With the global yacht charters market leisurely swimming their way into the high billion dollar figures year on year, it’s fair to say that the in vogue jet-setting generation are being seduced by the allure of celestial glittering emerald shores, icy chilled Champagne magnums and balmy sunlit rays, radiating with fervour onto their golden bronzed skin.
Whisking their new-fangled, high-brow pedigreed clientele on a high-seas vacation, swathed in glistening grandeur, are High Point Yachting, a ritzy yacht charter broker, with its native roots firmly embedded in UK soil, that offers the upmost in exclusive escapes.
Born into the lucullan aquatic world in the millennium era, High Point Yachting has spent their 23 years dispatching clients into a fleet of one of their many graceful assemblage of catamarans, gulets and sailing and motor yachts, as they crusade into a paradisiacal treasure trove in the back of beyond of some of the world’s most exotic, far flung, and European destinations, whether it be the turquoise lagoon retreat of the French Polynesia or the ravishing raw playground of Sardinia.
A crucial bucket list sign off, I recently found myself rejoicing on a luxuriant voyage to the enchanting Adriatic jewel of Croatia, High Point Yachting’s first luxe terminus where they chose to begin their deep sea epic. I was immersed in a glorious, made-to-measure week of gourmet hideaways, heritage havens and abundant onboard revelry, complete with a myriad of ruby cosmopolitan cocktails in hand as we sailed the pristine crystal turquoise shores.
The yacht
A bountiful collection of some of the most exceptional yacht specimens eagerly await your presence with the High Point Yachting troop, designed and selected to cater to an ample array of budgets, group sizes and itineraries that align with and fulfil the personal desires of their refined clientele.
The Secret Life, suave and sophisticated with a sleek colour palette of white and sapphire blue and motored high-powered kit out, stretches at a generous 22.20m and is suitable for eight guests. Meanwhile, the more demure Catamaran shelter of the Lagoon 620 Adriatic Lion serves as an idyllic onboard vacation for families or friends seeking a spot of composed summer TLC. For yours truly, my time was spent at the seven seas sanctuary of the Gulet Dolce Vita, plus a routine appearance within the neighbouring charter of the dashing, 32m motor yacht, San Limi.
San Limi proved the more unabashed of the two, with her entrancing VIP cabin revealing a private jacuzzi, while showing off her gadget collection of rip-roaring water toys, including a Lampuga Jetsurf, designed to rival even the most lavish of super yachts.
Reaching out to a generous 34m with five naturally adorned, sumptuous en-suite cabins to call home for up to ten guests, (inclusive of two master cabins), Dolce Vita was refitted with a glamorous makeover in 2018 and was encased in an outer layer of a gleaming chocolate wooden structure, that brazenly brandished the Dolce Vita title. A dedicated sunbathing area proved equally befitting for a spot of social soirées alongside a beautifully airy dining area, to enjoy the cooler sunset hours.
Merrily making my way from the deck, past the steaming hot tub bubbling away for arrival, and down to the saloon space, the vision of the onboard bar lined up with a plentiful selection of spirits and beverages sent a delicious trill to my heart. As did the large ice bucket housing two Moet and Chandon ice imperials laid out by the gulet crew, all of whom radiated warmth and sincere ardour to make one feel part of the Dolce Vita tribe.
Effortless simplicity entwining with a distinguished flair echoed throughout the gulet’s design makeup of the cabin rooms, which boasted pristine cream carpets, wood furnishings and chocolate velvet bed throws with sumptuous pillows dotted around the space. The soft fluffy slippers by the bedside didn’t go unnoticed, and neither did the mammoth snow white towels baring the gulet’s title in an agile gold font.
Onboard wining and dining
The Dolce Vita and San Limi chefs take great pride and relish in inviting their open ocean discerning diners, on an ambrosial odyssey of flavoursome affairs that unifies wholesome substance with a voguish flair, ever keeping their guests suitably satiated throughout their voyage.
Breakfast festivities showcased a bon-vivant liaison with a fresh fruit array of ripe strawberries, sweet juice brimming oranges, and mild honeydew melon accompanied by a helpings of slow cooked scrambled eggs mingled with light spiced tomatoes and soft creamy avocado. A tea lover since birth, nothing proved more a treat to the morning eyes than the abundant tea supplies from my favoured AM green tea fuel, to the classic premium English Breakfast incessantly stirred up to perfection by the Dolce team.
On board the Dolce Vita, steak salads arrived in bountiful helpings with warm, lightly pink lean yet tender beef topped over lashings of peppery fine rocket salad, and spoonfuls of thick, smooth ricotta, while the meaty tuna steak, dense with a mild barbecue sear, worked in harmony with the bed of smooth minted mashed tea rounded off with a light sprinkle of sesame. Desserts were an equally epicurean encounter, as the chocolate mousse whipped up to airy fluffed excellence melted on the palate, whereas the zesty lime juice and cool fragrant mint cut through the sugar rich cheesecake for a balanced and flavourful event.
A swift tender to enjoy the libertine galas aboard the San Limi was verified an equally delectable treat, a notable dining menu being the melted cheese pasta generously coated with fine shavings of black Istrian truffle, followed by a succulent chicken roulade, slow cooked with a juice basted crispy skin as the centre unveiled a union of warm skuta cheese, and soft cubed peaches.
No high seas vacation can be complete without a daily dose of canapé and cocktail hour(s). Ever the competent crew, the High Point Yachting team strive to pull out all the stops with their copious collections of cocktail concoctions that could rival even the most skilled mixology maestros in the decadent five star world. I revelled in some of the best cosmopolitans whipped up to date alongside an equally refreshing wine collection, including the white Graševina Kutjevo blooming with crisp apple aromas and muted lemon notes.
Itinerary expeditions
When it comes to talking about off the beaten track, High Point Yachting takes great fulfilment in curating a plethora of some of the most bespoke and mesmerising circuits, exclusively serving to the requests, whims and yearning of their little black book of glittering patrons, as they collaborate in a harmonious alliance with local experts devoted to their countries’ treasured sights and experiences.
A truly breath-taking itinerary on par with a fairy-tale fantasy, the High Point Yachting crew kickstarted the epic quest from the buzzing Dalmatian sanctum of the ACI Marina Split, with the harbours of two sailing clubs renowned for the high heralded ‘Tourist Flower – Quality for Croatia’ prize and the esteemed Blue Flag Award.
Offering one of the most awe inspiring views of the Diocletian’s Palace, a venture inside this historical landmark and Unesco World Heritage Site proved futile to resist as I soaked up the extraordinary complex of the imposing ancient ruins occupied at over 30,000 square meters, and composed of local limestone and lustrous smooth marble all together exuding a haunting, priceless timelessness one should not neglect.
Next on our pursuit on the aquamarine shores was the one time former military headquarter of the island of Vis, having only opened to tourists in the 1990s, where masses of its untainted nature and bewitching lush landscapes can now be savoured to your heart’s content.
Any Croatian vacation sans a visit inside the luminescent wonderland of the Blue Cave in Bisevo should be judged lawless. A minuscule islet merely five nautical miles of Komiza on Vis Island, the cave only began to welcome the non-diving public since 1884, after blasting a hole into the rock was seen suitable enough to allow the entering of boats.
As the sun-kissed rays reach their pinnacle peak between between the hours of 11am to 1pm, the gleaming beams are seen passing through an underwater opening to irradiate the cave with a lucid azure blue light, as you gaze at the objects beneath the surface dazzling in shades of silver and fluorescent pink. It is unearthly, yet gripping to the eyes.
Succeeding this wondrous encounter to drop the overnight anchor, we had Hvar, an eclectic hedonistic haven where culture and glamour beautifully coexist together in one formidable partnership. It beckoned me for a deserved brush of retail therapy, dabbled with an encounter of their flourishing art scene.
The penultimate destination rested with the olive oil oasis of Brac, the largest island in Dalmatia known to cherish a more slower pace of life. Here, I rejoiced in a sampling affair of their silken gold olive oils assembled from the floral delicate, woodsy notes of lavender, mingled with brine tinted olives before the final edenic station of Maslina Resort.
Huddled in close proximity to the UNESCO-protected town of Stari Grad, Maslina succumbs across two sweeping hectares of lush pine forest right by the crystalline shores of the Adriatic Sea. It boasts a breath-taking Pharomatiq Spa, which is committed to a garden-to-skin influenced wellness regime, solely focusing on home-grown botanicals and local oils to keep their clients in a tranquil frame of mind.
Prior to partaking in a mini luncheon of a crisp fresh salad topped with flaky rich mackerel, I was whisked into the Pharomatiq shelter and engulfed in an aromatic cocoon of lavender and eucalyptus. The gifted therapist earned their weight in gold kneading out those troublesome corporate aches, then sending me to the calming abode of the resort’s infinity pool to bask in the last of the cocktail hour as I prepared for the voyage back to terra firma.
For clients craving to experience the country’s selection of tantalising off board eateries, the Croatian gems of Vis and Hvar are never in scarce assembly of coveted fine dining and quintessential establishments to appease one’s tastebuds.
Restaurant Villa Kaliopa, in Vis Town, captivates its diners with a picturesque renaissance garden dating to the 16th century, as you feast on a traditional Dalmatian spread of fresh-out-the-water seafood, soft warm bread and creamy cheese assortments. Meanwhile, Hvar’s Restaurant Gariful boasts a resplendent address neighbouring the yacht embellished waterfront. Diners can revel in a banquet of velvet burrata drizzled with fragrant olive oil and meaty Adriatic lobster with a smidgen of Madagascar vanilla, not neglecting the butter-like, prime Japanese Wagyu with a serving of fluffy mash potatoes.
In a nutshell
It’s no revelation to understand why High Point Yachting has continued to evermore blossom in their ruling as one of the most indomitable luxury yacht charter specialists to hit the Neptune seas. They represent the illustration of palatial affluence to their international audience with transformative adventures and gastronomical expeditions whilst in the tender care of a charismatic crew whom had personified the epitome of impeccable charisma, where nothing ever proved overly cumbersome.
As we hit the summit of the summer recess season, the time has never been more rife to drop your anchors, whip out the rosé and dip your toes into those unblemished bejewelled charter waters, as the High Point Yachting clique eagerly await to lavish you in a cloak of unparalleled grandeur right in the sanctum of your onboard home from home.
Factbox
Weekly rates for San Limi start from €35,000 and weekly rates for Dolce Vita start from €29,500.
Website: highpointyachting.com
All imagery unless stated otherwise credit: High Point Yachting
