I Am Staggered, a website for all things male concerning weddings and stag do’s, recently featured The Yacht Week as a top destination for the mother of all knees-up that will “…make sure that the groom’s goodbye to bachelorhood goes with a bang.”

A party in the sun is good. A party in the sun, on the sea, whilst sailing is even better. So, what better way to celebrate the upcoming summer than with a competition and a good ol’ fashioned nautical knees-up. We have teamed up with Beach Tomato and are offering the chance to WIN A HOLIDAY TO CROATIA for you and a chum, including flights, transfers and a week’s stay on The Yacht Week Crew Boat, on the Croatia South route.

From 21st-28th July you could be staying in your own private ensuite cabin aboard Adria, the Crew Boat, and joining the other yachts during the day, exploring the Croatian coast, meeting new people from around the world, and partaking in a whole slew of activities.

Your epic journey will see you leave Marina Kaštela on a tour of four islands over seven days returning to Split. You have the chance to meet your fellow sailors on the first day over dinner and drinks before you start out on your adventure at sea. Every island you stop at you will be given the chance to explore the local way of life, before the ubiquitous night party, the most prestigious (read: notorious) of which takes place in Hvar: the St Trop of Croatia. The week culminates in a regatta, where you can show off your newly-learned sailing skills with the help of your skipper whilst, of course, showing off your creative talent in your chosen fancy dress.

Fancy all of that? Yup, we thought so. Just follow the link and you could be discovering the sandy shores of Croatia far sooner than you think.

Click on the image below to see the rest of the pictures from the event…

TYW: Describe your journey to becoming involved with TYW.

CECILIA: In 2009, I was working as a hostess for one of the charter companies in Greece that worked with TYW. I met William (father of TYW) early on in the season and I ended up working on the Crew Boat for 3 weeks that summer. My first week with TYW was also TYW’s first week in Greece.

LEO: I met William whilst helping out at a skipper school in Greece some years ago. Ever since, we have done many skippers schools together!

TYW: Why is the Greece route so special?

CECILIA: Greece has so much to offer on so many different levels: it hosts awesome parties, has beautiful islands and great sailing as well as superb restaurants to enjoy good local food with friends. As there are fewer boats than other events (approximately 25 boats each week) you get to know all the other crews so much better and you will meet everyone every night at the different events. You will make friends for life!

LEO: The Greece route is so special because the atmosphere is like no other place. All the islands have their own spirit and feeling. Greece is known for the fact that so many visit only to never return as they fall in love with the place! Because of the number of crews everyone gets to know each other very well and have fantastic events like the dinner in Plaka where everybody is on one giant table!

TYW: How is the Greece event going to be even better this year?

CECILIA: As this is the 4th year TYW is in Greece (OMG have I been involved that long!? ) we are always pushing to improve the event on the previous year. The Greece route was amazing last year, imagine how it will be with one more year of experience behind us!

LEO: It’s gonna have the best Crew Boat and crew ever! Kidding aside… a lot of effort has gone into making the logistics better and reduce the port obstacles to get a smoother, more enjoyable event. There will be some nice surprises as well!

TYW: What would be your ideal day on the water?

CECILIA: It would be sailing from Dokhos to Plaka, knowing that the party there is always great! On that trip there is also a good chance to see dolphins, which is always magical. And a mojito in my hand wouldn’t be that bad either…

LEO: Wake up around 9 and get up for a morning hike to the hill top over Dokhos. The view is spectacular there in the morning when the water is still and clear and the sun is not too hot yet – perfect for a Kodak moment! Then I would have a brunch and a friendly regatta with a few boats down to Plaka – the sailing to Plaka is always good in the afternoon when the sea is calm. Once in Plaka, play volleyball on the beach and then some drinks and showers, followed by the long table dinner and the crazy Greek club over 2 levels and a roof top! That is a great day!

TYW: What music will you take along with you to Greece?

CECILIA: Awolnation – Sail

LEO: Some Mange Schmidt tunes, they make you happy!

TYW: Describe your favourite Yacht Week memory.

CECILIA: Waking up on my first day on the Crew Boat in Greece, 2009, next to a soon-to-be great friend. We both had no idea what was going to happen and we both were so excited about being there.

LEO: This video just epitomises it all for me…

The Greece event runs for 8 weeks between July and August. Don’t miss this opportunity to sail the incredible Saronic Archipelago. Gather your friends and book your yacht now!

After our launch event in November at Valmann in Zurich we sail on and will rock St. Gallen, Switzerland. The Yacht Week and Trischli Club crew are proud to invite you to the first Official Yacht Week Party in St. Gallen.

WHERE: Trischli Club and The Yacht Week present ‘Sunset Ambient’

WHEN: Saturday May 5th, 2012

TABLE RESERVATIONS: www.trischliclub.ch/reservation

WIN TICKETS: www.trischliclub.ch/programm

THE LINE UP:

• Ralph Good
• DJ Sam
• Pad Beryll
• Hack & Nick

We look forward to seeing you there!

A Rum with a View

Steady trade winds, an island-flecked channel, sparkling waters and hundreds of protected salt-rimmed bays – the British Virgin Islands are a sailing fantasy land, comprising more than 60 unspoiled islands and cays.

The Yacht Week’s base at Wickham’s Cay, Tortola, is the starting point for a week in the British Virgin Islands (BVI’s). Tortola is the biggest island in terms of population and commerce. You will find a mash-up of guesthouses, mountain villas and beach-side resorts. There is plenty of food for thought, from traditional island dishes to fare served up in established islanders’ gardens. It took a ‘Painkiller’, a local rum cocktail, or two to wind down and adjust to the pace of life after a long flight via Antigua.

Sao was to be my floating home for the next two weeks, under the watchful eye of Rasta skipper Philmore. After a night in Tortola, we were keen to set sail and make the most of the morning breeze. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the island behind, we looked to the distant white sandy beaches of Peter Island. Deadman’s Bay makes an excellent day-anchorage, and a safe overnight haven providing there is no northern swell. The mile-long, crescent-shaped beach with towering coconut palms that overlooks Dead Chest and Salt Island is the quintessential Caribbean. The bay offers spectacular snorkelling, where you can glimpse Green Sea Turtles gliding through the glassy waters. After just one day, I had adjusted to the pace of the West Indies, aided by the beat of reggae and heady flavours of coconut rum.

As a fairly cautious sailer, I was a little concerned when our engine cut out on the second day. A gusty wind and a nearby coral reef added to the excitement and I began to wonder which locker held the flares! It transpired that the fuel gauge was broken and the diesel had run out. Philmore seemed unfazed and amused, telling me, ‘That’s why you have sails, man, no worries!’

The next morning we made a short sail over to the yachties’ favourite, Jost Van Dyke, a little island with a big personality. There, I spent most of the day diving off the yacht, swimming in crystal-clear waters and taking the dinghy ashore to explore the island. Although it is only four square miles, Jost Van Dyke’s ‘good-time’ reputation has spread globally. This is thanks to the island’s reggae main man, Foxy Callwood. With a beach for a street, which features the Stress Free Bar, home of the Painkiller, this is the essence of the BVI’s. As one local said, ‘When Main Street is still a beach, you know life is good!’

Most of the BVI’s is a national park and therefore anchoring is prohibited in many of the bays in order to protect the reefs. Instead, a common site is mooring buoys, which can be rather amusing to pick up. The snorkelling sites are vast and varied. You can choose between dive sites, quiet caves or RMS Rhone, one of the Caribbean’s most famous wrecks.

The wind picked up for our sail across to Norman Island. As the boat heeled, the crew scrambled to the right side of the hull, metres above the waves. The sensation of cutting through the water and the sound of the wind in the sails was thrilling. The BVIs’ largest uninhabited land mass feels like a real pirate hang-out. It was supposedly the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and is the perfect spot to watch the world go by on deck with some sundowners. We then moved onwards to Willie T’s, a bar and restaurant on an old schooner, moored in the bay. All you need is some cash and a dinghy and you are ready to party. The atmosphere, location and ‘Dark n’ Stormy’ rum cocktails make this a spot not to be missed. When the rum runs dry, be sure to board the right boat among 60 identical yachts moored in the bay!

Sail Fast, Live Slow.

As my yacht week drew to an end, we strolled barefoot along the beach in search of one last ‘BVI-Bushwhacker’. I spot a t-shirt with the slogan, ‘Sail fast, live slow.’ This is the essence of the BVI’s and something I will definitely take back to my London lifestyle, albeit to my boss’s disappointment!

Bookings for the British Virgin Islands New Year and Spring Sailing events open tomorrow (Friday 27th April, 2012) at 9am GMT!

Adriatic Queen is the new Lagoon 560 and a luxurious addition to our fleet in South Croatia. This is the biggest and most luxurious yacht to join our fleet. It sleeps 10 people in 5 luxury cabins, all with queen sized births. The Adriatic Queen is equipped to the highest standard to meet all of your expectations. She is fully air-conditioned and luxuriously furnished including a 32 inch LCD TV and water sports equipment to keep you entertained. Both a skipper and hostess are included in the price of this luxurious cruising catamaran – they will be on hand for your safety, comfort and enjoyment throughout the week.

There is no better to way to take on The Yacht Week than in the Lagoon 560!

Since this is a new addition to our fleet we are allowing any crew to book her! So, for the many all-boy crews out there this is your chance to get a boat! Check out Yachts and Prices for further details.

Combining the knowledge and expertise of one of the world’s most successful record labels alongside a new trend setting travel and lifestyle brand, expect these events to take the club scene by storm!

On the 28th April The Yacht Week will take over Volksgarten in Vienna. After London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Toronto, Paris, Brussels, Helsinki, Milan, Madrid and Zurich GET WHIPPED is proud to host the first party in Austria for 2012.

WHERE: Volksgarten, Vienna

WHEN: Saturday April 28th, 2012

ON THE DECKS

• Troyanova
• Claudio Ricci
• Steve Hope

We look forward to seeing you there!