[airship]

Yes, the quintessence of yachting...[the purest form of...essential feature...embodiment...]

In order to differentiate this thread from the other one, which has attracted far too many negative commentaries, including some about the prima donna-like proclivities of some yacht brokers and managers (I plead guilty), I thought we should have one which was devoted entirely to the enjoyment of owners and their crews. Finally, free from all the shore-based support, concerns about global-warming, or worries about dropping the hook over the coral in the beautiful anchorage.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the quintessence of yachting, which is all about pleasure:

Imagine yourselves in the secluded bay of some remote island in the Aegean sea...

You're having a bowl of ordinary Kellogg's cornflakes for breakfast, adorned with slices of fresh Californian peaches that were still hanging on a tree in southern California less than 48 hours ago. From your breakfast table, you see the loaded-down tender coming in with the chefs and provisions from the Michelin 3 star restaurant you'd asked to prepare tonight's special dinner party. As one of the stewards passes, anticipating the arrival of the tender you quietly address him: "John, please get all the cooks to come and see me here immediately to talk about tonight." You're especially pleased to be able to address him by name, it's 3 years he's been crew aboard. By now, you realise that he will unquestioningly translate your order in the most diplomatically polite manner, something along the lines of "Madame requests the pleasure of meeting you just as soon as it's convenient to you" (but communicating in essence, something a little more urgent.)

Monsieur will be arriving later that afternoon, the Gulfstream V would have done the trip in 1 leg but he's been diverted by a last-minute business commitment in Toulouse, something about buying an airbus - you haven't the faintest idea why he'd want to buy a bus when you invariably use limos at all airports?! But he's also supposed to be bringing the specially-engraved Rolex watches that were ordered after quite a heated argument last year. "They're for the crew", you'd argued, "every year we give the crew an end of season cash bonus - it's so impersonal!" You wanted to do something different this time, something that would reinforce the link between the crew and the yacht, something that would make the crew love you even more...you'd even asked one of the deckies his opinion: "Well, In God We Trust ma'am..."

This thread is all about how we're losing the quintessance of yachting. In the face of modern day pressures. Several hundred billionaires, or even a few hundreds of thousands of multi-millionaires won't change the planet.

Enjoy the earth! Nobody had to tell the dinosaurs that. And it wouldn't have changed a thing even if anyone had...?!

This thread is all about anything at all you'd consider extravagant when it comes to yachting, but of no significant importance in the great scheme of things...?!