Ask any layman to define the most glamorous show on earth and he’d describe the decadence of Cannes. The 66^th Film Festival from the 15^th to 26^th May will combine more late nights and high fashion than deadline day at Italian Vogue.

The resort itself is standing room only. Harvey Weinstein holds court in the Martinez. The press chase Robert Pattinson along La Croisette. Pop-up parties are strictly in-the-know, like the secret Nikki Beach rooftop blowouts atop the Marriot.

But the inaugural 1939 Cannes Film Festival proved a bigger bomb than dodgy Kris Kristofferson vehicle Heaven’s Gate. The French film authorities wanted to trump the burgeoning film show at Venice with their own summer festival. Furthermore, in 1938 the Venice awards had given politically motivated honours to movies made in Rome’s Cinecittà studios and Neubabelsberg in Berlin.

By mid-August 1939 the spotlights were turned to Cannes. British stars of the silver screen had flown down from London to the Riviera. The cafés of Palm Beach welcomed the Duchess of Windsor, Charles Boyer and the jewellers Van Cleef and Arpels. The Count and Countess d’Herbemont held a Champagne reception at the Hotel Eden Roc.

Alas, as the clouds of war blew over Europe, posters calling up reservists sprang up across Cannes. The luxury liner hired by MGM studios to ferry in Gary Cooper and Mae West weighed anchor and fled back to the States. The organisers only managed to screen a single film: Charles Laughton starring in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

In contrast, the first spring Film Festival in 1951 was an enormous success. Honorary jury president Jean Cocteau arrived in style at the 1957 event along with Jacqueline Bouvier, Marcel Pagnol and Elizabeth Taylor. As we see from this YouTube pictorial history of Cannes from 1946 to 1979, the festival became more a parade of power, yachts and fashion than film.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Palme d’Or best film award was formally introduced in 1975. Taxi Driver picked up the prize the following year, with Apocalypse Now winning the laurels in 1979.

Even a young Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived to promote his infamous 1977 biopic Pumping Iron (click here for YouTube link). I’ll bet we’re all glad we don’t have to attend that showing this week.

Wish you were here…

Tristan

From Thursday 23^rd of May to Sunday 26^th of May 2013, Monaco will undergo once again the incredible transformation from city to the most famous F1 race track in the world. Originally started in 1929, this year the Monaco Grand Prix celebrates its 71^st edition and will take over Monaco becoming the central hub for F1, parties and of course, superyachts.

If you haven’t booked your track-side superyacht this year, you can always get in touch with our charter team. For those interested in having your own superyacht, M/Y Alibi is currently for sale (and for charter) and conveniently located off Monaco, ready for inspections.

Built by CBI Navi in 2005, this steel hulled 51m superyacht has all the refined essence of a gentleman’s club mixed with the utmost luxury. Alibi’s classic Luca Dini designed modern interior is the perfect fusion of dark woods and distinguished light furnishings. Her large interior volume can comfortably accommodate 12 guests in six cabins: a full-width master with an office, two VIP cabins with Jacuzzi baths, two doubles and one twin guest cabin with ensuite bathrooms.

Her capacious, well laid out deck spaces offer guests plenty of room and possibilities to relax and enjoy themselves. The top deck Jacuzzi, the oversized sun pads, dining area for up to 12 guests and air-conditioned panoramic gym make for a perfect combination for some well-deserved down time.

2 x 2200hp Caterpillar 3516B@1641kW engines allow Alibi to cruise for 4000 nm, ideal for discovering the best of the Mediterranean coastlines.  Alibi has recently undergone a shipyard maintenance period and refurbishment with brand new deck and sundeck equipment. Also, for those waiting to see more of the beautiful superyacht Alibi, a professional photo-shoot will take place next week.

Luxury superyacht Alibi is exclusively for sale and charter through Y.CO. Priced at €15,750,000, please contact our sales and charter team for more information.

SALES@YCOYACHT.COM

CHARTER@YCOYACHT.COM

*Alibi is not for sale or charter to US residents while in US waters*

Tranquil Symi is custom-made for superyachts. With no airport and only five local taxis, the island is best explored under one’s own steam. A medley of beaches accessible only by boat offers the ultimate in sun-kissed privacy. Yet the buzz of Rhodes and the Turkish Riviera are only a 30-minute cruise away.

Symi’s fabled wealth came from sponges. In bygone years, Symians would freedive to the seabed using the traditional skandalopetra technique (quite literally tied to a boulder), then kick up to the surface with goods in hand. It took a lot of sponges to fund the row of neo-classical mansions that line Galios harbour. It remains one of the prettiest ports in all of Greece. Its waterfront is a film set vision of tavernas and a colourful fishing fleet.

Above Galios, the Chorio quarter is timelessly Greek. Its whitewashed streets and blue shutters are decorated by baskets of flowers and billowing sunshades. The adventurous may venture further on a scooter safari to Symi’s moonscape interior. The scenery is sun-bleached and rocky, with a dazzling blue surround.

But Symi’s serene coastline is the island’s biggest draw. Nanou Bay offers nothing but a beach bar and a cypress grove. Agios Giogious’s 300m vertical cliffs make it another boat-only beach – although Gregory Peck and David Niven clambered up these precipices in hit movie The Guns of Navarone.

Kathryn Tomasetti is an award-winning travel journalist based between Istanbul and Nice. Her writing on France, Turkey and her native Italy appears in The Independent and The Sunday Times.

Next week… Panarea, Sicily

Y.CO had three exceptional yachts attending this year. Two yachts new to the charter market, the awe-inspiring motor yacht OCEAN PARADISE soon to be delivered by Benetti and the majestic motor yacht SEALYON.  They were accompanied by the beautiful classic schooner ELENA oozing with old class charm.

Yachts were inundated with brokers during the week, experiencing the yachts first hand for their clients. Events during the show included a Gala evening, Seminars and the ‘Yacht hop’ where yachts show their more creative side with an evening of themed entertainment.

This year also saw the first chef’s competition take place at the Genoa show.  Standards were exceptionally high and congratulations to Head Chef David Hawkins, assisted by Second Chef Dave Bell from motor yacht Sealyon who came 2^nd place in the +40m category.

But it wasn’t all just show. Even though attention was to present the yachts to brokers coming to view them in their full glory, it was still ‘business as usual’ with the continuing maintenance of the yachts and even fire drills being held. This only reiterating the sheer professionalism of yacht crew present at the show.

After a successful show in Genoa , it just leaves us to say…see you all in Antigua!

A sail from mainland Italy past Capri and the Aeolian Islands is the sort of cruise one would like to take very slowly. For better or for worse, from 18^th May dozens of sailors will complete that journey very, very fast.

The Rolex Capri Sailing Week is only open to Maxis, the most nimble of sailing yachts. Competitors include Mini Maxis under 24m and regular Maxis up to 30.5m. The field also boasts super-fast Supermaxis that can cream through the water at speeds of up to 22 knots.

The entire fleet will depart from the ancient Roman town of Gaeta next Saturday morning on a pell-mell race to Capri. The competitors will then thrash around the paradise island for two days of in-shore racing on 21^st and 22^nd May.

(For highlights of the 2011 regatta see the YouTube clip below. It’s an amateur video, but no less informative because of it)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Those with a little downtime on Capri should explore the extraordinary Blue Grotto. It’s one of several watery tunnels on the island, each lit by an eerie coral glow.

More importantly, above the Blue Grotto lies a restorative spot of heavenly proportions. The Michelin-starred Il Riccio Restaurant and beach club at the Capri Palace offers a particularly warm welcome to luxury yachts.

By co-incidence, the establishment’s patron, Signor Tonino Cacace, is also partaking in Rolex Capri Sailing Week. He’ll be sailing aboard the mighty Y3K fast-cruising sloop under the helmsmanship of International Maxi Association President Claus-Peter Offen. Some guys have all the luck.

Time to stow the winch before another glass of spumante? Not quite.

The sailing week concludes with a demanding 300-mile race to Sicily and back through the tumultuous Tyrrhenian Sea. The final prize-giving is back in Capri on Friday 24^th May. Mine’s a Negroni. And a hot shower.

Wish you were here…

Tristan

Ps. With sincere thanks to Signor Tonino Cacace for use of Capri Palace images, and to Maria Luisa Farris, Marina Kienitz and photographer Kurt Arrigo for use of Rolex Capri Sailing Week images.

The first in a new series – Perini Navi’s new fast cruising 40m is guaranteed to turn heads and not only for her speed and sleek exterior profile.  Perini Navi in conjunction with her experienced owner and designer Ron Holland have created a yacht that is truly inviting to enter and just begs you to stay.

Exceptional thought has been put into arrangement of her impeccably finished interiors, with her beautiful walnut floors creating a natural flow throughout.  A split level salon area with unmatched space and light is perfectly fused with a warm and tasteful décor.

Sailing yacht State of Grace boasts a full beam master stateroom with a large Turkish Hamman steam shower, a professional ‘Therasage’ massage & shiatsu machine and a fully equipped gym.

Feel the power in State of Grace’s 1,192 m² sail plan with innovative control systems, 50m mast and furling boom in state of the art carbon fibre as she cruises the pristine waters of your favourite destination. Her Bimini covered cockpit allows guests to entertain and relax in style.

Accommodating the owner and up to 8 guests, she is the ideal yacht for an extended charter with globetrotting performance and comfort being her watchwords.

Main Salon

Guest areas

Master Suite

Master ensuite & gymnasium

Guest cabin

Bimini covered cockpit

State of Grace cruising

Available for charter in the Mediterranean Summer 2013, for further details please contact our charter team.

CHARTER@YCOYACHT.COM

A world away from mainland France, Corsica was the birthplace of such legendary figures as Napoleon Bonaparte. Its territory and people are headstrong and defiantly independent; L’Île de Beauté remains an untamed land with its own distinct identity.

At Corsica’s southernmost tip, a quicksilver necklace of bays and islands sweeps east from the port of Bonifacio. France’s most southerly golf course, Golf de Sperone, sits atop a tumbling line of nearby cliffs. Yachts may moor close enough to this stunning coastline for guests to drive a nine iron onto the 15th green.

Yet the highlight of this Mediterranean region is undoubtedly the Lavezzi Archipelago. The protected marine park lies 10km off Corsica’s southeastern coast. This cluster of granite islands – each one ringed by a halo of honey-hued sand – is cloaked with an aromatic mix of eucalyptus and maquis herbs. Smooth coral-coloured rocks dot these virgin shores. Cormorants dive under the waves; pods of dolphins jump joyously on top.

Fortunate are those visitors travelling under their own steam. Offshore the Lavezzi Islands boast a veritable kaleidoscope of undersea life. Even novice snorkelers can float over banks of rainbow wrasse, barracuda and grouper. So remote are these seas that their inhabitants remain utterly indifferent to humankind.

Kathryn Tomasetti is an award-winning travel journalist based between Istanbul and Nice. Her writing on France, Turkey and her native Italy appears in The Independent and The Sunday Times.

Next week… Symi, Greece

Raise a glass of raki for the Istanbul World Superyacht Awards. It’s testament to the grandeur of Turkey’s cultural capital that it is hosting the industry’s ‘Oscars’ for the second successive year. As the largest city in both Europe and the Middle East, Istanbul buzzes with the collective energy of 15m souls.

From this very spot the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires spread trade and knowledge across the known world. The headquarters of tonight’s World Superyacht Awards finalists proves that the luxury yacht sector is also a global affair. The shortlist includes Abeking & Rasmussen in Bremen, Reymond Langton in Bath, Espen Øino underneath the Y.CO office in Monaco, and Proteksan Turquoise right here in Istanbul.

I’ll leave it to my peers to discuss the intricacies of each worthy finalist. (Although what one wouldn’t give for a blast down to Bodrum in power-trimaran Adastra or in Perini Navi’s custom-built Xnoi.)

What is true is that there is no better place to host a party than the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. The wine cellar of this former royal residence is studded with Château d’Yquem. I opine that some attendees at tonight’s ceremony would gladly sip directly from the Bosphorus when they awake groggily tomorrow morning.

But the playground for Istanbul’s elite has long been the Princes Islands, a 20-minute sail from the Ciragan Palace. This nine-island archipelago is tranquil, timeless and completely car-free.

Little has changed on these islands since Trotsky escaped from Stalin, and Edward VI and Wallis Simpson escaped from the British press. Each boat-only idyll is ringed with clapboard houses and seafood restaurants. A local favourite is Prinkipo on the main island of Buyukada. There’s no menu. Instead, each diner receives a salvo of stuffed squid, grilled fish and lashings of raki. Bring a sense of humour and your dancing shoes.

And finally, we should mention one more superyacht. The mighty Savarona won’t be winning a World Superyacht Award this evening but it remains in a class of its own. It was once owned by Turkey’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who awaited its delivery from Blohm + Voss like a restless schoolboy. Lucky are the award attendees who are invited aboard the 128m leviathan tomorrow afternoon for a private cruise up the coast.

Wish you were here…

Tristan

Ps. With sincere thanks to Holly Lunn and her team at the World Superyacht Awards for use of images from their 2012 event.

Sveti Stefan is Montenegro’s island jewel. This 15^th-century fishing port – linked to the mainland by a beachy isthmus – once attracted A-list celebrities, from Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Monroe to Sophia Loren and Britain’s Princess Margaret.

The seaside resort was recently reinvented as a five-star boutique village by luxury operator Aman. Luxury yacht guests may step off here for Cuban cigars and evening cocktails. Or they can simply wander through this World Heritage Site’s haven of cobblestone streets instead.

The picturesque Miločer beach, backed by a forest of mimosa and Lebanese cedar, makes an idyllic mooring spot. Its adjacent Villa Miločer – sprawling over 32 pine-scattered hectares on the sea – was the former royal residence of Queen Marija Karađorđević.

Nearby, the town of Budva appears to hover above the Adriatic, surrounded by Venetian city walls. Cafés, bars and boutiques mark it out as a true Mediterranean town. Even the city gates face seaward, and the town theatre is an alfresco affair.

Some visitors frequent Montenegro solely for its beaches: Budva boasts close to three-dozen of them. Honey-hued crescents stretch all the way to Albania in a near unbroken chain, flecked with isolated coves and verdant islets. Bečići is an award-winning sweep of sand that runs for nearly 2km. Buljarica beach is a similar length, but with shallower seas and sandier shores. Perazica is enveloped by cliffs so sheer than only a superyacht or a sturdy set of legs can access it.

Kathryn Tomasetti is an award-winning travel journalist based between Istanbul and Nice. Her writing on France, Turkey and her native Italy appears in The Independent and The Sunday Times.

Next week… Lavezzi Archipelago, Corsica

Today we remember Piri Reis. The Ottoman admiral and cartographer takes the title of the greatest Turkish navigator of all time. As that shortlist includes likes of Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha – the ‘Red Beard’ of North Africa – and Dragut Turgut Reis – the man the sultans’ once called ‘Commander of Commanders of the Mediterranean’, that’s one heck of a statement.

Piri Reis’s name lives on because of his incredible medieval map. It charted the limits of the New World including Brazil, India and Africa to within half a degree of accuracy. His findings also show the Antarctic coastline in astonishing detail – even though the continent wasn’t officially sighted until 1820.

The weird thing? Piri Reis’s map was drawn at the zenith of Ottoman power. And that was exactly 500 years ago in 1513.

Truth be told, old Piri actually cribbed his info from over 20 mappa mundi from Portugal, Spain, Arabia and China. The content he ‘borrowed’ spanned several millennia. It took in the jottings of Egyptian genius Ptolemy, the diaries of Alexander the Great, and the findings of explorer Christopher Columbus, who had made his final voyage west only a decade before.

But Piri wasn’t the first author to lean heavily on source material. Furthermore, his compilation atlas helped to open up trade on a global scale.

Fast forward five centuries as Istanbul is still the centre of the world in 2013. The city of superlatives is fast becoming a superyacht hub. The one-time capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires now distils 2,000 years of heritage and wealth. Turkey’s cultural centre is a lurid cornucopia of mosques, bazaars, museums and bars.

The Topkapi Palace is quite literally fit for a sultan. Its wealth of frescoes, mosaics and mounds of treasure rivals Versailles. It’s also the place where Piri Reis’s map was rediscovered in 1929. Contemporary culture seekers can catch Turkish art the Istanbul Modern Museum, or shop for Hussein Chalayan in Istanbul’s wealthy suburb of Nisantasi.

Wish you were here…

Tristan

Ps. See you in Istanbul again next week as we report from the World Superyacht Awards.