Favorite Yachting Bar Competition

Wight Vodka and Scuttlebutt Europe, the continental version of the Scuttlebutt daily blog about sailing, have launched the 2012 World's Favorite Yachting Bar competition but you need to hurry: voting ends Dec. 27.

Winners in previous years were the Peter Cafe Sport in the Azores, the Soggy Dollar in the BVIs (shown left), and IYAC in Newport, Rhode Island.  Ten entries are on the ballot, but the only two in serious bareboat charter areas are the Bitter End Yacht Club in the BVIs and Sint Maarten Yacht Club in Sint Maarten.  

To vote, go to:  www.scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars.html

CYOA Gets First Helia 44 In The Islands!

The hot new charter catamaran from Fountaine Pajot is the Helia 44, and the ONLY ONE in the entire Caribbean is available from CYOA Charters. 

This is a BIG cat, with a beam of over 24-feet and four spacious staterooms with queen-sized or larger berths.  Each stateroom has an ensuite head with separate stall shower (ooh, nice!!), plus a transom shower. The saloon is huge, with a large settee and dinette as well as the U-shaped galley with an LPG stove and oven, microwave and big fridge/freezer. 

The tender hangs on davits, and the cockpit features a wrap-around alfresco dining area under the solid hardtop.  All the goodies, too, including full Garmin electronics, generator, air conditioning, electic anchor windlass, and even Sirius satellite radio. 

Need that final push to book?  Check out the Helia 44 video on YouTube by clicking here.  

Rates start at $7500 a week from the CYOA base in St Thomas, USVI. 

For details and bookings, CYOAcharters.com, 800-944-CYOA

The New Issue Is Out!!!

The Winter Issue of CharterSavvy is now available, bigger and better than ever!  This issue includes an 11-page feature about bareboating in Tahiti, illustrated with a mouth-watering array of photography that will soon be showing in your dreams.  For those of a certain age, be sure to read the sidebar on Captain Adam Troy and the Adventures In Paradise TV series.  There's a 10-page feature on an Abacos bareboat adventure and another ten-pager on bareboating in Croatia.  And everyone will enjoy the Dives, Sail-Ins and Swim-ups feature on the best waterfront pubs in the British Virgin Islands.  Not that we drink, mind you, but it's all about the ambiance.  Right.

Our Cargo feature is sunglasses, and a fine collection of shades they are, too, while the Sea Trial is the new Leopard 44 cat.

Our columns and departments bring you weather tips for the BVIs and a look at first- and second-tier charter companies, Dr. Tom deals with seasickness, while The Bareboat Contessa has some double-duty food tips as well as three yummy drink recipes.  

It's a great issue, so take a look by clicking on the cover above, or on our website.  Don't forget that you can also read all our back issues in the archives section.

New Format & Dates For BVI Regatta

The organizers of the annual BVI Sailing Regatta & Sailing Festival hosted by Nanny Cay have announced changes to both the format and the dates for 2013.  First, the dates have been changed to March 25-31, so mark your calendars.

Second, the Festival program will now include a race around Tortola for the Nanny Cay Cup, a race to Norman Island with beach time planned at Pirates Bar in The Bight, and then a fun day on and off the water at Nanny Cay, followed by the traditional Mt. Gay Rum Welcome Party for the Regatta. 

More than 125 yachts are expected to compete, and there are two classes just for bareboat charters.  The regatta website has a long list of charter companies providing bareboats suitable for racing, but get your reservations in early!

And, if you can beat the 4hr 15min ‘round Tortola record for monohulls, you’ll win a jeroboam of champagne, dinner for 15 at Peg Legs Restaurant, and pretty cool bragging rights.

The regatta website is www.bvispringregatta.org  

Voyage Introduces Biggest-Ever BVI Bareboat

Voyage Charters has introduced the largest bareboat available in the British Virgin Islands: the humongous Voyage 600.  This new sloop-rigged catamaran measures in at a whopping 60-feet LOA and…ready?….31-feet wide!

With very comfortable accommodations for 12, the boat requires two qualified skippers aboard, or one skipper with a Coast Guard license (or Voyage can provide a skipper if needed).  The boat is also available as an all-inclusive crewed charter.

The yacht features two king cabins, two queen cabins, and two double cabins, with six ensuite heads with electric toilets and showers.  All the expected amenities include generators, air conditioning, Raymarine electronics and electric winches.  A nice feature is an on-board watermaker, so you can take long showers.

Two dining tables are in the cockpit, and the gourmet galley has two larger freezers, built-in cocktail bar, and high-end cookware, utensils and place settings.

For details, contact www.voyagecharters.com.