CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Mixology Competition, Pop-Up Bars featuring spirited beverages and locally brewed beer, rum tastings, and champagne for the awards are among the key features of the USVI Charter Yacht Show, set for November 12-15, at IGY Marina’s Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas.
West Indies Company and Bellows International, each St. Thomas-based distributors, have been named the show’s official beverage sponsors by organizer, the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA).
“West Indies Company and Bellows International are proud to have long supported the U.S. Virgin Islands charter yacht industry and sponsored the USVI Charter Yacht Show, by supplying premium branded beverages. These brands, from globally iconic Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Grey Goose Vodka, and Captain Morgan Rum to locally crafted beer from Leatherback Brewing Company and St John Brewers, either enjoyed by themselves or crafted into cocktails by talented yacht crews, add to the luxury aspect of a Virgin Islands charter yacht vacation,” says Amy Campbell, vice president of strategic initiatives for Leeward Islands Management Company.
Grey Goose Vodka and the original spiced Captain Morgan Rum are the signature ingredients in the show’s Mixology Competition, scheduled for Friday, November 11 from 5:30-8 p.m. during the Crew Welcome Cocktails & Marine Vendors Expo in the show’s event tent. At this same date and time, Mango Media will host a rum tasting, featuring four brands each supplied by West Indies and Bellows. Each night of the show, the Grey Goose, Captain Morgan, and Veuve Clicquot Pop-Up Bar will serve vodka and rum cocktails plus other beverages, in addition to the mimosa and wine bar.
Brewery Pop-Up Bars will feature the St. Croix-based Leatherback Brewing Company. Sustainably produced ales, lagers, IPAs, and a porter plus a spiked seltzer will be served at happy hour times on Friday, November 11, and Monday, November 14. On Saturday, November 12, and Tuesday, November 15, also in the later afternoon, St. John-located St. John Brewers will feature some of their twenty-plus craft brews, many of which play on local flavors like starfruit and have catchy names such as Island Hoppin’ IPA.
The cork will pop on the Veuve Clicquot for a champagne toast at the show’s Awards Ceremony’s seated dinner hosted at Indigo 4 on November 14 from 5:30-8 p.m. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot will be presented to each yacht show winner in addition to other exciting prizes from the show’s sponsors. Seating is limited and available first come, first serve via RSVP at check-in.
What’s New
The Mixology Competition shakes up this year by including an audience. Cocktails, made with either Grey Goose Vodka or Captain Morgan Rum, will be prepared and judged in front of fellow crew and vendors attending the Crew Welcome Cocktails & Marine Expo on Friday, November 11, from 5:30-8 p.m. An island-famed guest mixologist will judge entries. Audience participation by cheers for their favorites is encouraged. Yacht crews can enter the Mixology Competition now at usviyachtshow.org/mixology-competition
“While there are dry yacht charters there aren’t many! The support of the show by West Indies Company and Bellows International is a microcosm of the macrocosm impact that their beverage distribution has on the industry,” says Oriel Blake, Executive Director, VIPCA.
“In the past decade there has become an increasing expectation that a charter yacht chef holds culinary art certifications; the same standard is often maintained by charter crews in the mixology department. The Grey Goose Vodka and Captain Morgan Rum Mixology Competition winners are worth every bottle of the prized case of premium stock vodka and rum they are awarded,” Blake adds.
Calling Brokers & Yachts – Register Now!
Over 150 charter brokers from the Caribbean, U.S., and Europe are registered to attend the 2022 USVI Charter Yacht Show. Organizers are still accepting broker registrations at usviyachtshow.org. Charter brokers can join VIPCA at vipca.org/brokers-associates-vendors-membership to receive one free broker show registration in addition to many other membership benefits.
Central Yacht Agent (CYA) is continuing its support of the USVI Charter Yacht Show by permitting the integration of vessel information for the show’s online brochure of exhibiting yachts. CYA is a Pompano Beach, Florida-based company that offers complex booking information, yacht availability, itineraries, yacht specifications, charter yacht community information, special offers, industry announcements, and more all in a user-friendly platform.
“Over the years, the USVI show organizers took weeks of preparation to create a booklet of the yachts for the show. CYA already has all the information on these yachts online. It was a no-brainer for the USVI show and CYA to just print the CYA catalog and create the booklet. The same goes for the online catalog for the show. We feed the data to the show website at no cost,” says M. Clive Thomas, manager of CYA, based in Pompano Beach, Florida. “Brokers, yachts, and agents are our customers, not our competition. We support the charter yacht industry. Over the years, the USVI show has grown to become one of the biggest in the Caribbean. Easily accessible and well planned, it provides the brokers and yachts maximum exposure to each other, more so than any other yacht charter show in the region.”
Over 80 yachts submitted registrations to exhibit at the 2022 show of which the latter ten were assigned waiting list positions. SV Twin Flame 77, a 2019-built/2022-refit, 77-foot Lagoon, was delighted to be allocated a berth.
“Participating in the 2022 Show has us all excited onboard Twin Flame,” says Captain Kieran Bown, with First Mate Michelle Preciado, Chef Elizabeth Castelan, and Stewardess Anais Moyen. “There has been a huge amount of energy and resources dedicated to making Twin Flame 77 a truly unique operation. A combination of luxury, culinary expertise, and unrivaled adventure. Being able to highlight this to brokers and the industry in St. Thomas will be a wonderful experience for all.”
Twin Flame 77’s 2022-refit included upgrades such as a new sound system and new interior design. Upgraded watersports equipment now includes Seabobs, E-Foils, SUPs/Kayaks, SCUBA and Dive Compressor, Kites, Foils, and much more. This is possibly the most extensive collection of watersports equipment on a catamaran in the U.S. Virgin Islands-based charter yacht fleet and beyond.
Yachts can register now at usviyachtshow.org/register. Yachts showing in the 2022 USVI Charter Yacht Show pay only $1.65/foot/day for berthing in Yacht Haven Grande Marina from one week before to one week after the show. In addition, there is a 5% fuel discount on arrival for showing yachts.
Strong Sponsor Support
Sponsors of the USVI Charter Yacht show include the USVI Department of Tourism; Yacht Haven Grande; IGY Marinas; the Gowrie Group representing Trawick and Cigna; Parts & Power Ltd., distributor of Northern Lights; Mango Media; Offshore Marine; Catamaran Central; Grey Goose, distributed by West Indies Company; Veuve Clicquot and Captain Morgan, distributed by Bellows International; Maho Crew; Moe’s Fresh Market; VIYA Business Solutions; ZUP, Cardow Jewelers; Harbor Shoppers and the Charter Yacht Broker Association.
For more information about the USVI Charter Yacht Show, visit usviyachtshow.org. For information about VIPCA and its programs, visit www.VIPCA.org, Email: info@vipca.org, or call (340) 642-0656.
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