Velero Menorca: the sailboat that makes you feel at home
Sea experiences on a comfortable sailboat cruising among Menorca’s most famous bays? Rent Alizè and savor the hospitality of Iñigo and Ana!
Born in 1989, Iñigo Lobato Santamaría was born and raised in front of the Cantabrian Sea, which bathes the Basque Country. It is a cold and deep sea, often rough and influenced by tides, rich in plant and animal species.
It is famous for its anchovies which, to survive the winter, accumulate fat. Therefore, they are caught when they have the right balance of meat and fat, which is in spring, and they are among the best in the world. Bread, butter, and anchovies are an irresistible delicacy for me!
The Cantabrian is a different sea from the Mediterranean
Iñigo’s maternal grandfather has a catamaran and loves to take his grandson out on the boat with him. Therefore, from a very young age, he cultivated a close and engaging bond with the sea. In 2018, he moved to the Mediterranean, to Malaga, where he began his professional career as a skipper/captain for recreational boats: he got his license, repaired boats in shipyards, and practiced by sailing. You don’t study the sea at university; you learn it by living it every day. And you can fall so deeply in love with it that, after a summer in Menorca as a skipper, you decide to sell everything you have in the Basque Country to buy a boat to work with. Iñigo shares:
«I met Alizè in Sète, France. She is an Hanse 540 from 2007, over 16 meters long. She is a sloop, meaning she has only one mast and, like all Hanse boats, she is very well cared for, has style, and is fast, safe, and reliable. Alizè is a yacht that is easy to manage even alone».
How the idea of Veleromenorca.com was born
But Iñigo is not alone! Last summer, in fact, he met Ana Gonzalez, a Catalan from Barcelona on vacation in Menorca, and Cupid shot his arrow. She worked for years in the catering industry, now she works as a consultant, and despite never having been on a boat or at sea before, she decided to dive into this new professional and human adventure. I met them in a bay just outside Ciutadella; it is my first interview in my ideal habitat, which means on a boat and at sea. They explain in unison:
«We get along well, this summer will be a good test for us, both as a team and as a couple. Ana is starting to familiarize herself with the sea and the boat. Everyone does their part. She takes care of communication and finding clients, while I handle the boat and the cooking. Our idea is to rent the entire boat by the day and half-day to private groups, and we adapt to the needs of each person. We offer a welcome aperitif with olives and chips. Guests can bring whatever they want on board. We want them to feel at home. We like to share the best of Menorca and sail with them. We offer experiences, something different from a classic boat rental service with a captain (charter). On the website veleromenorca.com, you can find all the information to choose and enjoy an experience tailored to you».
The perks of a day on a boat with Iñigo and Ana
Alizè accommodates a maximum of 10 people. The base locations for boarding and disembarkation are Ciutadella and Santo Tomas. It all depends on the wind and the sea. For sure, the southern coves of Menorca — Macarella, Mitjana, Galdana, Trebaluger to name just a few — are the most sought-after and appreciated.
It is possible to rent the boat for 8 hours (full day) and for 4 hours (half day), to sail during the day and at sunset, for the sunset, and to spend a night on board. I can tell you that sleeping in a cove and diving into the water as soon as you wake up is almost like touching heaven with your finger.
Furthermore, from what I could feel, Iñigo and Ana are two people who know how to make you feel at ease. He is reliable from a seafaring perspective, transmitting tranquility and safety. In short, he is the person with whom I would gladly cross the Atlantic next year: it is a long-standing dream of mine! She is attentive, smiling, ready to challenge herself with simplicity and a desire to do things… and not just for love!
With Velero Menorca, a day on a boat is a dream come true!
«My dream is to work with the boat, sail, make my guests happy, and finish paying off the bank loan», Iñigo explains and adds: «At the end of the season, the project alizeadventures.life starts, meaning Alizè becomes a school boat. We will sail and offer weeks of transfers, mechanics, and electronics courses for a maximum of 6 people. These are experiences to learn how to navigate, read maps, and understand how to use onboard instruments. It will be a profound adventure. We will go to Sardinia, first to the South and then to the North, then we head towards Malaga, Murcia, Alicante. Then, next summer we return to Menorca».
That being said, the prices on the website are indicative: the best thing is to contact Ana via WhatsApp and ask for availability and economic proposals, which vary according to everyone’s needs and requirements. Thus, between laughter, unfurled sails, and dives into crystalline waters, Iñigo and Ana accompany you to discover Menorca as they see it: authentic, silent, wonderful. Whether you choose a full day, a half day, or a sunset at sea, with Velero Menorca you don’t just rent a boat. You live a real experience made of the sea, people, and freedom. At a price that tastes of sincerity. In Basque they say “Haize ona izan”, fair winds, Iñigo and Ana!.