Jacqui Lockhart, Chair of the MYBA Charter Boat Shows Panel looks forward to the new and improved Show in Genoa
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]enefitting from a spread of new ideas and innovation, this year’s MYBA Charter Show, taking place between Monday 27th and Thursday 30th April in the Port of Genoa, is regarded as one of the most important annual fixtures for professional yacht and charter brokers.
The undisputed star attraction, once again, will be the assembled fleet; comprising an impressive line-up of many of the world’s most glamorous and elite motor and sailing yachts available for luxury charter. Proud Captains and eager-to-please Crew, assisted by hard-working Central Agents, will spend much of the week courting the attention of as many of the 350+ pre-registered brokers as possible.
For their part, the brokers and yachting professionals, who are all vetted and pre-registered, come to discuss cruising itineraries and inspect, appraise and assess the living & accommodation quality and the general ambience & welcome offered onboard the yachts.
Many use the occasion of the well-attended and highly successful Show Cocktail Party and combined Yacht Hop on the Aquarium Quay as a great opportunity to network and socialise with fellow charter professionals and Captains. This year’s extended ‘Opening Cocktail’ takes place on the traditional Tuesday evening and will stay open right through to 23.00 hrs.
For yachts, the opportunity to create long-lasting impressions is what it’s all about and the increasingly popular MYBA Superyacht Chefs’ Competition – with a parallel award for Best Service – is one such chance for Chefs and Chief Stews to stand out.
This year’s culinary theme is a “Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet Dinner Party with Decadent Chocolate Dessert” and since the first competition in 2013, the standard of cooking and service presentation has risen to such an incredibly high level that 2 top chefs, including a local Genovese fine dining Chef, and the double Michelin starred Chef Antonio Mellino from Quattro Passi in Italy and London, along with the manager of La Mère Germaine in Villefranche sur Mer, Thierry Blouin, will form part of the already highly experienced judging panel.
Of the most recent new yacht launches from 2014, we welcome many Charter Show first-timers including, for example, the 40m Sunseeker ‘Thumper’, the 43.6m Benetti ‘Latiko’ and the 28.5m Benetti ‘MY Zehava’.
Conversely, one of the oldest yachts attending for the first time will be the 1927 classic schooner ‘Xarifa’. Fresh from a refit and looking her absolute best in readiness for the season, ‘Xarifa’ was built in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK and originally owned by Franklin Morse Singer, one of the sons of the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine company. Later in the 1950’s the yacht then passed in to the hands of famous Austrian oceanographers Hans & Lotti Haas, who pioneered the underwater filming of marine mammals and sea-life. And with such a long and fascinating history, the colourful story of ‘Xarifa’ will be guaranteed to keep her charter guests enthralled for hours!
Also new this year will be the relocation of the visitor reception area and combined lounge/ complimentary breakfast zone (sponsored by GIS), which is now no longer part of the tented structure on the quayside but will instead be located inside the Marina Molo Vecchio building itself.
Benefits of the move are twofold. Firstly, this has enabled a further 13x exhibitor spots to become available on the quay, which means that a record number 90 charter related companies have now been given the chance to attend. Secondly, the move inside the marina building offers the prospect of better visitor reception/hospitality facilities including, for example, more reliable Wi-Fi and the addition of a new upstairs meeting room for up to 100 seminar delegates. Finally those seeking a little gentle relaxation therapy in-between yacht inspections will welcome the new complimentary MYBA Revitalize Area, offering yoga, early morning fitness/kickboxing classes, mini-massage sessions and one or two additional beauty treatments by Noona Ayres from Revitalize and partners throughout the duration of the Show.
Taking place over a marginally shorter period of four days, the Show closing time will now be 17.00hrs on Thursday evening. The thought process behind this decision was to allow extra time for visitors wishing to attend the Palma Yacht Show and/or others with long-haul return journeys, to make the most of Thursday evening or Friday morning flight departure times.
Last but not least the renowned MYBA Crew Party will take place on the last evening of the Show at new venue RossoPomodoro, co-sponsored by MYBA and Global Services, with associate sponsor EventsbyZoom. The fancy dress theme this year is Moulin Rouge, with prizes for best boat, best individual and most unique costume.
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