The BVI Charter Yacht Society’s Sailing Chefs and their Serious Culinary Creations
By Jane Bakewell
As part of The BVI Charter Yacht Society’s fall boat show some serious yacht chefs were challenged to cook up some serious culinary dishes.
The CYS Culinary Competition was in full swing and 14 registered yacht chefs were vying for a Culinary Certificate to add prestige to their yacht, while a team of judges were eagerly waiting to come aboard and start tasting.
The Charter Yacht Society is a non-profit organization founded by independent owners of crewed yachts in the BVI. The annual CYS show brings together nearly 50 yachts annually for a four-day meet and greet extravaganza for international charter brokers and the locally-based crew. The requirement to register is to be an independently-owned charter boat based in the BVI, or having a majority of charters in BVI waters. One of the highlights of the show is the Culinary Competition, allowing chefs to “show their best” with a panel of qualified judges to determine the winners.
The host venue for this year’s show was Nanny Cay Marina, a sprawling complex of yachts on sea and land, charter businesses, restaurants, shops and trendy condos overlooking canals. The excitement on the opening night is always palatable as vendors, who cater to the yachts, set up their tents and tables showcasing their fresh produce, varied libation offerings and many yacht-related services.
Just a few essentials are needed to create a potential five-star meal: a well-equipped kitchen, readily sourced ingredients, and the ability to marry these food items in tasty and tantalizing ways. For Charter Chefs, pleasing their guests’ varied palettes with a limited menu, makes for an extra challenge in a small galley and sometimes under sail. However, having a reputation for high quality food, definitely enhances a charter boat’s ability to attract guests willing to pay a bit extra for exceptional cuisine on their vacation experience.
This year’s Culinary Competition had an “October Harvest” theme. The pressure was on for the charter chefs to prepare one of two options; either an Appetizer and Entrée or an Entrée and Dessert highlighting two ingredients, pumpkin and cinnamon. The judging is based on: Presentation, Taste and Flavor, Creativity and Originality in the use of these two compulsory ingredients.
I was fortunate to have CYS Board Member, Lina Nilsson (also crew on Miss Summer) escort me around to a few of the yachts to meet some of the chefs and hear about their preparations for the culinary event. This was the day before the judges visit and crew on the yachts were also hosting the newly arrived brokers wanting tours of their vessel.
Sending Lina ahead to our first yacht, “C’est La Vie,” a Lagoon 67, I respectfully took off my tennis shoes and awaited “permission to board” from the crew. Fortunately, no brokers were aboard at the time, so we were able to sit in the main saloon airconditioned coolness, as I asked some questions of Chef Sofia Ribeiro.
Jumping right into her chosen appetizer description, Sophia, decided on a unique twist on Italian Arancini balls. This recipe calls for risotto rice cooked and formed into golf-size balls, stuffed with mozzarella cheese, sundried tomatoes and rolled in egg batter with a Parmesan, garlic, breadcrumb coating with pumpkin and either baked or fried. The presentation is plated on a cinnamon-pumpkin puree. Sounded like a delicious savory and sweet combo to me, and the judges agreed (spoiler alert) awarding yacht, C’est Vie and Chef Sophia, Runner-Up in the Appetizer category.
We next wandered down the dock to “Ebb & Flow,” a seemingly popular Lagoon 560 yacht with a steady stream of Charter brokers either hugging goodbye or just coming aboard. Once aboard we met vivacious chef, Margaret Harrington, who scurried around the air-conditioned galley to show us the various ingredients she had prepped for her Entrée category – a chilled Pumpkin Gazpacho. Her recipe included roasted pumpkin pureed with cucumber, orange bell pepper, red onion, garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar. A toasted pumpkin seed, basil leaf pesto will be served alongside with cinnamon croutons for dipping.
Again, all the elements required for the competition were presented with a creative interpretation. Chef Margaret showed us the unused parts of the pumpkin she had sliced and sealed for later recipes, not wanting to waste ingredients, an important thought on a floating “kitchen” which is generally only stocked once for a week-long charter.
For a final look at the third category, the dessert recipe in the Culinary Competition, we headed down the dock to the 50-foot Sunreef sailing yacht, “Unwavering.” While Captain Adam escorted the Brokers around the boat, English Chef, Rosie Kirk, took a few minites out to discuss her pumpkin egg custard tart entry. A tart recipe sounded just right for an English chef, and Rosie admitted making tarts was a favorite of hers. This tart would consist of a tart crust with a pumpkin-orange meringue layer with “pumpkin pearls” (deep-fried tiny pearl-sized pumpkin balls) with a pumpkin spice-flavored burst, topped with a cinnamon-sugared honeycomb lattice for an edible decoration. Carmel spirals will add the finished look on this delectable tart.
By this time, I was getting hungry and wishing I was one of the three judges sampling these creative concoctions. From interviewing the chefs, I realized how abundant and varied the food sources are here in the islands and that small galleys and limited kitchen equipment do not thwart the creativity of the chefs’ menus. From some of the rave reviews I read on a few of the yacht brochures, charter guests seem to agree that fine dining is not limited on the high seas.
Visiting these islands and chartering a yacht in BVI waters, complete with a captain and personal chef, will most likely include a chance for “stress-free” great sailing, watersports, and daily adventures. But it may also be a chance for some of the best culinary experiences you and your family or friends enjoy.
For more on the Charter Yacht Society of The BVI go to their website
https://www.crewedyachtsbvi.com
Additional information can be found at BVI Insider story “Kickback on a BVI Crewed Charter Yacht.
