If you have a sense of adventure and an even stronger sense of wanderlust, this is one opportunity you do not want to miss. The Oyster 825 sailing superyacht Champagne Hippy is offering a one-year charter circumnavigation for you and seven of your friends and family. Champagne Hippy belongs to James and Nick Barke (below),…
PHOTOS: NASA/Ames Research Center/Ved Chirayath Do your kids enjoy video games? (Silly question, we know, but humor us for a moment.) Do they love the sea as much as you do? Did you know that your kids can help NASA map the world’s corals, simply by playing a video game? The government agency is calling…
Understandably, many yacht-charter clients have cancelled spring plans. Still further plans for the summer are on hold due to coronavirus concerns. Some insurance companies, though, offer travel-insurance plans with partial or full coverage in case of trip interruptions. Reasons include illness and mandatory evacuations. For all charters booked this month through its brokers, Northrop &…
Editor’s note: The ongoing coronavirus outbreak is impacting yachting in unforeseen ways. We therefore asked Christopher Anderson and Stephanie Parra, attorneys with Robert Allen Law, to explain potential impacts. This is an overview of force majeure clauses in yacht charter contracts. Note, however, that it does not constitute legal advice. Consult your own attorney to…
The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are among the latest to ramp up COVID-19 containment efforts. Over the weekend, the government issued a no entry to yachts order, set to last two weeks. It impacts both megayachts already in the waters as well as ones planning to clear customs and immigration. The Antigua and Barbuda…
New tax regulations passed last year by the European Union’s executive branch are in limbo in France. The elimination of the French flat-rate VAT reduction, set to be effective on April 1, is suspended. According to Thierry Voisin, the president of the trade organization European Committee for Professional Yachting (ECPY), France’s Minister of the Economy…
Although the entirety of Italy has been under a lockdown since March 9, select few businesses remained operational, even ones considered non-essential, until March 22. Factories, which include megayacht shipyards, were among those. Despite all shipyards remaining closed since then, yacht crew in Italy can still move around, with some restrictions. SOS Yachting, which offers…
If you are working from home and finding it hard to remain focused, relax. In these times, we all could use some healthy distractions. Just as good music helps lift the spirit, so, too, does listening to a fantastic story. These four audiobooks about yachts and the water will help make home confinement a little…
For the past several weeks, construction equipment that previously was removing debris has instead been digging foundations. The well-known Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands is finally able to reconstruct its infrastructure. In addition, it anticipates reopening in October. Calling the reconstruction BEYC 2.0, the resort and marina team has been active…
Regardless of who you are or what you do, we share an uncomfortable reality: COVID-19 is disrupting our lives. In fact, COVID-19 challenges yachting every day, with more ports closing down, and companies reducing customer interaction for everyone’s benefit. If you’re like me, the notion of spending the next several weeks in increasing isolation doesn’t…
