THE INSIDE JOB

It seems unbelievable that we have never to my knowledge – in 35 years of publishing – really tackled the subject of yacht interiors. There have been interviews with designers over the years and we once gave an award for the best interior as part of our annual awards in 2015, to the schooner Altair. Given that the interior of a seagoing yacht is by far its largest liveable space, contains nearly all the boat’s volume and is the place where a crewmember will spend at least half his or her time at sea, and given how much effort and expense goes into creating a good interior, and how much sailors love them, this seems quite an amazing omission. Just as amazing is the fact that no reader has ever asked us to tackle the subject of yacht interiors. Not one! Well, like it or not, we’ve dived into it this month, with a brief look at the history of yacht interiors, and a list of guiding principles from experienced bluewater sailor Roz Cunliffe. And on the subject, you might like the cosy below-decks of our lead yacht this month, Constance (page 4). A cosy bolthole for when autumn skies thicken...