After a lifetime of sailing yachts, you’ve bought a motor yacht..

Until I discovered BOAT International and became a World Superyacht Awards judge, I didn’t really think about motor yachts; they were just fast, noisy things. But in the last 11 or 12 years of being a judge, I have visited so many motor yachts and have learned to appreciate them.

I have discovered that there is a way to maintain low noise, low speed and efficient consumption in a motor yacht. Then you reach a certain age when you must calculate a lot of things. My husband looks like a little boy, but he’s no longer a boy. He lost his patience with sailing – the regattas, the organisation, the crew. He was tired of it all. And then came Covid-19 and we were stuck cruising local waters when we wanted to be out exploring. So we started looking for a smaller motor yacht with a tiny crew of just three or four, but with lots of space and the option to customise it.

Arcadia Yachts fitted that brief. How has your experience been so far?

Before Cannes, we spent 12 days cruising the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, and the boat is responding very well to every question we ask of it. There were eight of us on board and everyone found their own space – the yacht never felt cramped. After so many years of judging, I’m used to checking everything – the quality of materials, the angles, the cabinetry and the general finish – and Arcadia always left a good impression on me. 

I’m also delighted with the design scheme we chose for Mabelle – it would feel at home in Greek or Maine waters, with lots of blues. This is a whole new experience for us and at the moment we are totally happy. We’re back living on the sea and it’s fantastic.

Do you still dream of restoring a classic motor yacht?

This is still in my heart. Friends from various shipyards such as Baglietto, Benetti and Feadship helped me and I looked at several boats. While the interiors were splendid, the engines, the wiring and so on needed so much work. So we chose  the quicker option. But the dream of owning a classic motor yacht with a yellow funnel will never die.

How much did you customise the yacht?

I think this is the most customized Arcadia Yachts ever. Anyone who saw our sailing yachts Ribelle or Zefira will know how seriously I take galley design. I threw away the space planning of the standard Arcadia Sherpa XL model and started again. I found enough space to include everything I want, so I’m very proud.