Jersey Marinas is playing host to representatives from The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) during its annual familiarisation visit, with Jersey having been selected as the preferred destination in 2018.
The Yacht Harbour Association is a global trade association established to support and develop the marina industry. It is also responsible for the Gold Anchor Award Scheme, set up over 25 years ago as a means of auditing marinas throughout the world. Jersey Marinas first joined the scheme 17 years ago and in early 2018 it was announced by TYHA that all three of the Island’s marinas; namely St Helier, Elizabeth and La Collette had maintained their prestigious 5 Gold Anchor status for the 13thconsecutive year.
Explaining the reason for the group’s visit to Jersey, Libby Gordon from The Yacht Harbour Association, says, “Each year we choose a different location from one of our partner members. We have worked closely alongside Jersey Marinas for a number of years. With its recent success in retaining its Gold Anchor status and of course, its annual boat show, which continues to grow in terms of its size and reputation among the the local and overseas maritime industry it was an easy choice to make. We are looking forward to visiting Jersey and the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how this award-winning marina works.”
Earlier this year, St Helier Marina was voted ‘Coastal Marina of the Year 2018’ by members of THYA. The award is especially significant as it is voted for by both local and visiting customers. Commenting on the forthcoming visit, Group Leisure Manager for Ports of Jersey, Mike Tait who has responsibility for the Island’s marinas, says, “So far, 2018 is proving to be a very successful year for Jersey Marinas in terms of retaining its Gold Anchor status and winning the Coastal Marina award, which is a testament to the professional and commitment of the team. Therefore, this familiarisation visit by THYA is a great opportunity to strengthen the great working relationship we already have and demonstrate to industry colleagues what steps we are taking to continue this success.”
During the three-day visit, the 24-strong party, which, along with TYHA representatives is made up of a number of owners and operators of UK marinas as well as industry suppliers, will enjoy a rarely accessible ‘behind the scenes visit’ to the Island’s marinas and harbours environment as well as experiencing a number of Jersey’s leading visitor attractions, including La Mare Vineyards and Jersey War Tunnels. The group will also be making a brief trip to Beaucette Marina in Guernsey as well as a visit to see harbour operations at Maritime House and facilities in air traffic control at Jersey Airport. The group is in the island between Tuesday 26 and Thursday 28 June 2018.
