his helm who was now attempting to dodge the oncoming fleet whilst perfecting his breaststroke at the same time.

Ken Dumpleton travelled regularly from his home near Dublin (where he also has a flying fifteen) to sail with us in Mallorca, and was always a competitive sailor, with many enjoyable stories. He still sails from the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland – where the 2019 World’s were sailed. In his own words…

Ken’s bit I first started sailing in 1992 (at the age of 42) and my first boat was a flying fifteen. Little did I realise at that time, what fun, excitement and pleasure lay ahead. flying fifteen sailing has taken me all over the world and introduced me to new friends in a wide range of places. Along the way I have experienced some hilarious and exciting moments, brief episodes that are a cause for great amusement even to this day.

Not all of them happened to me but here is a taster of some: "The day the bananas broke free" As a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the flying fifteen Class the 1997 World Championships were held in Cowes...the home of Uffa Fox (who designed the boat). To my recollection it was the largest single gathering of flying fifteen´s ever. Twelve boats travelled from Ireland (my homeland) with the intention of joining in the fun, which we certainly did!!!

One or two of our number were featuring regularly at the top of the fleet, while the rest of us popped up (or propped up) the middle and lower orders. One particular boat became involved in an incident which we still speak of many years later, much to the embarrassment of the individual concerned (no need to "name names", but Alan Dooley will do for now!).

The event itself was held in sunny warm and light conditions, the tide of course playing a huge role in decision making. On the day "the bananas broke free" we were treated to a lovely 10/12 knot breeze which brought everybody to life with nice waves and planing conditions on the reaches… that’s where the problem for Alan started…!

The huge fleet got away cleanly from the only start of the day and headed to the windward mark on an Olympic style course. The usual suspects rounded in the lead bunch, difficult

to see from where I was, with the remainder closely – very closely – bunched behind. The boats proceeded off down the first starboard reach heading for the gybe mark. Every inch counts at this stage so there was quite a lot of luffing, shouting and general excitement as we approached the gybe mark. I had a very good view of this as I was in the rearguard having been over the line at the start and sailing like a complete wally!!!

Now as you all know there are certain niceties and rules to be observed at each of the marks, with certain boats taking precedence in rounding them, so positioning and sharp boat handling are essential.

Unfortunately, Alan got only one of these disciplines spot on. Having obtained an inside track in the approach to the gybe mark he was looking really well placed to round ahead of a large group of boats which were stacked up at the mark. I should say at this stage that Alan was fastidious about his diet and carried a wide variety of nuts, drinks and fruit on board.

These consumables nestled ordinarily in a net under the aft deck of the boat.

Back to the gybe, all seemed to be going well in

Now sailing a flying fifteen on a 3-sail reach in planing conditions can be great fun… however having somebody to steer is essential. The inevitable happened… bang!!! the boat luffed sharply to the left and collided with a startled Australian helm and crew who up ‘til then had been congratulating themselves as they were sailing over their Irish competitors. With Alan reattached to his boat, both competitors retired to the bar for the rest of the day.

For both of them their event was over for at least another day. Later that night the Ozzie and Alan polished off a bottle of Jamieson while at the same time commencing what became a lifelong bond of friendship.

Alan is still sailing flying fifteen´s in Dun Laoghaire and for the record he called his next boat … BANOFFI. Until next month… “A stitch in time… causes chaos”, Ken Up next: 6 June Pollença Trofeo Formentor 18 June Pollença Hugh Wilson Trophy 2/9/16 July Pollença fuego series ____________________________________ Stephen Babbage If you’re interested in a trial sail, just follow the link: http://tiny.cc/TrialaFlying15, we’d love to see you!

Our 2022 calendar is posted on our website http://flyingfifteen.mallorcaservice.de Visit us on Facebook @f15spain.

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TOM SLINGSBY JOINS NYYC AMERICAN MAGIC FOR 37TH AMERICA’S CUP one of the best sailors in the world, winning multiple world championships and an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.

In the last decade, he’s won major championships in everything from 100-foot supermaxis to singlehanded foiling Moths including being named the 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year.

He sailed with Oracle Team USA in the 2013 and 2017 America’s Cup matches and won the first two seasons of SailGP as the driver of the Australian Team. He will continue with his role on the Australia SailGP Team.

“People are the most valuable resource for any America’s Cup challenge, and we’re excited to have Tom on our team,” says Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and President of Sailing Operations for NYYC American Magic.

“As a previous winner of the America’s Cup, Tom knows what it takes to climb that mountain. He has shown incredible ability in foiling yachts, and his skill and experience will be a tremendous asset for American Magic going forward.”

The Olympic gold medallist will continue to lead Australia SailGP Team and look to join American Magic in Pensacola this summer.

Nearly a decade ago, Tom Slingsby helped an American team win the most prestigious trophy in sailing, the 34th America’s Cup. In 2024, he hopes to do it again.

New York Yacht Club American Magic is pleased to announce it has signed Slingsby, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and multi-class world champion, to its sailing team for its pursuit of the 37th America’s Cup, which will be sailed off Barcelona, Spain, in the Fall of 2024.

“I’m extremely excited to return to the America’s Cup arena,” says Slingsby, 37.

“The AC75s are remarkable craft, and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help our team in their quest to bring the trophy back to the United States and the New York Yacht Club.

We’ve got world-class talent on board the boat and backing us on the shore, I’m proud and excited to be a part of it.”

New York Yacht Club American Magic was formed in 2018 by principals Hap Fauth, Roger Penske, and Doug DeVos with the intent of winning the oldest trophy in international sports. The team competed in the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

Slingsby was a latecomer to competitive sailing, his passion for excellence catching fire while watching the 2000 Olympic Regatta on Sydney Harbour. But he quickly developed into

“Having Tom and Paul Goodison, both Olympic Gold Medalists and world champions, driving our AC75 gives us a great competitive position,” says Hap Fauth. “They are fierce competitors who win at the highest level of sailing. Combine this with the world-class team we are building, and I am thrilled with our prospects.”

Slingsby will look to join the team later this summer in Pensacola, Fla., as the NYYC American Magic sets up its training base and begins working toward a victory in the 37th America’s Cup. ______________________________________ Justin Chisholm Managing Editor America’s Cup News Above Image by Sail GP

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WALLY CENTO GALATEIA WIN PALMAVELA MAXI CLASS WITH A FISTFUL OF FIRSTS

The Wally Cento Galateia won the IRC-IMA Maxi division at Mallorca’s big boat season opener PalmaVela with a perfect scoreline of six wins from six starts. Victory in a final lightwinds coastal race back-and-forth across the Bay of Palma maintained their perfect tally to win by eight points ahead of Andrea Recordati’s recently acquired Wally 93 Bullit. Second place today ensured the Italian flagged team finished runners-up at their first competitive outing on the boat.

In the fleet of seven Maxis, four of them 100 feet or bigger, Galateia again finished more than two minutes ahead after time correction, leading all the way around the 30 nautical miles course.

“Once again it was not easy out there. But it was good fun and challenging. The breeze was quite streaky and changeable, sometimes filling right into the Bay and then withdrawing again so sometimes we were stretching away and sometimes losing to the fleet. It was a close race all the way until Magic Carpet had an issue with their kite and then even after that it was close with Bullit. I think we had a good week, we had fun.” Palma’s Jordi Calafat, 470 Olympic gold medallist who is strategist on Galateia enthused.

raced it before and so it was like racing a new boat, so to finish second is great. It is a hard boat to sail here in this class because it is slower than the big boats and so tactically it is difficult as you are always compromised by the big boats. But it is a nice boat, lighter and more agile than the others in some situations.

The boat is still improving. We will make some small changes. Now we have a good feeling for how to improve the boat, like where to position the weight, improve the sail and mast set up.”

Luna Rossa’s Francesco Bruni, Bullit’s tactician, confirmed the new owner and the team are delighted with their Palma debut, “We are super happy with second as we have never

Today’s coastal race proved the decider in ORC Class 0-1 where the consistently successful DK46 Urbania which has Iñaki Castañer calling tactics sealed the class title by winning today’s

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long race whilst their nearest challengers, the Spanish Navy’s TP52 Aifos 500, could only make fourth. The chartered DK46 has won their class at Copa del Rey MAPFRE four years in a row with Luis Martínez Doreste in charge.

ORC Class 2 was won by another Real Club Náutico de Palma regular, Christian Plump and the Spanish Sailing Federation’s president Javier Sanz on the Club Swan 42 Elena Nova.

With ace Palma Bay navigator Nacho Postigo guesting on the boat this week Elena Nova won two of the three races which were sailed.

“It was a little bit unlucky for our class that we only managed three races, as most had four or five, and so I think that if we had done more races then it would not have been the same for us, it would have been much more even. If there were five races then Plan B or M8 could

have beaten us.” Said Postigo.

The visiting German team from Kiel YC on Immac Fram, the Italia 9.98 won both races today in ORC 4 to clinch their first ever win in the Mediterranean.

“We had sun, we had wind and we had two good races and took two bullets. We sorted out our communication issues before the start and so we are super happy to win. We could not be more happy.” Said Florian Schluender, mainsail trimmer. Second was Scott Beattie’s Andratx’s based J/97 Just the Job. Nicolás González’s Dufour 40 Lady triumphed in ORC Class 4 counting all wins in their scoreline, “The performance of the boat has been excellent, we sailed to four first and in the end it was quite comfortable. The key is that

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we really do have a good crew. We have been sailing together for a long time and we really wanted to win.”

A last day surge by the Pez de Abril crew of José María Meseguer from Murcia gave them the Club Swan 42 title, “It’s been complete regatta in the sense that we have had all kinds of winds.

And it has been really gorgeous. We have been able to improve more and more as a team and that is what has made the difference.”

Spain’s double Olympic silver medallist Natalia Vía-Dufresne and crew won the J/80 class whilst Germany’s Michael Zankel won the Dragon class on Pow Wow. ______________________________________ All images by © Nico Martínez / PalmaVela

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INDONESIA’S NEW VISA & EASIER YACHT ENTRY

Indonesia is easing access for yachts to enter into Bali, Batam, Bintan and Nunukan and quarantine is now lifted for arrivals by air or sea.

And good news for foreign-flagged yachts… a new visa is on the horizon as the country slowly gets back to pre-Covid times.

“Most importantly, a new visa is being rolled out soon that would give 180 days straight away with no extensions”, explains Captain Thomas Taatjas of Asia Pacific Superyachts Bali, adding, “This is exciting news as the previous one needed time consuming extensions at immigration offices every month. This was really a pain for people cruising”, also noting Visa on Arrival is currently available only at the airport and not seaports, including Bali.

President Joko Widodo recently issued a Presidential Decree regarding visa-free facility for visitors from 90 countries and a Presidential Decree for easy access for foreign yachts to enter Indonesia, reported the chairman of the

Committee of Public Policy of the ministry of transportation, retired admiral Dr Marsetya.

In neighboring countries especially Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand the number of yacht and cruise ship visits was far higher because procedures to get entry permits are easier there especially with regard to custom, immigration, quarantine and port clearance, he said.

“There is no longer a quarantine when entering Indonesia, there is no longer a PCR test on arrival and VOA has been reinstated for many countries”, reports Captain Thomas, noting APS will continue to advise and ensure clients are aware of the last-known situation for entering Indonesia. Additionally, he notes foreign yachts are no longer requested to have a CAIT (Clearance, Approval for Indonesia Territory) permit to enter the country.

Year round cruising is possible because Indonesia spans both sides of the equator - meaning it has both north and south

hemispheres. Indonesia lies between 10⁰N and 10⁰S; meaning it it’s out of typhoon and hurricane range. Southern Indonesia (8⁰S parallel, Komodo, Bali, Java Southern Sumatra, etc) is best between May and October; the Northern Hemisphere (Raja Ampat, Sulawesi, Papua, etc) is best between October and May. This year-round advantage of the largest tropical archipelago in the world gives Indonesia the potential to be the best cruising destination in the world, said Captain Thomas, “It just needs the infrastructure to follow”.

Cruising between more than 17,500 Indonesian islands you will be amazed of the diversity, the culture and the personality of each and every island. There is a reason why Indonesia’s national motto is “Unity in Diversity”. ____________________________________ www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com Photo Credit: Asia Pacific Superyachts

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NO MORE TESTS TO THAILAND FOR FULLY VACCINATED TRAVELLERS FROM MAY 1ST Thailand will lift the RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals from 1 May 2022.

Travellers, including international yachts, will be allowed to enter the kingdom without the pre-arrival nor arrival tests.

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration has approved the dropping of all testing for travellers to Thailand (Thais and foreign) starting May 1. Registration for the revised Thailand Pass is expected to be available from April 29, according to the Thailand Pass website.

It’s the biggest easing of entry requirements for fully vaccinated travellers since the Thailand Pass was introduced as an upgrade for the earlier Certificate of Entry on November 1 2021.

“This is great news for Thailand as tourists are already starting to arrive and more are booking for the next few months. It’s rewarding to see that Thailand hasn’t lost its appeal. This is a milestone in Thailand’s recovery and we’re

thrilled to welcome visiting yachts”, said Gordon Fernandes and Captain Charlie Dwyer, co-founders of Asia Pacific Superyachts.

Thailand’s CCSA) approved the lifting of the RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals beginning 1 May, 2022 and introduced two new entry schemes specifically customised for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.

International travellers who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to show proof of a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test nor undergo an arrival test. They are still required to register for a Thailand Pass (via https://tp.consular.go.th/) with a Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination and an insurance policy with coverage no less than US$10,000 (reduced from US$20,000). Once arriving in Thailand, they will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the kingdom.

International travellers who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated will also no longer be required to show proof of a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test nor undergo an arrival test. They are required to register for a Thailand Pass with a 5-day hotel booking or yacht stay and an insurance policy with coverage no less than US$10,000 (reduced from US$20,000). Once arriving in Thailand, they must proceed to undergo the quarantine for 5 days and undergo an RT-PCR test on Day 5.

An exception is made for unvaccinated travellers who are able to upload proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel via the Thailand Pass system, they – like those fully vaccinated – will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the kingdom.

There will be no more Test & Go or Sandbox programs and there’s now more options for unvaccinated travellers. The only two options for arriving travellers will simply be ‘vaccinated’ or ‘unvaccinated’. But the key change is that there is no pre-travel or on arrival testing from May 1 for fully vaccinated travellers. ____________________________________ www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com Phuket Contact: gordon@asia-pacific-superyachts.com

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SRI LANKA RELAXES GUIDELINES & WELCOMES YACHTS

Adding to other Asia Pacific countries opening up to international yachts, Sri Lankan Health Authorities relaxed COVID 19 health guidelines recently for overseas travelers and visitors arriving by sea. Visitors are now permitted to go ashore without any restrictions, except to wear masks.

The government has opened its doors to the world and foreign-flagged yachts once again, says Priyantha Perera, director of Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) Sri Lanka. “Two recent health guidelines approved by the Ministry of Defense this week in lifting the restrictions of crew movement during the COVID 19 pandemic are available to yachts by emailing priyantha@asia-pacific-superyachts.com.

“Now that the country is open to arriving yachts, it’s interesting to note that even with the many regulations concerning tender boat operations and lack of anchorages suitable for superyachts, Sri Lanka remains a stunning adventure cruising destination”, notes Perera.

A country of 1,300 kilometres of coastline,

eight Unesco World Heritage Sites and 15 national parks are among the many reasons Sri Lanka is known as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’. Galle is the preferred port and APS reports refueling and provisioning at the port of Galle is straightforward. Galle is where most yachts clear in and is also the port where conditions for visiting yachts have shown some improvement, notes Perera, adding, “An agent is required to clear into and out of Sri Lanka and basically organise everything. APS can handle all yacht needs and can specifically advise on moorings and restrictions at Galle, as space is very limited”.

Once formalities are completed special permission must still be obtained before travelling to other northern states. There are important procedures in place for Captains after entering, adds Perera, “For example, yachts must first obtain Defense Ministry & Sri Lanka Customs Approval before cruising around the country. The best time to visit is October to April - when the bay is blue and the sea calm with light winds and blue sky. During these six months all the conditions are spot on

to enjoy some wonderful cruising experiences”, explains Priyantha.

Boating has been important in Sri Lanka going back many centuries to its fishing industry. The culture of this remote country, separated from India by a few nautical miles along the narrow Palk Straits, is integrally with boating and remains a useful stop for yachts en route to the Red Sea. It is also a good point of departure for cruising the Maldives, Chagos and Seychelles.

The main cruising destinations in Sri Lanka consist of the North-East coast and the Southern coast which boasts of some of the most pristine beaches of the world. An APS itinerary will include a journey to and around the best cruising grounds along with authentic experiences, such as personal visit to the local ‘Stilt Fishermen’- the only spot in the world to find these unique fishermen. ____________________________________ www.asia-pacific-superyacts.com/srilanka

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MEET THE CREW – STACEY ROWLING

Tell me a little bit about yourself…

What made you decide to go into yachting?

always something to improve on.

Hello, my name is Stacey, I’m 34 years old from England. I’m an easy going very chilled person, I always have a smile on my face, and it takes a lot to get me down. I’m very active and love the outdoors and adventures.

I’ve always been an active person but I was working in offices which did not resonate with my soul. My friends work on yachts, and I came to Mallorca to visit them and they talked about how much they enjoy it, so thought to myself why not give it a go and so far I’m absolutely loving it!

What has been your favourite boat/s you’ve worked on and why?

What did you do before yachting?

I have worked in many different industries from coaching gymnastics and trampolining, fitness instructing to being a civil servant. I was head coach at the age of 18 and absolutely loved it, I then progressed onto being a fitness instructor which I still love doing to this day. Being a civil servant was actually quite an honour and got to work with some people.

How did your yachting career first begin?

My career started through heading to Palma to stay with friends who already live there and then a recommendation from friend and someone giving me that chance to join their crew and it was the best decision I’ve made.

How did you go about finding your first job?

Motor yachts are definitely my favourite to work on as they’re just super cool and each one is so very different and stylish in their own ways.

What are the best parts / worst parts about working on-board?

I found my first job through handing my CV into a Yachting Brokers (who’s a friend of a friend) and they needed someone the next day to head to Ibiza, so I took the chance and threw myself into the deep end as a green solo Deck/ Stew and I’m still with the Captain now, so it definitely paid off.

The best parts of working on board is meeting new people from all over the world and seeing spectacular sunsets. The worst part of working on board is probably the lack of sleep it takes some time to get used to.

What advice you started?

Just keeping smiling as it brings a positive mindset and that does wonders and rest when you can as sleep deprivation can turn the happiest person ugly unfortunately.

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It’s not like what you see on the TV, it’s 10x harder and they’re not wrong! But it’s all apart of the experience and fun. You get rewarded for your hard work and good attitude. There’s

How do you keep sane on charter / trips?

What are your best strategies for spoiling owners and guests?

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What is your favourite thing / activity to do on Mallorca?

If you could give your 20-year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Hair…it gets literally everywhere!

My favourite thing to do on my days off I like to head to the beach and relax and soak up the sun, sand and sea and maybe a cheeky cocktail in hand.

Tell us about your funniest / embarrassing moment on board.

What career achievement are you most proud of?

Get into the yachting world at that age, as it teaches you so much about life and makes you appreciate the small things in life and it, I personally think it makes you a all-round better person all while travelling the world.

My most embarrassing moment is walking into the glass doors at the front of the boat, luckily no one actually saw as it would have been even more embarrassing!

I would have to say I’m most proud of starting my new career in yachting industry as it’s a big step leaving your job, home, friends and family to go to find a yacht to work on, it’s scary and exciting all at the same time.

To gain more experience and hopefully progress to Bosun on a larger yacht and then hopefully settle down someday somewhere exotic.

What advice would you offer to anyone who wanted to join the world of yachting?

Name: Stacey Rowling

Always be one step ahead, think of what they want before they’ve even thought of what they want and it honestly pays off.

What is your on-board pet hate?

What is your favourite yachting destination?

Ibiza is my favourite destination so far, the sunsets are just magical there.

What destination is on your Bucket List?

Oh there are many destinations on my bucket list but to name one would probably have to say Italy as it’s the only country I’ve not actually visited in the Mediterranean.

(+34) 659 887 455 info@cancersupportmallorca.com www.cancersupportmallorca.com

The advice I would give to someone wanting to join the yachting world is to get a little bit of experience before you head out so you have a an idea of what you need to do, whether that’s working in hospitality or on a small boat, just gives you that little bit of edge way and will help you greatly when working on super yachts.

What are your plans for the future?

Thank you for reading!

Position: Solo Deckhand/Stewardess ______________________________________ Interview by: Melanie Winters (+34) 646 897 378 melwmarketing@gmail.com

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WHAT ACTUALLY “COSTS THE EARTH”?

Although talking about money is sometimes an uncomfortable subject it is something that comes up a lot when I talk to crew about making changes onboard. Many yachts operate with internal budgets and there is always an assumption that buying products that are more environmentally friendly are automatically going to cost more. Many conversations I have with stewardesses who are very keen to switch products ends with them expressing that they anticipate problems about approaching their Captains or management companies with larger receipts.

So, are environmentally friendly products more expensive? How do you convince your management that making changes is beneficial not only to the planet but to the everyday running of the yacht?

It is important to be realistic regarding the comparison and that cost for cost many ecofriendly products are slightly more expensive (but not always) than traditional. It is also important to understand why. Supermarket standard brands are mass produced by huge multinational companies with little thought about impact and focused on profit. Eco friendly brands are usually started by individuals with a conscience and who want to do the right thing for people and planet. This means they are smaller, have less buying power, spend more on better quality raw ingredients and in most cases endeavor to pay their staff a living wage. All these things add costs onto the end product. If you want to be supporting positive change in society and the economy and you are able to - paying a little extra for the small companies that are pioneering change is one way to do this.

However, there is no denying that price does matter but I believe it is not a simple issue

has many less potentially harmful ingredients.

Ariel 45 Washes = 14.20 0.32 9 bottles for 1 box Ecover Concentrated Laundry Liquid 15L = 420 loads 125.50 0.29 per load Sonett 10L = 52.20 167 loads 0.31 per load

of comparing cost per item. When you make different choices not only in what you buy but how you buy you can experience savings in unexpected ways.

When you begin to buy products in buy in bulk you are purchase larger quantities in one go so you see an increase in single receipts.

However, you do larger orders much less frequently so over time you spend the same (or less depending on brand choice). Once a vessel has a solid working Refil system onboard it is much easier to plan ahead – for example if you know a 15L container of Laundry Liquid will give you up to 420 washes it is easy to stock up adequately for the season. This means you don’t end up having to panic buy in small remote places where you end up paying a premium. In addition, with free onboard delivery of these items through suppliers there is less time spent shopping and loading as well.

For a simple example below I took the cost of a 2.5 L bottle of Ariel from a local supermarket and compared it to two bulk Eco options on the market. There is little difference in price but you save a lot of plastic waste, shopping time, storage organization. The product you are using is much kinder to the planet during production and as a waste product and also

This year I was asked to set up a 40m yacht with cleaning and laundry products for the coming season. We had the luxury of starting from scratch, so we began with the essentials and offered samples and testers to find the right fit. After working out the average number of laundry loads per day, how many cleaning stations, bathrooms and estimated guest trips they had planned we were able to set the yacht up with Laundry, Cleaning and Dishwashing products with Refil systems (so 1 or 2 smaller bottles with 5/10L stock) for 3months in one go for under 1200.00 euros which the Captain was very pleasantly surprised with. Although there was a large initial bill that is it for the season – saving time on paperwork and shopping. When needed he can easily order the bulk refils to be sent to wherever they are.

There are other changes you can make onboard to become more environmentally aware without spending large amounts or purchasing in bulk, switching from disposable to reusables saves money over time. Reducing consumption so only buying whhat you actually need and reusing what you have onboard can also help.

There is is not always a perfect solution and sometimes it takes a while to find the best one.

A great example of this is with guest amenities onboard. We offer an Olive Wood Handled razor as an alternative to disposables but over time we realized that this is not a viable alternative for charter yachts who just need something available to offer that is not too expensive. Eventually we have sourced more cost effective eco-friendly ‘disposables’ (made from cornstarch/wheat plastic) which although are not the perfect solution - are better than staying with the traditional plastic disposables.

Although it appears that plastic is cheap – it is only ‘cheap’ in its monetary cost to us. In all other ways plastic, its production and the devastating effect it then has on our planet and our health is literally costing us the earth.

There is something that everyone can do to lessen the impact on the environment – if you have the luxury of a good budget and an encouraging Owner/Captain/management company then it is easier but even if you don’t there are still ways to make changes. Check out our blog this month on our website and follow us on Instagram for some price comparisons you can show to the doubters! ______________________________________ Hannah hannah@viveco.co (+34) 634 326 981 www.vivecoyachts.com Hannah is an ex-stewardess who now runs Viveco and Viveco Yachts, an Eco Yacht, Hotel and Home supply shop in Mallorca.

WE CAN DELIVER TO YOUR YACHT

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OR VISIT US AT THE SANTA CATALINA MARKET

3 Plaça del Olivar, Palma & Now Open in Santa Catalina Market (+34) 871 55 68 16

(+34) 615 234 858 fleurs.santacatalina@gmail.com www.fleursantacatalina.com Santa Catalina Market Plaza de la Navigacion Pto 82/82 - 07013 Palma fleursantacatalina

@fleursantacatalina

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STEWARDESS’ PICK OF THE MONTH FROM RIALTO LIVING - OUR FAVOURITE LIFESTYLE STORE IN PALMA -

Long hours, sore feet, demanding guests: a stewardess’ life on board while on charter is never easy. However, there’s one day in the Mediterranean charter season that is a bonafide picnic — the 18th of June, or International Picnic Day. Yes, it’s an actual thing and the perfect opportunity to organize a picnic for the guests. Not only will they love your vision of mini cucumber sandwiches and premade summer cocktails, but it entices them off the boat (and out of your hair) for a couple of hours. There are no prizes for guessing who’ll be soaking up the rays on the aft deck with an iced latte and packet of Jaffa cakes while the cat’s away.

From stylish summer hats and quality cotton napkins to wicker baskets and unbreakable “glasses”, Rialto Living stock everything you’ll need to make packing for a beach picnic a breeze.

An ideal bag is the first thing you’ll need to grab for an al fresco meal. Comfortable to carry and robust enough to hold enough chilled verdejo to sink a ship, beach bags are perfect to accompany peckish guests ashore. Head to Rialto Living, and you’ll find an extensive selection of super-sized basket bags. All are high-quality, easy on the eye, and boast artisanal attention to detail.

Palma’s most style-laden store also stocks a wide range of high-end acrylic glasses. The collection comprises champagne flutes, water tumblers, and wine glasses in various bold

Illetas Shopping Center

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colours. Other Rialto Living favourites that are great for picnic baskets or meals-whileunderway are MYdrap’s napkins: the only cotton and linen tear-off napkins on a roll we’ve ever seen.

Then there is Rialto Living’s delightful range of unisex summer hats. All come in neutral tones and match any type and outfit, so they are great to pack for the guests. Naturally, you will also need some headgear to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays as you put your feet up on deck for a few hours.

Lucky enough to be in between charters on the 18th of June? Why not celebrate International Picnic Day by taking a packed lunch to Parc de la Mar’s gorgeous patch of green? Palma’s most iconic park couldn’t be closer to the city’s yard and marinas. But most importantly, its soft grass, sunny vibe, and cathedral views

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are all you need to get away from the closed confines of boat life.

Palma’s Rialto Living, conveniently located on Carrer Sant Feliu 3, is just a stone’s throw away from STP and sells a wide selection of eyecatching super yacht must-haves. Have a snoop around and see for yourself. And if you make a purchase, don’t forget to flash your STP (or other) entry card so you can relax in their leafy, oasis-like café and sip on a complimentary “cafe con leche” before you head back to the boat. ______________________________________ Rialto Living C. Sant Feliu 3, Palma (+34) 971 71 33 31 www.rialtoliving.com Hours: 11 am and 7pm Monday – Saturday Photo: Pär Olsson, courtesy of Rialto Living

info@mallorcaclothing.com

www.mallorcaclothing.com

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salt baked fish dish, which in all honesty is a favourite of mine too. At breakfast there is always a poached egg on sourdough with crushed avocado requested as well. And without fail there is always a last minute request for a sourdough pizza.

IN THE GALLEY WITH JAZPER SAUNDERS What are your 3 favourite cookbooks and why?

My three favourite cookbooks are: The Fat Duck Cookbook as it was my introduction into the science of cooking. Exploring the science of flavour by Hervé this as it was my “go to” in culinary school and still is to this day. Lastly, The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit is a great tool that provides unique combinations of flavours that otherwise would not come to mind when thinking of pairing ingredients.

What three kitchen gadgets could you not live without?

I could not live without our Paco Jet, Vitamix and Hobart dishwashers.

What piece of equipment should every yacht have in the galley?

Nationality: British

Every yacht should have automated fridge and freezer sensors. It alerts us when any of them go above or below our safe standards of storage and logs everything for ship sanitation inspections.

What are you doing / where are you working right now?

What would you say are some of the most overrated ingredients?

I am working on board a busy 70m charter yacht and currently in the Caribbean.

I’m going to get in trouble for saying this but personally I think the most overrated ingredients are Lobster and Kobe beef. There are much more affordable substitutes with superior flavour and texture.

Name: Jazper Saunders Years’ experience as a chef: 13 years

Who is your food hero (dead or alive) and why?

My food hero’s are Björn Frantzén and Magnus Nilsson as I have always had a passion for foraging and the Nordic way of cooking. Due to the extreme winters they endure they are hyper seasonal and focus a lot on fermentation to preserve their produce throughout the seasons. I also love that they have embraced and taken influence from Japanese techniques over the years.

What 3 ingredients could you not live without?

I could not live without Yuzu, Miso and great olive oil.

What would you say are some of the most underrated ingredients?

Decent olive oils are so underrated and can be as complex as a great bottle of wine in my opinion. I also think Galician beef is overlooked as I think it is some of the tastiest beef in the world.

Personal dishes that have always been requested include: white truffle risotto, 18hr Pyrenees lamb shoulder and Kampachi with yuzu ponzu and jalapeno.

If you were a guest on a yacht, who would you want to cook for you and why?

If I could have any chef cook for me on a yacht it would be Victor Arguinzoniz, though it wouldn’t be quite the same as he only cooks on fire. He is the chef and patron of Asador Etxebarri and is self taught. Eating there was the single best experience of my life.

What music do you listen to in the galley (if at all)?

There is always music playing in the galley! My partner in the galley is the main DJ however.

Some favourites in the morning include the Fun Loving Criminals, The Strokes, Bob Dylan, Paolo Nutini and Van Morrison. However when the pace picks up we tend to lean more towards the likes of Wu-tang clan, Biggy and cypress hill.

Best galley tip/hack?

Best galley tip would have to be sealing your gastro trays with blue tape when using foil. We have lids for ours now but it was revelation when I learnt it years back.

What is the most difficult location you have ever had to provision in? And what bit of advice can you give to figure out where to go?

The Galapagos. They have so many import restrictions so we had to get our provisions flown into Costa Rica. Even so we had to chop the leaves off most vegetables and couldn’t bring most berries or fruit that had seeds. My advice would be to contact an agent in the Galapagos well before arrival to understand the restrictions and provision accordingly depending on your last port before arrival.

What is the hardest part of your job?

What has been the most popular (or requested dish) on a yacht by a guest so far?

Sourcing consistent produce from our suppliers and keeping it within the budget.

Guests always seem to love and request a

What do you see as being the biggest challenge

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for chefs in the industry moving forward?

That’s a tough question because it is unique to each chef. For me it will be the sustainable sourcing of produce. Most of our produce is obtained in such an unethical manner these days and as a yacht chef it is getting harder and harder to know exactly how our produce was sourced. Most guests are conscious of this as well but it is getting difficult to keep track of where and how produce is being sourced and whether it is in a responsible manner.

What would you say to people who stereotype chefs as being prima donnas with big egos?

I would say it is entirely correct! When you are the only department on a super yacht or high end restaurant constantly being called up for standing ovations, flattery and thanks of grandeur it is far too easy to develop an ego. I am well aware of it and work hard to stay humble. I have realised it is embedded in human nature to thank someone for cooking for them, regardless of whether it was good or not. As great as it is to receive every compliment, I don’t let it get to my head!

What is your attitude toward crew with dietary requirements?

My attitude towards crew dietary requirements is quite simple. Provided they stick to it we are happy to accommodate, some crew are on board for ten months of the year and after a busy day of work a good meal is something to look forward to for them. Keeping the crew well fed and happy is paramount in their moral and overall performance on board so we do our best to accommodate this. However if a vegan/gluten intolerant crew member suddenly decides after a few drinks on a night

off that they want a Big Mac then that respect goes out the window.

What is the weirdest most bizarre thing you have ever been asked to cook?

The strangest request I have received was definitely a Nutella omelette.

Name something you have cooked for guests that you are most proud of.

My proudest dish would have to my tortellini of white truffle with champagne veloute which I cooked for a previous principal guest who ultimately ended up sending me to his prestigious Italian restaurant in Berkeley Square to teach his Italian chefs to make. It is safe to say that the Italian executive chef did not take well to a twenty five year old chef from Botswana teaching him how to make pasta!

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To avoid food wastage we incorporate left overs from guests into our crew food and have a list that crew sign in or off for meals each day.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you want to be?

If I wasn’t a chef I would probably be in either wildlife filming or photography or landscape photography. My mother is an incredible photographer and I have taken so much inspiration from her over the years.

When you are interviewing a chef to work for you, how do you know if they are any good?

When interviewing a chef I look for Three things. A strong work ethic, a burning desire to learn and a basic comprehension of the fundamentals of cooking. If it is for a higher role then I look at their menus and a portfolio of their food photos.

What one thing should all chefs do to help the environment?

Regarding the environment all chefs should aim to minimize their footprint by sourcing locally where possible, recycling, minimizing wastage by utilizing the entire product and sourcing sustainably.

What one thing can chefs do to limit wastage?

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. simon www.theislander.net jones

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s a l e s @ m n 2 v. c o

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ISLAND HOPPING

I love Island hopping around the Balearics as all of the islands are so beautiful and, they also have some great food. Recently my wife and I caught the ferry from Alcudia to Cuitadella for a little 24-hour break to Menorca. I just adore Menorca; it’s a little more laid-back and the pace of life seems to be just a tad slower and with its complex blend of influences left by the many invaders and occupiers over thousands of years, from the Romans and Arabs to the French and British, its gastronomy is rich, varied and unique.

Seafood has always been of utmost importance here and we were lucky enough to grab a table at Café Balear for dinner. They have their own boat called “Rosa Santa Primavera” and as the owner Josep presented us with the freshest prawns, carabineros and John Dory from the afternoons catch; I knew we were in for a special treat. We also tried a popular seafood known as “escopinyes”. They are a type of clam eaten raw with a little lemon juice similar to an oyster with an amazing fresh flavour of the sea.

What a fantastic restaurant!

The island also has a long history of cattle farming – both for meat and diary production and with so many herds of dairy cows on the island, butter, milk and cheese are very important for Menorcan cuisine. The first British governor, Richard Kane introduced Friesland cows to the island in the early 18th century and today, the extensive use of butter can be directly traced back to the period of British occupation although cheese making artefacts have been found which date back to 3,000 BC and the local cheeses are famous for their quality. Excellent Mahón cheese is slighty salty in flavour due to the sea salt on the grass that the cows eat, the cheese is also rubbed with butter and paprika during the maturation process, which gives it its distinctive orange rind. The texture varies depending on age, with the younger cheese being soft and mild, and the aged Mahón having a harder, crumblier texture.

Café Balear is also famous for its “Caldareta de Langosta”. It’s a mouth-watering dish that is served in most restaurants throughout the island and the lobster is the local spiny lobster known as langosta. It is cooked in a tomato, onion and garlic sauce, almost like a soup. It’s delicious eaten with chunks of fresh bread, preferably with a view of the sea. But be warned, it does not come cheap, as spiny lobsters are very expensive and prices vary between 60-100 Euros per person! There are many recipes for caldereta, but mine is a simple version for you to try at home. You can substitute the spiny lobsters with langoustines or normal lobster. Monkfish tails are also another great alternative and work well in this recipe, so it really doesn’t have to cost you an arm and leg!

CALDERETA DE LANGOSTA Ingredients (serves 6) 2 spiny lobsters 400g chopped onion 500g chopped tomatoes 300g chopped red pepper 300g chopped carrots 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2tbsp chopped parsley 2tbsp tomato puree 100g ground almonds 200ml good olive oil 800ml fish stock 1tsp paprika Seasoning Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish; add the chopped onion, red peppers, carrots, garlic and tomatoes.

Let it cook slowly until it has almost turned into a puree. Add the tomato puree and paprika. Cut the spiny lobsters into serving pieces and add them to the casserole dish. Pour over the fish stock and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley and ground almonds, stir well and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Season and serve immediately.

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VIV BAGS - MORE THAN JUST A TOILETRY GIFT BAG

Model 1 Viv Bags

Viviana Guiliano is the lady behind VIV BAGS, the wonderfully stylish custom-made toiletry gift bag for guests. These bags are carefully crafted using the same fabrics and colours as the yacht’s upholstery including the yacht’s name and logo embroidered on them. Creating a unique and personal gift for guests to take away with them allows them to remember their great stay on board with a quality product they can use during and after their trip.

But there is much more to this clever Argentinian lady and it was really interesting finding out about her background. Having first gained her sea legs in the cockpit of a Germán Frers Grumete-class sailing boat in Argentina, Viviana travelled with her father learning how to ocean sail along with the general maintenance duties required on board. She then became hooked on dinghy-class sailing regattas and went on to achieve both national and international awards for Brazil.

During that time, Viviana started work sewing Laser sails in a sail loft in Rio and that was the first taste of her future craft. Having arrived in Mallorca in 1991, Viviana was encouraged a few years later by a close friend to go to the Caribbean to catch the season there so she left Mallorca with just a return ticket and little more. She managed to secure a stewardess job on a motorboat which was new territory due to the different motion of the yacht – and the demands of the Chief Stewardess!

After one season she returned to Mallorca walking the docks and looking for work until she landed the only option available – hammering

Atlantic crossing with Dad (above) | Client SY Lady summerfield (below)

barnacles off a tugboat – sandblasting was not in the budget! When the noise became too much for the North Sails team opposite, they sent someone to check when the work would be finished and Viv seized the moment to introduce herself and her sewing skills.

Within the next few days, she managed to break her leg AND get a job offer from North Sails! Always the determined one, Viv started work the following week (on crutches) and this

became a life-changing experience and the start of her career as a seamstress.

Fast forward 25 years, Viviana has her own marine upholstery business, VMG, of which VIV BAGS is just one component. VIV BAGS also offers the option of an embroidered face towel and a basic kit of eco-friendly products so the toiletry bag is fully stocked and ready to welcome guests on their arrival. What a great idea and a really nice way to keep the memories alive.

Viviana is a very inspiring woman who has led such an interesting and fun life, learning a myriad of skills along the way. In addition to running VMG, she is now enjoying working as a freelance skipper at weekends during the summer and is mastering herself as an Interior Designer. She also still enjoys sailing and racing at weekends – this sounds like a perfect work/ life balance to me! ______________________________________ VMG / VIV BAGS Sant Joan 07240 Mallorca (+34) 633 095 314 vivbags@gmail.com www.vmg.com.es

Hanse Brouchure

Written by Lisa Thompson textperfect@outlook.com

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FUNCTIONAL FITNESS IN MALLORCA

as leaners with seating where you can plug in your devices, use the wifi, and WFG (work from gym!).

Embarking on a fitness journey is a daunting thing. For many of us, the idea of grinding out an extreme intensity workout while a buff trainer screams cliched slogans at us is enough to warrant crawling into bed with a packet of choccy biscuits. The problem is, we’ve been programmed to think this is the best way to get results.

Juju Fluhrer and Rob Winterhalter are personal trainers and owners of the Pink Rhino functional fitness studio in Son Ferrer (just 5mins from Port Adriano), and they have a different opinion. With their infectious energy and toned physiques, we were all ears to hear their approach to working out.

A Cautionary Tale Both Juju and Rob have been into sport and fitness since childhood, turning their passion into careers by obtaining personal training and nutrition certifications and taking on clients.

The muscular couple aren’t strangers to highintensity regimes, both ex CrossFit trainers who actually met at one of the gruelling fitness competitions in Berlin. “When I first joined CrossFit, I had a lot of initial physical results” describes Juju. But it was short-lived.

Take the Next Step Towards your Fitness Goals If you’ve been contemplating switching up your fitness routine, Juju and Rob invite you to pop in for an obligation-free chat. If you fancy giving a class a go, your first trial session will be free of charge.

“After 6-months I started to get injuries,” she recounts. “My journey with CrossFit was up and down for the next 4-years, and then I suffered massive burnout. One day I walked into the CrossFit box and couldn’t bring myself to face the workout.”

Rob tells a similar story. In 2018 he was fulltime CrossFit training, coaching and competing in CrossFit events for fun. “Like Juju, I had become completely burnt out as well” he explains. “After my third injury, I decided it wasn’t ok anymore.”

From Burnout to Functional Fitness Juju and Rob decided to walk away from the CrossFit box and try a new training style created by Marcus Filly, ex CrossFit athlete and the founder of Functional Bodybuilding.

Filly developed the methodology around his personal need to train more for longevity and sustainability after also suffering massive burnout when competing in the 2016 CrossFit games. At Pink Rhino they use structured progressive plans in 6-week blocks with functional movements. It doesn’t matter your fitness level, you will progress at your pace and there will always be options and modified versions of the exercises. Small classes mean you get focused and individual attention.

The Environment Pink Rhino is one good-looking gym and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the details.

The studio is super inviting with pink, light wood, and colourful bean bags contrasting the bold black mats and equipment. The boutique gym is a sanctuary for its members, with a café style set up for a pre-workout Mistral coffee, and a post-training protein smoothie, as well

Bonus: Quote “Nourish” to receive a complimentary pre-workout coffee and post-workout smoothie at your first class or personal training session! ______________________________________ Pink Rhino Pinkrhinomallorca.com hello@pinkrhinomallorca.com Carrer Condor 34 07181 Son Ferrer, Calvia www.nourishtheguide.com FB ‘Nourish the Community’ Use #nourishmallorca to be featured on our Instagram feed - @nourishtheguide

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

LIGAMENTS OF THE KNEE As with all joints, the ligaments of the knee are designed to support and protect the joint from injury however if they are stretched or strained beyond their usual capacity then there will be consequences such as pain , inflammation, swelling, loss of movement and an inability to bear weight through the leg.

Ligaments are the shrouds that attach joints together, bone to bone, as do joint capsules which is a sleeve encompassing and sealing the joint keeping the lubricating oil (synovial fluid ) bathing the joint.

While being the largest joint in the body, the knee joint has poor inherent stability. The curved condyles of the lower end of the femur slot into shallow hollows in the upper end of the tibia. The two cartilages in the knee help to increase the concavity (which in turn increases stability) however the knee joints still rely heavily on the strength of the upper leg muscles and their very important ligaments to hold them together.

The Medial collateral ligament is a wide, long band giving protection against any sideways force exerted on the outside of the knee such as a car fender blow to a pedestrian, a tackle in rugby or football or a fall while skiing.

The Lateral collateral ligament is more cordlike and is also supported by the Biceps Femoris which is the outer hamstring muscle. Injury to this ligament is a rarer occurrence as it is protected from a sideways force by the other leg.

The Cruciate ligaments are super important for knee stability. Together they control mobility in all directions as well as hyperextension and hyperflexion. Damage to either the Anterior or Posterior Cruciates can sadly cause severe biomechanical disturbance for your knee.

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A grade 1 ligament injury is usually recognised as a sprain when ice packs, elevation, support and limited use for the first 24 hours is usually sufficient treatment.

ACL (anterior cruciate lig) injuries are more common than PCL’s (posterior cruciate lig).

ACL damage is when the tibia (lower leg) sustains a blow from behind (below the knee) when the knee is bent causing the lower leg to move forward beyond it’s available range or when the femur (above the knee cap) sustains a blow from the front when the knee is bent and the lower leg is fixed to the ground unable to move to absorb the impact such as a tackle in contact sport. A complete rupture of the ACL can result in a dislocation of the knee.

PCL damage occurs in the reverse. The lower leg is fixed to the ground but the body momentum continues forward (for example skiing into powder snow when the ski stops however the rest of you continues forward!) Or the lower leg sustains a blow from a force below the knee (for example a road traffic accident when the knee strikes the dash board).

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A grade 2 is a more severe sprain when there is loss of continuity of the ligament fibres and it may even be partially detached from its attachment. There will be pain and swelling and movement will be limited. Weight bearing through the knee would be very painful if not impossible. Medical assistance will be required to assess the injury and physiotherapy treatment to help accelerate the healing.

A grade 3 is a complete rupture when there will be rapid swelling of the joint, considerable pain and complete loss of function. Immediate medical assistance is necessary as the joint will be unstable which can result in displacement of the knee. An MRI scan will be necessary as surgery is usually required to resolve a Grade 3 ligament injury.

It is super important to have all knee ligaments checked out by a professional when there is suspected damage. Even minor sprains need attention so as not to become major which is especially important in weight bearing joints such as the knee _____________________________________ Tracey Evans MCSP SRP COFIB Col 220 The Physiotherapy Centre tracey@mallorcaphysio.com (+34) 609 353 805 (+34) 971 405 769

TRACEY EVANS - MCSP SRP COFIB T. 971 405 769 M. 609 353 805 tracey@mallorcaphysio.com C/ Joan de Saridakis, 1 (opposite Marivent Palace)

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FITNESS TIPS AND TECHNIQUES WITH BT23 FITNESS your body NEEDS! This Month SessionIn summery: - 4 exercises - 3 sets of 10 reps - 30 secs to 1 min rest between sets - no longer than 2 mins between exercises * For the exercises that isolate one side of the body (split squat and door frame row) do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side. ______________________________________ For more info on BT23 Fitness Scan the QR code and follow on Instagram or go to: https://bt23fitness.wordpress.com Welcome back to another session from BT23 Fitness, in this months issue we will be doing a full body session, all of the exercises this month can be done using just bodyweight, if you feel the need to make the exercises harder then you can add some weight if you have them.

Split Squat: using a bench rest one foot up on the seat and take one hop forward, keep the weight in the standing legs heel and drop down so that the knee on the raised leg is just off the ground, from here press back up through the standing heel until leg is fully extended.

The Importance of rest and sleep.

A good nights sleep is one of the most important components in build-ing muscle and losing Fat. Although the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person the average amount required is anywhere between 7-9 hours a night.

Single Arm Doorframe Row: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and come down into a squatted position holding onto the door frame taking the weight in the arm, from here keep the elbow tight to your side as you pull yourself into the doorframe, from here slowly lower yourself back into the starting position.

I’ve stated few basic pros and cons to getting a good sleep however I want to touch more on why sleep effects muscle gain and fat loss.

During sleep, leptin levels increase, telling your brain you have plenty of energy for the time being and there's no need to trigger the feeling of hunger or the burning of calories.

When you don't get enough sleep, you end up with too little leptin in your body, which makes your brain think you don't have enough energy for your needs. So your brain tells you you're hungry, even though you don't actually need food at that time, and it takes steps to store the calories you eat as fat so you'll have enough energy the next time you need it. The decrease in leptin brought on by sleep deprivation can result in a constant feeling of hunger.

The other hormone related to sleep and weight is ghrelin. The purpose of ghrelin is basically the exact opposite of leptin: It tells your brain when you need to eat, when it should stop burning calories and when it should store energy as fat. During sleep, levels of ghrelin decrease, because sleep requires far less energy than being awake does. People who don't sleep enough end up with too much ghrelin in their system, so the body thinks it's hungry and it needs more calories, and it stops burning those calories because it thinks there's a shortage.

Russian Twist: Similar position to the Crunch in & out except this time we will try to balance our weight in the middle, keep the legs slightly bent and off the ground and arms into the chest to start, slowly start to twist the shoulders around to the left then back to centre and then to the right, once you have twisted in both directions you have completed 1 rep.

Science class over, if your trying to lose weight or gain muscle and feel you’re putting in all the work in the kitchen and gym but still not seeing your desired results, consider the amount of rest you’re getting, take a nap or become more organised and make sure you give yourself enough time to get the required 7-9 hours rest

How many times should i train a week? There is no exact science to how many times we should train a week, the aim to achieve is something that is sustainable and long lasting. If you try to train 4/5 times a week but then find you keep cancelling other plans and arrangements then there’s a good chance you won’t stick to your plan. What I often suggest is that you aim for 2/3 times a week, train with a plan so that you make the most of your time and each workout is effective and efficient. If you’re unsure of how to create a plan speak to someone you know who also trains or get in touch with a trainer who should be able to help you get started.

Walkouts: From a standing position we bring our hands to the ground and walk out into a plank position, hold for a second and the reverse the movement back into a standing position, make sure you are stood back upright before going into the next rep.

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DIVING INTO THE WORLD OF WELLNESS WITH PADI

“The sea cures all ailments.” – Plato It’s not just a myth, being in or near the ocean really is good for you. And for thousands of years, civilisations around the globe have leveraged its healing power.

In this edition, PADI®, the world’s largest and most popular diver organisation, highlights the healing powers that the ocean provides, whether you are simply within close proximity of it or diving beneath the salty surface for an underwater adventure.

We also feature some fabulous PADI wellness Dive Resorts from around the globe.

To get started on your PADI Open Water Diver Course contact your local PADI Dive Centre. For more information about PADI visit www.padi.com The Science Behind the Healing Powers of the Salty Sea PADI wants to ensure all of humanity benefit from the healing powers of the salty sea, so they are on a mission to create one billion torchbearers for ocean change – working together to restore our blue planet’s healthy balance. PADI torchbearers are anyone who cares deeply about healing the planet, above and below the surface. Someone who believes there is a better and more responsible way for humanity to live in balance with nature, and is ready to take action to prove it.

Whether or not you are a diver, saltwater offers us a natural healing superpower that enriches each of our lives - and the best part? There is no cost to this. There’s a science behind how this unique body of water that comprises more than 70% of Earth can truly help each and every one of us. It’s no coincidence our bodies are 70% water - as is our planet.

Ever wonder why you feel so much better at the beach or at sea? We have the scientific answers that prove it’s much more than just a mindset.

1. Saltwater Rejuvenates You Thanks to the high magnesium levels in saltwater, being in or near the ocean will literally help regulate your muscles and nerve functionality, moderate blood sugar levels

and improve your sleep. This will leave you feeling rejuvenated, with the rhythmic sounds of the waves equally helping balance out your circadian rhythm. Magnesium is a critical element in our bodies - and one many people are deficient in.

direct contact with the sand and saltwater, which have negative charges, literally balances this out. This is why you likely feel more energized and relaxed at the same time when on the beach–and why many of us feel naturally drawn to the sea.

2. Saltwater Improves Your Skin

6. Saltwater Boosts Our Immunity

Vitamin Sea is not just a cute ocean pun; it highlights how saltwater is an essential nutrient for our body’s biggest organ–our skin!

Saltwater is rich with minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, and potassium, which all help reduce inflammation, protect our skin, and heal any scrapes, cuts, or sores. Saltwater can also help enhance the flow of lymph, which can reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Did you know that saltwater has been proven to help heal those with weakened immune systems, anemia, and high blood sugar levels?

In fact, saltwater is now being used in modern medicine now more so than ever before– specifically for its ability to help our immune system stay strong against viruses, bacteria and pathogens. Ocean water strengthens the body against viruses, low defenses, bacteria and pathogens. In fact, saltwater from the ocean and our blood plasma are 98% identical.

3. Saltwater Increases Your Consumption of Trace Minerals Our bodies need trace minerals to function and develop optimally. It just so happens that saltwater has many of the essential trace nutrients we need, including magnesium, manganese, cobalt, sodium, calcium, potassium, and boron. You do not need to drink saltwater to get these trace minerals. They will simply be absorbed by your body through your skin - your largest organ - when you are in or near the ocean 4. Saltwater Improves Your Breathing Swimming, diving, or even simply floating in saltwater can enhance your breathing abilities.

In fact, it can also alleviate symptoms from hay fever, sinusitis and asthma too. This is because the saline in the ocean reduces inflammation and mimics your body’s own fluids.

Because sea air has high salt content, it is quite thick. This means that as you breathe it in, it’s clearing your throat and respiratory system, allowing clearer breathing and better-quality sleep. Sea air is also known to keep you awake and energetic during the day because it is much cooler.

5. Saltwater Literally Grounds Us Have you ever felt at peace with the world when you walk barefoot on the beach?

There is a scientific reason for that known as “grounding.” Positive electrons in the form of free radicals can build up in our bodies and

Dive Into Wellness: PADI’s Top Benefits of Scuba Wanting to dive deeper into the healing powers of the saltwater? As a PADI Open Water Diver, you will be able to optimise the wellness benefits that our blue planet gives us all.

1. Get a Boost of Vitamin D The last two years have specifically shown the correlation between vitamin D and our overall health. A great way to get your daily boost of vitamin D is by being outside in the sunshine.

A daily dive in the ocean (wearing reef-safe sunscreen) will ensure your body gets the right dose of this essential vitamin.

2. Be Conscious of Your Breath The golden rule in scuba diving is to never stop breathing. So naturally, you are going to focus on your breath in ways that you may not do so while on land. Breathing mindfully will not only help you stay neutrally buoyant but equally calm your nervous system, boost your immune system and get rid of any negative emotions.

3. Find That State of Flow Being present and in a state of flow is something that naturally often occurs while driving. In fact, you will likely find yourself in a meditative mind frame when beneath the surface as you will be fully immersed in diving, breathing, and the magical blue world surrounding you–with

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your worries left far behind back ashore. There are several studies behind the “blue mind” theory: the mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on or under water.

is the perfect way to spend a surface interval after having a life-changing connection with a sea turtle, shark or manta ray while on your daily dive.

4. Enhance Your Fitness

www.sixsenses.com/en/resorts/fiji

Diving will give you a workout without you even realizing it. The physical movements you do while diving will feel relaxed but equally keep get your heart pumping, your muscles toned, and your endurance enhanced. Water is a great medium to exercise in, providing pressure from every angle without impact.

Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences | Amilla Fushi, Maldives

5. Decrease Your Blood Pressure While your heart rate will undoubtedly increase from excitement when you encounter a dolphin, shark, or manta ray underwater, the overall diving experience is a relaxing one. That means often stress and anxiety levels decrease, along with your heart rate and blood pressure being lowered.

6. Enjoy a Boost of Dopamine and Serotonin Diving and being in the moment will give you happy hormones, known as dopamine and serotonin. Exploring, being present, and seeing a whole new world beneath the surface is not only stimulating but directly aids in our body producing more of these happy hormones, leaving you feeling great for the rest of the day.

7. Improve Your Quality of Sleep There is no better way to follow up a great day of diving than with an evening of relaxation.

Many divers find it easier to sleep after a day of diving, especially as the hits of dopamine and serotonin wear off later in the day. Chances are you may even have more vivid dreams of the magical underwater world you just experienced firsthand.

Top Wellness PADI Dive Resorts Find the perfect balance of wellness both above and below the salty surface.

Six Senses Fiji | Mamanuca Islands, Fiji Find happiness in this island nation nestled in the South Pacific PADI Dive Resort Six Senses offers guests access to a Fiji wellness expert who will customise your itinerary with personalized wellness treatments, sleep programs and nutritional menu planning. It

Meditate with manta rays in the UNESCOprotected Baa Atoll and then balance it out with a detox bath ceremony as part of your wellness package to this newly opened resort.

This PADI Dive Resort even offers guests the chance to experience “sensora”–which is a multi-sensory light, sound and vibration session aimed at washing away any anxiety or stress you may have arrived with. www.amilla.com Windjammer Landing Beach Resort and Spa | Labrelotte Bay, St Lucia This PADI Dive Resort has turned their glittering gem-toned waters into an actual underwater yoga studio. Guests at this wellness resort are invited for a wholesome day out at sea, where they will start with pranayama on the boat and then take their breathwork lessons underwater while staying zen amongst the fish–even learning how to do some aquatic yoga positions too. The hotel’s on-land spa also offers guests with a chance to keep their physical and spiritual healing flowing when back from the day out at sea. www.windjammer-landing.com Misool Eco Resort | Raja Ampat, Indonesia This PADI Dive Resort allows you to fully disconnect from the outside world and get immersed in your natural surrounding. Located within a 465 square mile Marine Protected area that includes part of an 18,000 square mile shark and manta ray sanctuary, you will be blissing out beneath the surface all day long.

Back on land every guest at the resort gets their own team of staff to customise your stay, including a range of traditional Indonesian spa treatments. www.misool.info ______________________________________ Photo Credit: Neil Andrea

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LEGAL AND FINANCIAL NEWS

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NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WHEN PURCHASING A NEW VESSEL IN SPAIN

If you are interested in the acquisition of a vessel in Spain you have to know the different documents involved in the transaction and its importance.

- Purchase Contract. According Spanish Law the purchase must be formalized in a written contract The current legislation has not expressly regulated the contract for the sale of vessels, boats nor pleasure crafts , so it will be governed by the general rules established in articles 1.445 Civil Code for the purchase contract in general. Regarding the form of the contract, there is freedom of form, which can be done through a public deed or private document. Although some legal provisions mentions the need for a public deed, Circular 4/1990 clarifies that, for vessels on the sixth and seventh list (charter and private recreational vessels ), evidence of the legal title demonstrating ownership can be showed by means of the purchase invoice, purchase contract bill of sale or any private document, provided the taxes are duly paid. The contract shall specify the method of payment, instalments, the subject matter of the contract and the estimated date of delivery. It is important always to keep copies of the transfers or payments done.

The purchase contract normally has also an Annex with all technical specifications and particulars of the boat from the shipyard.

In general as final consumer the purchaser has a guarantee of 2 years in order to claim for defects on pleasure crafts and might ask either for reparation, substitution or reduction of the price according Consumer Right legislation.

In next articles we will focus more deeply in this topic.

- Protocol of Delivery. When a new vessel is delivered in Spain by a business - shipyard or broker -the sale is subject to VAT as It a taxable supply. Besides the acceptance after a survey it is very important to sign the reception, with date and place of the delivery of the vessel since from that date start the different 30 days period for filing the some taxes (in case of EU acquisition, Import VAT or for the Matriculation Tax).

- Invoice. An official invoice (¨factura¨) must be issued at delivery (in the meantime a Proforma invoice might be also extended but is not sufficient) with all mandatory requirements – date, place, and full name, domicile and Fiscal Nr from both seller and purchaser: VAT recording or CIF from the vendor and Id Card or pass Nr. from the purchaser if individual or also Fiscal Nr. if the purchaser is business or entrepreneurial.

- EU Declaration of conformity: this is the written declaration and a single declaration drawn up by the manufacturer to demonstrate

compliance with EU requirements for a product bearing the CE marking which he has manufactured. If the vessel. If the vessel is not coming from a EU Member State clearance at the Customs & Excise Office and Import VAT dispatch by means of a SAD (Single Administrative Document) must be done if the purchaser is resident for tax purposes or established in the EU. - Builder's plate and HIN. Builders´ plate must be affixed to the vessel and must state the name of the builder, the Design Category, the Maximum Load and the Maximum Number of Persons the vessel can carry.

- Vessel and Motor User´s Manual including those of all the technical navigation devices and electronic installations. ______________________________________ Carlos Espinosa Solicitor and Tax Adviser (+34) 627 413 201 carlos.espinosa@iurisnautic.com

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SPANISH APPROACH ON APA AND DELIVERY FEES

The applicability of VAT on APA funds and delivery fees is a controversial issue, as different jurisdictions have different approaches to the situation. We will try to provide here our view on the correct tax treatment in accordance with Spanish tax regulations.

We must remark that there is no binding ruling issued by the Spanish tax authorities about this subject. Therefore the opinion given here is our firm’s view based on existing legislation and similar cases not strictly related to yachting.

APA Advance Provisioning Allowance (A.P.A.) amount is to be paid in order to cover operating costs such as fuel, harbor, customs fees, food, beverages, etc. incurred during the navigation of the chartered vessel through the charter period. Therefore these funds can be considered a fund provision for the operating costs which will be incurred.

In this sense, we consider relevant the binding ruling V1944-09 of the Spanish tax authority, which deals with the VAT treatment that should apply to funds provisions received by professionals who, in the course of their activity, arrange several payments on behalf of their clients. The ruling considers that the final recipient of the services, the person who actually enters into a contractual relationship

with the supplier, would be the one who should be the recipient of the supplier’s invoice, regardless of who is the person that settles the invoices. Therefore, the invoicing relationship is established between the final recipient of the service and the supplier, the VAT being applied to that primary invoice, but not from the intermediary to the final client.

In light of the above, when all the supplies and provisions made to the charterer are invoiced to said charterer, no additional VAT should be charged on the APA. A different situation would be if the invoices were billed to the owner; in this case, in our opinion, it should be included in the tax base of the charter and VAT added to the final invoice, which should be settled by the fiscal representative together with the VAT due on the charter fees to the Spanish tax authorities.

Delivery and re-delivery fees

charter and subject to VAT under the same conditions as the main charter agreement.

As concluded in the joint judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Cases C-308/96 Madgett and Baldwin and C-94/97, a benefit must be regarded as ancillary to a main benefit when it does not constitute an end in itself for the customer but rather a means of enjoying the main service under the best conditions.

Following this interpretation and the Spanish tax authority binding ruling V11320-16, in the event of a services operation which is ancillary to another, none of them (ancillary operation and main operation) will be taxed autonomously and independently for VAT purposes, but the ancillary operation will follow the tax regime applicable to the main operation on which it depends.

Regarding delivery and re-delivery fees, we must consider the cost of positioning the yacht for the charterer, in order to make the vessel available at a specific port different from its home port prior to the charter itself, or its relocation after the charter is finished.

Therefore, for all of the above, we understand that, for the delivery and re-delivery fees charged to the client and mentioned in the charter agreement, Spanish VAT is applicable and due at the same rate as it is on the main charter. _________________________

In our opinion, and in accordance with the regime applicable to ancillary services, these should be included in the tax base of the

Tax Marine (+34) 932 008 453 (+34) 934 442 137 Our container inside STP is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 0930-1030 to receive donations of food, toiletries, bedding, toys, cleaning materials etc.

Alternatively please donate: Bankia: IBAN ES81 2038 3480 5160 0019 8061 All proceeds will be used to buy food for the homeless and hungry

See website or Facebook for details, or contact Nick Entwisle (+34) 619 117 937 nick@yachtinggivesback.com www.yachtinggivesback.com

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US SANCTIONS ON RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS: WHAT THEY MEAN FOR YACHTING As the war in Ukraine rages on, we have all read or heard about, either in the press or in conversation with others in the yacht industry, Russian sanctions. Few know exactly how the sanctions apply though, and what the end result will be for the yachting industry.

On March 11, the US Department of the Treasury issued a press release entitled Treasury Sanctions Kremlin Elites, Leaders, Oligarchs and Family for Enabling Putin’s War Against Ukraine. The European Union, Canada and Australia have also issued sanctions, which are not considered in this article.

The sanctions apply to all sectors of commerce, including the yacht industry. We have also all read or heard about recent “seizures” of yachts pursuant to the sanctions mostly in Europe so far. Many brokers and lawyers involved in high value yacht transactions have seen deals fall apart because of the sanctions, and any deals involving Russians have put industry professionals on high alert. Brokerage houses with listings for, and management companies supporting, yachts owned by Russians are struggling to figure out how best to proceed.

The implications of the U.S. sanctions are stated clearly in the Press Release as follows: “As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. “In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

All transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt.

“These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.”

The full text of the Press Release is here: https://home.treasury.gov/news/pressreleases/jy0650.

In practical terms, what this means is the following, if you are a US person or not, but you are in the United States: • You are prohibited from doing business with, or continuing to do business with someone on

the sanctions list. It does not matter where the asset is located.

• Determination of Identity. If you have a listing to sell, manage, or provide goods or services to a Russian or a Russian owned yacht, you need to check to see if they are on the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control, known as OFAC, sanctions list. OFAC provides a search tool, which you can find here.

• If you are in 'possession or control' of an asset of such a person, you must report that to OFAC. The methodology for reporting is set forth here.

• While there is a provision for exemptions from these restrictions, specific analysis must be undertaken to determine if any of these apply to your situations, and without researching the issue, I would speculate that it unlikely exemptions would help those of us in the yacht industry. Guidance is provided by OFAC here. If you think an exemption may apply to you, seek legal advice.

It is unclear what the ripple effects of the multi-national sanctions will be. Undoubtedly, many people who work on Russian owned yachts have and will lose their jobs, and thousands of people who work in support of yacht construction, yacht management, and the provision of services to the yachting sector generally will be negatively affected.

The European geo-political balance which developed following the break-up of the Soviet Union is over. What this portends for the yacht industry and the Mediterranean cruising grounds is unclear. It will be destabilising for sure. For now, for the sake of humanity, we can only hope for a quick end to hostilities in the Ukraine and better leadership by all concerned.

As to the sanctions in place, what they portend, and when they will end, the power of governments to act against foreign nationals based on suspicion and without due process of law is virtually unlimited. We may wish it were not so, but as the saying goes: “It is what it is.” ______________________________________

• There are financial penalties applicable to persons who violate the sanctions. For further guidance, if you think you are at risk for having violated or potentially violating the prohibition, seek legal counsel.

Written By: Nick Zeher and Robert N. Allen Jr.

In summary, the yachting sector, being a particularly international segment of a world commercial system which has itself become increasingly internationalised, will be affected for sure, and will be impacted in some cases very seriously. Though Russian owners do not account for a large percentage of the superyacht space, they do have an important place within it, particularly with regard to megayachts.

Nicholas J. Zeher is an attorney at Robert Allen Law whose practice includes maritime and commercial litigation, superyacht transactions, and immigration issues.

The information offered in this column is summary in nature and should not be considered a legal opinion.

For further information related to this article, please contact nzeher@robertallenlaw.com or (561) 510-9606.

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OUT AND ABOUT IN MALLORCA

Darko.Š:

Posidonia:

An intriguing painter who makes music and reads mythologies

Stylish Mediterranean-themed décor, clothes and accessories

Darko was born in Croatia, raised in France and now lives in Mallorca. He turned the living room of his stylish flat in central Palma into a studio where he paints, makes music and entertains his friends. He is fluent in seven languages and cooks a mean pasulj (bean stew, Balkan style)!

Having recently moved to a new neighbourhood, I spend a lot of my time exploring my new surroundings. Amongst endless bars and all the touristy “tat”, a stylish shop caught my eye. Every time I walk past I think to myself that I want to buy literally everything from their shop window as soon as I settle in a bit more.

When I ask “Who is Darko.Š?”, he smiles and takes a long pause... He tells me that he started drawing in primary school, initially copying his favourite comics, and developed his painting style from there. Back then he preferred to communicate with the world visually rather than by using words; especially with his brother. They often drew for each other.

These days he is inspired by his own life, by people that surround him, but also Greek, Roman and Slavic mythologies. He believes that we should all study them, in order to better understand ourselves and the world.

Some of his paintings may be perceived as little dark, but he points out that that´s not necessarily a bad thing and I have to agree.

His distinct style often involves a series of lines drawn through already finished paintings, in order to “bring some chaos into homogeneity”. Darko’s paintings are usually large, either in dark shades or bold colours but never a pastel in sight! You will see them and they will leave an impact on you.

I ask him whether he does commissions, does he love or hate that. He responds that he sees them as challenges, as projects where he gives a client’s vision his personal stamp and makes them want to wake up just to see his painting on their wall.

As he rushes off to meet a potential new agent, I realise that he never really answered my first question...

“All my paintings are kind of a process between me and my inner self.”

– Darko.Š www.singulart.com/en/artist/ darko-s--26835 Instagram: @darkos.artist (+34) 602 423 802

home

The shop in question is Posidonia, in the Marina Arcades Shopping Centre, a stone´s throw away from Son Matias beach. It sells “everything you need for the summer: from beachwear, clothes, accessories, gift details and costume jewellery to handmade decoration for the home. I have been particularly drawn to the last category, so one day I walked in to have a closer look and to meet the person behind the idea.

Sofia is a beautiful and feisty Mallorquina, a former yachtie, now a sole business owner.

She is passionate about all things pretty from all the items she carefully chooses for her shop to the tasty meals she used to cook (and still on occasion cooks!) for her clients.

She tells me that she opened the store ten years ago, initially choosing to sell upmarket gifts as opposed to all those “same old” souvenirs made in China. Over the years she expanded her range to clothes, home décor and a lot more. Her choices are often inspired by life by the sea but also places she visited (such as her tropical themed range of soft furnishings). I particularly loved all the red coral themed items. They were so simple, yet super stylish - just like Sofia herself.

Like everyone else, Sofia suffered during the past two seasons. Now she is carefully optimistic about the coming months and is looking forward to adding style to her clients’ homes and wardrobes alike.

“I think that us women are another race.

What we can survive, no man can.”

– Sofia @ Posidonia Facebook: tiendaposidonia Instagram: @posidonia_palmanova (+34) 652 652 388

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Miss dicA: Djane, music producer and schnapps creator Miss dicA, real name Barbara Tampiér, is one of those people that everyone notices as they enter a room – as much for her attractive figure and style as for her positive energy.

Barbara was born in Vienna. Her father was a DJ in the 60s and 70s. She started playing vinyls at the age of five and always wanted to be a DJ. She saved all her pocket money to buy two turntables and to make “her own little club” in her bedroom. She started playing clubs at the age of 15. As in those days the industry was made up of 99% men, she constantly had to fight prejudice against her white, middle class female background.

Barbara tells me that, although she watched her dad play a lot, she did her own thing. In her dad´s time a DJ was playing one song after another, but when she started, people were already mixing music. The industry changed a lot. She “had long fights with herself” as she was “totally into vinyls”. At one point she dragged 40 kilos of vinyls to a gig in Moscow and paid loads money for luggage, but over time she begrudgingly adapted to digital DJing.

Aside from DJing and producing music, Barbara is a high end real estate agent and an interior design consultant for several bars. She owned bars in Vienna and Berlin: She makes her own schnapps called Gudde Laune (eng. good mood), available in bars around Germany and coming to Mallorca soon.

You will be hearing Miss dicA at several events around Balearics this summer, including at super cool catamaran tours run by her friend; she is currently talking to a few beach clubs about doing guest DJ sets and, with enough notice, might be available for sun downers on private yachts.

“I love playing for cool, happy people, making my own music and just living on this gorgeous island.”

– Miss dicA Soundcloud: djanemissdica Instagram: @djanemissdica (+34) 652 652 388

Text: Mia Naprta mia.naprta@gmail.com

IG: @mianaprta

Photos: Private archives, unless otherwise stated

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VINAZO-MORROFINO – A DELIGHT FOR THE SENSES

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Morrofino is the sheer number of bottles of wine that crowd the walls and I can’t help but be a little jealous of the fun they must have had sampling them all. It turns out that there is no surprise that the theme is very much dedicated to wine as they actually have over 500 bottles on offer which is actually the most extensive wine list in Mallorca. They also have over 40 bottles that are available by the glass, so you really do get the opportunity to sample a wide array. The wines come from all around the world with over 18 countries represented so there is something to suit every taste, palate and pocket.

So he returned and reopened the restaurant in its current form, with an extended wine list, a new name and a new concept. He says that much of it is about democratising wine. Of making it accessible to all and removing the snobbery that is so often found to be associated with it. Angel himself is a Master Sommelier and has taken part in numerous competitions that include blind tastings and intense exams.

In fact he came third from all of the contestants at the Vines de Baleares competition. It is clear that he knows his business and is passionate about imparting this knowledge to anyone who is interested. He wants to open up the massive world of wines for all to enjoy.

Angel, the proprietor and wine expert extraordinaire sits with us to talk us through the concept. This is his second restaurant, the first being Sa Vida in Ibiza. He actually opened it with the same name in 2018 but due to various circumstances he closed it before covid hit and had to return to Ibiza where his first restaurant is completely open and therefore not tied to the same restrictions as many of the spaces in Mallorca. However, as life returned to normal he decided that while Ibiza is beautiful, it is very much seasonal and he loves the social life that is to be found in Palma.

It's at this point that we move away from talk of wine and turn our attention to his second passion, that of food and he introduces us to the delightful Venezuelan team behind the delicious smells that are wafting towards us from the kitchen, Chang and Tommeo. The pair have a great pedigree having worked in all manner of restaurants around the world and what they present here at Morrofino is not fusion, but a mix of cultures. All of the dishes have a distinctive heritage that is not blurred and draw from such areas as Japan, Venezuela, the Mediterranean and Latin America. They say that they want the food to be full of colour

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and flavours using strong greens and yellows, bringing a tropical freshness to the dishes they serve.

and more, and we were literally spooning the remnants like soup, so desperate were we to enjoy every last mouthful.

After having spoken extensively about the food, my fabulous photographer, Anouska, and I, could hear the distinct rumbling of our stomachs and so it was time for us to try these delicious dishes we had heard so much about.

We started out with two oysters in one of the most spectacular jus’ I have ever tasted. It was to my mind a Bloody Mary oyster and if I could have drunk the sangrita made of tomato juice, lime, tabasco, salt and pepper I would have bottled it and taken it home. It was the perfect level of spice to bring the taste buds alive and the colour set against the snowy ice was truly vibrant and appealing.

Thankfully we still had some space left as what was in store from the risotto with prawns and a coconut foam and the beef tataki with tenderloin broccoli in a Pedro Ximenez and Soya sauce were beyond tasty. I highly recommend when you come here that you order a range of dishes so that you can try a bit of everything as we were able to. When Angel said he wanted the dishes to be full of colour and flavour he certainly was not wrong. They were indeed a sight to behold.

Following straight on from the oysters was another dish that literally popped off the plate in a rainbow of riotous colour – the tuna tataki replete with Chinese hairy peppers with their delicate smoky flavour, were the perfect accompaniment to the delicious freshness of the tuna. Despite knowing we had several other dishes to go, not a morsel of this was left on the plate. The same could be said for the delight that was the ceviche with passion fruit.

It packed a flavour that left you wanting more

I urge anyone with a love of wine, good food and excellent service to pop along to this hidden gem behind the windmills on the edge of Santa Catalina. You won’t be disappointed. ______________________________________ VINAZO-MORROFINO Carrer de la indústria 8, Palma (+34) 685 185 263 reservas@morrofinopalma.com Written by Victoria Pearce Photos by Anouska Stelmach

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LIVING LA LANGUAGE LOCA

NO, IT’S NOT THE KLAN I hope you have all had a lovely Easter/Holy Week or, as happens every 33 years, a lovely Passover or Ramadan. Just as we have two terms, or even three if we include the American ‘spring break’, Spanish also has two ways to express this holiest of festivals; Pascua /PASskwa/ and Semana Santa /se-MANA SAN-ta/, Easter and Holy Week as respective translations.

Spending Easter here, you may have wondered how to wish someone a happy Easter. Truthfully, there’s no easy answer to this. First of all, it is not common in Spain to wish someone a happy Easter during Holy Week. In fact, the word itself is rather odd as it refers to Easter in its singular form Pascua, but Christmas in its plural form Pascuas, yes, that’s right, Christmas. Don’t ask me why. I have no idea, just like any other Spanish speaker I’ve asked. So, if you must greet someone at Easter, you should go for the completely unambiguous, Feliz Semana Santa / feh-LEETH se-MANA SAN-ta/. If you hear Felices Pascuas /feh-LEE-thez PAS-skwas/, presumably the time of year helps to crack the code.

Not hailing from a religious family, Easter for us was always about the eggs. Rather ignorantly, I didn’t even realise it was the most important religious festival of the year until I arrived in Mallorca. Christmas has always taken the mantle in the Stocker household as it is the only time we all get together. My mum would maybe put up an Easter tree, don’t get excited, it’s more like mug holder with some dangling eggs, not like the magnificently elaborate Christmas tree, or we would maybe have fish on Good Friday (Viernes Santo /BIER-nez SAN-to/), but Easter has never been a particularly special time of year.

Then I moved to Spain and I was greeted with the sight of Seville’s Easter procession - what I was witnessing honestly shocked me the first

Nazarenos

time I saw it. There were people flagellating themselves (…I said flagellate), real blood dripping down their backs as well as barefooted penitents slowly dragging heavy chains behind them. It seemed extreme and very far removed from a rather jovial Easter Bonnet Parade you might find in the UK - think kids in huge frilly hats with ridiculous designs. It really was one of my first real culture shocks here.

Alex Stocker

THE PROCESSIONS If you have just spent your first Easter in Mallorca, you may have been surprised by some of the daily processions that take place in the city centre every evening during Semana Santa.

Usually starting along La Rambla and continuing to snake their way around the streets of central Palma, we have the pasos /PAH-sos/, the huge floats carrying models of Mary and Jesus and other such figures. The cofradías /coh-fraDEEYAS/ or associations belonging to different churches around Palma, carry the floats through the streets with traditional long candles or cirios /THI-ri-os/ to the sound of drums and the brass marching band.

The cofradías dress in their church’s colours with its youngest members keeping cirios lit and trying to collect the constantly falling wax.

Stronger members of the association must carry the float itself, some of them even barefoot.

These carriers are the costaleros /coh-stal-AIRoss/ named for the costal /coh-stal/ a hessianlike material which sits on their heads and falls down their backs. Is it here that the weight is carried on the neck, or more specifically on the seventh cervical vertebra, basically the peg at the back of your neck. It’s incredible to think that these men, because let’s be honest, it can only be men who carry this astonishing weight, said to be around 1500kg, on just one vertebra.

Not for the faint of heart or weak of neck.

You may have been taken aback by some of the

Paso

costumes worn as they bear a rather unsettling resemblance to the robes of the Ku Klux Klan.

These are the nazarenos /natha-RAIN-os/, even after fourteen years in Mallorca, I still find them an odd sight.

However, having done some research into the age-old question, ‘Which came first, the nazareno or the KKK?’ It would appear that Clare West, the costume designer for the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, attended the Seville Easter Procession and was inspired by the nazarenos to design the costume of the KKK in the film. The organisation itself actually used West’s design when the group reared its ugly head for a second time. Unfortunately, in the non-Catholic western world, these costumes are synonymous with those racist idiots. Well, now we know the nazarenos came first!!

EASTER FARE Spain takes Easter food very seriously. We are not just looking at a few chocolate eggs or maybe not eating meat on Good Friday, we are talking about a veritable smorgasbord of Spanish dishes. Some of the classic dishes include panades /puh-NA-dez/, which are little Mallorquín /mayore-KEEN/ pasty-like pies filled with anything from the standard meat and peas, to octopus, chicken curry, tuna or vegetables you can go nuts and add whatever you want

Robiols

Panades

really. The pastry used is the typical Mallorquin one with lard as its fat, it does have a thicker texture than say an Argentinian style puff pastry mini-pie (empanada /em-pan-NADDA/), but they are still tasty, if enjoyed on an annual basis.

Other treats include robiols /robby-YOLS/ a fruit filled or chocolate creme flavoured type of turnover, and crespells /cres-PAYS/, a flower-shaped biscuit also made with lard or saïm /sai-EEM/ in Mallorquín, where the word ensaïmada /en-sai-MA-duh/ comes from. A firm favourite among Mallorquines /mayore-KEEN-ez/ of all ages, the making of these baked goods is also a yearly family tradition. Households get together to make the panades, crespells and robiols - and of course, to feast on them afterwards.

In other parts of Spain, most Easter dishes consist of cod or bacalao / bakka-loww/ like potaje de vigilia /po-TA-hay de be-hil-li-ya/ a stew made from vegetables, cod and chickpeas. As well as buñuelos de bacalao /bunyu-el-los de bakka-loww/ small cod fishcakes and patatas con bacalao / pah-TA-tas con bakka-loww/ a humble dish of boiled potatoes and cod.

Although you can find some of these dishes all year round, they are particularly common around Easter.

If you haven’t already attended the processions or partaken of some Easter baked treats, you will have to wait for next year now. Both Easter traditions are so deeply rooted in the culture that you would be missing out on getting a better insight into Mallorquín culture if you didn’t try them out. __________________________________________________________ Alex Stocker alexstocker45@gmail.com

Plenty of Spectators

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COFFEES AND CAKES

on La Rambla in Palma. Everyone I meet in early April was asking me: “Have you heard of Narez y Cuart?”, “Have you been to Narez y Cuart already?” “Have you tried these new cakes on La Rambla?” So, there was nothing else to do but to check this place out as soon as possible.

SWEET TREATS: Narez y Cuart – “Edible artistry created with love and passion” You know a place is worth a visit when you hear about it from four different people in a space of just one week. This is exactly what happened with the brand new cake and chocolate place

Even as I approached a somewhat unpretty part of La Rambla, this place stood out with its class and elegance. The green and red colour scheme outside reminded me of London´s Harrods, but pushed into the 21st century.

As you enter, you are greeted with an equally stylish interior, with enough goodies on display to whet your appetite but not so many as to look tacky. Every cake - individual or to share - looks like a little piece of art in itself! Handmade chocolates are packed in gorgeous boxes of 9 or 16 carefully selected pieces, one or two of each flavour. Chocolate tablets come in expensive looking packaging too and I love the “shattered glass” moulds, which I have not seen anywhere else. There are also jars full of

interesting and innovative bites. Their golden nuts, covered in milk chocolate and passion fruit, look and taste like no nuts you have ever seen or tasted before!

After I stop drawling over all these morsels of joy, I compose myself, introduce myself to the lovely Joan (the male half of Narez & Cuart), and we agree to speak more another day.

Not before I get a tablet of their dirty blonde chocolate with a pinch of Mallorcan sea salt.

This has since been added to my Top 10 Tastiest Chocolates I have ever tried - and those of you who know me, know that that´s not a mean feat!

Mara Narez is a a pastry chef and chocolatier “known for her gilded cakes, hand-painted macarons, and fruit tarts”. Her signature cakes include chocolate cake, a semi sphere made with 70% dark chocolate; her glazed mango mousse and the violet ganache cake”, but my absolute favourite is pretty white sphere decorated with flowers and made with yuzu, a

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Japanese citric fruit of a very particular taste.

Joan Cuart is an artisanal confectioner passionate about all things chocolate “from single-origin bars to hand cut truffles and seasonal fruit-filled bombons”. He is giving a modern twist to traditional Mallorcan flavours, making things like olive oil ganache, fig and foie mousse and so on. I fell in love with each little ball of joy I tried, so I really could not single out any one of them.

Mara and Joan met in Barcelona, where they worked with Oriol Balaguer. This reminded me of Llluis Perez who I also wrote about for this column last year and who also trained there.

They founded Dolça in Puerto de Andratx in 2016. This has since been renamed Narez y Cuart and the second store in Palma in April 2020. In only a few weeks it has been opened in the capital of the island, Narez y Cuart has become the most talked about place to get your high end treats and gifts of sweet nature.

The only problem I can see with this is: buying

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something for someone else and eating it before you have a chance to give it away.

Be warned!

“Perfectly proportioned and delicately flavoured, our creations lead the way with only naturally occurring sugars recipes, locally sourced ingredients and mostly seasonal produce.”

Till next month…

Yours sweetly, Mia ______________________________________ Text: Mia Naprta mia.naprta@gmail.com Instagram: @mianaprta

Narez y Cuart (+34) 871 903 883 info@narezcuart.com Instagram: narezycuart

Photos: Ana Stan anam.stan@gmail.com https://anastan.es Instagram: @anastan

C/ de Isaac Peral 36, Port d'Andratx La Rambla 2, Palma

Ana Stan Photographer

Mia Naprta

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6POINTS MALLORCA

By the time this reaches publication, the latest edition of the 6Points Mallorca will be complete, more money will have be raised for the local charities Asdica and Yachting Gives Back – over Eu120,000 to date. Those who took part will know that this is one of the very best ways to ride the whole island of Mallorca.

Now in its sixth year, 6Points Challenges has developed the theme of riding the six points of the island (North (Cap Formentor), East (Cap Depera), South (Ses Salines), West (St Elm), highest (Puig Major) and lowest (anywhere by the sea..), which places the event somewhere between the Mallorca 312, a much more intense one day event, and a cycling holiday that might take at least a week.

With the format covering 420km and 7500m of climbing over the course of a long weekend (always towards the end of May), the Senses 6Points Mallorca is a perfect mix of being an exhilarating and challenging ride, but one that remains within the reach of most riders wishing to give it a good crack after a bit of training.

With a focus on inclusivity, the event has developed over the years and has now added a slightly shorter (340km) and easier option of the first day’s toughest leg of the entire Tramuntana range by offering a ‘Vallees’ route - following the inland route of the mountain range up to the first night’s stay in Puerto Pollensa.

Limited to around 75 riders with all the logistics - hotels, meals, bag transfers etc beautifully organised at a very high level, the rider groups are separated by expected fitness levels, - named after various coffee options from Espresso to Cafe Latte, so that no one is ‘dropped’, but still allowing for the quicker riders to give it full beans and for the event to remain a serious challenge.

What develops with this format is a camaraderie and team element that builds over the three days into a truly fantastic way to cycle the island - famous for being one of the best cycling locations in the world.

Ride for Ukraine Through the course of the year, 6Points Challenges organises monthly rides and due to the current awful conflict in Ukraine, the April edition of the monthly ride was held to raise money for those affected by the war (as opposed to a Special Military Operation..), including many individuals and families who have been displaced to Mallorca.

In cooperation with Yachting Gives Back and UR Mallorca - an important new local charity organisation offering vital and meaningful support to displaced Ukrainians - over €3200 was raised by around 30 cyclists on a 70km ride in stunning spring sunshine, starting and finishing at Santa Maria, summitting the Puig de Magdalena on the way.

Cycling brings a great deal to our beautiful island each year, extending the tourist season each side of the summer. 6Points offers the chance to ride it in the best possible way. ______________________________________ Hamish Goddard (+34) 686 634 038 Hamish.goddard@e3s.com

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ROSA DEL MAR RESTAURANT AND CLUB – SENSATIONAL GASTRONOMY IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN!

Tucked away at the far end of the Paseo Maritimo there is a cute little harbour on the opposite side to the sea called Darsena de Ca’n Barbara which is home to an incredibly special restaurant, Rosa del Mar. This exclusive location has all the charm and beauty of a little fishing port and offers a wonderfully atmospheric setting that only a venue like Rosa del Mar could be deserving of. One of Palma’s lesser-known secrets, this splendid example of the finest creative cuisine in Mallorca is brought to you by the amazingly talented Mallorcan Chef, Tito Verger and his fantastic team. Tito has trained with some of the best Chefs in Spain so I was very eager to meet with the gastronomical genius himself as well as General Manager, Johan Engstrom to find out more: How long has Rosa del Mar been here in Darsena C’an Barbara?

Johan: We opened 5 years ago as a new venue and worked hard to find the right staff to create the great team we have today. Tito has been with us for two and a half years and with his creative genius has elevated us to the success we enjoy today. Tito started with us at the beginning of March 2020 and we had a launch party arranged for 15th March where we were going to do a big tableau with BBQ, and live music, and we had 295 confirmed guests.

Everything was ready, the food was prepared and on the 14th March, the island went into lockdown! We had to close everything down and freeze what we could but on the bright side, it gave Tito more time to get creative and come up with the incredible dishes he produces today. Also, the staff ate very well when we opened up again! The restaurant is mainly Tito’s concept as he is a genius in the kitchen.

old in a restaurant in Genova, Mallorca. From there I went to work in Reads Hotel, which was a very exclusive place in Santa Maria del Cami and is where Mark Fosh used to work. I gained great experience there and also got the opportunity to study at Tecnicas Culinarias de Vanguardia. Following this, I worked in several restaurants alongside great chefs such as Mark Richardson and Juan Ignacio Felize where I learned a lot more and created my own versions of dishes from Latin America, Italy and the Mediterranean including making fresh pasta and generally perfecting my skills. I was also the creative chef at both Ombu and Forn de Sant Joan in Palma.

I love your menu and it certainly gave me some new Spanish words to look up. The dishes are very interesting and seem to have a lot of Asian/ Indian influence with wonderful combinations of ingredients – have you travelled to Asia / India?

Tito: Yes, I have travelled to Asia and sampled a lot of the wonderful flavours there but have also visited many Asian restaurants in London and around Spain. I’ve been able to develop my own style using these influences to create my dishes and with the help of my talented Sous Chef, Facundo de Pinto, we are able to serve perfect dishes every time.

Johan: Tito has outdone himself with the menu as it really is very good. The great thing is that everything sells. Normally when you have a menu there are a few things that don’t always sell but here everything does. It’s a nightmare for Tito as he has to keep all of the dishes on the menu but it offers a great variety for customers, and the whole team works hard to give them an enjoyable dining experience.

Tito, can you tell me about your history as a Chef?

You also do a great taster menu (gustacion) which is very impressive, is this popular with customers?

Tito: I started work experience at 17 years

Tito: Yes, we do that mainly autumn through

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spring but not really in the summer because during these months people generally do not want to eat seven courses as it is so hot.

Of course, if they want to, they can book it but when it’s very hot outside people are more likely to order different tapas or caviar throughout the evening to enjoy more leisurely with a bottle of wine, etc.

I notice you were the winner of TaPalma and judging by the tapas you offer here at Rosa del Mar I am not surprised – they are true works of art! There must be a lot of work that goes into creating them?

Tito: Yes, I won 1st and 3rd place in 2018 and 2nd place in 2019! I love to surprise customers with not only different flavour combinations but also textures. I like to stimulate all the senses.

Johan: I think he will win this year also! Tito is very artistic and creative and comes up with really unique ideas.

I was delighted to see your list of house cocktails with their wonderful names based on a Greek mythology sea theme. Who was the mastermind behind these?

Johan: We have staff meetings every Thursday with Ellie, our bartender/mixologist and the other team members but I think it was Ellie who came up with the idea. We didn’t just want to be offering classic cocktails as you can get those everywhere, although we still do them of course, but thought it would be nice to create our own cocktails to do credit

to this place. Then Ellie and the team came up with the names and concoctions. I have to say we really do have an amazing team here as well.

Who are your main clientele – are they locals, yachties, holiday-makers?

Johan: All of the above but it’s hard to be definitive as the last two years we have been closed more than open because of covid so business was very disjointed, but it was mainly locals during this period. Fortunately, so far this year since we opened at the beginning of March, we have more clientele than we ever had and it’s a real mixture of age ranges, tourists, locals, yachties, etc.

You also have a club here – what kind of nights and music do you feature?

Tito: Right now the club is open when the restaurant is open and it works as a bar de copas. The restaurant is open Tues to Sunday from lunch all the way through until midnight.

We do one or two special events per week and normally it’s 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music with the clientele mostly aged 35 and above.

Our club has amazing acoustics – the best in Mallorca - no matter how loud the music is you can still hear each other talk so it’s a very special system.

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the club is right next door. We can cater for parties from 12 up to 150.

Rosa del Mar is part of the G-WG (Gastro Workgroup) – what other restaurants are part of the Group?

Johan: Yes, the group is owned by 3 Swedish guys who run a very tight-knit team to bring the great standards you will find at all of their venues here in Palma. There is La Chica de Santa Catalina where you can enjoy delicious food such as grilled octopus, steak tartare and other Mediterranean delights. We also have La Chica Mercat in Plaza de Weyler which serves really great tapas and vermouths in an informal atmosphere with a wonderful traditional feel of days gone by.

If you haven’t already visited this seriously special venue, then I recommend you book soon! You will be greeted with a magnificent array of the most delectable dishes that this vibrant city has to offer accompanied by the stunning backdrop and ambience of the pretty little harbour that is Darsena de Ca’n Barbara. ______________________________________ Rosa del Mar Darsena de Ca’n Barbara Palma 07015

Can people book the venue for events such as birthdays, weddings, etc?

(+34) 690 83 79 47 rosadelmar@g-wg.com www.rosadelmarrestaurante.com

Johan: Yes, it is perfect for events as the kitchen is very big, you can eat outside or inside and

Written by Lisa Thompson textperfect@outlook.com

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BUT I’M NOT A CYCLIST… BY DOMINIC BOND nobody wants to ride behind a guy looking at his arse… anyway this guy always seemed to be standing by his bike when-ever I saw him so no arse viewing issues. He was talking of quitting though – the roads too busy he said…

I just smiled, 2k I said and you are off this road and it’s all good after that – a few days and you are in Finland… Quitting wasn’t even a consideration for me now, not here, not when having this much fun… but I wished him the best and carried on.

I booked a nice hotel, on a lake, and was lucky enough that it had a great Restaurant - so had a nice meal and good night sleep before tackling Latvia tomorrow. The hotel was stunning, an old looking house in the grounds of a huge country palace – I sat down to a lovely dinner, chatting to a German guy who was on his own biking adventure. The Italians turned up a bit later to have their quick dinner before the restaurant closed. It was all 5 Italians now and they were going well, a little part of me was spurred on by having someone matching me for distance day after day – I thought ok tomorrow I need to put it in a bit more and get ahead.

#early morning mists….

... Continued from previous edition

ate, drunk plenty of fluids and slept well.

Day 9 – August 1st 5.10am Gmina Sarnaki, Poland

Stats – 315.82km, 1,677m of elevation – riding time 12h,5m (longest ride yet)

The early start was great again, a slight mist as the sun rose… I was riding over lovely rivers, more farmland, and little villages – it was clean, well maintained and it was really enjoyable riding. I hadn’t been overly excited by the prospect of Poland, I thought maybe it would be a bit boring with little elevation and nothing but farmland, but it was proving a joy and the k’s were ticking buy.

Day 10 – August 2nd 5.45am Stankuny, Poland

I was planning my stops well, loading food and having nice breaks by the side of the road in green fields. I’d bump into my Italian friends now and again, there were a group of about 5 who I would see in different pairings now and again. It was nice to know I was going the right way, and to see that they were still on the move.

Just after midday, with the k’s flying by I started to look at accommodation for tonight – there weren’t too many good choices, I booked a place in Lithuania, hoping I’d get through Poland today but a few hours later I realized I wouldn’t make that. About 6pm I pulled up into a little village on lake Wizajny, that had me right on the boarder – lots of the accommodation options on booking.com weren’t answering, and so after a couple of failed attempts to book something, and on asking some locals, I found a place further up the lake. It was about another 7k and I took a wrong turn to add a few more k’s but I pulled up about 7pm as a little rain started to fall. This place felt like some kind of religious cult house, with families everywhere and not the exact hotel feel you may expect, but the food was great and my room was quiet and warm.

I had dinner with a couple of the Italians, who were also a bit tired – I was a little unsure how my body would bounce after 315k too, but I

Pretty early start post 315k and rain was due today, lots of it, so was just looking for it to be light – plus it was Monday and I had a call with my Australian life coach booked in for 8am – so wanted to cover some k’s and find a good internet connection. Well the rain started in earnest but I was loving it, quite country roads as I made my way over the hills and into Lithuania – boarder crossing are always nice and this one was peaceful, in between a couple of small forests and not a person in site.

8am came round quick and I pulled into the best service station, got coffee, and cakes, and some more cakes and sandwiches, packed the bike and loaded up – the rain was pouring, but I sat inside and with my phone had a skype call with my coach where I remarked that I am really getting into this, I’m pretty good at it actually, the routine, the riding it feels good – I started to believe I could do this, just head down and keep on riding. We chatted for nearly an hour and with my spirits high and sugar intake topped up, I pushed on in the rain. This was the wettest day yet, and so I nice accommodation tonight could be in order to dry some kit.

I was having fun, a nice lunch, and all-though wet it was just a joy to be fighting the elements – and the temperatures were great for riding.

At one point I stopped to marvel at a stunning double rainbow, I pulled out a cinnamon bun from my snack pack and just laughed to myself at where I was and what I was doing. 15ks on, on a busy road I saw another rider – this guy always made me smile as he had white bib shorts on – something I was advised against early on in my pro cycling career ;o)… White when its wet can be a little see-through – and

#The red roofed building was my hotel for the night €44. With breakfast

My bedroom was like a dolls house, full of doilies and thrilly things, but with my bike in my room and the hairdryer on full, to dry kit, I was all ready for the next day.

Stats – 259.40km, 961m of elevation – riding time 10h,39m Day 11 – August 3rd 5.45am Pakruojis, Lithuania Straight across Latvia, well that’s just what happened. I was up at 5am, still drying a few things, I grabbed some take-away breakfast and was on the road as the sun was coming up. It was a misty morning, but it was dry and I was looking forward to putting in a few k’s as I had to start thinking now about Estonia and the ferry to Finland. I hadn’t looked into this much as it was just too far away in my head, but the idea was if I put in a full day today, then tomorrow I’d just have a couple of hundred k’s to the ferry, where ideally I’d like to be by either 2 or 4pm.

I am not sure when 200k’s became just a couple of hundred k’s, but that was my reality these days – 260ks was just becoming standard.

The end of Lithuania was an abundance of stunning golden fields as the sun rose, punctuated by the occasional old wooden windmill that always made me smile, along with these crazy wooden houses, that looked like they were last painted 40 years ago,

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but some-how remained standing, with a gorgeous silver look to the interlacing wooden slats, they were like art personified, and they were everywhere.

Around 7.30am I rolled into Latvia, and with flat straight roads I pushed on. Stunning rivers and good food stops, I loaded up on cakes, and coffee, and coke. My 9am stop consisted of three cakes, two sandwiches, a twix, a coffee, and a coke – not all eaten of course but some eaten and the rest loaded on the bike. I’d buy these large Twix’s and on cycling through some towns or villages, I’d take out a Twix finger and treat it like a cigar as I rode on – smiling to myself at what it must look like – this gnome like bearded cyclist character puffing on his chocolate cigar.

Today was interesting as the road to Riga had been much talked about, it was considered very dangerous and so a gravel road had been proposed and all riders were advised to follow this. Well, I was on the old maps, so thought when I get to this busy road I’ll take a google route to Riga and all will be ok. All of a sudden I am on this dual carriageway with huge logging, trucks thundering by. If you ever cycle along a road with logging trucks, and my advice would be don’t if you can help it.. but you can feel them approaching, there’s a rumble… you tense a little and then the woosh… the wind seams to remain for minutes. Now I am pretty good with traffic, but these guys were a little intimidating, and after about 15k of this I stopped to find an alternative. This was the

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forbidden road and I had been on it. Anyway I found a gravel alternative and headed to Riga through the forests. I’d later be deducted 12 hours for the considered short cut, but all was good – who was I racing anyway.

At just before midday I cycled into Riga, this was checkpoint number 3, and quite the milestone, only one more to hit before the Nordkapp. The sun came out as I rode through the city and it was very pleasant, and pretty small, which was handy as I didn’t want to spend all day riding through suburbs. By 2pm I was pretty much out of town and riding north on nice straight roads with some lovely countryside again.

Towards 6pm I was starting to tire a little but there wasn’t too much in the way of accommodation ahead. I was getting through my supplies and wasn’t sure where I would stay. At 6.45pm I pulled into a little village, the last stop before the boarder with Estonia, but there was nowhere to stay – so I called a camp site in Estonia, booked in and pushed on.

The campsite owner advised, over text (as his Russian only speaking option left us a bit stuck, with my English only speaking tongue),that there was a great service station just near the camp site where I could get good food.

Well he wasn’t wrong, this place had poke bowls, fresh pastries, fresh coffee, fresh porridge, and I was in a little bit of fresh heaven. I loaded up and headed to my camp site, and my warm cabin. The camp site was pretty odd, little cabins on a nice lake, with a

Charlie Chaplin shower and toilet building – but it was warm and dry. I met a lovely German lady who was a fellow Nordkapper. I think she was wondering where’d I’d suddenly appeared from – but I had done 326k that day, that took me into a new group of riders….. so little small talk took place and then bed for me – it was 10pm but still light and I had just crossed Latvia in a day on my bike… 326k, just nuts.

Stats – 326.31km, 857m of elevation – riding time 13h,16m (longest ever) ... Continued in the next edition ______________________________________ Dominic Bond dominic.bond@omniaccess.com Next Ride – Trans America – June 5th https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ dominic-bond2

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BRUNCH ETC.: BATX AT COMODO – COMFORTABLE CO-WORKING TAKEN TO THE NEXT LEVEL

The Batx Team: Sol, Adrián, Ivo, Stella, Leo and Natalia

I often think about how people in any city have a tendency to hang out in 2-3 hip neighbourhoods, often missing out on some interesting places outside of that. Here in Palma, we mostly spend time in the old town or in Santa Catalina. So, when a friend invited me to lunch at this “cool café” attached to her workplace in C/ Arxiduc, I jumped at the chance to widen my horizons.

And I was really pleasantly surprised by Batx!

The café is big, light and airy. It is painted all white, with some quirky light solutions, a lot of wood and plants. Also, there is plenty of space to move between tables - a precious rarity these days. There is an eclectic collection of art on the walls and I spotted a small graphic painting by someone I wrote about a while ago. The staff is super attentive, without being “pesados”. As it was my first time here I asked for a recommendation and I got a coconutwater-based green smoothie with spinach,

pineapple and banana and a mozzarella, tomato and pesto bagel. Both were super delicious! All in all, I have decided within the first few moments that I will be coming here a lot more.

According to their website, “BATX. - pronounced 'batch', is a creation of Cómodo&Co (Coworking and Office spaces in Palma) and Lot61 Coffee Roasters - Born in Sydney. Raised in Brooklyn. Roasting in Amsterdam.” But how did this bright idea come about? After that first lunch, and several equally enjoyable visits since, I arrange to meet the people behind the business and find out more.

Natalia Rodríguez Ferrer and Jim Drabbe - a Mallorquina with a hospitality background and a Dutch businessman - are partners both in life and business. It all started in 2005, when they rented an office that was too big for them.

They decided to let some rooms to friends as

well, got a secretary and it all expanded from there. They are constantly looking to evolve and, as it says in their name – Comodo – it's about making it comfortable for the people to work there. They are currently running three co-working spaces, on La Rambla, on Via Roma and on C/ Arxiduc. People can sign up to anything from a few hours, a full day, a week or take a monthly subscription. This is what most people do, take a rolling monthly contract.

Opening a café was a logical addition to this coworking place... They wanted to offer people who work here all day an option to also grab a coffee, breakfast or lunch here, without the need to get out in their lunch break. My friend, a busy web developer, often has a nap in one of their chill out zones, recharges her batteries and continues to work till late… The café and the co-working spaces are separate, yet fluid, so people can take their laptops and have a meeting in a café, or take their coffee or lunch

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into the working area. I wish spaces like these existed when I was working 14 hour days back in London in my 20s and early 30s.

I ask what's in the name and Jim explains that “batch” means filtered coffee and , as they are in Arxiduc Street, they “stole” the X from that, and called the place Batx! Talking about coffee, Jim tells me that he was looking for something that no one in Palma offered yet. Being Dutch, he came across the specialty coffee Lot 61 from Amsterdam and decided to collaborate with them.

In terms of food, like most hip places around town, they also offer the inevitable avocado toast. They use Fika Farina bread, their portions appear to be more generous and the dish is sprinkled with roasted seeds. Their burrata salad with pumpkin and beetroot is also a “must try”. 90% of their menu is vegan, but they don’t purposefully concentrate on that. Rather, the idea is to offer healthy, tasty combinations that are as appealing to the eye as they are to the palate.

As for sweet treats, Natalia tells me that her favourites are a small Argentinian “pastelito” with chocolate and peanut butter and a lemon cake with poppy seeds. I really liked the vegan brownie. Meanwhile, Jim exclaims that “they are all delicious!” and, having tried many sonce, I couldn't agree more!

So, the lesson of the day: get out of the Old Town and Santa Cat, explore, and – like me you might be surprised with the delights you find further afield! ______________________________________ Text: Mia Naprta mia.naprta@gmail.com Instagram: @mianaprta Photos: Ana Stan anam.stan@gmail.com https://anastan.es Instagram: @anastan Batx (+34) 971 712 264 info@batx.es Instagram: @batx.palma C/ de l'Arxiduc Lluís Salvador, 7 Open: Mon-Fri 8-16, Sat 9-13 Delivery to yachts available on request

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THE RISING STARS AND OLD GLORIES OF MALLORCA

Ses Rotes

Los Dos Caballeros

At this time of year, all the local wineries release most of their new vintages. The young 2021 wines have all been fermented, stabilized, filtered, and bottled, and can now be served or enjoyed at your table.

mildew and oidium. A lot of the inventory that normally gets drunk on the island was sold abroad due to the pandemic, so there was a lot of out-of-stock wine before the end of the year.

In addition, finding bottles, boxes, or labels this year has been extremely challenging, and as a consequence prices have soared. Nevertheless, we can now start drinking all of those wines we love.

working hard to keep up with all of the latest developments!

So for this spring, here are some of our favourites from all four corners of Mallorca:

It should also be noted that the 2020 vintage was not a great one for Mallorca, as most wineries lost large amounts of grapes to

The constant improvement in quality, the addition of new wineries, and the incorporation of new grape varieties make the Mallorca wine map very dynamic. As the market continues to flood with new products, we have been

• At the very centre of the island, near Llubí, you'll find a new project called ‘Los Dos Caballeros’. This new winery features its own vines and two agroturismo houses. They produce, in our humble opinion, the best Sauvignon Blanc in Mallorca. The taste of this wine is fresh and crisp with a cracking acidity, which is hard to achieve when the climate is so warm here. Furthermore, they produce a

7103 Giro

Los Dos Caballeros Rosé

Los Dos Caballeros White

I say all of this lightly, but a lot took place this past year for your wine to be at its drinking stage now. Wine producers in Mallorca have an even more challenging time preparing everything in readiness for the summer season.

Ses Rotes wine range

Ribas Rose

Soca-Rel Mantonegro & Escursac

Dunord Viticola wine range

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Son Puig Bodega

fantastic pale rosé using Garnacha grapes.

They are only in their first year of selling wine so we will be sure to watch their progress in the coming years.

• I‘m pretty sure we have mentioned Ribas in previous articles, but it is impossible not to do it again. Their constant improvements and innovations make them a reference winery on the island. Their Ribas Rosé is again some of the best in Mallorca. And they have also created a new rosé called Sío Rosat. This is a single variety using Gorgollasa and is quite simply delicious. However, only 600 bottles have been produced, so do get your hands on a bottle now or potentially regret it forever! In addition, the inclusion of the Giró Ros grapes in their Blanc wine is a massive improvement.

• Another young, small producer with a keen eye on the future of wine in Mallorca is Joan Gutierrez of Dunord Viticola in Pollença. His new Insomni Blanc 2021 has all the ingredients to be a highlight this summer. This is a great wine to enjoy with or without food. Joan also produces red wine and his Curolla red seems to evolve better with the inclusion of used barrels. His new Selvatic red wine uses grapes that are harvested from a vineyard planted next to an old coal mine. This wine shows you how to make perfect use of the Syrah grape, producing a fruity and fluid wine, with a clear Mediterranean character.

Ses Rotes horses

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7103 Petit Celler (Photo courtesy of 7103)

• This past winter, we went to visit Pep from Soca-Rel. He calls his garage a micro-winery because it is as small as they come. It contains just a few small vats, a tiny room to store bottles and other tools, and a table with some glasses for tasting. Nothing more, nothing less.

Pep has created a unique tool to make sure his wines ferment the way he wants. Using Mantonegro and Escursac, he produces some of the cleanest wines we have tasted. He also experiments with other grape varieties, but the real connection is with local ones. If you find one of the few bottles he produces, you are a lucky person as most of his wines go to the top restaurants on the island.

• We can't hide the fact that we really enjoy the wines made by 7103 Petit Celler. Their connection to Mallorca, their authenticity, and their constant innovation make Sebastia and Pep one of our best-selling local winemakers.

This year's surprise came in the form of a Giro Ros. Unlike most other Giró Ros wines we have tried before, this one has not been aged in barrel or sur lie. The wine has had a short stay in a stainless steel vat to make sure all the fruit flavours and aromas are retained. They have done it again!! This Giró Ros is fresh, fluid, fragrant and full of finesse.

• Finally, we have to mention two different wines from two different wineries on the island.

Both are located close to the Tramuntana

Mountains and both have created a new red wine using the local grape variety Callet. The Callet wine from Son Puig is a medium-bodied red that is a symphony of flowers and red fruits.

It is a very playful and elegant red wine. The other Callet wine comes from a relatively new project called ‘Ses Rotes’, near Esporles. The project incorporates the owners’ love of wine and horses and covers a huge area. Their Callet wine is the perfect example of a light summer red. It is light in colour and body, with subtle flavours of red fruit and a beautiful sheen. I can imagine this wine slightly chilled with some grilled tuna.

We hope this small guide gives you some inspiration to try some local wines this year, steering away from the usual offerings of Verdejo, Albariño, Rioja, and Ribera. Salud!! ______________________________________ Wine Industry Mallorca Bringing wine to you - quality wines from lesser known bodegas and interesting wine makers. www.wineindustry.es Ivan Gonzalez Gainza (+34) 657 88 32 48 Lara Corfield (+34) 638 60 19 43

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LA PESCADERIA DE ANDI – A NEW CONCEPT IN MALLORCA

Hospitality in its purest form is what springs to mind when I think back over our evening at La Pescaderia de Andi. From the moment we stepped foot through the light and airy doors nothing was too much trouble for our wonderful host and business partner in the restaurant, Keren. Her effervescent and fun nature was infectious from the outset and as we settled down at our table I instantly knew this was going to be a good night and I wasn’t wrong.

Before we have even had time to take our jackets off three delicious cocktails turn up at our table made by the extremely talented mixologist. As we each try a bit of each other’s I can’t say which I love more, the Andi’s Mule, the Old Fashioned or the Red Berry Mojito. All of them are beautiful and light and fruity and the presentation is impeccable.

So as we sit and take in the atmosphere Keren joins us and explains the idea behind Pescaderia de Andi. Essentially it a concept hailing from the Middle East. Keren grew up in Israel and always loved the restaurants down at the marina where tables were crammed full of

meze and fresh fish and the sound of laughter rolled across the water. After a chance meeting at her husband’s birthday party led her into conversation with Andreas Stulz, owner and namesake of Andi’s they began to discuss different restaurant concepts. They looked at what is currently on offer here on the island and while there are several excellent seafood and fish restaurants, there are none quite like the idea behind Pescaderia de Andi.

So what, I ask, makes it so different. Keren explains that it is actually very simple. There are no starters to choose from, instead each table of guests is presented with a plethora of fresh, colourful salads, home-made breads and dips to accompany every main course. For the mains guests can choose from the grill menu, where they have the pick of the freshest fish, to be chosen from the fish cabinet. There’s also the catch of the day, the mixed fish platter, the mixed seafood platter and the towers. We’ll come back to the towers. Keren does however say that if fish isn’t your thing then they have plenty of meat and vegetarian options to satisfy all tastes. I have it on good authority that the pork tacos are to die for.

As if by magic, as Keren is talking us through the variety of dishes we’ll be experiencing they begin to materialise on the table. In fact there is not an inch of space left once the ‘Andi’pasti has arrived. There are olives and hummus, juicy padron peppers, smoky black garlic aioli, a sweet and sticky tomato jam with lime, spicy Moroccan carrots, delicious Tabbouleh…the list goes on. And we haven’t even got to the bread yet. For the bread was pretty much the star of the show in my opinion. Handmade from scratch at their deli daily, the plait of light fluffy dough is intertwined with a delicious homemade green pesto, the combination of which is literally divine.

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As we are digging in, each mouthful tastier than the next, in a riot of colours and flavours Keren explains to us what is coming up – the Tower.

We can barely conceal our excitement as she tells us that we will be experiencing. Literally a mountain of fresh fish and seafood. Salmon and tuna, delicate line caught hake that only four hours ago was still in the sea. And as for the crustaceans there were langoustines and huge prawns, mussels and razor clams. All of this topped off by some of the tastiest roast potatoes cooked in a rich butter that were crunchy on the outside and perfectly creamy on the inside. We were quite literally in taste sensation heaven.

And not only was the food delicious and fresh so were the accompanying wines that went with it. We gradually worked our way through the wine list, which Keren will happily talk any customer through, sampling delights from Mallorca, France and Australia. Each wine was paired perfectly to match the dish we were eating. We finally finished off with a deliciously mixed hierbas to help us wash down the day’s excesses.

The space itself is delightful and the large terrace is a great spot for starting the evening off. In the summer they will also be opening the huge roof terrace where guests will be able to enjoy live music from local artists which only adds to the convivial atmosphere of the whole place. And if you are lucky Keren may even get the karaoke machine out!

It is clear to see that a lot of love and passion goes into everything that is prepared at Pescaderia de Andi and that all of the staff are equally invested in making it work. Keren says that most of the customers who come have been once before and so are repeat business and in the summer they are queuing around

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the block, so it’s important to ensure that you book well in advance. If clients are driving they can park in Cala Nova carpark and the restaurant will take three euros off the bill so that essentially you get free parking.

As we finally leave the restaurant at nearly midnight, our cheeks are aching from all of the laughing that my fabulous photographer Anouska and I, along with Helen and new friend Keren, have done. Keren says that she says to everyone to turn up hungry and she isn’t exaggerating. We have eaten so much delicious food that we cannot wait to return for round two. Thanks again to La Pescaderia de Andi and her fabulous crew for showing us such a lovely time. ______________________________________ La Pescaderia de Andi Avenida de Joan Miro 322 San Agustin, Palma de Mallorca (+34) 871 77 97 51 www.andi.es/menu Written by Victoria Pearce Photos by Anouska Stelmach

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

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(+34) 600 67 37 22 Calle Annibal, 22 - Santa Catalina, Palma

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Plaça Navegació 5 - Santa Catalina, Palma | (+34) 971 33 79 96 www.marketkitchenpalma.com | marketkitchenpalma

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RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

YOUR LOCAL CREW BAR IN PALMA Placa Drassana 9. La Llonja. Palma. 07012 www.cornerbarpalma.com (+34) 971 714 900

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

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Menu of the day every day Tapas Salads Breakfast

Where the Yacht Crew Meets Situated in the STP Shipyard

T. 971 224 994

CLASSIFIEDS

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ADVERTISE FOR FREE

If you have anything for sale or wanted - boat bits, household, etc. Strictly no trade ads (except jobs), or property ads (except private rentals) please! By email to: simon@theislander.net

FOR SALE FOR SALE: A pair of brand new propellers for a Princess 64 delivered 2013 plus a full set of Princess crockery for 8 persons still in the wrapping from the factory suitable for any Princess boat. Offers invited for both items tel 0044 7921 901855 or email jamesjslater365@aol.com. (06.22) FOR SALE: Hunter Sonata 7.

Inboard Volvo Penta sail drive.

Recent service. Good sails.

Furling jib. Lazyjack. British flag.

Seen in water Bon Aire. Berth available. Contact Robert 636 657 083. 4,250 €. (04.22) FOR SALE: Opportunity to take over a business in exchange for the sale of business equipment and existing inventory. After 25 years in the yachting business in Palma we are preparing for retirement. The shop is centrally located to all ports in Palma, has a good size with a newly made office room; with possibility park in and in front of the shop; in stock are still various remaining items of Raymarine and philippi electrical systems; as well as of course various used items. Make an appointment via WhatsApp: (+34) 609 605 018.

YACHTELEKTRIK PALMA C/ Magalhaes 3, bajos 07014 Palma de Mallorca (+34) 971 457 721 palma@yachtelektrik.com yachtelektrik.com. (04.22)

FOR SALE: 1 x Port Bow Thruster Propellor. 1 X Starboard Bow Thruster Propellor. Both brand new,150 euros for both. 1 x Anchor Stainless Steel SQR Manson 165 kilos. 750 euros.

Contact Dave 660 985 357 freddysboat@gmail.com. (06.22)

FOR SALE: 1978 Ducati 250 strada special for sale. Many new parts. Starts easily and runs perfectly. Taxed and tested until oct 22.Ideal Palma runaround. €2100. Contact davidlonghurst22@gmail.com.(06.22)

FOR SALE: Shipman 28 sailing boat - share for sale. We are close to completion of fitting electric motor. Silent sailing and motoring. No diesel smells or noise. For information: Terry Purkiss on 629 377 290. (03.22)

FOR SALE: Pasarelle Folding in Stainless Steel with Teak slats, without upright Stantions / hand rail. Also very heavy duty Stainless Steel Davits. Sensible offers please! In Palma.... 0034 634 161 551. (04.22)

FOR SALE: Original "Oh Yeah Comfy" Beach Chair, named as such because that is what people say, every time, when sitting down in it for the first time.

High quality, endless comfort, perfect for beach or terrace, BBQ etc. 4 chairs available, second hand, in very good condition inclusive carry & protection bag for each chair. Sale of individual chairs possible. Price per chair 150.-€ Contact 606 942 141 via WhatsApp. (04.22)

FOR SALE: Old Stone House for sale in centre of Split, Croatia. 2 units with total of 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Newly renovated and sold fully furnished. Total area 50sqm. Directly from owner.

Price: 229000EUR. Contact: +34 634 28 59 91. (05.22)

FOR SALE: Half Price ULTRA Anchor Stainless Steel 16kg with swivel. As new Stainless Steel UltraMarine Ultra UA16 anchor and UFS 8-21 Swivel. € 965 Cala Major. +44 7770 835 089. (04.22)

FOR SALE: Takacat 340LX dinghy.

New and un-used, only pumped up once and tried in our pool.

Complete, with 12v electric pump, quick release beaching wheels, storage bags and repairkit. Also comes with fins for the centre piece, which can be used as a paddle board. New price: 2.900 €, for sale for 1.750 €. Marco on 629 743 076. (04.22)

FOR SALE: PUMA 23 ft, build 1979, hull # 485. Very good condition and maintained, same owner last 13 years, motor mini Sole 12 HP. 2 sets of sails, Gennaker 35 sqm, lots of equipment, complete interior upholstery, cockpit cushions, sunshade for cockpit, dinghy Plastimofor 2 persons, Tohatsu outborder 2.2 HP, Bow and stern anchor incl. lines. Autopilot Raymarine ST 1000+, Raymarine fishfinder, long boathook, Binoculars, Handheld GPS, Charts for Balearics 2021. Boat located Paseo Maritimo berth # 139 opposite Hogans. 646 050 396 or tdrekmann@web.de. (03.22)

FOR RENT

FOR SALE: Williams 325 rib, fully operational with service history, lying Portals ,7500 euros, tel 00 44 7711 055 711. (03.22)

FOR RENT: Office on 1st floor with large window to the street.

Located next to Palma Sports Tennis Club, the Santa Catalina neighbourhood, and the Paseo Marítimo. Ideal for those who want to have their own premises or an individual office with common areas. The plan shows a configuration of 3 individual offices of various sizes. The space is to reform. If interested in any option, contact Alfonso Trias Mora alfonso@clictoclic.com.(02.22)

JOBS / EMPLOYMENT JOB VACANCY: BMComposites are Hiring. Palma´s premier marine composites company need: Composite Boatbuilders; Shipwrights / Trained Yacht Carpenters; Laminators; Trainee Boatbuilders. Preferably Mallorca based. Good rates of pay.

Immediate start. Send CVs to: info@bmcomposites.com. (04.22) AVAILABLE: Englishwoman available for Dog Walking / Dog Care to suit your schedules! Palma area. Totally reliable with references.

WhatsApp +34 616 244 776. (03.22) JOB VACANCY: Administrative & Sales Position, Seippel & Seippel Insurance Brokers. Full time – No previous experience in Insurance Sector required. Seippel & Seippel is a long established international insurance brokerage based in Mallorca, with offices located in Santa Ponsa. We are currently in the process of further expanding our Marine Insurance Department. We are looking for a dynamic and serious person looking for an

exciting full time opportunity in the growing sector. NOTE. No previous insurance experience is necessary. What we value: The client is your priority; You are a structured person and value good service; You are a team player and love working with others; Good PC skills; You have very good communication skills and can take personal responsibility; Fluent language skills in German and English with a good level of spoken Spanish. What we offer: Great working hours; Pleasant working atmosphere in an international high qualified team; Continuing education; Open communication; Remuneration following qualifications. If interested please send your CV with photograph in English or Spanish to jasmine@seippel.com.

We are looking forward to hearing from you! (01.22)

JOB VACANCY: MTSea SL are looking for an English Speaking, qualified Refrigeration Engineer MTSea are a marine air conditioning and refrigeration company based in Palma, working on yachts in Mallorca.

We are looking for a qualified refrigeration engineer (qualifications must be acceptable in the EU) to add to our team. Experience of working on yachts is desirable but not necessary. A good work ethic, high standards and the ability to work independently and as part of a team are all essential.

This is a permanent position so must be able to work and reside legally in Spain. Pay is relevant to experience. Call Tania to discuss this position 679 51 81 31. (01.21)

MISCELLANEOUS GO SAILING: Would you like to join in with the Flying Fifteen fleet in Mallorca. Exhilarating dinghy sailing in the safety of a keel boat. Join our racing fleets in Pollensa & Palma. Buy a boat, come and crew or borrow our club boat to give it a try! All ages 18 - 80. flyingfifteenspain@gmail.com.

AVAILABLE: My name is Isabela Ortega, I have lived in the Balearic Islands for fourteen years, two of them in Palma de Mallorca and the last twelve in Ibiza. I worked twelve years in the private yacht industry around the world, until I settled in Ibiza becoming a personal assistant, concierge and event organizer. That is why I introduce myself and inform you that I am here to help you with what you need in your stay on the island, whatever type of service you need I will make it real. Isabela1315@hotmail.com WhatsApp +34 609 131 518. (01.21)

CLASSIFIEDS - BALEARIC BOATS FOR SALE

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2018 Sanlorenzo SL78 4,290,000 EUR VAT Paid Located in Mallorca

This unique, 'made-to-measure' example of the Sanlorenzo SL78 model was built for an experienced and discerning yacht owner. First delivered in the summer of 2018, she has had light private use since and has low engine hours as a result. This is a unique opportunity to purchase a bespoke, 'turn key', high specification, 4 cabin layout Sanlorenzo SL78 without the wait. Her twin MTU 1622 hp engines can achieve speeds up to 28 knots, while impressive range and low fuel consumption can be achieved at an economic cruising speed. Key features include her CMC electric fin stabilisation system, electric bow and stern thrusters, twin 26kW and 25kW generators, an innovative electric blade hard top roof system and a best in class aft garage capable of storing a Williams 395 tender. German flag with EU VAT Paid. Registered under 24m.

Astondoa AS394 2009 224,000 EUR Vat Paid

Beautiful example of an Astondoa AS 394 for sale with the Ancasta Palma office. Low engine hours for it's age, never chartered and ready to be sold as the current owners are moving away from Mallorca. Some of the latest upgrades include new interior and exterior upholstery of the best quality, new matresses on both cabins and new fender covers to match the upholstery.

Custom Line Navetta 37m 16,500.000 EUR April 2022 delivery

Arrival Yachts S.L. T. +34 638 90 40 40 info@arrivalyachts.com www.arrivalyachts.com C/ Benito J. Feijoo 2, local 8, 07181, Puerto Portals, Mallorca, Spain

Tri-deck design with main deck master and 5 cabins in total. Dark brushed oak interior with modern classic furniture. Extensive extras list including entertainment package, tender, gyro and fin stabilizers and built to MCA.

Beneteau 55.1, 2020 540,000 GBP VAT Paid

+34 971 67 63 92 mallorca@sunbirdyachts.eu www.sunbirdyachts.eu Puerto Portals, Local 10 - Mallorca Beneteau Brokerage Specialists

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Simon Crutchley: +34 656 949 244

As new Beneteau 55.1, Built 2020 Launched 2021. Yanmar 110HP with 100 hours use, 9 KVA nan, 3 doubles plus crew cabin fully airconditioned. Full B&G electronics, Solid wood deck. Furling main and genoa. Code 0. Ready to sail away with full inventory, 540.000 GBP EU tax paid.

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Hallberg Rassy 62 1998 685,000 EUR VAT Paid Valencia Hallberg Rassy 62 with new teak decks. Very well equipped with; an in-mast main sail, jib, genoa, as new gennaker and spinnaker, hydraulic boom vang, hydraulic back stay adjuster and furler, hydraulic winches, winches at the mast, etc. Furthermore, a 235 hp diesel engine, bow thruster, folding prop, generator, inverter, complete B&G navigation equipment, water maker, life raft, Epirb, hydraulic gangway, and a dinghy with outboard. Furthermore, a reverse cycle air conditioning system, electric toilets, and a washer/dryer. A long distance cruiser offering great comfort either at sea or in the harbour.

SANLORENZO SD 112 2014 6,900,000 EUR VAT Paid

(+34) 971 402 911

palma@devalk.nl www.devalk.nl

De Valk Palma Port Cala Nova, Avda. Joan Miró, 327 07015 Palma de Mallorca

There can be few better examples of a superbly maintained motoryacht than this Sanlorenzo SD112. The owners made no compromises as they invested time and money to ensure their prized possession remained in as-new condition. The fabulous master suite offers panoramic sea views, and there are 3 spacious ensuite guest cabins with showers plus 3 crew berths. The bespoke interior is beautifully finished and the height of modern sophistication. Looking to make the 2022 season one to remember? Contact us for details or make an appointment for a personal viewing that will exceed all your expectations.

Tecnomar Velvet 76 499,950 EUR Vat Paid

This is a stylish boat, professionally run since new. Bar and lounge up top, and fabulous guest spaces down below, accommodating up to six guests, and including a splendid bath! Twin Caterpillars to Arnessen drives ensure rapid transit. The boat also has good charter potential. She also features a great galley making her a fast and superb entertaining platform. Possibility of Palma berth EUR 499,950 VAT paid.

Jonathan Syrett is a yachting and brokerage consultant who can accompany you on the ownership journey - and beyond. You can rely on his expertise, integrity and dedication to help you make the right decisions when buying, using and enjoying or selling a yacht. Please call, email or visit his website to find out how.

T. (+34) 971 40 44 66 yachting@hamilton-marine.com

There are only two types of companies: Those that have been hacked and those that will be hacked.”

– Robert S. Mueller, III, former Director of the FBI

M. (+34) 609 43 33 33 www.hamilton-marine.com

WORRIED ABOUT RANSOMWARE? Computers Secure? Devices Secure? Backups Operational?

Protect Against an Attack!

For a free evaluation of your systems contact Conectado today.

+34 691 027 011 info@conectado.biz www.conectado.biz