Have you dreamed of a F1 Grand Prix trackside experience? Well now you can enjoy it at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix. My Yacht Group is offering a fabulous 4 Day Trackside Superyacht Experience at the 76th Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

Now in its 13th year, My Yacht Monaco is an exclusive 4-day experience during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. This incredible VIP experience is held this year from May 24 to 27. Their private superyacht is moored in a prime trackside berth, located on the Quay des Etats-Unis straightaway. This superyacht will provide the most luxurious platform for an unrivalled weekend of F1 racing in Monaco.

Discerning HNW (High Net Worth) guests and luxury brand partners will enjoy an extraordinary weekend of F1 race viewing and luxury hospitality. Therefore all the action is aboard a private yacht that’s moored in a prime trackside berth on the prestigious Quay Kennedy straightaway. This locale is the Park Avenue / Rodeo Drive / Knightsbridge equivalent of yacht ‘parking’ during the exciting, 76th Monaco Grand Prix.

My Yacht guests watch all of the F1 racing action from on board Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Be treated to sumptuous foods, including caviar, and open bar throughout with premium spirits, fine wines, and champagne. Plus breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are all served while the cars jostle for position only a few yards away.

In addition, My Yacht Monaco’s annual Friday night Royal reception and party traditionally welcomes an international “who’s who” of the Grand Prix weekend. VIP guests will include astronauts, Olympians, actors, models, musicians and more. Also note that HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has been known to grace the proceedings with his presence, too! The My Yacht party is renowned for “connecting the world’s most interesting people”, from 8:30pm – 1am on Friday night. Simply stated, it’s “the place” to be in Monaco!

The 4-day experience is priced at just €8,500 per person / €16,000 per couple ($10,455 / $19,680 U.S.) for all on board hospitality and F1 race viewing. In addition, a la carte options are also available. Space aboard the superyacht is limited to jsut 75 daytime guests to ensure maximum comfort and exclusivity. Accommodations, flights and all 3rd party services are extra.

Highlights of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend include:

– Superyacht moored TRACKSIDE for F1 & support race viewing
– 13th annual My Yacht Friday evening reception with distinguished guests, heads of industry, innovators, Olympians, celebrities, models, and in many years honored by the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.
– Premium hospitality with fine foods, open bar, champagne, fine wine, spirits
– Limited to 75 daytime guests to ensure the ultimate viewing experience
– High powered speedboat transfers to / from the yacht
– Sophisticated, like-minded international guests
– Assistance with hotel, transfer, restaurant & nightclub bookings

While the circuit is in use, access to My Yacht is by water only and guests are whisked to and from the yacht. This luxury yacht provides high-powered speed boat tenders and offers fabulous views of Monaco, and the harbor. This luxury yacht is capable of reaching 60+mph on the water. it’s simply an exhilarating ride! In addition, each guest receives custom, limited edition My Yacht gifts, plus a lifetime of incredible memories.

In case you can’t make it to this year’s Monaco Grand Prix car race, there are other VIP experiences to enjoy around the world. My Yacht Group events can be found at:
– Yachts Miami Beach
– Palm Beach International Boat Show
– Cannes International Film Festival
– Monaco F1 Grand Prix
– Monterey Concours
– Monaco Yacht Show
– San Francisco Fleet Week
– Los Angeles
– Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
– Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix
– Art Basel Miami Beach
– St. Bart’s High Season
– Plus so much more!
– Non-yacht events even include My Yacht Club at the USA F1 Grand Prix in Austin, TX.

My Yacht Group offers turnkey, luxury hospitality and branding opportunities on board private superyachts at premier international sporting, social and artistic events.

If you want to make your dream come true, attend the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix in VIP style. We love sharing the best in luxury and offer a variety of VIP access and event opportunities. Please contact us today!

Photo: My Yacht Group

The moment you arrive in Monaco, a small principality located on the French Riviera, you’ll admire its majesty. Where Grace Kelly became Princess Consort, where famous stars of the silver screen, famous athletes, and the world’s Royalty congregate.

Monaco will have you feeling most glamorous. Whether you choose to destress by enjoying a cold French beer while dinning at one of the 5-star cuisines, staying at a 5-star Hotel & Spa, to venturing through the many Cinderella-esk neighborhoods, Monaco has glitz, sublime natural beauty, and enchantment that would fulfill and captivate any excursionist.

A few facts about Monaco would have any globetrotter wanting to visit, and homeowner interested in the sought after luxury real estate, choose Monaco above any other destination.

1. Monaco currently has about 36,000 residents and is primarily occupied by French and Italian citizens, among 125 other nationalities. It is also one of the safest countries to travel to or reside in, with more law enforcement per person than any other country in the world.
2. Monaco is one of the top richest Nations in the world, which boosts the Real Estate market and making it the third most expensive in the world.
3. Monaco has many options for leisure from its chic shops, to 5-star Hotels & Spa, to many French and Italian restaurants, its panoramic picturesque seascape, or its many architecture antiquities.
4. The famous Monaco Grand Prix is held annually on the streets which gives travelers, residents, and automobile enthusiast a front row seat to one of the world’s most prestigious automobile races since 1929.
5. There are numerous casinos in Monaco. The rather famous Monte Carlo Casino (officially the Casino de Monte-Carlo) which was designed by the same architect whom produced the Paris Opera, and has been the famous backdrop in the James Bond franchise makes it a sought out haven.
6. There are not many beaches, but the few Monaco possess have majestic crystal clear waters and golden sand. You will also get to enjoy the many luxury yacht-lined harbors.
7. There is no tax in Monaco. Shopping anyone? At the famous 5 Pavilions, you’ll find many prestigious fashion brands including – Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Dior, Céline, Bulgari, Akris, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent.
8. The summers are long in Monaco, and the winters are mild making it an ideal place throughout the year. It’s another way to avoid the heavy jacket wear in Northern Europe during the winter season.
9. The classic beauty of cinema herself Grace Kelly became princess of Monaco when she married Prince Reiner III, that was televised and considered “the first modern event to generate media overkill.” Amongst the royalty whom reside in Monaco till this day, many other accomplished musicians, athletes, Formula One Drivers, and Ambassadors have all occupied the luxurious Monaco.
10. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, and just about the size of New York’s Central Park. Monaco can be explored in one day and you still would be able to include a nice lunch, and shopping.

If you do travel to Monaco, you’ll discover the country has more than enough to offer while also making you feel like you are luxurious. Contact The Life of Luxury for help planning and booking your next vacation in VIP style. Come back soon and follow this luxury blog and read about other wonderful travel destinations.

Photo: Martinp1

The Motor Yacht TURQUOISE luxury yacht was built in 2010 and officially launched in 2011. The luxurious yacht measures 55.4m or 181 feet.

The 72nd Monaco Grand Prix will be held between May 22-25 as the F1 season is in full throttle. The M/Y TURQUOISE luxury yacht will be there and is a wonderful way to cruise the Mediterranean and take in the breathtaking Monaco views.

The M/Y TURQUOISE will be available for charter in the Mediterranean starting in May 2014 and then moves to the Caribbean later in the year, in November. TURQUOISE will introduce its luxurious, new contemporary interior that is simply stunning.

The tri-deck luxury yacht offers a ‘Nikki-beach’ style, and is equipped with a 92″ cinema on the main deck, in addition to state-of-the-art entertainment equipment throughout the yacht. The yacht has 6 luxury cabins onboard that can accommodate up to 12 people. There is a gorgeous mastersuite plus 2 VIP suites.

The yacht is decorated with has oversized, luxury furniture that will make you feel like royalty. M/Y TURQUOISE also features large decks and lounges, a spa pool, built-n bar, BBQ for grilling, and a gym! To enjoy the warm waters of the Mediterranean sea, the ship includes numerous water toys & diving equipment.

The stunning M/Y TURQUOISE yacht is run by Captain Ben and oversees an experienced, full-time crew of 13 to ensure all guest receive the ultimate luxury experience. Turquoise offers a cruising speed of 13.00 knots and a maximum speed of up to 17.00 knots.

To learn more about this year’s F1 season and attend the 72nd Monaco Grand Prix and charter the M/Y TURQUOISE luxury yacht, please contact The Life of Luxury. Stay on top of the all the latest luxury yacht news by following this luxury blog.

Port de Monaco is a must see, breathtaking location. There is only one way to enter Monaco without having to travel through France. Port Hercule, as it’s officially called, after the powerful Greek hero Hercules. It is also, many residents will tell you, the only way to truly enter the Principality in style. Style, of course, being the operative word, as it is throughout every square metre of this marble-lined paradise.

As I drew closer and closer to Monaco, its terracotta-coloured apartments and striking cliffs getting nearer, fellow yacht-dwellers sped past, sunning themselves atop their floating mansions. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the crowd that had arrived on a package cruise liner, which had to dock right at the edge of the port like a child at his first day of school.

As I entered the port, there was an air of vibrancy, albeit a modest one, for the people who frequent these parts do not like to be scrutinised. You can rent a Segway at the information office, but it’s much more elegant to walk around with expensive shoes on. The casino is just up a rather hilly road, but for style purposes, few of the jet set would dare walk it; one of Monaco’s many luxury chauffeur services is in order.

The range of yachts is endless; dreamers and yacht fans need not necessarily wait for the annual yacht show when such a vast array of fibreglass opulence lines the port like the icing on a wedding cake. All of the major yacht builders have offices in the vicinity. Wally, who have been inspirational to the industry in recent years, is completely based here. One that I cannot peel my eye away from is “W2”, or Wedge Too, the De Vries Feadship that sits proudly in a dominating position of the harbour. This Phillipe Starck-designed beauty is a true work of art, and very easy to spot, with its old-style curves and immeasurably beautiful use of fine wood. However it has to be said that it is only one mere yacht amongst a sea of Sunseeker, Princess and every other marque in the yachtbuilders’ directory which can be found in the Port.

Along Boulevard Albert 1, which wraps around the harbour, lie boutiques, upmarket souvenir shops and a large swimming pool, which is surely too public for the A-list. I was rather surprised to find a 24-hour supermarket in the midst of it all; perhaps they get away with it by cleverly naming it “Casino”. Along the plaza which lines the port, a number of cosy cafes can be found. This is not restaurant territory; La Condamine, a vibrant commercial district, is only two minutes away.
In an attempt to validate the theory that Port Hercule is ‘simply the best’, I took a five-minute stroll to the Fontvieille district, a community of new-builds in an area reclaimed from the sea. It is also home to Monaco’s second, much smaller harbour, Port de Fontvieille. Just as I suspected, there was nothing to be relatively impressed about. Port Hercule had truly spoiled me, and here I was, turning my nose up at mere 40 foot models, like a spoilt child. Whilst this littler port would look immense anywhere else, the oozing of excess on show at the original Port de Monaco was simply unmatchable.

If your pockets are lined well enough to be the owner of an enormous yacht, you should be ashamed of yourself for not having it docked here. I was reliably told that one of music’s all-time legends and the vice-president of a Middle Eastern nation (both of whom I shall not name) were just two of the many superstars who shared my presence in the port. Yet I saw little evidence of stalkers or paparazzi; they must be well-disguised in the Principality.

As I left Monaco’s glistening Port Hercule, I couldn’t help but be left slightly bewildered over one thing- why they chose to give the port this name. After all, in Greek mythology, Hercules was only a mortal. Come to Monaco’s port, and you will encounter little else but immortality.

Article written by Peter Thompson, who personally traveled to this most famous port to discover its fabled stardom.

Luxury yachts have always been gleaming white and mainly bear the same, elegant design features. Wally has re-written the rules altogether.

The Monaco-based boat maker’s yachts, power yachts and smaller boats all carry design characteristics utterly undreamt of until they came about. Their dark, mysterious looks are undoubtedly head-turning, their power frightening. The minimalist lines don’t give anything away; indeed they hide the yacht’s interior which, in the larger variants such as the outrageous Wallypower 118, is simply spine-tingling. It is instantly evident that design plays the lead role in these beauties. After all, any power yacht which can house a space that changes from dining room to small conference area must be special.

Wally’s boats are nothing short of prodigious. To find out just how and why these seemingly fictitious concepts of arresting design exist, I chatted with Luca Bassani, Wally’s founder, president and mastermind. Incredibly, Mr Bassani not only takes charge of the whole business, but is the brains behind every single piece of marine art that comes out of Wally’s headquarters in Monaco.

“What inspires you to come up with such striking yachts?”
“The functionality and the need to find simple solutions, lighter and more neat.”

“What inspires Wally’s designers to come up with such striking yachts?
“The functionality and the need to find simple solutions, lighter and more neat.”

“Do you feel that your unusual designs detriment your sales, or enhance them?”
“We think that, as with any smart innovation, it will enhance our sales in the long term.”

“You are a much fresher, less well-established company than the likes of Sunseeker and Princess. Do you think boats like yours are a shape of things to come for all boat companies, or will your style remain unique?”
“On the sail yachts, we have already carved the whole market and everybody is copying our solutions and our style. It will also happen in the power boat sector and, in fact, it is already starting to happen.”

“You are based in Monaco, a place I love as well. Do you feel that basing Wally there is good for the company’s image?”
“We think that Monaco is, along with Palma, the capital of the Mediterranean yachting industry.”

“Where do your buyers mainly come from? I haven’t seen many in Monaco’s port.”
“Forty percent of our clients come from Germany, thirty percent from Italy and the rest from all over the world.”

“Has the recent film exposure of your boats been helpful to interest and sales?”
“For the moment, a lot of interest has been generated, which translates into an increase of the brand awareness and value- not the sales yet.”

“Which model sells best?”
“In terms of number of orders, the WallyTender. In terms of turnover, the biggest sail yachts generate most.”

“Realistically, do you think future interest will be based more around the smaller boats or larger yachts?”
“As we are perceived as a luxury brand, we believe we are going to experience the higher interest in the larger yachts market.”

“What do you think hold more importance; the interior of a yacht or its exterior design?”
“I personally think that it’s the exterior, though the market shows that the clients give more emphasis to the exteriors.”

“You provide a charter service for your yachts. Does this service lure many people into finally buying a Wally?”
“It has happened already, and it will always happen, as a small percentage of the charterers.”

“Finally, what does the future hold? Are there any big plans or new designs?”
“A lot of news and innovations in the power boat market, and also in the mega sail yachts.”

A true innovator of the yacht industry, Mr Bassani is tight-lipped about what hasn’t yet left Wally’s design room. I don’t think I could blame him; having revolutionised the face of yacht design forever, who knows what’s next from Wally?