What it’s like on a €70,000 per week, 80ft motor yacht charter

Charter company Lumi Yachts is named after the Finnish word for snow, but a few days on board its brand new Princess Y80 is enough to melt anyone’s heart

What would be your ideal holiday if you lived in a country so cold it had 40 different words for snow? How about sunbathing on the deck of a brand new Princess Y80 while a smiling crew member topped up your gin and tonic? It would certainly be very near the top of my list and I am guessing it’s the same for the two Finnish businessmen who bought the very first Princess Y80 off the production line, set it up as a charter business and called it Lumi – one of the many native words for, you guessed it, snow.

Sitting on its home berth in Cala d’Or marina, Mallorca, Lumi certainly looks as clean, white and sparkling as freshly fallen snow but the sun warming our backs at the tail end of October tells a very different story. We’re here to spend a few days on board so we can experience what it’s like to be a charter guest on this very special boat.

It’s rare enough to spend any length of time aboard an 80ft motor yacht but three days and nights on a brand new model we haven’t even sea trialled yet is next-level lucky.

Skipper Paul Askew and stewardess Liz Jepson are on hand to greet us, chilled champagne at the ready to help erase the memories of our Ryanair flight – most guests opt for a rather more exclusive means of arrival! I’ve met Paul before when he was working as a charter skipper for Boats.co.uk so we know we’re in safe hands and Liz seems equally happy to meet us.

After a quick tour of the boat, and to the surprise of absolutely no-one, my wife and I opt for the midships master while our friends Dan and Victoria settle for the forward VIP. That still leaves two very comfortable ensuite doubles free for other guests without anyone feeling like a second class citizen.

A spotless-looking Lumi on her home berth in Cala d’Or, Mallorca

Not that there’s any danger of that in our party. Dan and Victoria are experienced sailors but their idea of boating is night sailing across the Channel in a 30-year-old bilge-keeler, so sleeping in a king-sized double bed with hot and cold running crew is all rather overwhelming. Luckily, Victoria seems to be getting the hang of it just fine, especially after the second glass of champagne!

Dan is proving a little more reluctant to embrace the dark side (all motor boats are regarded with a degree of scepticism) but soon warms up when talk turns to today’s cruising itinerary. The plan is to potter gently south along the east coast of Mallorca, stopping off at a couple of pretty Calas en route for a bite to eat before heading out to the national marine park of Cabrera, some 10nm further south, to spend the night on a buoy.

Easing along Cala d’Or’s long, slender entrance channel, lined on both sides with what looks like an entire year’s output of the combined European boat building industry, is my idea of heaven even if the girls seem rather more smitten by the luxury villas keeping watch over them from the hillsides above – each to their own!

Sheltered as we are from the prevailing southerly, it comes as a bit of a surprise to witness white horses on the peaks of the waves as we nose out of the entrance into the rolling swell. At this time of year you do have to take your chances with the weather, unlike the wall-to-wall sunshine that is all but guaranteed between May and September.

Smiles all round greet another of Liz’s magnificent lunchtime spreads

The plus side of cruising here in October is that the sea is still a balmy 24 degrees and the beaches, marinas and restaurants are far less crowded than during the peak summer months. Besides, it will take more than a few white caps to spill your drink on a boat as large and seaworthy as this one.

Cala hopping

Safely ensconced up on the flybridge we settle into a relaxed canter, gently rising and falling with the motion of the waves, blissfully unperturbed by the occasional bursts of spray being thrown out from Lumi’s bow. Even from the co-pilot’s sea, it’s clear this is a very capable sea boat.

Right on cue, Paul points the bow in towards another narrow fissure in the cliffs called Cala Figuera. This one’s barely any wider than the boat is long and the further we crawl up its narrowing channel, the more impressed I am by Paul’s close-quarters control. One false move and we’ll be graunching the metalwork on the cliffs. When it’s clear we can go no further, he spins Lumi on its axis and heads back out the way we came before pushing on south towards Cap Saline, the southernmost tip of Mallorca.

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Before we leave the shelter of land altogether, Paul tucks up under the lee of Cala Lombards, dropping anchor but leaving the stabilisers on so we can enjoy our first lunch on board; a fabulous spread of fresh tomatoes, basil and burrata with serrano ham, rocket and parmesan. Served in Lumi’s aft cockpit, it’s a perfect opportunity to admire how the Y80’s longitudinal dinette arrangement gives everyone a much better view than the usual athwartships layout. It seems so obvious that you wonder why it took so long for designers to come up with it.

Fully fed and watered, the girls retire to the teak sunloungers with a book and a glass of rosé, while Dan and I join Paul at the upper helm for the passage across to Cabrera. Yomping along at 10-12 knots with the engines purring away and the silhouette of the islands gradually growing larger on the horizon, it’s an exhilarating feeling.

Cala Figuera is barely any wider than the boat is long and the further we crawl up its tapering channel the more impressed I become

Cabrera nights

Less than an hour later, we’re passing through the gap in the outer islands, the low-lying sun casting long shadows on the ochre-coloured earth of this beautiful but barren landscape. Pretty as they are, the islands hide a dark history; in 1808 some 9,000 French prisoners were abandoned here but intermittent supplies from the mainland and few natural resources to rely on meant only 3,600 of them survived long enough to be repatriated in 1814.

These days the whole archipelago is a protected national park inhabited only by a handful of staff who look after it and manage the visitors’ moorings in the large natural harbour.

A buoy in the shadow of Cabrera’s castle provided a memorable overnight stay

Paul has pre-booked one of the buoys and it’s here, in the shadow of the 14th-century castle perched at the entrance to the bay, that we find our spot. Once secured, Paul wastes no time launching the Williams Sportjet 435 from Lumi’s hydraulic platform and whisking us across the bay to visit a large natural cave. Steadying pole removed to reduce our air draft, we penetrate deep into the mouth of the cave, voices echoing off the rocky walls as the light from the entrance fades to a pinprick behind us.

By the time we return, the sun has set and Lumi is lit up from the inside like a giant glass lantern. A more welcoming sight is hard to imagine, especially with the aroma of Liz’s cooking drifting out from the midships galley. There’s just time for a quick swim in the illuminated pools of Lumi’s underwater lights before supper is served; chilled gazpacho followed by an authentic Spanish paella with succulent octopus and prawns the size of cigars. Heavy with food, wine and the excitement of a day well spent, we collapse into the embrace of our wonderfully soft, cosy beds.

Angled sofas make for a really sociable layout in the saloon

Windy weather

Waking to the gentle gurgle of water lapping against the hull, two things quickly become clear. First, the wind has started to pick up and second, even though I can feel the stabilisers working, both the fins and the generator are all but inaudible in the master cabin – a major improvement on previous boats I’ve slept on.

With the forecast predicting 30-knot winds this afternoon, Paul recommends heading back to the safety of Cala d’Or and spending a day in the marina, exploring the many onsite restaurants and bars, which we happily agree to.

There’s no point getting beaten up just for the sake of sticking to a pre-planned itinerary; far better to go with the flow and make the most of the boat and location. In fact, we all rather enjoy a quiet day checking out the local beach, dining at a fabulous fish restaurant and coming and going from our luxury floating hotel where there’s always a hot shower and a cool drink at the ready.

The view that greets you every time you wake up in Lumi’s magnificent master cabin

The next day dawns bright and clear and after another fine breakfast of freshly baked croissants, scrambled eggs and locally sourced yoghurt and honey, we’re all keen to get back out to sea. The wind has died but a residual swell provides another chance to admire the Y80 in action, including a quick burst of throttle to see what those big 1,900hp MAN engines can do – an impressive 32.5 knots is the answer albeit at the cost of over 700lph (something to bear in mind when planning your own itinerary).

At Paul’s suggestion, we’re popping a few miles down the coast to Cala Mondrago, reputed to be one of Mallorca’s prettiest anchorages, with a pristine beach and wonderfully unspoilt surroundings. We arrive just as a small fleet of sailing yachts are leaving, freeing up a spot right at the head of the inlet where it splits into two natural coves. With practised efficiency Paul and Liz drop the hook in water so clear you can see the anchor settling into the white sand below. Minutes later the platform is lowered, the tender launched and an array of water toys is at our disposal, including an ever popular Seabob.

Cala Mondrago deserves its reputation as one of Mallorca’s prettiest anchorages

Cala Mondrago

Dan and the girls drive straight in, while Paul takes me off for a tour of the Cala in the Williams to find the best angle for photographs. This is truly Instagram heaven with hidden inlets, rocky promontories and a handful of spectacular villas providing the perfect backdrop for the Y80, occupying centre stage at the heart of the action. There’s no denying that Lumi is a very pretty-looking boat and it’s hard not to feel a little bit smug at all the envious eyes pointed in our direction.

We return to the boat just in time to hear gales of laughter from Victoria as she scoots around the boat behind the Seabob. Dan is quick to follow, heading off to the rocks where the waves have worn a natural tunnel through the cliffs. We watch him disappear cautiously into the gloom before reappearing 30 seconds later on the other side of the headland. It’s moments like this that make a charter holiday such an unforgettable experience.

The Seabobs and Williams Sportjet means there’s plenty to keep guests entertained

Feeling suitably refreshed, we ask Paul to drop us off at an old landing stage on one side of the bay so we can walk around the two long branches of the Cala. A coastal path leads up through wooded headland before working its way back down to the fine sandy beach where the last of the season’s holidaymakers are splashing about in the sapphire blue waters. It’s hard to believe that today is 1 November.

We pick our way along the rocks at the head of the bay then along the cliffs to the second beach before calling Paul to pick us up from an old boat house tunnelled into the rocks on the other side. With consummate skill, he manoeuvres the 435’s bow close enough for us to hop across from the rocks before whisking us back to the boat in our very own waterborne limo service.

Mallorca’s many Calas mean there’s always an attractive sheltered spot to drop anchor

Porto Petro

For our final night, Paul has booked a buoy in the neighbouring natural harbour of Porto Petro so after another glorious lunch under the shade of the flybridge hard top, we weigh anchor and head round the corner to this pretty little fishing village. Once again Paul is on hand to drop us ashore for a beer or three in a quayside bar, where we watch the sun set over our floating home from home. Tomorrow we’ll come crashing back to reality but for the moment all four of us are living the dream and relishing every moment of it.

Chartering a boat like this doesn’t come cheap but being able to share precious moments like this with family and friends while being royally looked after by Liz and Paul is a truly unforgettable experience. Even hardened sailor Dan has fallen for Lumi’s charms, while secretly cursing me for setting such an absurdly high bar for any future boating holidays. I know how he feels, my 22ft Karnic sportsfisher will never feel quite the same again but even if this proves to be the peak of my boating career, I will go to my grave knowing that for a few dazzling days I’ve lived like a royalty aboard the ultimate Snow Princess.

Prices: October-April €63,000 p/w,
May-September: €70,000 p/w
APA: Additional 25% of charter fee (deposit for fuel, berthing and provisions)
Crew tips: At your discretion but up to 10% of the charter fee is the norm
Contact: lumi.yachts

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