Blooms are everywhere at the Palheiro Gardens…something that’s not been missed by Jet Away magazine, the inflight magazine of Jet2.com. The island’s reputation as a “floating garden” is highlighted in a small article, along with the annual flower festival and Palheiro’s impressive gardens. The piece suggests that “property buyers should also be celebrating as Madeira continues to be tipped as a great investment opportunity.” We have to agree…

Our Big Game season began in earnest in the last week of May when the first big eye tuna and Atlantic blue marlin showed up on the Madeira fishing grounds. The first week of June saw some good-sized blues popping up, with the fleet reporting at least three fish estimated at 800 lbs or better. At the moment we are seeing a mix of smaller fish in the 250 to 300 lb class alongside the large blue marlin that Madeira is known for. Some other gamefish are also being encountered. The last few days have seen the occasional blind strike from large bigeye tuna and there have been some nice dorado lurking around along with a scattering of small billfish. On the 10th June, in addition to a blue marlin release, Captain Anibal and Nick Bayntun found a longbill spearfish that weighed in at 31 kgs. This fish comfortably beats the European record for 80 lb line class.

At press time conditions look to be settling into our normal summer trade wind pattern after a little spell of wind from the W/NW. Ocean temperatures are close to perfect. With abundant bait on the grounds, along with other ocean life such as turtles, dolphins and Corey shearwaters, we hope that our summer big game season will continue in the same vein as what has been a pretty good start. Visit Madeira Marlin here!

Article by Tara Loader Wilkinson - www.wealth-bulletin.com

Madeira, the Portuguese island best known for its rich flora and fauna and as the birthplace of world footballer of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, may soon be making a name for itself as a tax haven.

Entrepreneurs in the UK who are threatening to quit the country as a result of the latest tax changes targeting wealthy business owners are considering Madeira as a destination, alongside more predictable off shore centres such as Switzerland and the Channel Islands.

As well as a balmy climate, the island boasts an attractive 3% corporation tax and a double tax treaty between Portugal and the UK. Trevor Nicholson, a director at HSBC private bank, says: “The impracticality of moving countries is not justifiable for many of the UK’s wealthy. Instead, we’re getting a growing number of queries about the possibility of basing a small part of the business in Maderia, where there is no tax on dividends and personal and corporation tax is low.”

Madeira’s regime applies to new companies licensed and established in its International Business Centre to 2020. Companies also get exemption from withholding taxes on the distribution of dividends, royalties and interest payments.

Nicholson says owners of hedge funds and property companies are particularly interested in Madeira’s tax benefits.

High-profile hedge fund manager Crispin Odey and private equity boss Guy Hands recently added their voices to the chorus of wealthy business people threatening to leave the UK.

Madeira Blue Marlin – 2nd Trophy Dr. António Ribeiro
Marina da Calheta – Madeira – 12th to 14th June 2009

Foreword: The second Madeira Blue Marlin tournament is organised by the Big Game Clube de Portugal and Marina da Calheta in order to honour and perpetuate the name of the physician and surgeon Dr. António Ribeiro that is actually 95 years old, probably the oldest living legend of all blue marlin fishermen.
Due to the great success of the first tournament, this year about 20 boats are expected to enter the competition with teams from Madeira, Azores, Portugal Continental, England, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain and Canary Islands, South Africa and USA.

General information: This trophy is exclusively a Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) “ALL RELEASE” tournament. It is qualifying for IGFA – Offshore World Championship and is also integrated in the BGCP – Big Game Fishing Circuit whose winner will represent the BGCP in the HIBT – Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament in Hawaii.

The logistic base and departure of the tournament is Marina da Calheta – Madeira Island.
Teams can be minimum 3 to maximum 6 members per boat, including the reporter that is responsible for filming the different parts of the fishing action for validation.

The entry fee includes all tournament action and social activities, 12th June Welcome Cocktail, 13th June Team Dinner and 14th June Award Ceremony with Gala Dinner, tournament official polo, trophies for the 3 first places, participation trophy for everyone, and Release Trophy.

All boats should do the check in until 05.00pm on the 12th June in Marina da Calheta. At 06.00pm Captains Meeting takes place in order to clarify all details.
Every team must have one video camera to prove the jury all phases of the catch and release action, the fishermen and the equipment. For the film to be validated it must begin and end with the secret code given daily, the way out and in of the marina and the boat of the jury.

The catch is validated when the leaderman touches the leader, when the leader passes the last rod roller/guide, when the swivel touches the last rod roller/guide. Revival is mandatory. All procedures have to be registered in video.

Each day departure occurs at 09.00am after the flag rising and sonorous signal.
IGFA International Angling Rules are applied. Only trolling is accepted. There is no limit for the number of rods per boat. Maximum line class accepted is 130lb. Electric reels are not allowed. Bait, live or dead is accepted but only with circle hooks. Any released fish gets 1600 points.

The entry fee for both days of the tournament is €600,00 (six hundred Euros) per boat, including all social activities referred above.
All needed documentation can be found on:
http://www.biggameclube-portugal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=871&Itemid=233

Madeira Island is considered one of the best spots in the world for blue marlin fishing.
Be welcome in this beautiful Marlin Paradise. Do not miss our tournament.
In case of difficulty or any further explanation needed do not hesitate to contact:

Big Game Clube de Portugal
Tel: +351 282 405 090 / 8 - Fax: +351 282 405 099
E-mail:  geral@biggameclube-portugal.com
Eduardo Teixeira (BGCP Madeira Representative)
Tel: +351 965 010 220.
Email: eduardo.teixeira@biggameclube-portugal.com
eduardoacteixeira@mail.telepac.pt

When it comes to playing golf in Madeira, the Navy’s choice is Palheiro Golf. It has almost become a tradition that visiting ships of the armed forces from around the world come to play golf at Palheiro. This week the USS Nashville visited the port of Funchal. The ship had completed a maritime safety exercise off the coast of West Africa, and the crew was due for a well deserved rest. A total of 40 players took part in the Captain’s Choice tournament, and the winning team returned an impressive six under par 65!! The tournament was followed by a lunch in the Clubhouse Restaurant. At the end of the day Captain R. Tembe expressed his thanks to Palheiro Golf and all the staff, and presented Palheiro with a plaque with the ship’s crest, to display in the Clubhouse.

Quando se trata de jogar golfe na Madeira, a Marinha escolhe o Palheiro Golfe. Já é quase uma tradição que as tripulações dos navios visitantes das forças armadas dos quatro cantos do mundo venham jogar uma volta de golfe no Palheiro. Esta semana um navio da marinha dos Estados Unidos da América, o USS Nashville visitou o porto do Funchal. O navio terminara uma missão de segurança marítima pelas costas da África Ocidental e a tripulação merecia uns momentos descontraídos. 40 jogadores participaram no Torneio “A Escolha do Capitão” e a equipa vencedora obteve um resultado impressionante, pontuando 6 abaixo do par 65! Depois do Torneio seguiu-se um almoço de convívio no Restaurante Clubhouse. No final do dia, o Comandante R. Tembe agradeceu ao Palheiro Golfe e a todos os intervenientes no evento, e ofereceu uma placa com a insígnia do navio USS Nashville, que doravante ficará exposta no Clubhouse do Palheiro Golfe.

L: The indoor pool at the new Palheiro Spa;     R: A treatment room leading out to a private garden

Palheiro Spa, opening this month at Madeira’s five-star Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, part of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux collection, is a world class addition to this island paradise.

Located within the Palheiro Estate, the new spa is a perfect complement to the existing attractions at the Casa Velha, which include the renowned Palheiro Gardens and the 18-hole Palheiro Golf course.

Highly regarded local architect Bruno Martins, has integrated rustic elements with the classic style of the 200 year old Casa Velha hotel to ensure the new spa enhances the site.

“Palheiro Spa has been designed as an extension of the natural surroundings”, says Jonathan Fletcher, director of Palheiro Estate, “with local materials and native planting used wherever possible.

“This superb design, the carefully selected environmentally-friendly products from Pevonia Botanica and the highly-qualified staff will ensure that Casa Velha becomes the top resort destination on Madeira.  The Palheiro Estate’s offering of five star accommodation, along with top rated golf, outstanding gardens and now an international class spa is immensely appealing to visitors from around the world.”

Pevonia Botanica products are natural formulations that use organic extracts. All products are packaged in an eco-friendly way (recyclable/biodegradable), are non-comedogenic and have not been tested on animals.

Palheiro Spa includes four treatment rooms, a Finnish sauna, Turkish steam bath and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.  The spa complex also includes a fitness room equipped with a power plate, treadmill, bicycle, rowing machine and weights. A personal trainer can be arranged on request.

The comprehensive massage menu from around the globe includes massages specifically designed for golfers as well as botanical face and body treatments and ‘immediate results’ non-invasive facial treatments.

The Conservatory Bar at the spa offers guests the chance to sample a relaxing teas and healthy snacks before or after treatments.

The Palheiro Spa is managed by a very experienced team, which includes trained physiotherapists, masseuses, beauty therapists and esthetical therapists.

Introductory spa packages are being offered for €450 per person, including four nights’ accommodation at Casa Velha hotel and three spa treatments, plus unlimited access to Palheiro Spa’s facilities.

Direct flights run from 13 airports in the UK to Funchal and take just over three hours. Airlines include easyJet, TAP Portugal, First Choice, Thomsonfly, Thomas Cook and Fly Globespan.

For more information, please contact Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, Tel: (+351) 291 790 350 or visit www.casa-velha.com

Diana Wildman has written a glowing article about Palheiro Village in today’s Daily Express newspaper, after visiting the island in April. She notes that the Madeira retains its “Edwardian gentility” and it “attracts a comfortably-off clientele, may of whom feel their long-term future may lie there”.

Palheiro Village and all its facilities are described very positively, with the “stunning views over the Atlantic, Funchal and the famous Reid’s Hotel” highlighted.

Two owners at Palheiro Village, David and Elizabeth Vine, are pictured and quoted saying that “Palheiro Village is absolutely first-class. It has been set up so you have total service – there isn’t anything else like it on the island.”

Palheiro Golf gets a rave review from experienced golf writer, Peter Swain, following his trip here in  October . Described as “the spectacular and challenging 6,656-yard Palheiro course”, Peter goes on to say that “the elevated tees, generous fairways and receptive greens are fun” to play. He was evidently taken by the course and its surroundings, as he remarks that “this must be the best walk on the island” and the “scenery is stunning”.

Other aspects of Palheiro Estate have worked their charms on Peter, and he enthuses about the “superb cooking” and the “ritzy hillside development” of Palheiro Village.

You can read his full account here.

Every year, a few days before the annual glamorous Flower Festival, the Regional Secretary of Tourism and transportation, hosts a prize giving ceremony for the Production farm Winners of the the best quality of flower & plants at the Flower Festival competition of the previous year.

This year it was held on April 15 th awarding FLORIALIS, a Palheiro Estate affiliate and the leading flower production farm on the Island, with the following prizes :

- 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize for best Cymbidium Orchid cut-flowers.

- 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize for best Cymbidium Orchid plants.

- 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize for best Protea flowers

- 1st Prize for best Warratah Telopea flower (Protea Similar)

- 1st and 3rd Prize for best Leucospermum flower / Pincushions (Protea Similar).

This Year, FLORIALIS has yet again dazzled the public & jury winning an equal number of prizes!