VIPCA Charter Yacht Show Highlights: Winners, Top Yachts, and Unique Experiences

About VIPCA and the Charter Yacht Show

The Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA) hosts the annual USVI Charter Yacht Show, a premier event in the yacht chartering industry. The 2024 show ran from November 8-11, at IGY’s Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands—a marina renowned for its top-tier facilities and exceptional hospitality. This gathering provides an invaluable platform for charter brokers and yacht crews to open their doors to the brokers and showcase their vessels, demonstrate their expertise, and build lasting business relationships.

We have been attending the VIPCA show for many years now and we find the time spent visiting the yachts, talking to the crews, tasting chefs’ specialities and finding out how and why they might be the best charter option for our clients, invaluable. Notable highlights include the “Yacht Hop” event with a “World Music” theme, where crews demonstrate their hospitality and culinary talents, morning seminars, networking opportunities and the award event on the last day. The show also emphasizes local culture and history through its events and activities. We listen and learn about their experiences, we give suggestions, we take advice.

Each year there are multiple competitions for yachts to compete in. These include the Best Crew, Best in Show, Culinary Excellence Competition and Mixology awards. These competitions are highly regarded, and competitors go to great effort to ensure they showcase themselves and their yacht to the highest standard.

VIPCA Competition Winners

Best In Show

Under 50’
1^st Place: One Love.
2^nd Place: Purley Blu

51’- 60’
1^st Place: High Five.
2^nd Place: Wonderway

61’ +
1^st Place: Liquid Sky.
2^nd Place: Aeolus

Best Crew

1^st Place: Christian and Laura from One Love
2^nd Place: Benita and Lukata from Some Kind Of Wonderful

Culinary Excellence Award

1st Place- Chef Glen on Mahasattva
2^nd Place – Chef Ariq on Barefoot Bliss
3^rd Place – Amber on Liquid Sky

Mixology Awards

Vodka – 1^st Place: Kylie from Windward. 2^nd Place: Chenel from Aeolus.
Rum – 1^st Place: Madison from No Inheritance. 2^nd Place: Jacob from Abide.

Featured Yachts of 2024

The yachts attending always impress us year on year. We love attending and meeting new crews, new yachts to the area as well as seeing experienced yachts and discovering what they have changed for the new season. Each year a handful of yachts really stand out and stick with us, and we believe those would be perfect charter yachts for our guests. We therefore strongly recommend them.

Below are such yachts from the 2024 show:

Liquid Sky

A beautiful yacht with amazing crew and exceptional food, Liquid Sky is something quite special: the full package. The crew have been a team for 2 years and their compatibility and keen eye for detail shine through. Every evening, they leave a little note in guest cabins with a joke and a fun fact about the area you are chartering in- it is these little touches that make a charter unforgettable. It is easy to see why Liquid Sky was a multiple award winner this year.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at VIPCA Yacht Show and are looking forward to returning next year.

Aeolus

A brand-new Lagoon 77 Aeolus is incredibly stylish with every little detail looked after. It was clear that everything on board Aeolus has been thought through from the build layout, the interiors to the extensive list of water toys.

A true stunner in every way.

Emysa

Leopard 58, EMYSA has a fantastic charter record and is very well known in the Caribbean. This catamaran has been incredibly well maintained. EMYSA still stands out and really knows how to host the perfect charters. We have great confidence in this yacht. There is a new crew who have taken over EMYSA, Caleb and Adhika. They really struck us as being the perfect pair to continue EMYSA’s success.

Some Kind Of Wonderful

Some Kind Of Wonderful is run by a local crew. Benita and Lukata can immerse guests in true Caribbean lifestyle. Hostess Benita’s love of health, both physically and mentally, comes across as soon as you meet her. She is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor and she loves connecting with guests through mindful movement, meditation, and breathwork. If this kind of experience calls to you, then Some Kind Of Wonderful is a great match.

Abide

Something a little different for the Caribbean – a motor sailer with a good sailing performance. We love a yacht with its own identity and Abide has just that. A beautiful wooden interior with hints of colour popped in the art work, Abide sings classical beauty. With the correct conditions, Abide is fantastic to sail, reaching up to 20 knots.