VELVETISSUE • n°35 • 2023
YACHTS ON SHOW
The sixth BR1 Fleet Show took place at the Villa Igiea Marina in Palermo. Its purpose is to support the commercial activity of our yacht owners, but it also enjoys the atmosphere of a spectacular festival of the sea where it’s possible to admire an exclusive Mediterranean fleet
by Tania Cinelli - ph. courtesy by BR1
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With the pandemic receding into history, normality has begun to reassert itself with an even more vigorous presence than before. The sixth edition, the first post-Covid, of the BR1 Fleet Show held in spring at Villa Igiea, Palermo, presented many new arrivals and provided a welcome infusion of renewed energy.
The portfolio of yachts on show at the BR1 Fleet Show 2023 included the Cat 54’ Dydimos, the Cat 620’ Blu Destiny, the S/Y 80’ TESS, the S/Y 84 Malizia, the M/Y 87’ ARIA C and the S/Y 90’ My Lotty, all obviously managed by BR limited and commercialised by West Coast International, and all undergoing the usual soft winter refit. Among those absent due to their involvement in sailing activities elsewhere were the Wally 100’ Running of Fight, the Perini Navi 114’ Heritage M and the Dream Yacht 115 Soulmate, but they will certainly be making a showing at the next edition in 2024.
One interesting new feature of the show was the creation of a “luxury tender” area hosting three craft that BR1 uses to offer facilities like a fast shuttle service between its yachts. The three tenders present were the Noah 26’ inflatable “Tess Too” powered by a 270hp diesel, the Axopar 37’ Sun Top with two 350hp outboards and the Wally Tender 48X with four 450hp outboards.
The collaboration with Malta Sail Factory, a Maltese sailmaker for large yachts, created a showcase for the benefits in terms of quality and price of the Maltese product, which boasts standards of construction and technical quality that are the equal of the most important international manufacturers.
The support of a large number of sponsors meant that guests at the event could enjoy hospitality on board the craft on show as well as guided excursions and tastings of Sicilian wines, olive oil and coffee. The brokers in attendance especially enjoyed the gala dinner at “Sicilò Food & Wine”, whose terrace provided a magnificent
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view of Palermo’s historic centre. As usual there was a “Cocktail Contest” that saw teams from the yachts attending the event take part in a duel to the last drink! As part of the contest the chefs and hostesses from every yacht offered the brokers a cocktail and some finger food. This year the jury made up of professionals present at the event was joined by specialist food and wine journalist Francesca Landolina. The winner of the 2023 contest was the crew of “My Lotty”, comprising Stefania Tagliavia & Dominique Cloete, who came in just ahead of the teams from S/Y TESS (Giovanni Romano & Francesco Busalacchi) and M/Y Soulmate (Eduard Alcantara & Irina Ivaneanu), which arrived at the Villa Igiea Marina to take on the other teams even though the yacht was not one of those on show. The four days of the event included short
technology seminars held by representatives of Sangiorgio Shipping, Luise Associates and Artemis. These provided a great deal of useful information for the brokers, who took a keen interest in the proceedings. Now the 2023 event has drawn to a triumphant conclusion the organisational machinery is gearing up to deal with the current commercial season, as well as considering how to make the next BR1 Fleet Show even better, working with all the brokers and technical partners who made this sixth edition such a resounding success, especially VISTRA Marine, ISTC Malta, Marina Villa Igiea, Riolo, Moak, Ravidà, Tasca D’Almerita, Osmosea and media partners TheOneYacht&Designand ARTE IN. See you again at the end of April next year!
www.br1yacht.com
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The M/Y Aria crew and brokers celebrate the sixth edition and invite guests to the next BR1 Fleet Show in April 2024