The Yacht Club Cala d’Or in Mallorca opens its d’Ors!
11 April 2005 - 16:57
The opening of the Yacht Club Cala d’Or in Mallorca proved to be a well-planned almost military exercise. Reporters and journalists were shipped from all over the world. TheYachtMarket was the only website invited to cover the opening. This magnificent club oozed with splendour and razzmatazz; a chic but relaxed meeting place in the Med.
The club also offers fine food, excellent service, gym, sauna, steam room, kids room, library, roof terraces, piano bar, lavish swimming pool area with an enormous sunbathing deck and even mini pools for the kids! This is a well thought out club with no expense spared. A landmark Yacht Club designed for the family by a family.
September last year was the first time we had heard about the new Yacht Club Cala d’Or in Mallorca. Myself and the team of TheYachtMarket were manning our stand on a cold and very wet day with water logged deck shoes at the Southampton International Boat Show. Sergio Garcia, the yacht club’s PR representative was warmly welcomed and a glass of champagne was plonked firmly in his hand while he explained in detail the luxurious concept of this brand new club.
As new yacht clubs are not popping up every day, we thought it an excellent idea to stay in contact and follow the progress of this very exciting project, from start to finish on TheYachtMarket. Seeing the initial artist’s impressions of the new clubhouse perched grandly on the top of the hill in Cala d’Or, we realised that this was going to be an impressive project.
With seven months to go to the club’s grand opening in April, Sergio, the developer from the UK, and the staff would be in for an eye opening experience if the club was to open on budget and on time. We cannot comment on the budget but the club did open on time!
After posting many progress reports here on TheYachtMarket and many conversations with Sergio we were invited to the club’s Press Preview Day. After a pleasant two-hour flight and having consumed the finest budget airline 100% processed food (out of pure starvation needs), we landed in Palma and met, Sergio’s and another guest, the highly experienced Sarah Norbury, editor of Practical Boat Owner magazine.
A quick cup of coffee and a chance to acquaint ourselves we were then taken to our car. To all our surprise, a gleaming red chauffer driven Rolls Royce convertible was to be our steed! Otto, our driver, after telling all that it would be cold, seemed amazed that after no less than five minutes into our forty-five minute journey we all insisted that he stop the car, take down the roof, and let in the sun. We thought that the Mallorcan sun would warm us all up, but travelling at 70mph what little warmth the sun did generate was soon spirited away to leave us all shivering – only then did we understand Otto’s amazement!
Arriving at the small and relaxed marina in Cala d’Or and readjusting our wind swept hair and composure we got our first glance of the brand new Yacht Club Cala d’Or. Sitting astride the hilltop like a white knight the club’s presence is dominating. Gleaming white paintwork applied to stunning architecture, new flags flying, palm trees, and other exotic planting set the scene for this lavish foray into the yacht club scene.
This is a renaissance of the opulent Mediterranean yacht clubs of the 40’s and 50’s! A chance to see how the other half live. Although no classic Riva powerboats were to be seen lapping up the sun, plenty of the next generation brand new Fairline, Princess, Sunseeker and Ferretti powerboats and their owners were! After this brief photo stop, we were then taken to our hotel to freshen up and take stock.
The whistle stop tour commenced again with us and other journalists from all over Europe being transported down to the marina to have our first taste of the Yacht Club Cala d’Or. The owner of the club has created his own spirit of ecstasy in the Mediterranean "The Flying Lady" of yacht clubs – the Rolls-Royce!
Polished chrome, sumptuous and sweet smelling new leather armchairs, the lacquered finish of the baby grand piano hovering on a glass panelled floor with water beneath and freshly cut exotic flowers all added to the ambiance. This is a club to complement the new yacht in the marina an escape, a haven.
Meeting Paul Gilbert, Chairman and owner of Yacht Club Cala d’Or, we were surprised at how down to earth he was. The inspiration for the new club was in fact his wife. Fed up with just sitting on the boat day after day she wanted a retreat, a home from home.
Not a hotel to stay at, as the boat served that purpose moored up in the marina, but a place to be able to complement a lifestyle, a place on dry land to be able to kick off the deck shoes and meet other like-minded people and to sip a cool glass of Chardonnay. Six “cabins” are to be constructed in phase two. Ideal if room on the boat gets a little tight for your visiting guests or you simply need a rest bite from the constant rocking of the boat.
Paul was very keen to emphasise that the club is also designed for your children. “Happy kids equal happy parents” he said, the inclusion of a children’s swim area away from the main infinity pool overlooking the marina was a welcome site. A fully equipped kid’s room for children of all ages is included and is stocked with Playstations, TV, toys and crayons for colouring.
The lavishly appointed gymnasium with the latest cardio and weight training equipment, sauna and steam rooms, his and hers shower and changing facilities, mean that your older children can also enjoy the club and you can stay fit and healthy and work off those calories that you have just put on upstairs in the fantastic “Cala Vista” restaurant!
If your busy business schedule gets in the way of your well-earned break, there is now no need to fly home for those odd “meetings” or to conclude that lucrative deal, then fly back again. Now with the new Yacht Club Cala d’Or, you do not have to move far as the club has a fully equipped conference room with computers, internet, video conferencing, projection, and fax and a full boardroom style table with plush fine art soon to be adorning the walls. The corporate members should find this a very attractive area of the club – a total business centre.
Your dirty laundry, salty linen and damp creased clothes are a thing of the past with the well-fitted utility room with washing machines, tumble dryers and ironing facilities. After all this activity you can relax by the infinity pool and take in the sun. If it gets too hot, you can retreat into the cool library’s leather armchairs to read your favourite novel, study that chart or simply read your favourite daily newspaper.
Paul also tells us that this is a strictly no smoking club, made so by a general member consensus, the club will retain its sharp and crisp image for longer. It is hard work maintaining this stylish image – scuffmarks on the walls, dust on the sills all have to be removed constantly. The polished wood and stone floors cleaned, fresh flowers cut. Everything has to be spot on!
Paul is particularly proud of his Cala Vista restaurant the intimate evening dining room that serves only fine cuisine – the only concern is that its popularity may mean that an advanced booking may have to be factored in to your plans! Overlooking the marina with its own private terrace with taught, “canvas sails” offering you shade and fluttering above your head while you enjoy a smoke and read by day or sup your favourite cocktails with candle light by night; dining here is truly an occasion.
It does not stop here; in the Hotel de Paris in Monte-Carlo, one of the finest hotels in the world, Alain Ducasse presents his Riviera cuisine. The Head Chef at the Cala Vista has been educated by Alain Ducasse and presents a full Alain Ducasse menu. We tried a seven-course taster menu and it was truly magnificent.
We have to commend the staff of the Yacht Club Cala d’Or; they were attentive and came across in a very professional manner. The Yacht Club Cala d’Or is not a true yacht club as we would understand it to be, with oilskins, water and dinghies splashing and crashing everywhere. It is more a civilised exclusive member’s only club that draws in aspects of yachting, power boating and its bravado and creates an environment that has been distinctly lacking today in the yachting world.
The Yacht Club Cala d’Or is a welcome haven to relax in unashamed luxury and to socialise with other likeminded members. As the waters of the Mediterranean can be unpredictable at times, members can even arrange a quick bomb over to mainland Spain in a safe Flotilla environment. The club leans towards the powerboat market, and Paul is the proud owner of a Fairline Squadron 58. It is also a great place to share ideas and get hands on tips on how best to maximise your vessel’s performance and understand its abilities.
We found that the Cala d’Or marina has all the facilities you would expect from any good quality Mediterranean marina. It has showers, shore power, fuel station, boat haul, hard standing and chandlery. The marina is not the largest in the world but this simply adds to its charm.
Contrary to other reports that most Mallorcan and Mediterranean marinas were all booked up or all available berths were taken, the marina manager assured us that space was still available. As the club’s presence and memberships increase, space may become a problem. We were at the Cala d’Or marina at the beginning of the season so things were a little sleepy. As the season progresses and as the tourists land, Cala d’Or transforms itself into a hive of activity.
If you don’t want to eat every night at the club we thought that we would try out the cuisine elsewhere. Due to the beginning of the season, the restaurants in the marina were very quite except one. We recommend you try the Restaurant Botavara it was truly magnificent. We ate there both nights and were very impressed. The menu was different, offering a variety from the other standard menus in the marina. The service was exceptional with attention to detail that you would expect from much higher priced establishments. The wine list was reasonable and the fish, being so close to the sea was very fresh indeed.
Taking a short walk in to the main town of Cala d’Or you will be able to find clothes shops, super markets, boutiques and other essentials to make your stay worthwhile. We stayed in the new Meliá Cala d' Or, a 4-star superior hotel, a short taxi ride from the marina. The hotel is set in a sumptuous Mediterranean garden spread over 7,100 m2, just 200 metres from Cala Gran and 250 metres from the town centre of Cala d'Or, offering the most relaxed and peaceful environment. We found this to be an intimate hotel with excellent modern architectural accents and great facilities.
Membership information for the Yacht Club Cala d’Or can be obtained by contacting the club directly by telephone on + 34 971 648 203 or by visiting their website www.yccalador.com or email info@yccalador.com
Yacht Club Cala d’Or
