CARIBBEAN BEACHES JOIN OTHER DESTINATIONS TO BRING BLISSFUL SILENCE TO VACATIONS

Reprinted from a Yahoo! OMG! article posted Thursday, March 8, 2012.

What do you think?  Favorable or frustrating?

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If being constantly interrupted by the shrill sound of a cellphone is your idea of a holiday from hell, one Caribbean hotel group might have the answer.

Elite Island Resorts, which runs resorts across Antigua, Grenada, the Grenadines, St Lucia and Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, announced this week that it will ban mobile phones from beaches at nine of its resorts.

The scheme will ensure that one beach at each of the destinations will follow a strict cellphone-free policy, with signs reminding guests that the gadgets which have come to dominate modern life aren't welcome.

A spokesperson for the group said that the decision followed a two-year trial of the scheme at Palm Island in the Grenadines which has proved very popular and has subsequently led to events such as the 'digital de-tech week'.

"Over the last few years we've seen a big rise in people bringing laptops and smartphones away with them," Elite Island Resorts' Paula Whitehead told Relaxnews.

"People are using them on the beach and at the poolside -- we are all getting used to being contacted around the clock. We saw the success of the mobile free beach zone at Palm Island and felt rolling it out to our other resorts would be welcomed by guests."

For those that desperately need to log on, all of the resorts provide wifi areas, Ms. Whitehead said.

As the pervasiveness of modern technology in our lives grows, it seems it's increasingly fashionable to seek out destinations where electronic communications are sternly frowned upon.

Cruise ships, once a vacation blissfully undisturbed by cellphone coverage, are now normally connected by satellite, leading some lines such as Crystal Cruises to actively block cellphone signals in certain areas.

Even hotels are getting in on the action, with a host of American properties asking guests to surrender their gadgets upon check-in as part of zen or traquillity packages designed to reconnect travelers with what's really important in life, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The town of Green Bank in Virginia has even built a tourism industry out of radio silence -- part of the US National Radio Quiet Zone, its proximity to sensitive radio telescopes means that most gadgets that rely on radio signals (think cellphones, pagers, anything using WiFi and even television) are prohibited in the area, or in many cases, just won't work.

That freedom from both electromagnetic waves and the ring of a cellphone has earned the town something of a reputation in America -- it reportedly attracts thousands of tourists every year, all desperate to escape the constant interference of modern-day life.

BAHAMAS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION IN FULL SWING!

Registration for the Bahamas Billfish Championship's 39th season is well underway with a number of teams taking advantage of the BBC's Early Bird discount. By all indications participation in all five tournaments will be above this past year. There will be many of the 'regulars' back rying to capture the BBC title and there will be some well-known teams returning that have been absent for a few years. Of course you can look for a new crop of anglers and teams ready for the challenges that can only come from the world's oldest billfishtournament series. 

For the 2012 season, the BBC's Steering Committee has instituted some changes to the BBC rules, to the tournament venue and tournament format. These changes reflect the wishes of the participating anglers and are designed to improve the tournament experience and stimulate greater participation.

Although the first tournament is not until April, remember that tournament participation is limited to 50 teams and all tournament Entry Fees are due and payable 30-days prior to the start of each 2012 BBC tournament. The BBCMembership Fee is non-refundable and Tournament Entry Fees become non-refundable 30-days prior to the tournament start date.

Whether you want to fish one tournament or the whole Series, there is no better time to register. Registration is easy and can beaccomplished online, by FAX or by mail.   

To Register & Enter online click here.

To download the 2012 BBC Tournament Entry package,  click here.

You Can't Win If You Don't Enter!  

 

 

TOURNAMENT FORMAT CHANGE for 2012

Captain's Choice Lay Day - All teams will fish any three (3) out of the available four (4) fishing days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday). Ribbons must be picked-up each fishing day between 6:00 am and 8:00 am from the Committee Boat.

ANGLING RULE CHANGES  (Changes in bold)

Lines in the water at 8:00 am - Lines out of the water at 4:00 on all fishing days.

To qualify as a "released fish" the leader must be brought within the grasp of the mate or the end of the leader must be wound to the rod tip. A 'Billfish Release Affidavit' must be completed for each billfish released and presented to the Committee Boat between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm on the same day the fish is caught. These hours can be extended if a team was fighting a fish and reported to the Committee Boat prior to "lines out of the water."

NEW ANGLING RULES

•  Teams fishing the Bahamas Billfish Championship may not include any individual who has been paid to be a captain or crew, fish a rod, feed fish and/or bring a fish to the boat in the last three (3) years.

•  All boats participating in the Bahamas Billfish Championship tournaments must have a valid Bahamas Fishing Permit with a Bahamas Fisheries sticker affixed thereto.

 To view a complete set of the 2012 rules, click here. 

YACHT OF THE WEEK: 108' MONTE FINO. 1996 COMPLETELY REDONE!

BEAUTIFUL YACHT!

Unique, completely redone, and just reduced,

this is one to be seen for sure!

Please click here for more information, photos, and video tour.

WATERWAYS NEWSLETTER: MARCH 2012

The March newsletter is complete!  Please be sure to read the exciting report of the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show on page one.  This month, I've included some new and outstanding brokerage yachts, in addition to many that have seen recent reductions.

As explained in my opening letter, we are quite low on stock due to the overwhelming response of buyers in Miami, but on pages 3 and 4, you'll find new boats in stock as well as those arriving soon.

Of note are the two 51' Bertrams, a 2010 on page 2 and a 2012 on page 3.  Both are being offered at great prices and are well worth a look!

I hope you enjoy this month's edition of "Waterways".  Just give me a call if you have any questions!

Please CLICK HERE to link to the complete newsletter.

Below is just an image of page one.

YACHT OF THE WEEK: NEW 51' BERTRAM CNV, DISCOUNTED FOR QUICK SALE!

This is a great deal!  The newly-designed 51' Bertram 2012 model has been discounted $300k to make room for new inventory.  Actually, it now can be purchased for less than the Show Special offered last month in Miami.  If you have any interest at all in a new sport fishing yacht, please take a look.  I'm pretty sure that at this price, it won't be around for long!

For link to original document, please click here.

For direct link to information and video about the 51', please click here.

But do keep the "deal" price in mind as you do!

CARLO RIVA'S BIRTHDAY USHERS IN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES FOR THE RIVA BRAND

The 90^th birthday of the "Pioneer of the Boating Industry", Mr Carlo Riva, marks the beginning of a year featuring a series of extraordinary events for Riva, a brand of the Ferretti Group, which will culminate in the celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of Aquarama and the 170^th anniversary of the brand.

Everything is ready in Sarnico to celebrate Carlo Riva, the globally renowned and esteemed entrepreneur whose unique ingenuity has left an indelible mark in the history of pleasure boating and who, over the years, was capable of turning the Riva brand and the Sarnico boatyard (which have been part of the Ferretti Group since the year 2000) into a reference for the entire Italian and global boating sector.

 

"I have always cruised towards Riva as one would cruise towards a longed-for horizon, and I have always considered Carlo Riva as a master I owe a lot to, from both a professional and a personal standpoint. This is why I am delighted to be able to give him my best wishes for this extraordinary moment in his outstanding life," says Ferretti Group’s Chairman Norberto Ferretti.

 

Carlo Riva was born in 1922.  He is an engineer and was appointed “Pionere della Nautica” by UCINA (the Italian Marine Industry Association) in 1988 and “Personnalité de la Mer” by Albert II of Monaco in 2005.

 

Born into a family of boat builders, he had an immense passion for boats and boat building since his early years and was then the Master.  In the 1950s, he turned the brand into a synonym of style, status and perfection, thanks to models like Ariston and Tritone, Sebino and Florida, all the way to Aquarama, which was launched in 1962. Riva yachts have been the object of desire for noble people, actors, sports champions, businessmen and celebrities such as Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Liz Taylor, Sean Connery, Jean Paul Belmondo, Richard Burton, and Jackie Stewart. But there were also royalties, princes, and sheikhs from all over the world have enjoyed the superior qualities and luxury of the line.

The motor boat Aquarama, whose 50^th anniversary is being celebrated this year, embodied the triumph of Carlo Riva’s production philosophy, becoming the symbol of the shipyard and of the Riva brand everywhere in the world.

 

Celebrations will not end with Carlo Riva's birthday and the anniversary of his legendary Aquarama.  In fact, these important occasions will usher in a long series of events that will unravel throughout the year and will culminate in the celebrations, in June, of the brand’s 170^th anniversary.

 

On that occasion, a special website will be created, featuring in-depth, interesting information about the 170 fantastic years of this business adventure, characterized by inexhaustible passion for innovation, design, and the constant improvement of the boats' quality and safety, all aspects which have turned Riva into a true icon in the world of luxury and international boating.

RIVA 86 DOMINO: DAY BOAT DELUXE

Nice review and photos of the sleek Riva 86' Domino by Diane Byrne at YachtWorld. For more information, please click here.

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The Riva 86 Domino makes a bold statement by borrowing elements from her smaller sisters and even her sister companies.

Riva is one of eight brands under the Ferretti Group banner. Much like a real family, the sister brands have their own style and customer bases. They also like to borrow their sisters’ things every now and then. Such is the case with the newest Riva to debut stateside, the 86 Domino. (The model was initially introduced in Europe in 2009, but as always, the builder waited to bring her overseas, incorporating American-oriented features as well.) She certainly has similarities to smaller models in the Riva lineup. But she further shares DNA with her sleek and speedy sister brand Pershing, and even her more traditional sister brand Ferretti.

The Riva 86 Domino is powered by twin MTU 16V 2000 M93s to a cruising speed of 36 knots.

If you’re familiar with Riva’s offerings to 115 feet, you’ll likely note a resemblance between the 86 Domino and the 68 Ego Super. The 86 Domino is intended as an evolution of that smaller design, offering more spaces for entertaining and relaxing. But in considering the entire Ferretti Group family, you’ll also likely have Pershing come to mind. Indeed, the Riva 86 Domino, and even the 68 Super Ego, are far more Pershing-esque, with aggressive, open styling.

The 86 Domino is also Pershing-esque in performance, boasting a reported 38-knot top end and 36-knot cruise. Whether the twin MTU 16V 2000 M93s are at full throttle or dialed back for cruising speeds, the 86 Domino should see a range of more than 300 nautical miles. That makes her decidedly a dayboat, again much like Pershing. What she doesn’t have, however, are the surface drives that Pershing has offered from the start. Is the exclusion the result of a Ferretti Group family argument? Actually, it’s more like a family agreement. After all, siblings need to have some things all their own.

When Ferrettis first landed on U.S. shores in the 1990s, they were famed for having lift-open glass partitions between the aft deck and saloon. Riva’s management team really liked the way this transformed the indoor and outdoor spaces, so the 86 Domino is the first Riva to incorporate this signature feature from the early days of Ferretti Yachts. The transformation is quite effective when the glass panel, to port, is kept open in combination with the sliding door adjacent to it.

The open, airy saloon area gives an extraordinary feeling of spaciousness for an 86-footer.

Also effective is the feeling of spaciousness inside this Riva. There’s excellent headroom, plus an open main deck straight to the helm. Further adding to the effect is plentiful light spilling in from the large side windows, the glass roof, and the windshield. The only separation between spaces is the 55-inch LCD television, positioned just aft of the triple helm seats.

Of course, this being an Italian-built yacht, style is as important as space configuration. Grey-stained oak is used for the sole, and walnut is employed for cabinetry, with brown leather inserts. The furnishings may seem simplistic, but remember, this is a yacht intended for harbor-hopping and day cruising, not inside-living 24-7.

The master stateroom runs full-beam, taking advantage of both sets of hullside windows.

If you do enjoy overnight cruises, though, the Riva 86 Domino naturally will accommodate you and your guests. The master suite and three guest staterooms are all belowdecks. The full-beam master boasts the signature Riva hull windows, along with a vanity and a settee. Fully forward is a VIP cabin with a queen berth, and between the VIP and master lie two twin cabins. A nice touch — the starboard twin cabin positions the beds on tracks. This way, you can slide them together to make the stateroom an extra VIP. A consequence of the layout, however, is the narrowness of the foyer connecting the staterooms. It’s a bit cramped, surprising particularly because of the openness of the deck above.

As could be expected aboard a luxury day boat, you and your guests can enjoy sunbathing on the 86 Domino’s foredeck. It’s more like a mini cockpit, with a dinette seating six accompanying the sunpad. This makes it an ideal, private spot for meals or even cocktails. Should you wish some shade, a bimini can be installed.

The Riva 86 Domino has reportedly enjoyed strong sales so far on both sides of the Atlantic. According to Riva’s management team, some owners have even requested a nearly identical design in a 120-foot length.

Here’s hoping sibling rivalry doesn’t break out.

WATERWAYS FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

Special issue for the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show, February 16 - 20 on Collins Avenue!  Included are all the yachts, new and brokerage, to be displayed.

Additional features include the Ferretti Custom Line 100' and many beautiful brokerage yachts available but not scheduled to display in the upcoming show.

Click here to link to full newsletter