AGREE TO THIS DEGREE

As I write this, Mallorca is baking through another Mediterranean summer. Meanwhile, I have spent much of mine at the other end of the thermometer — and rather higher up the latitude scale — attempting to complete the Northwest Passage. There is a report from the journey in this issue, with more to follow in the next, so I won’t give too much away here. But if Mallorca’s summer temperatures have you considering somewhere cooler next year, I can wholeheartedly recommend Greenland. Icebergs drifting past the anchorage provide a rather more effective form of air conditioning than anything I’ve experienced in the Med.

As the Mediterranean slowly drops a few degrees, the yachting industry is about to turn the temperature up again. September kicks off the Riviera boat-show season with Cannes, followed by Monaco and Genoa. Here we move from expedition sailing to the highest degree of luxury: immaculate yachts, elaborate stands, beautiful parties and the annual pursuit of ever greater comfort, sophistication and innovation.

At first glance, the two worlds could hardly be further apart. But spending time in the Arctic has made me think differently about luxury. After hours on watch in freezing temperatures, a warm, dry bed feels extraordinarily luxurious. Fresh bread coming out of the oven is a luxury. So is a steaming bowl of soup, preferably served at a very high degree. A hot shower can feel every bit as indulgent as a Monaco hotel suite.

Perhaps yachting has always had this split personality. At one extreme it allows us to travel into remote places, test ourselves and experience a degree of adventure that few other forms of travel can offer. At the other, it can deliver comfort and luxury at a level that few other forms of travel can match. And perhaps that is precisely the attraction.

Whether your idea of the perfect yacht is anchored beneath Greenlandic mountains with icebergs drifting past, or stern-to in Port Hercules with the champagne on ice, the common denominator is freedom; the ability to experience the world on your own terms.

I can agree to that degree.

Jens Oomes