Horizon and Industry News

These are the upcoming events and specials you should be aware of in Grenada and the Grenadines.

Take advantage of any of the special offers and plan a charter that allows you to participate in the following special events unique to the islands.
43nd Annual Spiceisle Billfish Tournament
25 - 29 JANUARY 2012
Held during the last week of January, the Spiceisle Billfish Tournament gives anglers the opportunity to catch a piece of the action in some of the Caribbean's best game fish waters. In 2010, the Spiceisle Billfish Tournament celebrates its 40th anniversary with 4 days of fishing and 4 days of fun-filled activities from January 24 to 27
19th Annual Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival andDigicel Work Boat Regatta
27- 31 JANUARY 2012
3-5 FEBRUARY 2012
The Grenada Sailing Festival attracts sailing enthusiasts from all over the world, and in 2012 will feature two consecutive week-ends of racing and activities. The Grenada Sailing Festival will host four days of great competitive racing off the island’s southern coast, based out of the new Port Louis Marina. There will be a great mix of popular and new courses to provide challenging sailing for top quality international keelboats form the UK, USA, Europe, and with strong competition from local yachts from Grenada & the Caribbean Region. Once the racing is over, skippers and crews will be treated to a great party programme focused at Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina, plus a surprise new venue, and the ever-popular Dodgy Dock at True Blue Bay Resort & Marina. For the first time, Grenada Sailing Festival will present the traditional Digicel Independence Workboat Regatta on the following week-end, 4 - 6 February. This fantastic crowd-pulling event based on Grand Anse Beach will be staged as part of Grenada’s Independence celebrations, and visitors coming to enjoy the two days of highly competitive sailing between local communities will also be treated to cultural dance & song, steel pan & traditional drum performances; arts & crafts, games and fun for all the family in the new Heritage Village.
38th Anniversary of Grenada’s Independence
7 FEBRUARY 2012
On February 7th 1974, Grenada declared its independence from the British and adopted a modified Westminster parliamentary system based on the British model, with a governor general appointed by and representing the British monarch (head of state) and a prime minister who is both leader of the majority party and the head of government. Each year on February 7th, Grenadians celebrate the anniversary of their independence, with national ceremonies and parades featuring the Royal Grenada Police Force, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and various schools. The day is a public holiday, when banks and most shops are closed.
CARRIACOU CARNIVAL
20 - 21 february 2012
Carnival celebrations in Carriacou are held from the weekend before the start of the Christian Lenten period. In the tradition of Caribbean Carnivals, these celebrations include calypso competitions and the parade of brightly costumed masqueraders through the streets of the main villages.
South Grenada Regatta
23 - 26 FEBRUARY 2012
The theme is FUN! Situated on the lush and beautiful south coast of Grenada, it’s the place to be during these dates. A relaxing family day on Sunday with BBQ, beach games, a pirate- trail and a dinghy race, all guarantee great fun for race participants as well as their families. The junior sailors are not forgotten. They have their races on Saturday. It’s all fun and plenty of partying in the evenings to live music performed by an international band.
St Patrick’s Day Festival
17 MARCH 2012
Each year, Grenada's northern parish of St. Patrick celebrates the feast of St. Patrick with a week of activities centered around the March 17th, the official Feast Day of St. Patrick. Events include exhibitions of local arts and craft, agricultural produce, food, drinks and cultural extravaganzas.
Fisherman's Birthday Celebrations 2012
29 JUNE 2012
Every year Grenada's fishing villages commemorate the June 29th Feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul. Known locally as Fisherman's Birthday Celebrations, the event begins with Church services and the blessing of boats and nets, followed by boat races, fishing displays and late evening parties.
47th Annual Carriacou Regatta Festival
29 JULY – AUGUST 6 2012
The Carriacou Regatta began in 1965 as a local boat race using the traditional fishing workboats, to continue the indigenous art of Boat Building handed down by Irish and Scottish Ancestors. Since that time, it has evolved into a major Caribbean event, held over the Emancipation holiday weekend, with keen competition among sailors from many of the neighbouring islands - Grenada, Tobago, Martinique, Antigua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Visitors and locals alike admire the skill and captaincy of some of the region's boatmen, as they jostle for supremacy in the different classes of boats, ranging from 14 to 35 feet in length. In 2010, the Carriacou Regatta Festival celebrates its 44th anniversary from July 25 to August 3 to 6, with festival highlights including Miss Aquaval Queen Show, Miss Wet T-Shirt, Donkey Racing, Greasy Pole and numerous cultural and sporting events.
Emancipation Day
1 AUGUST 2012
Emancipation Day is a public holiday celebrating the abolition of slavery. Although officially acknowledged worldwide as August 1st, in Grenada Emancipation Day is celebrated on the first Monday of August, with Cultural activities planned for both Grenada and Carriacou.
Carnival Monday
13 August 2012
Carnival celebrations in Grenada are held during the second week in August, just one week after Emancipation Day festivities. From dawn on Carnival Monday, the streets of Grenada's towns are filled with traditional masqueraders depicting Devils (Jab-Jabs) and social commentaries of the highlights of the past year (Ole Mas). Spectators and masqueraders alike dance to the sounds of steelbands and DJs playing the latest carnival melodies. On Monday afternoon the fancy or pretty bands appear briefly on the streets as they make their way to the big stage where competition is fierce in the fight for Band of the Year. The street party continues on in the evening as the Monday Night Mas bands make their way through the streets from 8 pm onwards dancing and waving brightly coloured lights.
Carnival Tuesday
14 AUGUST 2012
On Carnival Tuesday the fancy or pretty bands parade through the streets, with spectators and masqueraders alike dancing to the sounds of steelbands and DJs playing the latest carnival melodies. The party continues late into the evening until midnight when the official celebrations end.
Carriacou Parang Festival
21 - 23 DECEMBER 2012
The 34th Annual Carriacou Festival season climaxes on the weekend of Friday 16-Sunday 18 December 2009. The Festival is held each year on the weekend before Christmas Day. Festivities begin on Friday with a free open-air concert in the streets of Hillsborough featuring carol singing, cultural presentations and parang string bands, followed by house to house "paranging" all night. On Saturday night enjoy live performances from entertainers from around the world. On Sunday organized parang groups from villages throughout Carriacou, Grenada and Petite Martinique compete for the challenge trophy and cash prizes, performing a compulsory Christmas Carol and their selected piece. Traditional Carriacou celebration dances such as the Quadrille and Big Drum will also spice up the night.
Christmas Day
25 DECEMBER 2012
Christmas Day in Grenada is marked by religious celebrations and an increased generosity of spirit within the local population. Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Santa Claus at children's parties during the festive season. Christian churches celebrate with midnight services on Dec 24, and for many Grenadians, Christmas day is spent with friends and family, eating traditional foods and recounting stories of yesteryear.
Horizon Yacht Charters Welcome Club

Horizon Welcome Club CardHorizon Yacht Charters - Grenada has established a new programme that provides our charter clients with a list of recommended places to go and things to do within your cruising area. We have built relationships with these approved businesses and this gives you an introduction to discounts and special services.

How will the participating merchants know me? Each charter client is given a membership card at the start of their charter. The card looks very much like a standard credit card. This card is your key to specials and discounts along their charter route.When you show your card at participating businesses you will receive specials that only Horizon Yacht Charter clients receive!

Horizon Welcome Club BannerAnd how will you know who the participating merchants are? In addition to the listing on our website a printed listing will be included in the briefing folder you will receive upon check-in. Each boat has one. Don't want to carry printed lists around with you? No problem!  Just watch for decal displayed by participating members! Bright, colourful reminders that look like your membership card. When you see the decal, you know you are doing business with a business especially selected by Horizon Yacht Charters – Grenada.

Participating business include; dive shops, restaurants, marinas, yacht clubs, hotels and special accommodations … all the sorts of places you want to visit while ashore.  The listing of qualified participants has just begun, we will be adding more participating businesses over the next few weeks!

In addition to here on Grenada we also have Welcome Club Members on the following islands:

  • Bequia
  • Carriacou
  • Mayreau
  • Petite Martinique
  • St. Vincent
  • Union Island

 
Start your charter in the heart of the Grenadines – Union Island!

Cliffton Harbour Union IslandImagine setting off on the first day of your charter and being anchored in the Tobago Cays just over one hour later! The Horizon base in Grenada is very happy to be able to offer charter starts and ends from Union Island – literally in the heart of the Grenadines.

Union Island is well served by flights from Barbados – two flights each way every day. Barbados is one of the major Caribbean hubs with many direct flights from the USA, Canada, UK and Europe. Fly in the morning and be on board your yacht with a cold drink on the same day! By the following morning you will be setting sail for one of the idyllic islands in the Grenadines chain after a briefing from the Horizon crew.

Union IslandPlease contact the Grenada Base for more information! Should you prefer to finish your charter in Union Island rather than Grenada, the one-way fee is US$500.00. We will also be happy to assist you with flights to and from Union Island.

Here's a sample 7 day itinerary starting and ending charter at Union Island:

Day 1. Fly into Union arriving in the afternoon. The airport is about 2 minutes taxi ride from the dock at Clifton Harbour! Board your yacht and make yourself at home – we should be able to do the briefing with you that afternoon; you can also do your provisioning in Clifton or take the hassle out of it and have us shop and store everything on board the boat. In the evening dine at one of Clifton's waterside restaurants.

Britannia Bay MustiqueDay 2. After breakfast set off for a shake down sail to Saltwhistle Bay on Mayreau, about 1 hour north of Union. Saltwhistle Bay is perhaps one of the most beautiful palm fringed bays in the Caribbean. Spend the afternoon swimming and snorkeling, you can also explore the island and if energetic walk up to the highest point for the stunning view of the Tobago Cays and surrounding islands.

Day 3. An invigorating 3 hour sail to Mustique. Pick up a mooring in Britannia Bay and spend the evening at Basil's Bar. You never know who you might meet (Clients have had barside chats with Mick!). Ashore try renting a golf buggy, horse riding or finding shells on the beach on the windward side of the island.

Day 4. Downwind to Bequia, stopping at Petit Nevis for lunch and a snorkel in the pristine water by the disused whaling station. Pick up a mooring in Admiralty Bay for the night and enjoy a fabulous dinner ashore at one of the many restaurants.

Tobago CaysDay 5. Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables at the great shore side market and check out the famous model boats before setting sail once more for the Tobago Cays. The best sailing of the trip here – 4 hours on a sizzling reach before entering one of the most magical anchorages in the world – the Tobago Cays. Now a protected national park, you will anchor behind a huge horseshoe reef on a sandy bottom. Snorkel on the reef, explore the islands or if you have a kayak paddle around the sheltered waters of the Cays. BBQ under the stars tonight.

Day 6. Hard to tear yourself away but enjoy the morning until setting sail for Chatham Bay on the west side of Union Island. This is a stunning high sided deserted bay with a half mile long beach. Great snorkeling along the rocks on the north side.

Day 7. An hour's good sail to return the boat to Clifton Harbour and the noon charter finish. After the check out have lunch and then the very brief transfer to the airport for the flight back to Barbados and your onward connection.
 
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