Amazing Mediterranean yachting locations today? The French Riviera has no shortage of trendy outposts, but St Tropez earns extra points for its recent revamp along Pampelonne Beach. YachtCharterFleet had the pleasure of heading down to St Tropez last year to check it out; and came back with some first-hand insight into the new (eco-friendly) beach club scene. After a morning exploring the pink streets of St Tropez, cruise over to Pampelonne in time for lunch. Be sure to book ahead for Club 55, the most iconic venue in the Cote d’Azur, and try and reserve a coveted table in the later lunchtime slot if you’re looking to rub shoulders with Hollywood heavyweights and the A-list elite. For some post-lunch entertainment, head to Verde Beach. Expect blast-from-the-past beats and dancing on the tables, as the St Tropez in-crowd transform Verde Beach into the most happening party in Pampelonne. Head back to the main port for dinner- L’Opera has got the ‘the dinner and a show’ concept down to an art.
The Ionian Islands are a great choice for a yacht holiday – as the sailing time between islands is short. Sailing here is also well sheltered, with easy holding anchorages. This allows for more time to be enjoyed onshore. The Ionian Islands include the legendary Corfu and Paxos, among 5 other islands. Each destination here is loaded with its own unique charm and drawcards. Between the sheer natural beauty and the wonderful Greek towns – the Ionian Islands is always a favourite cruising ground in this country.
This is a much more touristy option but the Balearics still make a beautiful European sailing destination, and you can avoid the crowds if you know-how. The cluster of Spanish islands include Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera; all major holiday spots known for their sun-drenched beaches and sparkling blue waters. Also include a few stops to the pretty, unspoilt towns of Deia in Mallorca and the secluded Ibizan bay of Cala Llentrisca. Discover extra info on Mediterranean yacht cruises in 2021.
Low season typically refers to any time outside of the high season periods. Groups of families and friends looking for a relaxing luxury vacation are advised to avoid high season weeks and opt for weeks outside of this time. The busiest periods are of course reflected in the charter costs and can be up to 15 to 30 percent more expensive than typical low season periods. Chartering a few weeks either side of these busy periods can be almost exactly the same, with the weather almost unchanged in some places, with far less crowds. Whatever the terms of your charter contract, you should understand the Advance Provisioning Allowance. This is an amount of about 20-25 per cent of the charter fee for a “plus all expenses” charter and about five per cent for an “all inclusive” charter. It is sent to the yacht before the charter to provision the yacht according to your preferences.
Sailing tip of the day: Overlaying radar on the chart helps to interpret the display! The biggest problem most of us face when interpreting radar is lack of familiarity. We go about our daily business most of the year, then come aboard, hit the fog and turn it on. Unfortunately, unlike GPS, AIS and the rest, radar is more of a conversation between the operator and the instrument, so it’s not surprising we have trouble interpreting the picture. When I’m motoring, I, therefore, make a practice of keeping my radar transmitting even in good visibility and running an overlay on the chartplotter to keep me familiar with its drawbacks. The image above, for example, clearly shows that what the radar sees may not stack up with what the chart is telling me. Note how the trace seems mysteriously to end halfway up the coast. So it does, but that’s because the echo returning from high cliffs in the south gets lost when the land falls away to lower-lying estuarial terrain. The echo ends either because the flat shoreline isn’t providing a good enough target, or because the coast falls below the scanner’s visual horizon.