This past July, Princess Yachts America’s Summer Owners Holiday returned to beautiful Block Island at the incredible Champlin’s Resort and Marina. The event marked the 23rd Owners Holiday since Princess Yachts America began hosting them twice annually in 2012 and was the largest gathering of Princess owners in the Northeast to date, with more than 40 Princess Yachts in attendance and a group of owners, guests, staff, dealers, and vendors totaling more than 300 attendees.
After navigating into Block Island’s Great Salt Pond and getting settled with the help of Champlin’s fantastic marina staff, owners and guests were greeted with a pitcherful of the resort’s famous frozen mudslides and a gift bag of custom Princess branded goodies to help them get settled for the long weekend. The Welcome In celebration hosted at the historic Spring House featured plenty of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails followed by dinner and dancing, with an unbeatable view.
A full breakfast buffet was in order to fuel up everyone for a busy second day that offered a variety of activities, including a creative floral design class, guided scooter and bike tours of the island, and capped off with a pool party featuring a traditional all-American picnic-style cookout. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the day was the inaugural running of the Knot So Royal Regatta, where a special royal guest challenged the Princess family of owners to put their boatbuilding (and racing) skills to the test. In true Princess Owners Holiday fashion, this was no ordinary cardboard regatta, and fame, fortune, and royal recognition awaited our champions with prizes awarded for best design, most spectacular sinking, and the overall winner of the race. Without a doubt, a fantastic and memorable time was enjoyed by both the participating teams and spectators.
Day 3 of the event included a competitive pickleball tournament, an opportunity to visit the local farmers market and explore the bustling main street area of the island, and a chance to compete in the ever-popular egg-toss competition. The day was capped off with an all-inclusive traditional lobster boil at Champlin’s, overlooking the marina, with live music and dancing carrying on late into the evening. Early on the event’s final morning, as guests prepared to depart the marina, the famous singing baker from Aldo’s Bakery serenaded the fleet as he made his way around the marina in a launch filled with baskets of delicious fresh-baked pastries to keep the Princess owners and guests well-fed with a taste of Block Island’s finest treats for the journey home.
Block Island offers so many opportunities to enjoy the best of the Northeast and New England in the summer, and Champlin’s Marina and Resort provided a fantastic venue to enjoy the best of the cruising lifestyle. Princess Yachts America was pleased to welcome dealer representatives from Chesapeake Yacht Center, HMY Yacht Sales, Oyster Harbors Marine, and SI Yachts, who were on-hand to support customers at the event. Additional support from Princess Yachts, Atlantic Marine Electronics, Aquamare Marine, Bayside Marine, Harrington Marine Services, Marine Solutions, Quickstep Marine, Volvo Penta USA, and Williams Tenders helped make the event a resounding success.
Look for the Princess Yachts America fleet of owners this spring and summer as they head to the Abacos in the Bahamas from April 24 to 28, and to historic Boston from July 24 to 27! If you own a Princess and would like to join in on the fun, email events@pyamerica.com for more information and to register for upcoming Princess Owners Holidays.
