It's been a tremendous summer here on the French Riviera and we're now enjoying those lovely, balmy September days when the sea is still warm and winter is a long way off. A big thank you to everyone who's joined us on board over the summer; it's been great to see so many friends returning and newcomers having a great holiday with us for the first time. And special thanks to Scott for the sunset picture above - taken in Corsica in May from DreamCatcher.

In her first season, Dark Star and her crew have proved themselves capable of delivering not only five-star luxury, but also fast and exciting sailing which has thrilled guests as well as her new owner. This November they'll be pointing the bows at the western horizon to sail for the Caribbean, so you'll be able to escape winter and join us for a rum punch in St Barths or the British Virgin Islands. And there's still time to sneak over here for some late summer sunshine. DreamCatcher has the last bit of availability at the end of September, so if you feel like putting autumn on hold for just a little longer, give me a call.

Michelle

In early November, Dark Star will leave France and follow the sun to the Caribbean, where she'll be available for charter from December until April. Why not take a break from winter and join us in the British Virgin Islands or St. Barths for Christmas and New Year? There's plenty of space for a large family group, or even two families holidaying together.

Caribbean Christmas
21st - 28th December

or

New Year Celebrations
31st December - 7th January

£22,000.00 per week for 8 guests

Please contact Michelle on +33 664 037020 or
contact us for bookings and rates for smaller groups.

PS. Father Christmas has agreed to drop in for a personal visit, so he's guaranteed to find you on the big day!

This summer we welcomed Emika, a beautiful 65ft Swan, to the fleet. Her owners have been keeping her to themselves this season, but she is available for charter for the 2011 season and will be based in Port Grimaud.

Like all of our yachts, she's in immaculate condition and equipped with every luxury, so she’ll appeal to those who like exhilarating sailing without sacrificing their comfort. With the famous Swan racing lines and high performance North 3DL Sails, she’s fast and smooth through the water. Full details will be on our website soon.

We're very excited about being a sponsor of People's Boat, Alex Alley and David Thompson's Class 40 entry into the Global Ocean Race 2011. The race starts in Palma next September and takes in stopovers in Cape Town, Wellington, Punta del Este and Charleston before returning to Europe.

Normally, yacht racing sponsorship would be out of reach for a company like Dream Sailing, but Alex's campaign is focussed on giving as many people as possible to opportunity to give their support on an affordable level. If you or your company would alike to be part of the race, please contact Alex.

After the launch of our Facebook page back in April, we've been trying out new ways of involving you in what we get up to and hopefully prolonging your memories of sunny days out on the water. As you may have noticed, we've started to incorporate video into the web site and we now have a Youtube channel, where you can watch short films of the yachts as well as the beautiful places we can take you to.

You can also follow us on Twitter to get updates and links to interesting information with a sailing theme. Next summer, we're also planning to use Twitter to announce last minute availability for short charters (1 or 2 days) - especially useful for those of you with holiday homes on the French Riviera.

So become a fan, follow us or whenever you need time out from the world, let us sail you away by video.

Our Jeanneau 54DS Kallista is currently for sale as her owner has purchased Dark Star. Those of you who've sailed on her will know she's in immaculate condition and has the same long list of extra equipment as our other yachts. Kallista has been with Dream Sailing since we commissioned her in 2007. She's ideal if you like the idea of owning a yacht yourself without any of the hard work, as we'll be delighted to continue managing her as part of our charter fleet.

A full specification is available at Kallista's page on the Dream Sailing website. Alternatively, please contact Alan on +33 667 200143 or contact us to enquire.

This year several guests sailed with us to the Corsican port of Saint-Florent. Tucked into a deep bay at the western base of the peninsula leading to Cap Corse, this pretty village with its old port and dramatic mountain backdrop is full of charm. Its strategic position didn't escape Admiral Nelson's notice - when the British attempted to blockade the French coast, he saw it as the key to intercepting ships sailing out of Toulon or Marseille. Today it's more suited to those who love a great beach because, arriving from the south, you'll pass a string of white sandy ones, including some of the best in Corsica.

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