2004 Olympics and Yachting in Greece

Everybody knows that the Olympic Games are due to be held in Athens in 2004. Apart from the accepted consequences, positive and negative, for the city of Athens and Greece in general this sporting extravaganza will seriously affect the yachting fraternity from mid-July to mid-September.

Two major crises will afflict the greater Athens area i.e. transportation and accommodation. I will refer to certain aspects of transportation later but the accommodation problem will directly affect yachtsmen. How, you might ask ? I will tell you.

The Greek government is trying many ways to obviate the shortage of about 40,000 rooms. Athenians are being asked to offer rooms to visitors in their own homes and 11 cruise ships are being chartered and moored in Piraeus harbour for the duration of the Games. Not wishing to be left out of this possible bonanza, yacht owners will be offering their yachts as floating hotels in all the marinas along the Athens coastline, particularly Marina Alimos. Nor will this be restricted to Athenian yacht owners, as owners from all over Greece will be climbing on the bandwagon and will be moving their yachts into the Athens area for the Games. Many yachts are already booked to regular charterers and thus the prices for the period will go up to alarming levels, not to mention the shortage of available yachts.

Another serious problem will be the human waste from all these vessels. Piraeus harbour and all the marinas in the vicinity will become enormous sewage dumps. The people chartering these yachts as hotels are not yachties and will not know, or care, about the use of holding tanks and will simply dump the results of the exercising of normal human bodily functions into the sea. The shore facilities in these marinas will be nine times overstretched.

I promised to refer to transportation again because there will be massive shortages of flights over the period. Don't miss the boat - book early your flight aswell.

You must also realise that the influx of yachts into Athens will produce shortages all over Greece, not only for the period from mid-July to mid-September, but beyond because of the positioning and re-positioning times of the floating hotels.

My advice, therefore, is that if you are a yacht owner avoid Athens for the period, unless you are going to watch the Games, and if you are going to charter - DO IT EARLY, not forgetting to book your flights at the same time. The "last minute booking" syndrome is not going to work in 2004 for the crucial period of the Games and the immediate pre and post period - say 15 July to 15 September.

Finally - how early is early enough ? I would say by Christmas 2003, at the very latest. This way you will both enjoy the early booking discounts, which most of the charter companies are offering, and get the yacht of your choice from the base of your choice. Almi Yachts statistics are showing that by February all yachts will be booked for July/August 2004 and only dinghies will be available!

Alex. Vournas is the owner and managing director of Almi Yachts ltd, a yacht charter company in Greece. He is also the web designer and SEO for www.almiyachts.com

avournas@almiyachts.com

Yachting - Luxury Boating at its Best

When people see a yacht cruising by in the ocean, on a lake, or down a river, the usual reaction is a series of "oohs" and "aahs". There is nothing that quite says "the good life" like a yacht. A yacht is something that most people only dream of owning; most are happy to simply be able to ride on one at least once in their lives.

Some yachts are so large and so luxurious that you can barely tell them apart from cruise liners. There really is no "average price" when it comes to yachts; their sizes, designs, and amenities vary so widely that their price ranges are vast. A top-of-the-line yacht can sell for as high as $60 million or more, and the least expensive yachts will still run in the hundreds of thousands. The bigger and more expensive yachts are often owned by companies for throwing parties, entertaining clients, or rewarding successful executives with luxury trips.

What exactly is it about a yacht, other than its size, that so enraptures people? For one thing, yachts are like floating mansions, or at the very least, very nice floating homes. For example, an upper-end yacht can have a living room, family room, several bedrooms, a den, office, library, bar, party room, and even a theater room. When riding on one of these, only the view from the windows, going out on deck, or the occasional rocking would betray the fact that you were actually on a boat.

Though it is true that most people, even those who are fairly successful, cannot afford a yacht, that doesn't mean that that they can never have a chance to ride on one or maybe even pilot one. Fortunately, for those who are not blessed with enough disposable income to purchase their own yachts, these luxury cruisers can be rented by the hour, by the day, by the week, or for even longer. Many people will rent a yacht for cruising in the ocean or on a lake for a few days and consider it a complete vacation. If you rent the right kind of yacht, there may never be a reason to disembark from it while you're using it, even if you'll be on it for several days. Though experienced boaters can often pilot their own medium-sized or smaller rented yachts, when renting one of the larger models it is usually best, and often required, to have an experienced boat captain pilot it for you. When renting one of the much larger, upper-end luxury yachts, the rental usually includes a boat captain. Though renting one of the upper-end luxury yachts may still be out of many people's price ranges, most people can still enjoy all the amenities and enjoyment that a smaller rented yacht offers. After all, if you are cruising on a yacht, no matter what the size, you are still going to get those admiring glances!

John Gibb is the owner of boating sources , For more information on boating check out http://www.boating-guidesforu.info

Monaco Yachts

 by: Laura Ciocan

Sea and rich people: where else to find a better combination than in Monaco! A real yacht parade can be admired throughout the year in the Hercule Port besides the local yearly yachting events. From imposant, big-sized ones to neat, small, jewel yachts. If you are a yachting amateur or if you are hardly interested in the matter (as I was before seeing this impressive display) you will find something to like here.

There is a restraint, exclusivist rich group that has a thing for yachting, mainly because they can afford to! You and I, we both know that we'd like to own even a small, "unpretentiuos" sailboat, don't we? And have at least once dreamed to relax on the deck of a luxury yacht in Monaco. But, hey, who needs a yacht in a so busy world? Do we wake up in the morning with nothing better to do than dress in white completely (maybe some blue too), have our cafe au lait (maybe a croissant also if not on diet) and go to the quay ordering around the employees to rub up better that side? We certainly don't! If you say you do, that's another story!

What better place (and object) for a competition: who has the bigger, more expensive model, envies arise, disputes start... Shirley Bassey reportedley complained of the big size of "Le Grand Bleu" belonging to the Russian billionaire Abramovich. The yacht appearantly spoiled the view on the port of her uphill apartment. Well, what else would you like rich people to do?...

Besides occasional cruises and constant care some rich peolpe find a practical use to their yachts: some rent them, others live there. Owning a yacht can be extremely useful if you are a tax exile, especially UK citizens who live in Monaco but work in the UK. Renting is very profitable, especially during holidays season or when big events happen in Monaco: prices go from EUR25,000 per week to EUR365,000 per week, depending on the size and facilities.

Some of world's famous yachts rest in the waters of the bay. Some of them are so big that they have helicopters on their top decks. Among worlds' 100 largest yachts are:

• Octopus - owned by Paul Allen, the Microsoft cofounder;

• Tatoosh - owned also by Paul Allen;

• Atlantis II - owned by the Niarchos family, descendants of Onassis rival Stavros;

• Le Grand Bleu - owned by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich;

• Delphine - owned by the American car magnate Horace Dodge;

• Montkaj - owned by Prince Mohammed bin Fahd, son of Saudi Arabias King Fahd.

Following its policy of capitalisation of all (though scarce) natural resource, the Principality quickly became aware of the potential of the Hercules Bay and started a yachting tradition. There is a Yacht Club founded in 1953 by Prince Rainier and it was all along supported by himself and his son Albert, who is also its President. The Yacht Club de Monaco gained international fame attracting worlds' greatest names in sailing to came and do battle on the Monegasque waters.

Naturally, there are also prestigious yachting events of international interest, excellent opportunities for yacht owners all over the world to show off. There is Primo Cup Trophe Credit Suisse, Challenge Inter-Banques, Monaco Classic Week, Fte de la Mer, Rgates Corporatives, Monaco Yacht Show. The events are organised with the support of H.S.H. Prince Albert I and of H.S.H. Prince Rainier III. All of these events have display and competitions parts, except for Monaco Yacht Show which is the greatest in-water yacht exhibition in Europe, without competitions show.

So, rich or less rich, you can enjoy for free at least a great show if you happen to be in Monaco at the right time. Welcome aboard!

Laura Ciocan writes for http://www.ilovemontecarlo.com/ where you can find all you want to know about living in Monaco

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: mailto:lauracio@gmail.com.

Yacht Charter

Chartering a yacht has always been thought of as an expensive way to have a vacation. Let me explain why that's not always necessarily right.

But I'll start with yacht charters that really are expensive. There's virtually no upper limit to the amount you can spend on these types of vacation. One of the largest mega yachts available for charter, MY Annaliesse will set you back approximately EUR 94,000, and that's for each day. Expenses, fuel amongst others, have to be added to that amount. We have to admit though that Annaliesse is not a standard mega yacht but rather a floating hotel, capable of accommodating up to 36 guests. You will be pampered by crew of 34, including hairstylists, fitness instructors, some of the best chefs and of course the captain and his crew who safely navigate the vessel in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or other beautiful places around the world.

Now, Annaliesse is of course an extreme example. Nevertheless she is booked throughout the year. Considerably cheaper is, for exampe, MY Carmen Fontana. This 40 meter / 120 feet long mega yacht is available in the Greek waters from approx. US$12,000 per day. Still a large amount of money for most of us though. However, these yachts are typically chartered by pop stars, movie stars or other VIP's. The alternative, booking a room or suite in a hotel, will often not work for well known people for obvious reasons. On a yacht one can enjoy their holidays in utmost privacy while a professional crew is always available at their service.

As said, US$12,000 per day is an amount most of us are not willing to spend on a vacation. Most people who charter a yacht in the Mediterranean or Caribbean spend amounts like US$1800 per week for, for example, a 36 feet bareboat sailing yacht. A 36 feet sailing yacht for example, is capable of accommodating 6 people. So when you decide to take your friends and split the amount, you will only spend like US$300 per person per week..... Which in many cases is cheaper than a hotel room. Add the great views, changing by the day if you decide to do some island hopping, the joy of being on the water and the fun of sailing in the most wondeful places on earth and you know why yacht charters are becoming increasingly popular.

Marc Onrust is owner of MarineYacht, a Dutch Yacht Charter agency with charter yachts worldwide. http://www.marineyacht.com

Yacht Charters Provide a Luxurious Escape

 

Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel laureate author of “Old Man And The Sea,” loved to go on fishing expeditions off the Cuban coast in a sailboat that was well stocked with rum.

James Bond, the legendary British spy, loved to spend intimate moments with his newfound female companion on a yacht near a remote island in the Caribbean.

Away from the maddening crowd, in complete isolation, is what the fictional celebrity, and the celebrated fiction-writer, sought after every hectic assignment – Bond chasing enemies and Hemmingway chasing real-life action.

In real life, the rich and famous all over the world often spend their dream vacations in a boat they own, in faraway seas beyond the prying eyes of the paparazzi and the scandal-mongering newshounds.

Honeymooners, famous or not, also love being alone.

And then, there are the CEOs of mega corporations that hold business-cum-fun excursions on the high seas in luxury motor yachts to strike deals and seal takeovers. Or, just to enjoy their earned holidays.

Dream holidays on a well-equipped, well-stocked yacht are not just for the rich and mighty; they are within your reach, too. Just charter a yacht and sail off to your dream destination.

You can pick your own route, set your own pace, chose your own cuisines, chalk out your own itinerary, make stopovers whenever you feel like, and be the master of the yacht until you return to the shore.

A crew yacht charter vacation is like staying in a villa where you are pampered by a staff, but is unlike a hotel where you are stuck in the same location for the entire week. Your yacht moves on to a new location at your whim and fancy.

A charter yacht comes with a captain and cook. The price, which ranges from $8,000 to $250,000 per week, is linked to the size and type of the yacht and the services they provide. The price is inclusive of the charter meals and wines.

Yacht Charters Info provides detailed information about yacht charters, including Caribbean and Mediterranean yacht charters, as well as luxury, crewed, motor, private, and corporate yacht charters. Yacht Charters Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.