FANTASY FLEET
Which three boats would you spend a £5 million lottery win on? Anthony Purnell shares his ideal dream fleet
Igot into sailing after spending many hours staring out of a London office window daydreaming and wishing I was somewhere else! I bought a yachting magazine on my daily train commute into the office and turned to the sailing schools pages. I booked an overseas course online and a cheap flight to Gibraltar. Sailing out of Estepona marina one morning with the sun on my back and a day’s adventure ahead of me, I never looked back from that moment. I started off as a sailor but soon motorboats stole my heart.
HARDY 50 £1,200,000
I currently own a Hardy 36 Commodore which I’ve been hugely impressed with for its no-nonsense pocket battleship vibe. With a £5 million budget to play with, I’d upgrade to a new Hardy 50. It has the same quintessential understated English style and tough no-nonsense seakeeping capabilities but massively scaled up, giving far more room on board and greater facilities. I’m very keen on the South West of the UK, having kept my current boat in various ports from Torquay to Plymouth, so would keep her in or around Dartmouth and run her along the south coast of Devon and Cornwall, perhaps taking advantage of that epic seakeeping for a few crosschannel trips. Proud to be British and in Devon!
£60,000 (USED)
There’s something in the spirit of the Motorsailer that shouts independence and self-reliance to me. I’d moor her in Honfleur, France and sail her down to get into those little French and Spanish ports. The Fisher 37 has the same rock-solid, no-nonsense feel as the Hardy. The wheelhouse gives it the same all-weather capability, as does the long, deep keel designed for offshore passage making, and the ketch rig gives plenty of options from a steadying mizzen sail under power to engine off and full canvas.
NORDHAVN 59 COASTAL PILOT £2,000,000
My show-off yacht would be a Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot. Pure luxury and extravagance, built like a battleship and just about small enough to have real character. I’d moor her in Gibraltar and cross the straits to North Africa, Smir and Ceuta etc, where air-conditioning would keep me cool. The single Lugger L-6125A Diesel, de-rated to 325hp at 2,100rpm for continuous duty, plus a range of 3,000 miles gives almost limitless possibilities.
Send in your suggestions to mby@ti-media.com with My Fantasy Fleet in the subject line