FLIBS 2019 is underway. This year, you’ll need more than a day to take it all in. You might easily spend a whole day just exploring the well-designed Superyacht Village.
The newest destination at Pier 66 hosts the world’s finest shipbuilders in air-conditioned luxury. The elegant restaurant, bar, lounge area has soaring windows and comfortable seating. Our only disappointment, the cleverly equipped recharging decks on the coffee tables did not work. Otherwise, magnificent.
Also located in the Superyacht Village, The Oasis Crew Lounge. The festive FLIBS Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Crew LoungeFLIBS Fort Lauderdale International Boat Showlounge provides complimentary meals and sponsored beverages. Crew can enjoy specialty rums, French gins and award-winning sparkling water. Live music adds to the party atmosphere. And who could pass up a relaxing chair massage?
Storied superyachts lined the docks along Pier 66, stretching from one end to the other. Tucked away at the very south end, De Vrouwe Christina a 90-foot, 1958 Feadship sailing yacht is a must-see for classic yacht lovers. Her tale of resurrection is in the works.
The Easy Eddy Paddle Board was voted best new yacht toy. The board is the result of some 300 prototypes, as inventors Edward Mazzaferro (below left) and Elliot Feinberg (below right) will settle for nothing short of perfection. Weighing just 35 pounds, the board and paddles can be disassembled into three sections, making it ideal for charter sailing yachts and catamarans.
Vendors from the Bahamas report great headway on a speedy recovery in the Abacos. Reconstruction is well underway with anticipated reopening of the airstrip, some marina facilities and infrastructure as early as April, 2020.
You should definitely plan to attend FLIBS 2019, but be prepared for heavy traffic, high heat and lots of walking. Tip: the least expensive onsite parking we found is at the parking lot of the Pier 66 hotel, the north side of their sprawling venue.
Contact Select Yachts Charter Brokers for honest information about the yachts and crews available in the destination of your dreams. We’ll steer you right.