Charter Chatter

The 2009 Kalia Cup in Tonga, conducted by Mariner Boating, was won by a Robertson Cane 4000 catamaran chartered for the rally by a crew from Japan. The skipper, Toru Inoue, struggled early in the rally because his prior sailing experience had been exclusively with monohull yachts. By the fifth and last race of the series he and his crew had mastered the art of tacking a ‘small house.’ He won the last race and the rally’s trophy, a hand-carved Hump Back Whale.

Sunsail Sailing Holidays is due to open its newest charter boat base on Procida Island, Italy. Procida is less well known than its glamorous neighbouring islands of Ischia and Capri and is the ideal starting point for a charter to the Pontine Islands or the Amalfi Coast.

Palawan, the Philippine's westernmost province, now offers sailing trips to adventurers aboard three wooden bangka boats, hand crafted by local boat makers and custom designed for guests. Bangkas have a long thin hull with outriggers and were traditionally used for fishing. The Philippines comprises of 7107 islands and from November to June Tao Philippines' three to seven day sailing trips explore the hundreds of remote islands of Northern Palawan between El Nido and Coron.

Sunsail Sailing Holidays on Hamilton Island will soon take delivery of the innovative Sunsail 384, the first yacht in a major charter fleet to feature solar panels, saving about 20 per cent on engine hours and increasing the lifespan of onboard batteries by up to five years. The comfortable and easy to sail catamaran was designed by performance multihull architects Morrelli and Melvin.

True North will conduct two seven night cruises from Broome to the Hunter River in 2010, carrying just 36 guests served by 20 crew. Highlights include witnessing the region’s vast tidal movements and seeing the Montgomery Reef “rising from the ocean” - a phenomenon created when the fast receding tide drains from the 350 square kilometre reef to expose a myriad of turtles, dugong, rays and other sea creatures.

Abercrombie & Kent announce a photographic competition entitled My Inspiring Travel Moment, which is open for entries until 30 November 2009. The first prize is a trip for two to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, cruising on the luxury MV Eclipse.

Captain Cook Cruises offers new packages, which include cruising the Murray River aboard its only paddlewheeler, the Murray Princess, a night ashore in Adelaide and a coach and ferry trip to Kangaroo Island for an overnight stay.

Whitsunday Rent A Yacht are offering Pre Christmas sale packages on skipper yourself boating holidays for Boatpoint readers. Save up to 25 percent on ten nights, 20 percent on seven nights and 15 percent on five nights for new bookings up until 24 December. Visit the WRAY team on stand 32 at the Sandringham Boat Show in Melbourne on 14-15 November.

In 1974 Sunsail Yacht Charters invented the flotilla sailing holiday, which is when you sail your own boat under the watchful guidance of a Lead Crew, including a qualified skipper, a hostess and an engineer, along with about ten other boats. Destinations include Turkey where the ruins of ancient civilisations mix with vibrant nightlife, cosmopolitan shopping and modern marinas. Towns untouched by tourism and beautiful bays still only accessible by boat are part of the Turkish experience.

Sydney is preparing for another busy cruise ship season with the arrival of the Rhapsody of the Seas on 17 October, the first of more than 100 ship scheduled to visit over the next six months. The 2008-09 cruise season saw a record 120 cruise ship visit Sydney.

Victorians John and Sandy Lindholm and their three children recently sailed their chartered yacht to victory in the Mariner Boating Holidays’ 2009 Croatia Yacht Rally, finishing equal first with a crew from Tasmania. The Lindholm’s won their trip to the Croatia Yacht Rally in a raffle conducted during the 2009 Variety Splash – the annual Port Phillip-based boat rally that raises funds for Victoria’s special needs and disadvantaged children. See the Variety Splash website for more details.

Photograph: Tonga