The two-day event began with a relaxed cocktail reception on the members' terrace of the recently reopened Club de Mar, which has been completely rebuilt over the last three years. Hardly any other harbour attracts as many gigs as the Club de Mar in Palma de Mallorca. This is due to both its excellent location and its first-class reputation.
The Yacht club in the west of the historic old town of Palma has become an integral part of the vibrant Balearic superyacht scene over the last 50 years. The docks are home to by far the largest yachts moored in the region. Such a density of large yachts can otherwise only be found at the end of September in the Port Hercule during the Monaco Yacht Show.
Drinks with a view
Over drinks and snacks, the BOOTE EXCLUSIV guests enjoyed a sensational view of the "jetty of the billionaires", where large formats such as the 138-metre-long "Rising Sun", the 96-metre "Vava II" and the 58-metre "Ngoni" with its 71-metre-high mast are causing a stir these days.
With YYachts and Boats Polch in the bay of Palma
The first evening didn't last long, as a full programme awaited the 35 guests the next day. Divided into two groups, the participants boarded the two 24-metre slips "Calabash" and the one recently delivered by YYachts in Greifswald "W", which also offers charter guests wonderful sailing experiences. The rest of the guests were spread over a brand new Axopar 38 and the flagship Axopar 45, which, thanks to their impressive motorisation, were able to explore the coast at speeds of up to 52 knots and were provided with exciting information about the individual bays by Axopar skipper and Boote Polch boss Patric Polch. While the two YYachts beauties sailed across the bay in ten to 15 knots of wind, the less yacht-savvy guests in particular enjoyed the introduction to steering and trimming. YYachts shipyard founder and "Calabash" owner Michael Schmidt also shared his knowledge and kept everyone on board in a good mood. Both Axopar models were captivating with their impressive speed and offered an exciting contrast to the beautifully designed sailing yachts with lines by designer Javier Jaudenes. The VIP guests were delighted with the chic Helly Hansen sailing jackets with which they were kitted out in the fresh 15 degree temperatures.
Moet Chandon Grand Vintage 2016 as an investor sip
After the maritime adventure, a champagne tasting awaited the guests on the Club de Mar jetty, who were delighted with the perfectly chilled Moet Chandon Grand Vintage 2016. There is no better way to round off a short Palma cruise.
"The Völkers House" inspired the participants
After a short break, the evening programme took place at "The Völkers House" in the south-east of Mallorca, near Campos. The impressive grounds are home to an exclusive polo club with villas, a hotel, restaurant and stables for 130 polo horses. International polo tournaments are to be held on the site once it opens in June. The club, planned and realised by Christian Völkers, is also open to guests who want to get married or celebrate parties in an extraordinary atmosphere. Polo enthusiasts can hire horses and book polo lessons with professional players. In the open air, "The Völkers House" team organised a fantastic barbeque with good wine and surrounded by fire bowls.
Superyachts compared at the Boat Show
The next day also started early for the VIP guests of BOOTE EXCLUSIV, as a series of yacht tours were on the programme. After a leisurely stroll around the exhibition centre in Moll Vell, we boarded the Sanlorenzo models SD 90 and SP 92, which, completely different in their layout and style, provided a good overview of the wide range of yachts that the Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has to offer. We continued to the new superyacht hub at the Palma International Boat Show, where, after a lunchtime snack in the jetty bistro, we boarded the 35-metre-long Southern Wind novelty "Kalantis" a 71-tonne carbon fibre cruiser-racer with a tasteful Nauta interior. This was followed by the two exceptional yachts "Liara" (34m, 18.5 million euros) and "Canova" (36m, 30 million euros), both of which are currently for sale.
The Club de Mar as the perfect host
After an intensive day of walking around the decks of exciting yachts, the "Members Only" pool terrace with delicious finger food and cocktails provided a crowning finale to the BOOTE EXCLUSIV event. Shortly afterwards, a hard core of guests showed interest in visiting a special highlight, a sailing yacht with an exceptional character. The 58 metre long "Ngoni" by Royal Huisman is currently for sale for 38.5 million euros and Captain Tim Deane agreed to show the XL-Slup with its 71 metre high mast in detail and told anecdotes from his exciting life as a captain.
BOATS EXCLUSIVE proved once again with this event how exclusive and diverse the world of superyachts can be, and the invited guests were delighted to gain exceptionally deep insights into the industry and the maritime lifestyle.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
