Marina Live August /September 2010

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August/September 2010 3MarinaLive!test drive

PRINCESS Yachts has taken its sports yacht range to the next level of quality and per-formance in the delivery of the V85-S - the new flagship of the V Class fleet.

The Plymouth-based manufac-turer debuted the boat at the Düs-seldorf Boat Show in January and the plaudits have been lavished ever since.

The V85-S delivers breathtak-ing good looks outside and within as well as a thoroughbred perfor-mance courtesy of a twin 2,600hp MTU V-16 option hidden from view in the aft engine room. These powerful diesels pack a phenome-nally impressive power-to-weight ratio taking the 85-footer (26m) to 40 knots at full chat, one of the most potent sports yachts on the market today.

An all-new lower profile gives the V85-S a sporting thorough-bred look whilst a redesigned main deck layout gives her space and light aplenty. Enlarged side windows offer a panoramic van-tage point onto the watery world outside and the open-plan design results in a massive entertain-ing space lined with oversized U-shaped sofas, dining for eight at an extending table and a cock-tail bar with fridge and icemaker tucked neatly behind the twin leather helm seats - all set on a timber floor with soft carpet inlay. The LCD TV/DVD with surround sound system completes a perfect

space for both relaxation and ex-citement.

Moving down the decks the lower Princess accommodation is nothing short of spectacular. The galley has an enhanced materi-als specification, in-keeping with the rest of the motoryacht, with combi-oven, four ring hob, fridge, dishwasher and granite or marble worktops.

The owner’s stateroom embrac-es the full beam washed with light from large vertical windows and boasts plenty of ingenious features from under-bed storage to a built-in safe. A chic en-suite and walk-

in wardrobe serve to enhance the feeling of space and luxury.

A forward guest stateroom with double bed alongside port and starboard twin guest cabins all share the privilege of en-suite facilities.

Crew are comfort-ably accommodated in their own quarters accessible via the aft cockpit with two sepa-rate cabins adaptable for one or two berths, a shower/WC and crew mess area with

fridge and cooking equipment. The V85-S is air-conditioned throughout.

The upper flybridge leaves own-ers with two options. The first, and standard, is a decadent sun-deck with sweeping seating and sunbathing areas, refrigerated coolbox and CD/radio. The second is an upper helm station with dual control. Rounding off the impres-sive V85-S specification is a spa-cious double garage suitable for a 4m RIB and wetbike, a hydraulic bathing platform and remote con-trol passerelle to ensure that this Princess is the ultimate base for enjoying the excitement of the seas.

www.princessyachts.com

New Princess V85-S takes sports yachting to next level

4 August/September 2010MarinaLive! NEWS

MOORING LINE GRIPPER

• Designed for easier mooring in ‘stern to’ berths in Mediterranean marinas.

• Takes the weight when transferring the bow mooring line from winch to cleat.

• Especially useful in swell or high winds

GV-RopeGripper®GV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripperGV-RopeGripper®GV-RopeGripper®GV-RopeGripper®GV-RopeGripper®GV-RopeGripper NEW! FOR EASY MOORING INTRODUCING THE HANDY

INCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGEINCLUDING POSTAGE£45

Your easy way to purchase - online with Pay Pal:

[email protected] RopeGripper Co, The Mill, Milton Street, Chester. CH1 3NF UK

Sheppard’s Chandlery, M. Sheppard & Co. Ltd Waterport, GibraltarTel: (+350) 200 77183 Fax: (+350) 200 42535 e-mail: [email protected]

RepairsOur workshops are now at the Southern end of Coaling Island, near Queensway Quay Marina. We can visit your yacht at any of the marinas for most repairs afl oat. We specialise in Volvo Penta engines but can service or repair the majority of other makes as well.

We also offer equipment installation, electrical system repairs, shipwright services, GRP repairs, spray painting, slurry blasting, rigging, stainless steel fabrications, machining and all mechanical repairs.

We can haul out craft up to 16m or 30 tons displacement at North Mole and up to 9m or 4 tons at Coaling Island.Bookings are made through the workshop offi ce.

ChandleryWe specialise in the sale and installation of Raymarine equipment which is very competitively priced. Also the Chandlery Shop is very widely stocked with electronics, cruising equipment, spares, hardware, engines, generators, paints and materials needed for maintenance, repair and fi tting out. Shop staff are knowledgeable and helpful.

The shop’s location is on the ground fl oor of Marina Court,at the rear of Ocean Village. There is access from the Marina Bay waterfront or via Waterport or Bayside Road.

email: [email protected] Tel: (+350) 200 76895Workshop Fax: (+350) 200 71780

GIBRALTAR’S Ocean Village marina is to receive two 2010 International Property Awards to add to its bulging trophy cabinet.

Successful in ‘Best Marina Development’ and ‘Best High Rise Development’ categories in the prestigious contest held in association with Bloomberg Television, Ocean Village is once again receiving the recognition it deserves.

Brian Stevendale, Sales & Marketing Director for Ocean Village, said: “Our whole team

puts an incredible amount of ef-fort into ensuring that Ocean Vil-lage remains Gibraltar’s leading mixed-use luxury development and these Awards are testament to this collective desire to excel.

“We knew our properties were award-worthy as we consistently supply what our discerning tar-get market wants, always sell-out 100% prior to construction and receive plenty of positive feedback on our lifestyle resort, nonetheless we are delighted to receive this offi cial acknowledg-ment.”

With a fully serviced ma-rina, including brand new in-ternational standard Premier Berths which opened in May 2010, Ocean Village now has re-tail units, cafés, restaurants, a nightclub, fl agship Gala Coral facility, three residential towers, landscaped gardens and state-of-the-art business facilities.

The offi cial International Property Awards gala presenta-tion dinner takes place in Lon-don’s Park Lane Hotel in Sep-tember.

www.oceanvillage.gi

Ocean Village wins two International Property Awards

Protect your toes and save your temper with GV-Ropegripper™

Moor the merrier

A BRITISH inventor has fi nally found the answer to the diffi cul-ties of mooring in the Mediter-ranean with an ingenious new product that is guaranteed to turn any crew member into a mooring expert.

GV-Ropegripper™ is the brain-child of Gordon Vickers, a Brit-ish inventor with years of boating experience in the Mediterranean, where the widespread practice of mooring “stern-to” creates a frus-trating set of challenges for yacht and motorboat crews alike.

Mooring with your stern towards a fi xed quay or jetty has, at some point, given every boater a head-ache.

After watching countless crews struggle to get the line from winch to cleat without losing tension or injuring themselves, Gordon decid-ed to do something about it. A few sketches later and a working GV-Ropegripper™ prototype was born.

Like all great ideas, simplic-ity is the key to success. GV-Ropegripper™ is placed against

the bulwark, or toe rail and the ‘slime-line’ is taken through the fairlead, across its open jaws and then around the winch or windlass. Once the right tension is reached, the GV-Ropegripper™ jaws are closed and modest foot pressure applied. The mooring line is now securely locked and two hands are free to remove the line from the windlass and secure it on the cleat without straining your back, damaging your hands or feet and with only minimal loss of tension. Having served its purpose, GV-Ropegripper™ simply returns to the chain locker.

GV-Ropegripper™ is not sensi-tive to rope thickness, measures 280 x 90 x 80 mm and weighs only 750 grams. It is made from varnished 13-ply marine grade plywood and is extremely robust. The price for ending your mooring despair is £45.00 and, for a limited time only, the postage and packag-ing is free (usual cost is £8.00). Or-ders can be processed securely on-line at www.ropegripper.com.

August/September 2010 5MarinaLive!NeWs

THERE’S a little James Bond in everyone and this rich boy’s toy will al-low you to feel like 007 tackling the forces of evil beneath the water – well, at least the odd jellyfish maybe.

The Marion Hyper-Sub Submersible Powerboat, which will set you back a cool 2.75 million euros, is a four-man-plus-pilot vessel which is simply perfect for exploring the underworld

and, if it should float your boat, sneaking up on fellow seafarers in a stealth-like manner.

Powered by twin 440hp inboard Yanmar diesel en-gines, the Hyper-Sub can achieve an incredible 40 knots across the water (that’s 75km/h) but of course it’s the underwater capabili-ties that really matter. Still in developmental stages as a prototype named ‘Fath-om’, the sub has plunged as

far as 250ft below and test dives have proven it can go for an hour and 45 minutes

Live and let dive!Get tHe 007 FeeLiNG WitH YOUr OWN sUPersUB

submerged using just cabin air for the occupants. A transparent glass roof pro-vides the viewing gallery to the watery depths.

The techies behind the Hyper-Sub, whose patented design was 31 years in the making, claim that it is the first small craft built with the horsepower, sea-keep-ing and range to allow op-eration on the high seas and “will forever alter the mini-sub industry”. They have grand plans for three pro-duction models: the HS-250 Sport (similar to ‘Fathom’) – designed for recreational and tourism use, the HS-600 – designed for indus-trial, salvage or government operations with an avail-able all-aluminium hull and

the HS-1200 - configured for users requiring deeper dive applications.

Full pricing information is not yet available, or in-deed known, although one

presumes that MI6 would stump up the cash if Q deemed the Hyper-Sub nec-essary for any of Mr Bond’s missions.

www.hyper-sub.com

6 August/September 2010MarinaLive! NeWs

RYA Tidal Sailing and Motor Cruising Courses from Gibraltar

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WHETHER you are a buyer or a seller working through a yacht broker pro-vides a number of benefi ts that en-sure a stress-free, secure transaction without the likelihood of the other party carrying out a scam on you.

Let’s look fi rst at the owner of a yacht who wants to sell. Firstly he needs to put the boat onto the market at a price that attracts offers that will result in a profi t-able sale. Yacht brokers are privy to the prices at which sales have actually been made and not just the price at which a boat is advertised. Secondly if you work with a broker with strong brand and a global distribution network you can be sure that your yacht will be advertised to the right people, in the right places, at the right price. The broker fi lters out the dozens of people offering rock-bottom prices, “guaranteed” funds and requests for test sails to see the dolphins etc.

Often boat owners – especially on the Costas - leave their boats in the marinas at the end of the season so make sure your global broker has a strong local presence.

A local yacht broker is your man on the pontoon available to do physical viewings, sea trials and negotiation on your behalf. He will also produce all the contractual documentation for a safe sale without the impasse of whether the money or the Bill of Sale is at risk.

More importantly a yacht broker makes use of a client account to protect the buyer and seller. There are many scammers out there posing as bona fi de buyers offering excellent prices for transactions involving bankers’ drafts. You have been warned! A yacht broker will make sure that there are properly cleared funds in the client account be-fore the boat or its documentation is

handed to any buyer.As far as the buyer is concerned

there are also many benefi ts to working through a broker. For a start a broker, especially one who belongs to a global franchise network will provide the wid-est range of boats and prices.

A buyer working without a broker may be asked to make a deposit to back up an agreed offer. To whom is this de-posit to be handed? What guarantees does the buyer have to have his deposit will be returned if the deal fails to com-plete? Once a deposit is made if a sur-vey shows up material defects how can this be negotiated without loss of the deposit? A good broker provides a clear, fair and safe transaction process for both parties with the deposit returned if a survey indicates previously unknown problems – although it is more usual to re-negotiate and agree altered terms.

If the buyer is new to boating the bro-

ker will provide advice and guidance on all aspects of yacht ownership from berthing, insurance, tax, registration and training – often for many years if there has been a good relationship!

How much does it cost to use a broker? Nothing if you are a buyer. So any buyer not making use of a yacht broker is not making a rational economic decision.

As far as the seller is concerned he pays a small commission (a percentage of the agreed price) but only if the yacht is sold. There are very few businesses that have the confi dence to bill on the basis of success. So next time you want to buy or sell a yacht in the local area fi nd yourself a reputable broker.

A good place to start the process would be at www.boatshedgibraltar.com. Boatshed Gibraltar is local to Gibraltar and the Costa area and as well as being truly on-the-spot are part of the global Boatshed network.

ALL private yachts, both sailing and motor vessels, owned or used by EU residents must be VAT paid if they are used in EU territorial waters.

Since July this year, the present VAT rate in Spain is 18%. Because of the fi nancial crisis en-gulfi ng all European economies, maximising tax revenue is more important than ever. All forms of tax evasion are being targeted and VAT is at the forefront of these efforts. Yacht owners should en-sure that the VAT paid certifi cate for their vessel is available for immediate inspection.

There is a lot of misinformation put out in the market about ways to avoid paying this tax. In some cases, potential purchasers are even advised simply not to pay the VAT in the hope that the ves-sel will never be inspected.

This is reckless and above all, illegal. Boats can be inspected at any time by EU authorities and there are many examples in Spain of the dire con-sequences that arise where VAT paid certifi cates cannot be produced.

Moreover, in recent years, rules for charter boats have been exploited by a variety of schemes that enabled individuals to incur little or no VAT on purchase.

These broadly fell into two categories – cross-border leasing and artifi cial chartering – and in-volved a contrived commercial arrangement, while in reality the vessel was operating predominantly for recreational use by the purchaser.

But there are areas where the amount of VAT to be paid can be reduced or even avoided altogether.

For example, non-EU residents may own and use a private yacht without paying VAT on a tem-porary import basis for up to 18 months. As always though, professional advice should be sought at the outset. Such matters should be considered be-fore the purchase of the yacht has been agreed.

Scam avoidance - what ayacht broker can do for you

europe tightens vat net on luxury yacht ownersBy GaBrieL G. GONZÁLeZ of registeraYacht.com

August/September 2010 7MarinaLive!GiBraLtar’s crUise sHiP caLeNdar

Yacht registration in all major flag states

Radio, EPIRB, ComSat licensing and registration

Assistance with MCA coding for commercial registration

Assistance with surveying

Tax and VAT planning and advice

Marine insurance and financing

Crew health insurance and payrolls

Banking and card facilities

Legal advisory services

“We cannot guarantee you fair winds but we can promise you plain sailing.”Tel: +350 200 51870 [email protected] www.RegisterAYacht.com

Publisher Kevin McNulty Email: [email protected] Tel: 216 74724

sAles Trevor Impett Email:[email protected] Tel: 216 74724 Mob +350 60601022

Production editor Dave Beevers Email: [email protected]

Production David Rowbottom Email: [email protected]

contributors Sarah Drane [email protected]

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic however the Publisher of MarinaLive! accepts no responsibility for claims made.

MarinaLive! contacts

aUGUst:August 18: Grand Princess (Princess)August 19: Funchal (Classic International)August 21: Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)August 24: Queen Victoria (Cunard)August 25: Ventura (P&O);Celebrity Eclipse (Celebrity)August 27: Ocean Princess (Princess)August 28: Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)sePteMBer:september 1: Grand Princess (Princess)september 2: Azura (P&O)september 4: Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)MSC Orchestra (MSC Cruises)september 6: Funchal (Classic International)september 7: Oceana (P&O)september 8: Thomson Destiny (Thomson)Sea Cloud II (Sea Cloud Cruises) Celebrity Eclipse (Celebrity) september 9: Sea Cloud II (Sea Cloud Cruises) Azamara Journey (Azamara Cruises) Celebrity Constellation (Celebrity)september 10: Braemar (Fred Olsen)Discovery (Voyages of Discovery)september 11: Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)september 13: MSC Orchestra (MSC Cruises)september 14: Arcadia (P&O)Independence of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)september 15: Grand Princess (Princess)september 16: Costa Allegra (Costa Cruises)Funchal (Classic International)september 17: Saga Ruby (Saga Cruises)september 18: Azura (P&O)Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)september 19: Ocean Countess (Majestic International)september 20: Disney Magic (Disney Cruise Line)september 21: Oceana (P&O) september 21: MSC Orchestra (MSC Cruises)september 22: Ventura (P&O)september 24: Artemis (P&O)september 25: Marco Polo (Cruise and Maritime Voyages) Balmoral (Fred Olsen) Pacific Dream (Pullmantur)september 26: Saga Pearl II (Saga Cruises)september 28: Independence of the Seas (Classic International)september 28: Queen Mary 2 (Cunard) september 29: MSC Orchestra (MSC Cruises)

Queen of the world’s liners is dropping in!

cUNard’s FiNest is ON Her WaYGIBRALTAR is the in-vogue port of call for the hundreds of cruise ships which pass through the Straits as part of their voyaging itinerary.

And in September it gets a visit from the second biggest cruise liner in the world – the fabulous Queen Mary 2, part of Cu-nard’s prestige fleet.

The ship docks at Gibraltar on Septem-ber 28.

Guarding the gateway to the Mediterra-nean, the Port of Gibraltar is no stranger to welcoming the most prestigious vessels in the cruise industry and their many thou-sands of passengers.

The Sea Cloud II offers the sailing ship experience with sumptuous luxury on board – see it at Gibraltar on September 8 and 9

Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 docks at Gibraltar on September 28

With a unique range of shore excursions and tourist attractions from the historic Siege Tun-nels to St Michael’s Cave, tax-free shopping on

Main Street to dining and a flutter in the Casino at Ocean Village marina, there’s plenty to amuse and entertain on their brief stopovers.

Benefit from a safe haven for your boat and your investment.• No VAT/IVA • Low priced fuel •

N E W B E R T H S O F I N T E R N A T I O N A L S T A N D A R D N O W A V A I L A B L E

Ocean Village Gibraltaremail: [email protected] or [email protected]

August/September 2010 9MarinaLive!marine insurance

Underwritten by certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London. Ibex Insurance

Services Limited is regulated by the Financial Services Commission FSC 006 43B.

At Ibex we are not just insurance specialists, we understand boats.

www.ibexinsure.com

Its plain sailing

with Ibex Marine

Get a quote online or find your local Ibex agent at

�Comprehensive cover for British, Spanish or Gibraltar flags�Cover fo sail and motor vessels, including Superyachts�Policy tailored to your needs & pocket�Dedicated marine team�Personal claims service�Save more money with Plus

Ibex Marine

Call us for a Marine Quote today on

+34 900 70 70 00!

IT’S important that you get things right from the very beginning – a flawed initial application could mean major problems when it comes to making a claim.

A credible marine surveyor will always revert to the original application form fol-lowing a claim report. He will scrutinise all relevant areas pertaining to the claim.

For example: If the claim refers to a fire, then it is likely that the fire fighting equipment will be scrutinised against the

declaration of installation and examined to ensure that they have undergone their pe-riodic revision.

And, if the claim was for a stolen tender, the surveyor would want to look at the se-rial numbers or the markings originally de-clared to ensure they match.

It is therefore very important to take great care with the application form to en-sure that it is detailed, accurate and honest in its completion.

For further information or consultation on Marine Insurance contact Richard Felipes on +34 956 695749, Mobile: 619 039455 or visit www.ibexinsure.com

LasT month’s article covered issues concerning the selection process of a good marine Policy and emphasised the importance of not sacrificing quality and service for price considerations as there is always a risk in doing so. in this edition i offer practical advice in contracting your policy.

Getting it rightfrom the outsetBy ricHarD FeLiPes

KEY STEPS

When quoting: One must ensure that the basic details required are communicated correctly and truthfully. The main areas of concern are: age of vessel; any major claims / repairs in the recent past – normally 5 years; navigational waters and boating experience /qualifi-cations. Some boat owners prefer to complete a full application form and then submit for quotation based on the complete information so that no surprises arise.

A typical situation encoun-tered recently was the non declaration of past claims. When the forms were completed for underwriting, the information came to light and the premium was increased. This can lead to: mistrust on behalf of the underwriters; ill feeling on behalf of the client and pos-sible rejection by the insurer.

Another typical situation is not reporting significant re-furbishment work. This does not include aesthetics, but does include key work on the hull, engines or interior areas. When it comes to completion of application forms this could lead to further delays as a survey would normally be required to ensure that the works were approved. It could also lead to out-right rejection.

GETTING YOUR QUOTE

Ensure you are clear on the following:

• Port of registration – You’d be surprised !

• Year of construction ( or major refits)

• Boats over 20 years of age generally require dry surveys

• Surveys done in the last 6 to 12months would be acceptable.

• Premiums generally increase when vessel is over 10 yrs old and again when over 20

• Ensure all recommenda-tions are carried out.

• Navigational waters, be clear and if in doubt ask or use navigational degrees to specify area of cover-age required.

• Maximum design speed of the vessel is key, as pre-miums increase the higher the speed. These tend to be 0-17knots, 17-30, 30 to 40 and 40 +

• Mooring location and type of mooring is also important.

• Safe moorings within marina/harbour walls are standard but buoy moor-ings or swinging moorings are higher risk.

• Vessel value is the hardest as it depends on a few factors : Value when purchased would normally be re-quired Current value – depends on care of vessel. Market value can easily be verified on-line. Care needs to be taken when over/under insuring. Most insurers will assist here.

COMPETITIVE QUOTES

It is advisable to obtain competitive quotes from at least 3 reputable insurers. This area was covered in an earlier article however they are included below as a reminder.

• Look at financial strength and also the ‘Specialised Marine Insurer’ as op-posed to the ‘General Insurance’ company that has no dedicated marine team.

• Endeavour to establish the claims service reputation.

• Do not use price as the sole barometer. If you compare pricing among the Marine Specialists the variances can be impor-tant but rarely outside the 10 / 15% mark

• When you have been of-fered a 25/30% difference and beyond, beware !

• When making the final decision consider these factors and make note of the all-round efficiency levels in dealing with your enquiry: personnel friendli-ness; speed of response; thoroughness of dealings and presentation of mate-rials. These should be part of the decision making process.

• Finally if you are really concerned about covering your boat for all risk, yet feel you wish to save as much as possible, you may request that the ex-cess be doubled (i.e. the money you need to outlay initially against any claim). This will bring down the premium price by a further 15% ( on average)

POLICY DOCUMENTS

• Policy Documents are normally issued via e-mail these days and originals will follow by post.

• Check all the information submitted and agreed against the schedule.

• Ensure you have the languages required de-pending on where you are travelling.

• Check the dates are OK – start and end dates.

• Make sure you are sent “ KEY FACTS” and “POLICY WORDING”

• According to European law you are entitled to receive this in your native language.

• Most Companies will re-quire the return of original documents should you cancel your policy and request a refund.

Happy navigation, and remember, be wise, be hon-est, be accurate and then - you can sail in peace.

Richard Felipes, General Manager, Marine Division, Ibex Insurance Services

VOLVO Penta has added to its range of joysticks by in-troducing model for boats with twin sterndrives, DPH and DPS on their Diesel and gasoline engine range (2 x 140Hp up to 2 x 400 Hp).

Even the most experienced boat owner may sometimes feel uncomfortable when docking his boat in congested harbours, strong winds or any stressful situation.

For boats fitted with the IPS System, Volvo Penta solved the problem back in 2006 with the IPS Joystick – an innova-tion that was an immediate hit with boat owners. Today, more than 95 percent of the IPS boats are fitted with a joystick.

Now, Volvo Penta is broadening its range of joystick still further by launching a joystick for boats with twin sterndrive.

The new sterndrive joystick builds on the well-proven drive concept and individually steerable drives. The joystick is suit-able for gasoline and diesel engines with DPH or DPS stern-drives. The joystick utilizes engine power to move the boat. No bow thrusters are needed.

Just like Volvo Penta IPS, it is possible to have up to four joysticks on board.

For more info: www.eliasblanco.com

Joystick for sterndrives

10 August/September 2010MarinaLive! marina sPOTLiGHT – FuenGirOLa

NO visit to Fuengirola would be complete without a trip to the much praised Fuengirola Zoo or, since a renaming in March of this year, Bioparc Fuengirola.

At the west end of town and tucked in the labyrinth of streets, it gives an outward impression of being rather pokey and inconsequential, yet this Bioparc packs plenty into its confines.

It is without doubt one of the most magical animal experiences as its de-sign means you share the environment with the animals – and you get up close and personal with some of them in a unique way.

Intentionally distancing itself from the traditional ‘zoo’ model, the concept here is all about respect for nature and preservation of species watching them flourish in their recreated habitats.

Oft-praised for its sterling conserva-tion work, Bioparc Fuengirola claims that “there is today no ethical sense in keeping wild animals in captivity un-less this helps to preserve their species in the natural world” and that’s exactly what they’re about. The attraction is currently involved in over 35 breed-ing programmes for species in danger of extinction, it supports conservation projects in Africa and initiatives in

Popular port where old and new live in perfect harmonyF

LOODED with sun-shine and fronted by 7km of seafront prom-enade, the resort of Fuengirola ticks many

of the boxes demanded from the seasoned British package holidaymaker.

Densely populated, high-rise and with a burgeoning English speaking community, it’s been popular with the tour operators since the 1960s and this adoration

sees no signs of abating.Legend would have it that

Fuengirola took its name from the sea. In the 15th century, sail-ors from Genoa made their way across the waters in vessels they called ‘girolas’ and so, when they settled in the area, they declared it ‘Fuente de las Girolas’ or in to-day’s popular speech – Fuengirola.

As is demanded from any self-respecting holiday hotspot, Fuen-girola of course has its own mari-

na. Well, in fact, it has two – ‘old’ and ‘new’. Visually fusing the past with the present, the origi-nal working fishing port with 240 moorings sits alongside the lei-sure yacht marina with a further 226 moorings – the latter being joined by a collection of pubs and restaurants, perfect for al-fresco dining and people watching.

Remaining a hive of activity, the traditional Andalucian fishing boats which dominate ‘old’ Fuen-girola marina are well worth a pe-ruse. Taking to the water early in the morning, late in the afternoon and sometimes by night fishing under the beams of floodlights, it’s fascinating to watch them offload their daily catch for onward sale and make intricate handmade re-pairs to their nets.

‘New’ Fuengirola marina, whilst undoubtedly lacking the head-turning good looks of Puerto Banús (and the parading Fer-raris), nonetheless has a fine ar-ray of attractive yachts at anchor.

The port is very popular with the boating fraternity due to its com-prehensive services from mainte-nance to storage and Fuengirola’s close proximity to Malaga Interna-tional Airport – just 25km to the north – also carries great appeal.

Rounding off Fuengirola ma-rina’s generous facilities is a very active and sociable Yacht Club washed in white and blue. Found-ed in 1978, it has a strong ethos and that is to be accessible to all. The Yacht Club rightly observes that many people regard boating to be an elitist sport – they want to

change that and have their doors open for all walks of Fuengirola life. Today’s thriving hub has a Sailing School with courses for adults and children and a friendly café and restaurant with pan-oramic marina and beach views from the terrace.

Amongst the hurly-burly of fish-ing, cruising and sailing, the tour-ist has not been forgotten. Many attractions operate from within the marina such as high-octane speedboat rides, leisurely fish-ing jaunts notable for their tuna catches, glass-bottomed boats for taking in the abundant marine life and sedate trips to watch the dolphins at play in their natural habitat. There is also a pleasure craft that ferries passengers on the round trip to Benalmádena.

animal magic

energy saving and ‘green’ awareness. Impressive credentials.

Open every day from 10am, the Bioparc has a programme of special

activities for the very small to the not so young as well as some special guid-ed tours by night. Visit www.biopar-cfuengirola.es/en/ for a full rundown.

One of the stunning, iconic baobab trees that dominate the Madagascar biosystem at the zoo

August/September 2010 11MarinaLive!MARINA SPOTLIGHT – fueNGIROLA

Popular port where old and new live in perfect harmony

 The most exciting part of Fuengi-rola’s  marina  life  could  actually  be yet to come. Plans for its expansion to make it not only the largest sporting port  in Spain, but also Europe, have been  shuffled  around  local  planning departments  for  several  years.  As Spain’s economic woes abate, the top-ic will undoubtedly move back up the political agenda – watch this water.  

Visit www.clubnauticofuengirola.es

PUERTO DEPORTIVO - SOTOGRANDE

TEL: +34 956 790 212 EMAIL: [email protected]

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12 August/September 2010MarinaLive! neWs neWs

WHILE the rest of us mere mortals nurse ourselves through the aftermath of global economic meltdown, naval ar-chitect Berkeley March is touting his billion-dollar superyacht to the world’s superrich.

Under the working title ‘Project 1000’, the 200-metre eight-deck extravagance would trump Mr Abramovich’s 170 metre Eclipse to the tune of 30 metres and become the largest superyacht the world has ever seen. As March says, “recession or not, it’s

still all about men’s egos.”Based on the assumption that billion-

aires don’t want to downgrade their living arrangements just because they make the switch from land to sea, Project 1000 will resemble a floating palace spanning the equivalent of two football pitches in length. Features include a 30 metre swimming pool, double-deck cinema, a nightclub, casi-no and games room, extensive library, bars, twin beach clubs and a health Spa that spans the entire beam of almost 23 metres.

Of course an over-the-top vessel needs its full cache of over-the-top toys and Project 1000 doesn’t disappoint. The drive-in ten-der garage (hanger?) can stow two 30 metre day boats (almost superyacht-size them-selves) whilst a vehicle garage can hold sev-eral cars and motorcycles that may need to come along for the ride. And no self-respect-ing billionaire would be without a helipad and hanger atop his yacht, Project 1000 has it covered.

Project 1000 has ten VIP duplex suites each with amazing views as well as a fur-ther 22 VIP suites catering for an addition-al 44 guests. The proud owner is of course

given his (or her) own domain by way of a complete private deck with panoramic views and secluded outdoor terraces. An anticipated crew of 70 will cater to guests’ every whim.

Expected to carry a price tag of up to ONE BILLION DOLLARS - depending on client taste (gold furniture and diamond en-crusted wallpaper would of course nudge it higher), this fantastical Project could be in the water in under five years.

All it needs is one very rich egotistical buyer and no recession, however severe, can rid the world of that growing species.

www.emocean.be

THE BILLION DOLLAR YACHT!

Proof that size still matters

August/September 2010 13MarinaLive!neWs

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THE fourth 41-metre superyacht design by Lord Foster for the YachtPlus Frac-tional Ownership scheme which make the world of mega-million yachting ac-cessible to a wider audience is poised to begin operating next year.

The fi rst was Ocean Emerald, the second Ocean Pearl launched in March 2010 and the third, Ocean Sapphire was launched in Summer 2010 so therefore enjoying its fi rst Mediterranean season. The fourth, as yet unnamed, is penciled in for early 2011. www.yachtplus.com

Ocean Sapphire – the third of Lord Foster’s designs - at Cannes

THE fourth 41-metre superyacht design by Lord Foster for the YachtPlus Frac-tional Ownership scheme which make the world of mega-million yachting ac-cessible to a wider audience is poised

The fi rst was Ocean Emerald, the second Ocean Pearl launched in March 2010 and the third, Ocean Sapphire was launched

ready to go fourth

IF your Financial Advisor has suggested you take that dream motoryacht off your shopping list, don’t reach for the Tippex just yet, for he might fi nd a new pay ‘half now, half later’ scheme quite interesting.

Launched in summer 2010 by yachting afi cionado Mark Zapolski, boats@halfprice aims to remove the obstacles to buy-ing and selling which have been stubborn to shift during this eco-nomic downturn.

Mark explains: “When my Fairline Squadron 58 had been on the market for over two years I decided that something radical was required to shift the stag-nant market. I’ve bought and sold boats for the past 20 years and I’d never seen such a dif-fi cult situation where sellers no longer needed their boat yet buyers couldn’t purchase them because they were being refused fi nance.”

boats@halfprice was born.In a nutshell, boats@halfprice

has devised a Boat Purchase De-ferment Scheme whereby half the agreed sale price is paid to-day with a binding commitment to settle the balance within a two-year period. As soon as the fi rst half is paid, the buyer takes full ownership of the boat and

relieves the vendor of any more running costs or possible de-preciation. To ensure his or her security, the vendor registers a fi rst charge over the boat - effec-tively becoming mortgagee.

With the help of reputable marine lawyers LA Marine LLP (recommended by the Associa-tion of Brokers and Yacht Agents or ABYA) and insurance under-writers Chartis (part of AIG), the boats@halfprice proposition is watertight. Clients’ boats and monies are fully protected with all legal documentation held in Escrow for safekeeping until the full purchase price has been paid.

Buyers can snap up that dream boat with 50% less pres-sure on their wallets and sellers can achieve a quick sale with a lump sum now and more cash guaranteed within less than two years. It’s truly a win-win for both sides of the table.

With over 100 boats listed for sale from 25ft through to over 100ft, boats@halfprice has plen-ty of fl oating eye-candy to tempt – or else there’s a Personal Boat Shopper service where you tell them what you want, they fi nd it and negotiate with the seller to accept the ‘half now, half later’ deal. So what’s stopping you?

www.boatshalfprice.com

Your own boat - at HALF the price!

To advertise in marinaLive! contact Trevor impett on

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14 August/September 2010MarinaLive! BOaT DesiGn

LUXURY boat designer Schöp-fer Yachts, has envisioned a trio of floating masterpieces that are just begging to be moved from paper to water. With blueprints that combine sci-fi with modern art, practi-cality with implausibility, if this is the future of yachting, may that future start now.

The US-based team founded in 2008 is passionate in its pursuit of advanced aesthetics and technol-ogy in the yachting world. Flexible in its approach, Schöpfer Yachts can secure strategic alliances with the world’s finest naval architects and shipyards dependent upon

the brief it has in mind. Alliance number one was with American architects Sparkman & Stephens and ‘Oculus’ was the result.

In the spirit of launching with a flourish rather than a whimper, first venture 250ft (76m) Oculus (Latin for ‘eye’) was penned by E Kevin Schöpfer, founder of his eponymous company, and it imme-diately turned media heads. With an exterior designed to evoke the jaw and eye socket bone structure of large ocean-dwelling fish and mammals, you can almost imag-ine Oculus’s chops swiveling open and shut as it glides along the sur-face.

Able to accomplish speeds up-wards of 25 knots, Oculus is des-tined for 12 guests who can cruise in superlative comfort and style. The main salon peaks to a 12ft high ceiling whilst a cylindrical double-height dining room gives way to a central stair and elevator tube transporting between decks. Floor two is the owner’s living and sleeping sanctuary with private staircase to a third level deck with water feature. Elsewhere a gener-

ous supply of open decks and pools are set fore and aft for convenient use of all those fortunate enough to be on-board.

Following in Oc-ulus’s impressive wake comes ‘Infini-tas’ – the second fruit of the E Kevin Schöpfer /Spark-man & Stephens partnership. Creep-ing up a level to 300ft (91.4m) this dreamlike structure takes its ab-stract lead from the lemniscate or infinity symbol (Infinitas is Latin for ‘infinity’) with carved out stern and mid-section ellipses as its two main features. A massive swim-ming pool deck occupies the mid section ellipse.

The pool deck acts as a focal point for Infinitas and divides the main deck living room and dining room. To cross the pool deck, oc-cupants have three options. The first is a stylish walkway which traverses the surface of the pool whilst still allowing swimmers to pass beneath. The second is an overhead sky bridge with a clear glass floor and ceiling letting abundant natural light to pen-etrate below. The final method is via a lower level lounge which has glass viewing portholes into the water itself. Ingeniously, the pool can also be completely covered if plans for entertainment dictate so.

Like Oculus, Infinitas has 12 guests and crew in mind accom-modated in a series of guest suites

and high-ceilinged entertain-ment spaces, all washed with a minimalist palette accented by a splash of attitude. Again, the owner boasts his or her own deck whilst the essential helipad takes pride of place on the bow.

From the Latin meaning ‘bold’ or ‘daring’, third in the sequence ‘Audax’ is quite offbeat if placed alongside its siblings.

This time Schöpfer has taken a bold new approach to the sport fishing world. With an open fly-bridge design available at either 120ft (36.5m) or 95ft (29m) in length, the standout Audax fea-ture is its fully integrated carbon fibre tuna tower which arches im-posingly above the deck below. By night this curve beams shards of bright light onto the waters be-low whilst further shafts emanate from the hull just below the sur-face. Separate master suite, guest suites and crew quarters take up to 10 passengers on the sporting journey.

www.schopferyachts.com

sci Fi meeTs mODern arT as LuXurY DesiGners reVeaL THeir VisiOn FOr TOmOrrOW’s JeTseT

Forward thinking

Oculus – a sumptuous new experience for 12 guests

Audax – bold approach to those who love sport fishing

Infinitas – a futuristic vision of luxury at sea based on the Latin symbol for infinity

ALL IMAGES: TANGRAM 3DS LLC

DAY CHARTER PACKAGES INCLUDE:

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• Fuel up to 50 miles cruising.

• Champagne & Canapés/Cocktail to end the day.

16 August/September 2010MarinaLive! sPOTLiGHT: La Duquesa marina

The ‘Other’ Costa del Sol

CLAIMING an almost midway point between the imposing Rock of Gibraltar and the bright lights of Marbella, La Duquesa Marina is a true

highlight of what’s affectionately known as the ‘other’ Costa del Sol.

Blink at the wrong moment on the main coastal thoroughfare and you’re in danger of missing the sign which directs you to the underpass accessing the Marina, but once you’re there you’ll be pleased it chose to re-tain a certain anonymity.

Unlike many coastal enclaves, La Duque-sa Marina has been spared the blight of the hulking high rise. Peddlers of pack-age holidays have been unable to exploit the area due to a distinct lack of hotels and other touristic accommodation – in fact everything within striking distance of the port itself is private residential communi-ties apart from the now five-star Suites Duquesa Golf Hotel which lies ‘mountain-side’ adjacent to the 18-hole course.

Do not let this inconspicuous in-troduction lead you to believe that La Duquesa Marina is therefore desolate and without soul, in fact far from it, the port balances the perfect mix of tranquil relaxation alongside colourful nightlife.

By day La Duquesa Marina, which is operated by Marinas del Mediterraneo (the management behind such impressive facilities as Estepona and Marina del Este), is all about the boats.

Clean and well sheltered, the port counts over 300 berths for smaller sailing craft through to impressive motoryachts, many of which choose to stop off here on their exploration of the Iberian Peninsula.

Full marina services include maintenance, satellite TV, wifi, fuel and a boatyard capable of a myri-ad of repairs, carpentry, anti-foul treatments and cleaning with the help of a travel lift for boats up to 70 tonnes. 24 hour security – both video and patrolled – ensures peace of mind.

Water lovers who haven’t got the pleasure of owning their own craft

can make use of several enterprising indi-viduals who have set up business within the Marina. Daily boat trips, deep sea fish-ing adventures or dolphin watching cruises all depart from La Duquesa Marina at sur-prisingly keen prices.

For non-boating enthusiasts with abso-lutely no aspirations to take to the water, La Duquesa Marina offers much more than just daytime strolling. To the north and south stretch sweeping Blue Flag beaches dotted with typically Andalucian ‘chirin-guito’ beach venues serving up cold drinks and fresh menus.

And, when the sun slips beneath the ho-rizon (which incidentally depicts Gibraltar and the rugged North African coastline in the distance), La Duquesa Marina switches to evening entertainment mode.

One of La Duquesa Marina’s big crowd-pullers is its twice-weekly craft market.

August/September 2010 17MarinaLive!sPOTLiGHT: La Duquesa marina

IF all this marina talk has affected your sea legs, it’s probably time for a leisurely round of golf at La Duque-sa’s Golf Club, which conve-niently neighbours a fi ve-star suites hotel.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., a man who has de-signed (or re-designed) 500 golf

courses in the USA and across the globe (they joke that “the sun never sets on a Robert Trent Jones golf course”), La Duquesa Golf blends nature with course architecture in an impeccable manner.

Its elevated position invites Mediterranean breezes whilst many of the 18 tees give glimps-

es of the Sea, Marbella and North Africa across in the dis-tance. Course aside, the elegant Clubhouse offers tennis, saunas, Turkish baths, a Jacuzzi, indoor swimming pool and a restau-rant and convivial cafeteria.

And, what better place to rest your golf-weary head than the Suites Duquesa Golf Hotel.

Upgraded to fi ve star status, the Hotel has a Thalasso Spa, fi t-ness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, conference facilities and elegant suite-style rooms topped off with attentive service. Check their website for special golf-stay deals.

Visit www.golfl aduquesa.com and www.laduquesahotel.com

MARINAS DEL MEDITERRÁNEO is a group of companies

operating Marina management and services at Estepona Marina,

Duquesa, Marina del Este and the Dry Dock at Benalmádena.

estepona

marina del este benalmádena

la duquesa

Popular with tourists and locals alike, browsers pop down by the dozen to pick up bargains in the relative cool of the evening. Once shopped-out, it’s time to dine. For its size, i.e. petite, the Marina packs a good number and variety of restaurants within its confi nes. The presence of Chinese, Thai, Italian, Indian, good old English and top class Spanish cuisine means you can tempt yourself with something new every night. There’s also a fi ne Italian gelateria to round off the evening with a few tasty calories. Several bars and boutiques plus a butchers, bank and supermarket also occupy the re-tail promenades fl anking the quayside.

So, if you fancy a piece of the ‘other’ Costa del Sol , a sunshine sojourn at La Duquesa Marina could be just what the doctor or-dered to recharge those batteries.

Visit www.marinasmediterraneo.com

Green with envy

18 August/September 2010MarinaLive! FOOD & Drink

SO, having stocked up on wild boar sausage and smelly goat cheese, we slipped out of the beautiful island of Corsica as the sun rose, bound for San-remo on the Italian Riviera.

What a fabulous day’s sail (OK, motor) we had. Perfectly flat seas, a fresh breeze and blue, blue skies. With conditions like that we were hoping to see some marine life, so we scanned the distance for pods of dolphin, but to our astonishment and de-light, less than half a mile away were two enormous whales.

We slowed down and closed in on them carefully - it was amazing to actually hear them breathing through their blow-holes, then watch them broach the surface of the sea, arch-ing and then lifting their tails as they dived to the depths - a breathtaking sight!

We were in Sanremo for a couple of days, prepping the boat before proceeding to Cannes to meet the next set of guests.

Sanremo is a bustling and jolly seaside resort with a busy marina and very friendly staff. If you ask nicely at the fuel dock, they will give you a bottle of deli-cious oil, pressed by the brother of one of the marineros, full of flavour but unrefined so better for dressings and cooking than as a bread-dipping condiment.

Luckily, one of our crew is Ital-ian which came in handy at the supermarket and locating the best shops for fresh produce and, importantly, helping me select the best parmesan and pecorino cheeses!

Aah, cheese! One of my fa-vourite foods. Any country that has goats, sheep and cows has a plethora of cheese for you to choose and nowhere more so than in France, our next stop. Apparently France can boast at least one type for every day of the year.

Cheese is a great thing to have on board whatever type of passage or cruise you are mak-ing. Hard cheese such as good strong English Cheddar has a pretty long shelf life (bought mid July, a block of cheddar can have a use-by date of end of Au-

gust) it is a staple of most crew sandwiches, and also for cheese sauces, quiches, souffles, etc.

What I don’t have room for in the fridge, I freeze. It’s OK to freeze most hard cheeses. Freez-ing does not affect the flavour although it will alter the texture slightly making it more crumbly, which is fine if you’re only cook-ing with it.

Even better to help get ahead and make life in the galley at sea a bit easier is to grate the cheese first before you freeze it in zip lock bags (one of my Top 10 Most Useful Things On a Boat).

Don’t however freeze soft cheeses or items with a high cream content like marscapone, although I also freeze fresh milk, full fat and semi skimmed. The owners have an aversion to UHT, so even defrosted fresh milk is still better than long-life.

Needless to say Cannes was cheese heaven for me! After in-dulging in two glasses of cham-pagne at the Carlton Hotel on my afternoon off, I found a fab-ulous fromagerie with cheeses from all parts of France. I chose some St Marcelin (a soft cow’s-milk cheese from the Rhone-Alps) and Reblochon (cow’s-milk again but from Haut-Savoie) for the cheeseboard.

I also selected some Cantal (one of the oldest French chees-es, a hard cow’s-milk cheese from the Auvergne) for my recipe this month, Cantal cheese tart.

This is a delicious savoury tart, easy to prepare, with few fresh ingredients, and you could even use pre-prepared short-crust or even frozen puff pastry, just serve with a green salad with red onion, French vinai-grette dressing and a crisp cold rose wine from Provence - enjoy!

FOOD @ 45 – a Galley slave’s Guide to cooking at sea

Say cheese!

You will need a 9cm loose bottom flan tin and some baking beans (ceramic ones or dried kidney beans will do)

Pre- heat the oven to 180 ˚C

FOR ThE PaSTRY: 225g plain flour 50g cold butter in small cubes 25g lard or vegetable fat (as above) pinch of salt iced water

FILLING: 450g Cantal cheese (or a mixture of cheddar and gruyere is a god substitute) 2 tbs of whole grain mustard 1 tbs chopped fresh tarragon 1 medium tomato finely sliced into rounds, seeds removed black pepper

hERE’S hOw:Sieve the flour into a clean bowl add the butter and lard and work it through the flour with your fingers until it looks like bread crumbs, add the salt and mix in, then add

enough iced water to bring it together to form a dough (but it shouldn’t be wet). Form into a ball, flatten slightly and then wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for half an hour.

Roll out the pastry and line the greased flan tin with the pastry, prick the base all over with fork, place a sheet of wax paper over it and pour in the baking beans.

Bake the pastry ‘blind’ in the oven for about 15 minutes. Take the flan tin out of the oven and remove the paper and beans. Spread the grain mustard evenly over the base of the pastry case, then scatter the chopped tarragon on top of that. Crumble (or grate) three quarters of the cheese on top, place the tomato slices on top and then cover with the remaining cheese, add a few grinds of black pepper. Place the flan back in the oven and bake until the pastry edges and the cheese are golden brown. Serve warm.

canTaL cHeese TarT

BEING a long-term resident of the Costa del Sol, I usually avoid going out in August at all costs - the traffic, lack of parking and throngs of tourists just don’t do it for me.

Nor does having to fight for a table at a restaurant when I’ve de-cided, on a whim, to treat myself to a night away from cooking.

But I have to admit to rather en-joying being caught up in the holi-day atmosphere on a mid-August Saturday night in Duquesa Port as I wandered amongst the pink-around-the-edges holiday makers dressed up in their finery for their evening, past the packed noisy bars full of chatter and laughter, and the restaurants with their queues building at the doors.

Duquesa Port is smaller and less glitzy than its neighbour up the road, Puerto Banus. But, as with all of the coast’s ports, it attracts promenaders enjoying the proxim-ity to water, the view of the boats and the water-side dining and drinking opportunities.

Duquesa is far more laidback and friendly and your stroll around the water is never interrupted by the hoot of a passing Ferrari Sca-glietti becoming impatient with the pedestrians on the narrow streets. Duquesa is about the people - and an hour spent with a glass of pre-prandrial rosé sat out on the front is a great people-watching opportu-nity.

We headed for La Traviata which is reassuringly tucked away right at the top of the Port, on the third line. Looping past other busy res-taurants lower down and closer to the water, we were relieved to find this place still busy and buzzing this far up.

We turned up early, hoping we’d have our pick of tables - as it was Saturday night and despite sev-eral phone calls and messages, we hadn’t managed to get through to anyone to make a reservation – but it was already packed and they had only one table left on the attractive terrace. It was clear that, as well as the August tourists, there were lots of regulars who were warmly greet-ed by the maître d’ - a good sign.

The menu at La Traviata is huge in size but reassuringly limited in content. Simple, mostly Spanish in style and with some specials which were explained with a flourish by the manager. Barely had we taken our first sip of wine (a lovely, light bottle of Protos Joven, Ribera del

Duero - a perfect red for a warm summer’s evening) than the start-ers appeared. Had I listened hard-er, could I have heard the ‘ping’ of a microwave heralding our starters’ arrival?

The BBQ spare ribs were de-licious: succulent meat with a tangy, slight smoky sauce that was clearly homemade. The gambas ‘pil pil’ were less of a hit. The ubiqui-tous terracotta dish that came out wasn’t sizzling, which made sense given its speed out of the kitchen. The prawns were well cooked and plump, but the overdose of paprika was too much for me - I think that the chef may have even had an ac-cident with his pot of the stuff.

I like lots of soft, slow-cooked garlic and big dangerous chunks of dried chilli to flavour the bubbling oil. That’s the trouble when you have had a dish so many times and have a very specific idea of how it should be. Perhaps someone who’d had it for the first time would not have found fault. For me, it’s a ba-rometer of a place - best not to mess with a classic, just perfect it.

I also had expectations for my main course. I chose one of the spe-cials - leg of lamb which, I was told, had been marinated overnight in herbs and spices. I expected suc-culent meat, cooked for hours and falling off the bone. The fact that it was completely different to what I was expecting was, however, no bad thing this time.

The lamb was full of flavour, sub-tly enhanced and improved by the marinating process. Not falling off the bone but tender and juicy all the same, and delicious. I also loved the fresh vegetables served with it, which were an unexpected bonus in a Spanish restaurant - a far cry from the frozen/tinned, greying veg you normally get lumped with in a native eatery.

The calves’ liver ordered by my friend went down equally well. Tasty, tender and slightly smoky thanks to the ‘parilla’, and comple-mented perfectly by the salty bacon and sweet, sharp, soft caramelised onions. A hard dish to get right - there wasn’t even a hint of the rub-bery-ness that puts so many people off this delicious piece of offal.

I’m not a dessert person - I let my willing colleagues do the job of tasting the sweet stuff for me - but the selection of puds had lured me and made my choice difficult. The

crème brûlée eventually won over the pistachio chocolate brownie.

My friend however, found no such difficulty in her choice - she’d had her eye on the tiramisu before she’d even decided on her starter. My brûlée was very good and came out flambéed with brandy. Some-how the burnt sugar was still crisp under the layer of booze and the custard underneath was just right. The tiramisu was good - not great, but good. However, it lacked alco-hol and surely that’s one of the fun things about a boozy slice of home-made tiramisu. Luckily, the brûlée had been doused in brandy, so there was plenty to go round!

One thing about La Traviata that stands out, from the moment you arrive, is the exceptional ser-vice from the friendly, professional and highly knowledgeable staff. The team was rushed off its feet - and we knew that not because they were frantic and terse and sparse with their attention, but because we sat enjoying the atmosphere, watching and listening as the cre-scendo rose and the tables just kept on coming. Thanks to them and the enjoyable, homely and generously portioned food, we very much en-joyed our August evening out at La Traviata. It was fun to be a tourist for the night.

Our three course meal for two, without service, came to just un-der 100 euros, including a bottle of mid-price wine. La Traviata, third line Puerto Duquesa (above Plaza de la Fuente), 00 34 952 890 395.

Far enough from the madding crowd

restaurant review: La Traviata

by rachel seed

By Jane eDWarDs

August/September 2010 19MarinaLive!movies

HAYDEN Panettiere thinks that the time is right for ‘Scream 4’.

The former ‘Heroes’ ac-tress - who plays Kirby in the fourth instalment of the horror franchise - said: “I think it’s just perfect tim-ing, the amount of time that has passed since the last one came out. It’s a perfect setup, with all of these films ... the fictional ‘stab’ movies and all the things like that.”

But Hayden - who stars alongside Emma Roberts in the new movie - admits that keeping the killer a secret from the audience will be difficult.

She said: “For an audience that is so well-versed in ‘Scream’ films and in what happens and who becomes the killer and everything it’s trickier to throw them a curveball, but I think they’ve done a really cool job with the script. We’ve had a blast on it.”

The actress appears alongside original cast members Courteney Cox-Arquette, David Arquette and Neve Camp-bell in the movie. Shooting on the Wes Craven-directed project began in Michigan, US, in June.

HE might be the new Hanni-bal Smith, head of the leg-endary A-Team – but actor

Liam Neeson has a shocking con-fession.

He wasn’t a fan of the 80s TV blockbuster series.

He said: “To be honest, I was not a fan of the TV series at all. The cou-ple of times I did look at it, I found it kind of campy. It just wasn’t for me, it was for a younger audience.”

Discussing the script for the movie - in which he stars alongside Brad-ley Cooper, Jessica Biel and Sharlto Copley - he added: “It was wonder-ful . It was rooted in reality in real trouble spots around the world. The danger quotient has certainly been ramped up and there’s a darkness thrown in there as well, for a couple of characters.”

However, his co-star Cooper - who plays Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck - ad-mits it was a dream to play the role. He said: “It was the best working experience I’ve ever had in my life. To take on such an iconic show, one that I grew up on and to do so be-sides the likes of Liam Neeson is just amazing.”

Neeson revealed he initially found working with Cooper “terrifying”.

The 58-year-old actor co-stars with ‘The Hangover’ hunk in ‘The A-Team’ and admits he struggled at first to keep up with his younger co-stars.

He recalled: “We did a scene in the van which was my first time with Bradley. He starts this improvisa-tion, prompted by the director, and I’m there going, ‘What the hell is this?’ So it was terrifying for the first few days, and then it got to be inspir-ing actually.”

However, his co-stars admit that his presence on the set en-couraged them to work harder. Bradley explained: “It was like step-ping on the court with Michael Jor-dan how it raised everybody’s game. “That’s just what happens when you get a talent like that to work with.”

Neeson had to dye his hair white for the role of ‘Hannibal’ and rather than worry about the ageing effect it would have on his appearance, the actor embraced his new look.

He said: “It was the director Joe Carnahan’s idea originally. But I’m a huge Lee Marvin fan so I basi-cally wrapped my character around

a vague impression of Lee Marvin of ‘Dirty Dozen’ fame, which I’ve watched more than 10 times. I think it was a good choice.”

He also revealed that his family found the movie “confusing”.

The actor - whose wife Natasha Richardson died in a skiing accident 16 months ago - took his late spouse’s mother Vanessa Redgrave and his sons Michael, 15, and 14-year-old Daniel to see a screening of his latest movie, and was unsure whether they were impressed.

He said: “About a quarter of the way through I turned to her (Vanessa Redgrave) and she looked confused. I said, ‘Vanessa, are you following this?’ She said, ‘I’m a little bit con-fused but I’m loving every second of it.’

“I think I got away with it with my boys.”

The 58-year-old star’s family may get the chance to catch him in ‘A-Team’ action again after the Irish-born admitted he would jump at the chance to make a sequel to the movie.

He said recently: “Oh I’d love to do a sequel with the guys. They’re a great bunch.”

I didn’t like the A-Team on TV!NeW HANNiBAL LiAm’s sHoCK CoNFessioN

Jada preferred to play mum off screenSTAR mum Jada Pinkett Smith turned down a starring role in ‘The Ka-rate Kid’.

The ‘Women’ actress - who produced 2010 reimag-ining of the classic 80s mar-tial arts movie alongside her husband Will Smith, with their son Jaden as lead character Dre Parker - be-lieves her son needed atten-tion away from work, and was not willing to work both on and off screen.

She told GibLive!: “There was talk about me playing Jaden’s mother in the movie but I felt that he was going to really need his mom off cam-era. Mommy support. So we felt like we really had to be there as parents and produc-ers just to make sure Jaden was being taken care of.”

However, she knew she had to undertake work in the project because of the

help her and Will could give to Jaden.

She said: “Well, we knew that we had to participate in some way. We have so much knowledge between the two of us that we want to pass on to our children. So we knew it was impor-tant to participate.”

‘The Karate Kid’ is out now.

madonna proving ‘who’s boss’ with W.e.MADONNA’S new movie ‘W.E.’ will show her ex-husband Guy Ritchie “who’s boss”.

The 51-year-old singer is directing the movie - a two-tier tale about Brit-ain’s King Edward VIII’s relationship with American Wallis Simpson and a mod-ern story regarding a wom-an called Wally Simpson - and is hoping the project will prove to filmmaker Guy she is a force to be reckoned with in the movie business.

A film insider said: “Mrs Simpson is played by An-drea Riseborough and Wally Simpson by Abbie Cornish.

“They are two very strong female parts. This is a film about the strength of the so-called weaker sex. It’s fitting that Madonna’s di-rectorial debut should be this way - and it is no coin-cidence.

“Guy made no secret of his views of Madonna as a dreadful director when

they first went to Malawi together and she made a documentary about it. The film almost feels designed to show Guy who’s boss.”

Filming on the biopic be-gan at The Abingdon pub in the posh London suburb of Kensington in June. As well as directing the project, Ma-donna also took part in the writing of the screenplay for the film, which is due for re-lease in 2011.

Hayden Panettiere’s ‘perfect’ scream 4

20 August/September 2010MarinaLive! sPort

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LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard be-lieves team-mate Joe Cole is as good as - if not better than - Barca superstar Lionel Messi.

Gerrard reportedly played a huge role in persuading Cole to join Liverpool in the summer from England champions Chelsea and the 28-year-old has heaped praise on his fellow midfielder

and England colleague by comparing him to the player many regard as the best in the world.

This despite Cole’s red card for a wild tackle on his Anfield League debut against Arsenal, which ended 1-1 after a Pepe Reina blunder deep into injury time gave the Lon-don club a share of the points.

Speaking to Match of

the Day magazine, Ger-rard said: “Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better.

“Joe used to shock us in training by doing footy tricks with a golf ball that most players can’t even do with a football. I really fancy Joe for the player of the year award this sea-son.”

MANCHESTER United boss Sir Alex Ferguson looked poised to throw the towel in over his pursuit of German play-maker Mesut Oezil - af-ter the player publicly declared that he wants to play for Real Madrid.

Real coach Jose Mourinho has already had one bid for Werder Bremen’s World Cup star turned down but an im-proved offer is likely.

And the player him-self was thrilled when he heard about Real’s inter-est – although a little irri-tated that Bremen had not told him about the initial approach.

Oezil says he has now set his sights on a dream move to the Bernabeu, which seems to spell dis-appointment for Man-chester United, who have also been linked with the player.

The Germany interna-tional, whose performances at the World Cup have attracted interest from a host of Europe’s top clubs, has turned down a new contract offer from Bremen and has just 12 months remaining on his current deal.

The German club are expected to listen to offers for their prized asset this sum-mer in order to avoid losing him for noth-ing next year, but have already turned down a bid from Real.

Oezil said of Real’s approach: “When you have such an opportunity like this, then you want to take it. It is any foot-baller’s dream to play for the biggest teams in Europe.”

Oezil only found out about Real’s of-fer when he heard about it on television on Friday night and he is disappointed with his club for not informing him, even though they re-jected it out of hand. “I was very sad about that,” he said.

Meanwhile, Unit-ed legend Ryan Giggs has set his sights on managing Manches-ter United or Wales when he calls time on his illustrious playing career.

The 36-year-old winger has won every major club honour on offer in his 20 years at Old Trafford and has al-ready started taking his coaching badges with a view to follow-ing former United

team-mates including Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane and Bryan Robson into management when he hangs up his boots.

He said: “My aim would be to manage either Manchester United or Wales.”

He continued: “I don’t think I’ll know whether I’ll cope with the aggravation until I’ve finished playing and say ‘what do I do now?’

“Football is such a massive part of my life and to just stop in your late 30s and do nothing is tough.

“Even though there is so much stress involved, I think a lot of players become managers and really enjoy it.

“I think Roy Keane really enjoys it!”

STAR striker Fernando Torres loves playing with Steven Gerrard and the two will cause havoc in the English Premier League this season, according to Spanish international An-dres Iniesta.

Torres received a raptur-ous welcome from Liverpool fans when he came on as a second half substitute in the side’s opening 1-1 draw at home with Arsenal.

‘El Nino’ struggled for fit-ness throughout the World Cup, producing in-different performances for the win-ners in South Africa.

His record for the Reds has made him an instant Anfield hero, and Torres revealed to his international team-mate that Gerrard is the best strike-partner he’s ever played with despite playing alongside David Villa for his country.

“Nando will tell you him-self that his best-ever strike partner is Steven Gerrard,” Iniesta said.

“In his words they had a telepathic understanding when it came to making runs and the right pass. I really do think they can be one of the most successful attacking

teams in the Premier League and will score goals for fun.”

The Barcelona midfielder also spoke of the love Torres has for Merseyside and his desire to improve on the per-formances of last season un-der new boss Roy Hodgson.

“Even though he is happy at Liverpool in the sense he loves the club, he is clearly not happy with the results on the pitch,” Iniesta continued.

“I hope the new Liverpool coach has the sense to play them as a strike partnership again. If he does it could be a really successful season for them.”

Gerrard: Joe Cole ‘better than Messi’

iniesta backs torres

Oezil’s Madrid dream is a Real nightmare for Fergie