The Best of Europe–I Hope!
Well, folks, I’m heading over to Europe today for my most jam-packed-ever trip scouting yachts and crew. I’ll be there for a little more than three weeks, all of it devoted to investigating and interviewing on behalf of readers like you.
My first stop will be France for a few days onboard a luxury barge run by former yacht crew who now offer charters in Burgundy wine country. It will be my first barge charter–a new direction in inland yachting that I’m not sure about just yet. I look forward to filling you in, and of course to filling my glass along the way!
From France, I’m heading to the annual Genoa charter yacht show, an industry-only event that showcases many of the finest crewed yachts available for the upcoming summer season in Europe. As always, you can look for my reports in eNews and in the First Impressions section, along with here on the blog, where I hope to post up-to-the-minute news every day.
From Italy, I’m heading to Greece for a few days and its industry-only boat show on Poros–my first time at this smaller event, where I’m told the local fleet is improving in quality. My last charter in Greece was a few years ago, so I’m looking forward to seeing whether the claims are true.
After that show, I’m cruising to a few Greek islands onboard a gulet, my first experience with this style of Greek sailing yacht. Again, I look forward to telling you all about it.
That sailing yacht is dropping me off in Marmaris, Turkey, where I’ll attend that nation’s charter yacht show. Several brokers I trust have told me that they actually prefer sending clients to Turkey instead of Greece these days. I look forward to seeing why with my own two eyes, and of course to sharing what I learn with you.
From Turkey, I’m cruising back to Greece onboard a powercatamaran–one of the growing number of this style of yacht available for crewed charter in Eastern Europe. Cats are becoming hugely popular all over the world, and I’m curious to see whether the marina infrastructure in Turkey can support them.
Look for updates here on the blog, where I’ll post at least one time every day that I’m able to get online. Until then, au revoir, arrivederci, yassos and hoscakal!