Floating on the Thames beneath London’s spectacularly magical firework display, Topsail saw 2012 in with style! Happy to be out on the river with Hospitality Line and Pukka Up to party the night away, Topsail and Thames Leisure can happily reflect on the end of one landmark year at the beginning of another! “Its going to be a privilege to be working on the Thames in 2012”, enthuses Topsail MD, Mark Tower, “with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant and the London 2012 Olympic Games coming up, and our new partnership with Thames Leisure, I couldn’t be more excited about the year ahead.”

Loaded with mulled wine, our River Cruisers and Thames Sailing Barges are busy out on the river working hard to lull the nation’s capital into the festive spirit and bring the season to light! Whether cruising in the brisk winter sun or opening a floodlit Tower Bridge against the backdrop of the city’s sparkling reflections at night, Topsail is proud to be in the midst of another successful and memorable Christmas on the river.

An historic day! Topsail Events together with its catering operation RFAD have moved into a major new venture with a merger that has taken the Thames by surprise. Topsail has joined forces with major river cruise boat operator Thames Leisure. New vessels Dutch Master, William B and Tideway. With new routes, new piers and bigger capacities we can do all that we used to do with Topsail’s innovative ideas and dedication to good service on a bigger scale, over a wider area with Private Parties and Corporate Events on the Thames. And yes, Tower Bridge will still open just for you!

Ok we know which boat you would rather be on, and we can’t help thinking that we will be seeing a few more of these amazing floating palaces as London 2012 host the Olympic Games next year.

Our boss, Captain Tower, remained unconvincingly unmoved saying he would rather have one of his Christmas Parties on Sailing Barge Will or a river boat up through Central London. Topsail’s own Sarah and Jess on the other hand were last seen in Will’s barge boat rowing towards this Superyacht Aviva…!

Meanwhile, Topsail continues to do what it does best: providing the most unique and memorable Thames experience available. Another happy customer was blown away by our special Clay Pigeon Shooting aboard a Thames Sailing Barge. “It was faultlessly organised with great fun, great food and great staff. The instructors were hugely entertaining and I have already recommended your company to an office manager friend of mine who is looking to do something special. Again, thank you to everyone involved in making our company away day one of the best yet!” (Michelle Green, TradingPartners)

Last week Topsail launched Forman and Field on the River with a hugely successful press event clay shooting on the Thames. The event was attended by a number of leading figures from sports marketing, international travel and boating media sectors and will be featured in next month’s Spectator Scoff Magazine. The article will coincide with the launch of our first ticketed Thames cruises for the public that will be available for individual sale through next year.

The partnership with Forman and Field brings the finest British foods together with Topsail’s exceptional waterborne hospitality in a celebration of the best of British, - something that Topsail are proud to be promoting throughout the 2012 Olympics.

Last night we welcomed a number of valued clients, agents and suppliers onboard the Thames Sailing Barge Will for a wonderful networking evening on the Thames. Our guests included contacts from Concerto Group, London and Partners, Port of London Authority and the Thames Festival amongst others and conversations quickly turned to the exciting opportunities of 2012.

As guests enjoyed a selection of canapés by our excellent event caterers Topsail MD Mark Tower was eager to point out the number of Olympic venues that are accessible by the river and the great opportunities for waterbourne hospitality at the Olympics 2012. Thanks to everyone who made it down and we look forward to continuing to work closely with you in the future.

Missed out on an invitation? Email Jessica@topsailevents.co.uk to register an interest for our next event. For more ideas on how Topsail can be a part of your 2012 hospitality strategy download our Introduction to the London Olympics 2012 presentation.

Picture credit: Ginny Jory

Iain Percy British sailor and double Olympic champion was onboard Sailing Barge Will last week for a photo shoot ahead of the London Games next year. The Thames Sailing Barge seemed only too right a location for Olympic sailor Iain who won Gold medals in Sydney 2000 and at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The portrait will be part of an exhibition called the finishing line by photographers Ginny Jory and Laura Woolnough who have spent the last few years photographing athletes preparing to compete in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The main exhibition will take place next year at St Mary Eton Church near the Olympic Village.

Topsail are looking forward to the Summer Games next year and the amazing hospitality opportunities that present themselves with so many Olympic sites close to the Thames such as ExCeL and Greenwich. For more information contact Sarah

Here at Topsail we have always prided ourselves on offering high end quality events onboard the most luxurious boats on the Thames with exceptional event catering. Now we are pleased to announce a new unique venue to add to our fleet of luxury river cruisers. The Spirit of Chartwell is a gorgeous river cruiser meticulously designed to evoke the timeless grandeur of the 1920’s railway era. The beautifully finished interior includes artefacts from the original Cote d’Azur Pullman railway carriage coupled with hard wood finishes and detailed marquetry. Large windows allow excellent sightseeing of London in style and comfort, taking in iconic London landmarks such as the London Eye, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. She is a unique venue for corporate events on the Thames and allows creative opportunities for product launches, fashion shoots as well as exclusive fine dining on the Thames. The Spirit of Chartwell is now available for hire for summer corporate events and parties. Contact Jess for more information

When Jan and Mark Flanders came to us looking for a ‘frightfully posh do’ to celebrate their joint 50^th birthday, we knew it was going to be a lot of fun! The lovely couple were determined to go all out for their celebration and we helped them celebrate in serious style!

Tourists couldn’t believe their eyes as party guests in dinner jackets and ball gowns arrived in stretched Limos at the Tower of London and climbed aboard a private sailing ship! Onboard guests enjoyed a champagne reception on deck accompanied by the amazing Jazz singer Kai Hoffman before heading below deck for a gourmet 3 course dinner provided by our excellent event caterer’s Riverside Food and Drink.

Photographer Barry Paffey got some lovely photographs of the event including the illuminated Tower Bridge as we sailed through. Check out more of his photos from the event here

In fact we thought these were so nice that we put a few on our Facebook page as well! Why not upload photos from your event with Topsail too and share your experience with friends

Last weekend Topsail’s own Sarah tied the knot with Jim in a wonderful wedding celebration in Staffordshire.

Sarah’s excellent event organising skills led to a flawless day and everything was perfect down to the smallest detail. But with so many years experience event managing weddings on the Thames  it was clearly hard for her to let go;  at one point she was even spotted washing up glasses behind the bar and had to be swiftly repositioned onto the dance floor!

The happy couple are now off on a 2 week safari in Kenya hoping to catch a glimpse of the ‘Big 5’ whilst the Topsail team are left looking forward to next year’s equally  big events: the Olympics, and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee!

We all wish Sarah and Jim the very best for the future.