“Showing Of The Yachts” Begins Today At The 33rd VICL Boat Show

After a long day of cleaning and polishing it is “show time” for the Captains and Crews!

Today the “meet and greet” begins with the Charter Brokers and the Captains and crews of the charter fleet.

The picture from my balcony early this morning is what let me know I was in for another GREAT day. The only way you could imagine the work that was accomplished yesterday by the captains and crews as they transform their yachts into “show condition” would be if you were here. It is a labor of love and pride. Again, they are presenting their boats to the Charter Brokers who will be “selling” an unforgettable Caribbean sailing vacation. And, the reason why the charter vacation brokers are here is to pick the yachts that will be a part of their “inventory” for the charter season that starts next week and typically concludes at the end of May.

The events that have been planned today are for both the Charter Brokers and the Charter Captains and crew. The showing of the yachts begins at 9AM and ends at 5PM. There is a noon break for the Captain and crews as they participate in a wine tasting event meant to highlight wines they may want to feature in their provisioning list when stocking their boats each week. As you remember from past postings, over half of the experience delivered to Charter guests is the unforgettable daily gourmet experience produced by the very talented chefs on each of these yachts. Wines are a BIG part of that gourmet experience.

In the late afternoon all of the Boat Show participants are invited to check out the latest charter opportunity in the Caribbean – chartering your own fully crewed high performance racing yacht. An example of this type of charter yacht is the Volvo Ocean 60. What a thrill to be a part of the Caribbean racing scene aboard the most high-performance racing yachts ever built!

Tonight is shows Grande Opening event. The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Governor John deJongh, Lieutenant Governor Gregory Francis, and Senator Louis Patrick Hill will be the honored guests. The gourmet food selection will be prepared by Yacht Haven Grande’s executive chef – Brian Katz. Yours truly will be bartending along with several of the Charter Captains.

I am off with my camera and note pad for another unforgettable day of interacting with some of my favorite people – the Caribbean sailing community. See you later today!