A while ago, Richard Peters, the Ibiza area manager for JET2 Holidays got in touch with the Boats Ibiza team. He’d had the rather splendid idea to treat his hardest working team of holiday reps, Jacs, Silvio and Kat to an unforgettable day out. His reasoning was clear. Happy staff do a great job and treating those staff to a well-deserved reward not only felt good but made solid business sense. Being a boat and yacht enthusiast, the first idea that sprang to mind was an Ibiza boat charter. And with JET2 being a solid British business, Richard had his eye on a prestigious British-made Sunseeker yacht. And who can blame him?!
Deciding finally on our popular (and surprisingly affordable) 47′ Sunseeker Camargue, the day of their Ibiza yacht charter arrived. Everyone arrived early to the meeting point at Rita’s (fabulous) Cantina in the port of San Antonio where our Sunseeker Camargue is moored. This was the first time that Richard’s staff had experienced a private Ibiza boat charter and there were mixed feelings – some excited and some a tad nervous, with fears of seasickness and the possibility of a rough ride, a common anxiety for many.
Fortunately, we were met by one of Boats Ibiza’s most popular and long-serving skippers, Captain Paul ‘Ibiza’ Fuller. Think of the friendliest smile you’ve ever seen and then times it by x 3. You’re coming close to the kindly, twinkling eyes and easy-going grin of Captain Paul. Having been, in his own words, “practically born on a boat,” Paul has a way of putting everyone at their ease and nervous sailors are his speciality, instantly allaying fears with his calm and capable manner, vast experience and obvious expertise.
The weather was mixed, with sun, clouds and the odd splatter of rain. Would the trip be a washout?! Which route would be best to escape the clouds and wallow in the sunshine? All eyes looked expectantly to Captain Paul, who, with his massive experience of Ibiza micro-climates, knew exactly what to do and where to go.
Squinting his eyes to the sky, he quickly declared with great certainly, ‘let’s go north.’ And secure in our Captain’s know-how, off, dear reader, we sailed.
Within 10 minutes, we had dodged the murkiest of the clouds and emerged into beautiful warm sunshine. Heading north, past Cala Gracio and the dramatic cliffs of Punta Galera we soon arrived at the pristine, transparent turquoise waters of Cap Negret. Clothes were gleefully cast aside as we stopped for a swim and snorkel, playing in the kayak and falling hopelessly (and repeatedly!) off the paddle board. The water was deliciously cool and after washing down in the Sunseeker’s convenient freshwater shower, we cracked open the beers and Cava.
Smiles got wider as we stopped off at the pretty-as-a-picture coves of Portixol, Utopia beach, San Miguel and Benirras passing the remnants of an old shipwreck from the 1920’s on the way. By this time, any sailing fears had dissolved into the laughter, plentiful toasts to good health and the generally fantastic atmosphere on the boat. We set anchor and had a picnic onboard – a simple affair of cured meats, cheeses, bread and nibbles. Delicous! It’s a fact that everything, honestly, tastes better al fresco on the Balearic sea, bobbing gently up and down on a boat!
The drinks flowed as we began our return journey south, heading this time for sunset off the coast of Cala Conta’s iconic Bohemian beach bar, Sunset Ashram. And what a finale! The water toys came back out and Captain Paul slid out the diving board as we messed about under the orange and pink and violet glows of that famous Ibiza sunset. The music changed to classic chillout vibes and everyone fell silent, mesmerised by those final golden moments before the sun finally slipped underneath the horizon, having blessed us with one more glorious day.
Asking Richard what had been the best thing about spending some downtime with his best staff, he replied.
“Actually, those aren’t my best staff. My best people couldn’t come, so I brought this lot instead.”
Hoots of laughter ensued and Richard narrowly escaped being thrown overboard by his by now, gloriously empowered staff 😉
That says it all really. The defining characteristics of the day were laughing, joking, relaxing and of course, lots of fun. The absolute antidote in fact, to the stress and long hours put in by those extraordinary people who work hard all summer to make your Ibiza holiday experience the best it can be. A big salute to Richard Peters of JET2 Holidays. A boss who looks after his staff after the season’s graft will no doubt have those staff by his side for a long time to come.
Want to treat your staff to a team-building treat? Get in touch with the promotional code TREAT20 for a 10% discount and a free bottle of Grey Goose vodka.
Photos including lead image by Richard Peters. Other images by Alasdair Grant and Jane Charilaou. All rights reserved.
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