Welcome Many people who take up sailing as a leisure pursuit have their first introduction to yachting on a corporate events day out. This is an excellent way of treating your staff or clients to a memorable time with you. The Solent is a large stretch of water off the Hampshire coast protected to a large degree from strong winds by the Isle of Wight to the south. The waters are however tidal which provides a challenge to navigators and helmsmen and women. The western Solent has stunning coastal scenery, some of the most spectacular in the UK. The Solent is also blessed with an amazing sunshine record resulting from its topography and the direction of prevailing winds. Hurst Point Yacht Charters has a variety of yachts to offer you for corporate events. The largest yachts take 14 people including skipper. We also have matched 40ft yachts certified to carry 8 people each. These lend themselves to some fun racing around the same Solent buoys used in the Cowes Week racing. When we complement the sailing with lunch in one of the iconic Solent sailing clubs with their spectacular waterfront views the Solent corporate sailing experience is complete. During the day, we will take a steer from you whether you wish to be shown how to operate the yachts yourselves or sit back and relax for a leisurely cruise under sail. Equally you may wish to put the yachts through their paces and generate some excitement in heading for a distant destination, the choice is yours. If the weather is warm, an anchor stop for refreshments, swimming, fishing or sunbathing may appeal.

But favourite ports of call for corporate event trips are Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth harbour and Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River. Osbourne Bay with close views of Queen Victoria's imposing Osbourne House provides a sheltered anchorage from the south westerlies. To the west, Alum bay with its multicoloured sandstone marks the start of the Jurassic Coast and the awe inspiring Needles rocks with its lighthouse, the last manned in the UK, is close by. And high on the cliffs above, accessed by the skiing style chair lift from the beach below, Marconi sent the first transatlantic telephone message. The open topped visitor bus winds its way on the cliff top to the Bluestreak rocket test pad. We usually get ashore on the island at some point, often Cowes but also Yarmouth if the weather intervenes or the wonderful National Trust anchorage at Newtown Creek.

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To make a booking you first need to check on availability so please email us or telephone using the contact details above. We will then send by return email the booking forms and grant you a 7 day option for the dates you are interested in. If you are considering bareboat charter, please check that you have the bareboat experience/qualifications required.

Please however study the rest of this page if you wish to learn more about how we can provide you with services as corporate event organisers.

Itineries Corporate events are operated from fashionable Lymington in the New Forest National Park down in Hampshire /Dorset. Our location allows us to cruise up the Beaulieu River into the heart of the forest or dart across to Yarmouth or Newtown Creek on the Island. Cowes is less than 2 hours sailing away. Because we are at the far western end of the Solent, the beautiful blue flag beaches of Studland bay to the west and Poole harbour are in range for a days charter as is Portsmouth to the east.

Team building 2011 was a good year for the team building sailing events side of our yacht charter business with blue chip companies as well as medium and small size companies all entrusting their big day out with us. We carried out a series of teamwork mini regattas involving 2, 3 or 4 yachts with matched performance. This latter point avoids arguments regarding which yacht was faster! Below is an image from a team building event in June using 4 yachts. Morning consisted of a leisurely sail from the Hamble to Cowes to allow the crews to familiarise themselves with the yachts. Lunch was taken ashore at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. The afternoon saw a fun race back to the Hamble for presentation of prizes at the Royal Southern Yacht Club Hamble. Note that the clients are helming and crewing the yacht themselves.

corporate hospitality organisers
Solent Team Building

Our mini regattas are remarkably similar to the real thing. We sail similar courses around the same race marks and finish to the blast of the sound horn on the Royal Yacht Squadron finishing line off Cowes at the mouth of the Medina river.

Corporate Hospitality Moving away from the sailing yachts, we can also offer for day charter at one of your key company events a 75ft custom built luxury motor yacht able to cater at dinner for up to 40 guests. A great way of viewing at close quarters some of the major Solent events such as arrival of the ocean Queens trans Atlantic liners, start of the Fastnet race, Cowes Week fireworks and Admiarlty fleet reviews which take place from time to time to name but a few. New for 2012, we can now propose memorable and nostalgic days afloat in various locations including the Solent and elsewhere aboard a range of specialist corporate hospitality craft for up to 200! people.

Nelson 75 providing race spectating from close quarters

Corporate Entertainment The ultimate corporate entertainment is participation in one of the worlds major yacht races. Each year we enter the Island Sailing Club's 'Round the Island Race'. This is the worlds largest yacht race with 1750 yachts competing in 2011. The date for the race in 2012 is Saturday 30th June. Started by canon on the ramparts of the Cowes water front, the race duration is approximately 9 hours. You will be rubbing shoulders with the yachting aristocracy including Olympic gold medalists much in the same way that the Grand National is open to (and sometimes won by) all comers. Once the finishing line has been crossed, there is plenty of time to celebrate ashore where a competitors village provides live music until late. The race is a spectacle and experience which your customers will appreciate enormously and so is stongly recommended. We can provide high quality catering, promotional clothing, photography, and hull advertising. We believe this event will breathe new life into your corporate entertainment allowing you to strengthen relations with your existing clients by bringing a sparkle to their eyes. What better way to get 3 days one to one time with your most important customer? More here on Round The Island Race

corporate event companies
Round the Island Race. Beating home off Ryde

No 1 Solent teambuilding event is Cowes Week which usually takes place 1st week in August. However because of the Olympic Games in 2012, race week is 13-18 August. We will enter you into one of the major race categories and you will compete in the worlds largest sailing regatta. Racing daily against serious and experienced sailors, you will have a steep learning curve to climb. Races last around 3 hours and finish on the Royal Yacht Squadron line. We find that once a company has experinced Cowes Week for the first time, they like to make it an annual event with the result that sailing skills are quickly acquired by everyone. Yachts take 7 plus skipper. Accommodation on board or ashore. More on Cowes Week here.

Outside of Cowes Week, we can plan and organise your mini sailing regatta. We have a matched fleet of 40ft Bavaria yachts for this purpose operating from Lymington. A typical day would consist of a morning race, lunch in the sailing club followed by a second race in the afternoon. Spectator ribs can also be provided if required.

Please contact us for a tailor made quotation, otherwise prices for yacht and skipper hire in general terms can be found here

July 2008 Corporate Teamwork (racing!) on 2 matched Elan 434 yachts Hamble to Cowes lunch Island Sailing Club Force 6 wind
'Clive, Just a quick note to thank you for making sure our day out on Friday went smoothly. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and I have had some great feedback. We are certainly considering another day out, next time involving a few clients on a single boat. If not this year, then perhaps next. I hope to be in touch again! Kind regards Mark'

June 2008 Corporate team building four 40ft Bavaria yachts Hamble to Cowes lunch Royal Corinthian sailing club Force 6 wind.
'Everyone who participated yesterday had a great day and for many it was their first experience at sea. All the feedback is that this event should be a regular occurrence. The whole day was just about perfect, the weather conditions, the food and the skippers all came together and delivered above expectation of the bosses, so thanks for that. Darren'

We hope we have convinced you to make a no obligation enquiry to learn how we may act as teamwork planners for your big event. Please take a few seconds more to read TESTIMONIALS we have received.

28th February 2009 Corporate Hospitality from Lymington with lunch Yarmouth on the island, light winds and warm sunshine
'Hi Clive, I just wanted to send my warmest thanks for a great day on Saturday. The guys had a great time on and off the boat - the sailing was first class and your choice for lunch was excellent !! A big thank you from all especially Tony and myself. Look forward to using you and your boat again in the future. Best regards, Mark H...... Continental Tyre Group

To discuss a tailored quotation, please contact Clive Cutler Tel 01590 623765 mob 07932 140878 or email info@hurstpointyachts.co.uk Save this page if you may need to review later as it is not always available for search
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