Set Sail On The New Flying Frenchman Luxury Catamaran In The USVI

ByDebbi Karpowicz Kickham, Former Contributor.

Former editor of Robb Report, Debbi has written about luxuries from Asprey to Zegna.

When you’re on an island vacation, you probably want to stay in the water – and on the water – as much as possible. That means swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, sailing (including lessons, if you need them), kayak tours, jet skiing – and so much more. When that’s the case, you’ll want to check out Red Hospitality & Leisure, one of the leading watersports and hospitality groups in the Caribbean, South Florida and Hawaii. This company provides some of the finest in outdoor marine luxury experiences in prime destinations such as St. Thomas USVI, St. John USVI, Turks & Caicos, Key West, Key Largo, the British Virgin Islands and Maui. When it comes to all-things-water, Red is considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest, for good reasons.

More importantly, it has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic, and top-rated luxury hotels including The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection, Waldorf-Astoria, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, and Westin Hotels.

In fact, we just stayed at The Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and enjoyed a debut sailing on Red’s newest luxury 65-foot catamaran, The Flying Frenchman, which docks at Dockside Watersports at Frenchman’s Reef.

Let me just say here that the new Frenchman’s Reef is idyllic. This beautiful resort is the epitome of anyone’s beachside holiday dream. It is the product of a $425 million rebuild of two distinct properties – The Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef, and Morningstar Buoy Haus Beach Resort at Frenchman’s Reef, Autograph Collection.

(As soon as I arrived, I took one look at the huge white floating daybeds in the azure water – and I was hooked.)

But let’s get back to The Flying Frenchman – This elegant maritime vessel is truly an aristo-craft.

We loved our adventure on the The Flying Frenchman, the all-new “jewel in the crown” for Red Hospitality. We sailed for about two hours out of the USVI, and it was a wonderful experience (though it got choppy out there in the open water, but that’s the wimpish side of me writing). Sparkling new, the world-class vessel features a gourmet dining area, custom-made shipboard grill, open bar (though I stuck to non-alcoholic ginger beer, as I tend to get motion sickness), and it can accommodate up to 125 guests. All sorts of sublime snacks were offered, including delicious hummus and crudites, Brie and roast beef sliders, organic chicken-salad sandwiches, fresh-caught local seviche, plus an open bar, which everyone enjoyed immensely. The vessel just debuted this year and its services are not limited to guests of Frenchman’s Reef and The Westin. (Red Hospitality also owns and operates Cruz Bay Watersports.)

Being on board, complete with the wind running through my hair, was an extremely soigne and sophisticated experience – and everyone in the crowd looked so chic, it seemed like they had just stepped out of the summer issue of Vogue. My husband Bill and I just sat there and took in the beauty of it all, considering ourselves blessed and lucky to be enjoying such a lovely sunset sail. And meeting other passengers – some very interesting people from all over the world. That was one special thing I enjoyed about being on the Flying Frenchman – not too big and not too small, it afforded many opportunities to meet other people from all walks of life, and to enjoy some sparkling conversations about travel. (Just note – the vessel is a shoeless experience – your footwear is stowed while you sail.) And here’s my personal recommendation — the haute-couture craft offers a picture-postcard beautiful setting that is ideal for snapping images for next year’s Christmas card – so bear that in mind beforehand, and pick out your best outfits to wear!