2I sea& iIWINTER 2010 Contents UP FRONT sea& inews The latest from CNI and the world of luxury yachting8 On charter sea& ibrings you the news from charter 12 Where in the world What's new in luxury travel26 YACHTING Charter choice Spotlight on the recently launched Hurricane Run18 Captain's view Richard Goche aboard the catamaran Allures20 Charter cuisine Galaxy's head chef Hamish Watson reveals his favourite recipes22 Owner profile sea& ichats to Joe and Luciana Vittoria, the owners of Mirabella V24 Entertainment systems The latest on board technology70 New launch sea& ireveals the team behind the 56m ( 184') Panthalassa74 Italian trends Superyacht design focus 78 Latest listings Yachts for sale with CNI82 12Isea& iIWINTER 2010WINTER 2010I sea& iI13 oncharter on [ charter] PANTHALASSA Launched to great acclaim from the renowned Perini Navi yard, Panthalassa is a fusion of con-temporary living and the finest nautical heritage. From her naval architecture and engineering to the interior space planning, she combines 21st century innovation with intelligent design. She will be heading to the Caribbean for her first charter season in the new year. nLength56m ( 184') nGuests12 nCruising areaWinter: Caribbean Summer: Mediterranean nPrices from? 200,000 per week MEA CULPA Whether you are an avid sportfishing enthusiast or an active charterer, Mea Culpa is the perfect yacht for action and family cruising. She boasts a mahogany interior with accommodation for eight guests in four staterooms. She will be in the Bahamas over the coming months, before heading to the San Blas Islands in February, followed by the Panama Canal and Costa Rica in March. nLength42.3m ( 139') nGuests8 nCruising areaWinter: Bahamas & Central America nPrices fromUS$ 90,000 per week CNI welcomes a selection of recent launches to its charter fleet 70Isea& iIWINTER 2010 interiors Audio The biggest advance in audio has been the emergence of the personal music player, or iPod. While we are not here to promote the products of any one manufacturer, it is a fact that this little device has revolutionised the way people collect, store, access and listen to music. With the early iPods, limited storage capacity dictated that the music files required compression ( MP3) to store an acceptable number of songs, and this resulted in a significant reduction in quality. But today, with drives up to 160 gigabytes ( GB), minimal data is lost during compression and thus the iPod is now the de facto jukebox system of choice. iPod docking stations can frequently be found in every cabin of a yacht, but servers can also exist in a centralised area, allowing guests to access a single music library from anywhere on the yacht. This is ideal in a charter environment. Video High definition ( HD) video may be the single most significant development in audiovisuals in the last ten years, not just because it provides enhanced picture quality, but because it has driven the transport of video to an all- digital platform and, with it, given the opportunity for content providers to rewrite the rule book on copyright protection. Enter High- Definition Multimedia Interface ( HDMI) and High- bandwidth Digital Content Protection ( HDCP). These innocent acronyms have turned the world of multi- room audio- video distribution upside down. For the yacht owner it's simple: if I can get HD television in my home, I want it on my yacht. Media- on- demand systems have been with us for a while, but there is still much confusion surrounding this concept. Current systems provide the means to store a DVD library on a central hard- disc drive server, which then gives the entire yacht access to the library. Fortunately, from a legal standpoint this has been accepted as fair use of the material by way of a back- up copy of a legitimately owned DVD. The emergence of Blu- ray as the disc format of choice for high- definition content brings with it some challenges. Firstly, due to the huge amounts of data stored per Blu- ray disc ( up to 50GB) the space required for server storage has increased considerably. Therefore you would need four or five servers Technology marches at an alarming rate and, being one of the few systems that the yacht owner has a hands- on relationship with, entertainment equipment is very much in the firing line when it comes to talking about the latest and greatest. Paul Rose from Icon Connect looks at some of the leading options available, and offers advice on the best strategy to avoid getting burnt by future advances THE BIG FIVE audiovisual ? WINTER 2010I sea& iI71 Above: screen entertainment goes alfresco on board Xanadu

WINTER 2010I sea& iI3 forconnoisseursofluxurytravel TRAVEL Island life The best of Antigua38 City guide Abu Dhabi: check in to the five- star emirate40 Top five Diving to new depths of discovery44 Aboard & ashore Cruising the British Virgin Islands46 Further afield Discover the islands of the Bahamas54 LIFESTYLE Glam Femme sea& i's favourite new fragrances34 Homme Splash out on the latest gadgets to take on board this winter36 Life afloat Lazy days aboard the new launch Hurricane Run58 In profile Sir Richard Branson's latest ventures64 Property focus Hot properties to rent, buy or invest in68 The last word Travel style with Sir Richard Branson88 40Isea& iIWINTER 2010WINTER 2010I sea& iI41 cityguide W ith a pleasing twist of fate, Abu Dhabi has, in a sense, come full circle. Originally a hub of the pearl industry, it is now the jewel of the Middle East - being the largest of the seven emirates and the most important cultural city in the UAE. It is to its credit that amid such acclaim, and while embracing enormous change, it still remains faithful to its roots. Traditional wooden dhows used for pearl fishing still line the harbour; only now they front a somewhat incongruous Manhattan- like skyline. But therein lies this city's charm - it is a place where anything is possible. Pillow talk The Abu Dhabi Emirates Palacestakes the heady claim of being one of the leading five- star hotels in the city, reassuring news for its investors as it is rumoured its build cost was a staggering US$ 4billion. It is not without competition, though. The new Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Berirecently opened ( sister to the existing, sumptuous Shangri- La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri), and a further 29 hotels with 7,000 rooms are planned for the Saadiyat Island development over the next few years. But for now it is Yas Hotelon Yas Island that is claiming the headlines. It has an 18- hole championship golf course and views of the Yas Marina and Yacht Club, a Crown Prince Court comprising 12 rooms, and a Ruler's Court with two presidential suites and 28 bedrooms. Further afield, the five- star resort Qasr Al Sarab opened only weeks ago in the Liwa desert. Opt for its royal villas. Eat, drink, dance Nightlife in Abu Dhabi is a cocktail of your own creation. You can take a stroll in a park, watch a rock band, dance in a nightclub, take in a concert, art exhibition or show, or hit the gaming centres and late- night shopping malls. Almost all pubs, nightclubs and bars are located inside the five- star hotels. EAT. Food ranges from Arabic to Far- Eastern, European, Latin and Continental. Buffets abound around the Breakwater, Sheikh Zayed Street, Corniche Road and Tourist Club area, where Abu Dhabi is an intriguing oasis of disparity, where east meets west and past meets present, making it one of the most dynamic cities on the globe ByKate Rigby abu dhabi ? Emirate of interest Opposite page: Shangri- La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri Below: Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri 64Isea& iIWINTER 2010 inprofile H aving been in the international travel market for 25 years, Sir Richard Branson of Virgin fame continues to take a hands- on role in the choice of properties he offers clients. His exclusive Virgin Limited Edition portfolio currently extends from his original Necker Island retreat in the British Virgin Islands, to Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, Ulusaba in South Africa, The Lodge in Verbier, Switzerland, Sa Terra Rotja near Palma, Mallorca, and ( for dining and events) The Roof Gardens in London, UK. Perhaps with the intention of providing his original Caribbean property with a little sister, Branson recently purchased and refitted a 32m ( 105') catamaran, Necker Belle, which is available to charter from February 2010. Here, the British entrepreneur talks about his ventures - including his new launch. Travel experts tend to specialise in one type of holiday - what is your inspiration behind offering seven very distinct/ individual properties? I think it all ties in with the way I approach any of my businesses. Distinction, soul and character are three very important qualities that define our retreats. We have been fortunate in finding hidden gems, with each having a fun story behind the inspiration. Take Kasbah Tamadot, for instance. I have my mum to thank for spotting this divine fortress from the side of the road while I was attempting a world record in a hot- air balloon. Necker Island. well, that was a ploy to win over Joan, now my loving wife. We aspire to inspire our guests and strive to keep our collection eclectic and a tempting alternative to cookie- cutter hotels. Necker Belle is a fine example of how we do not confine ourselves to land. He famously crossed the Atlantic and Pacific in a hot- air balloon, but with his latest venture entrepreneur Sir Richard Bransonis getting closer to the ocean with the launch of his new catamaran Necker Belle ByKate Rigby VIRGINTERRITORIES richard branson ? WINTER 2010I sea& iI65 Clockwise from top: Necker Island; Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco; the recently refitted charter yacht Necker Belle