FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doris Colgate
239-985-7511
Doris@offshoresailing.com

FORT MYERS, FL (March 28, 2006) – Steve and Doris Colgate, innovators in sailing instruction and founders of the Offshore Sailing School, unveiled a new program today with NauticBlue, designed to unlock the world of power cruising for adventurous vacationers. Known as the Fast Track to Power Cruising™ course, this six-day live-aboard learning vacation, available in the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands starting June 1, is guaranteed to open a whole new world of exciting boating opportunities.

Since 1973, Steve and Doris Colgate and The Moorings have partnered to provide sailboat cruising certification on The Moorings charter sailboat fleet. “Carrying this successful model into power training was a natural,” explains Doris Colgate.

NauticBlue Power Yacht Vacations offer impressive yacht charter options for boaters looking for a great Caribbean or Mediterranean vacation alternative. The company features new custom-built yachts from 37 to 47-feet, outfitted with all the electronics; water sports toys, galley equipment and linens are included for a vacation that is both easy and fun. NauticBlue is a division of The Moorings, the world’s premier yacht charter company that pioneered the charter sailing fleet concept over 36 years ago. The company’s boating experience insures power yacht vacationers a level of quality and service unmatched in the industry.

Through their unique arrangement, the NauticBlue fleet of luxury 35 - 47 foot power cats became the platform for the Colgates’ Power Cruise School instructional getaways, combining serious training in boat handling skills with fun exercises while living aboard and cruising in a tropical paradise. “We are glad to be able to work with Steve and Doris on Power Boat Certification,” commented David Rohr, Marketing Brand Manager for NauticBlue. “Their certification courses are comprehensive, and for knowledgeable boaters this translates to safer, more enjoyable experiences on the water for everybody!”

Participants are trained by US CRUISING POWER BOAT Certified instructors who provide the knowledge and techniques required to master on-board systems, docking, anchoring, navigation, engine maintenance and more. Trained to Steve and Doris Colgate’s exacting standards, the school’s highly regarded faculty instills the skills and confidence needed to handle big boats up to 50 feet. “In the Fast Track to Power Cruising™ course students learn what control is really like on a power boat, sharing the thrill of working together on the water,” says Colgate. “This one-of-a-kind learning vacation is fun and rewarding for absolute beginners or those who want to hone their boat-handling skills and gain more confidence,” she said.

Fast Track to Power Cruising™ has broad appeal to small boat mariners and those just getting into boating. Colgate feels this is a particularly rewarding vacation for families to learn together. A dad who loves the sea will take great pleasure in seeing his family come together as team, and all aboard share special pride when mom takes the helm and guides their yacht into a crowded harbor or slip with ease. For couples who plan to cruise alone, learning to handle the boat together results in mutual respect for each other’s abilities aboard.

No more than four participants learn and live aboard with each instructor during the program. Those who plan to take the course without a companion enjoy the company and camaraderie of other active vacationers with similar boating goals. US CRUISING POWER BOAT Certification, a bonus that comes with the six-day program, reinforces the knowledge and techniques put to use in a mini-cruise without the instructor aboard during the last 24 hours of the course.

Rates start at $3195 per person and include five days of certification, instruction and testing, course textbook and Navigation Rules, a private cabin aboard (per couple or singles traveling alone), all breakfasts, lunches and three dinners (while living aboard), the overnight mini-charter without the instructor aboard, graduation ceremony on last day and one night ashore (double occupancy).

Headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, Steve and Doris Colgate’s Power Cruise School is a division of their acclaimed Offshore Sailing School, certifying over 100,000 graduates since 1964.

Offshore provides training at all levels of power and sailing instruction. Campuses are located in the New York, New Jersey, southwest Florida and the Keys, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Abaco, Bahamas.

For more information, contact Offshore Power Cruise School at 800-221-4326 or visit the school’s website at www.powercruiseschool.com. For more information on NauticBlue, visit www.NauticBlue.com.

Note: For a high-resolution image to accompany this article, please contact Mary Orme at Mary@AMCenergy.com or 727-733-9332.