il miglio blue 368
Sunsail Sailing Vacations has added more yachts for crewed and bareboat charter to its base on the southern tip of Martinique, in the Caribbean’s Windward Islands. The new models include the Sunsail 393 (with three double cabins) and the Sunsail 44 (with four double cabins), both from the recently launched Jeanneau Sun Odyssey “i” series of traditionally styled performance cruisers.
The new yachts, which will arrive in time for the winter 2009 sailing season, complement the company’s fleet of 38- to 50-foot monohulls and catamarans.
“We’re excited to announce this important investment in Martinique, where our dedicated staff has delivered great yachting holidays for over 15 years,” says Peter Cochran, Sunsail’s vice president of operations. “With easy air access, Martinique is perfectly positioned for trips either south through the Windward Islands and to beautiful St. Vincent and the Grenadines or north to the lush landscapes of Dominica and the butterfly-shaped island of Guadeloupe, with one-way trips possible to our other Sunsail bases.” For more details, contact Sunsail (800-772-3500, www.sunsail.com).
Fleet Additions Down Under
Queensland Yacht Charters (www.yachtcharters.com.au), in Australia’s Whitsunday archipelago, has added two new Fountaine Pajot catamarans to the fleet. Bareboaters can also hire a local skipper to extend their cruising grounds to the outer Great Barrier Reef. The company is accredited through Australia’s ecotourism-certification program.
Cruise the Aeolian Islands
Il Miglio Blue, based in Milazzo, a port city on the north coast of Sicily, serves the cruising grounds of the nearby Aeolian islands. The seven islands in the archipelago, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, range from one to 15 nautical miles apart, making them ideal for multi-week sailing vacations.
The company offers seven bareboat monohulls, from 39 to 49 feet, and one 38-foot catamaran. The charter season runs from April to November; the best times are in the spring and the fall. Besides excellent sailing, Sicily and the Aeolian islands are famous for their natural beauty, ancient ruins, and cuisine. For details, contact the company (www.ilmiglioblue.com).
Barefoot Yacht Charters Starts Green Policies
Barefoot Yacht Charters of Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent, in the Windward Islands, has launched its “Barefoot Goes Green” and “Sail Green” campaigns.
The company is installing a state-of-the-art sewage-treatment system and is also catching rainwater and recycling gray water for use in gardens. Charter guests will be presented with a potted casuarina or a coconut plant and will be encouraged to offset the carbon emissions resulting from their air travel by planting it on the Grenadines island to which their itinerary takes them.
Barefoot is also developing a Green Pledge and will ask all skippers to sign this before setting sail. Barefoot plans to stock its boutique with biodegradable products; a percentage of the proceeds from sales of these goods will be invested in local environmental efforts. For details, contact the company (www.barefootyachts.com).
Elaine Lembo
