MY FANTASY FLEET
Name: John Croker Current boat: Princess V39 Berthed: Exmouth
Boating has been part of my life for around 55 years. My first experiences on the water were in Weymouth on various slow wooden motor boats belonging to my parents. In the mid 1970s, I was based in Exmouth where my first boats were all dory-type craft, launched and retrieved from the steep slipway at Exmouth. These were followed by a Hurley 20 sailing boat, Channel Island 22, and a
Fletcher 19 sportscruiser with a two-stroke 115hp Merc outboard. Since 2006, I have shared ownership of my boats with a friend of mine, Chris. To date we have had a Sunseeker Portofino 32, Windy Grand Mistral 37 HT, and now a Princess V39 which we keep in Exmouth.
PRINCESS V72 £1,500,000 USED
For boating around UK waters, this craft, in my view, ticks all the boxes. It’s a fast luxury motor cruiser with confident capabilities and loads of space for family and friends.
The main deck is spectacular, with a massive saloon area and then a wonderful, almost completely circular, dinette next to the helm beneath the opening roof. The layout, dateless design and sleek lines are perfect, and she has the power to get you anywhere, fast. It would have to be loaded with all the extras for comfort on extended cruises, including a Williams jet tender in the garage beneath the massive aft sunbed. It’s a fabulous craft. What more can I say?
DISCOVERY 54 £1,400,000 NEW
I first set eyes on a Discovery 54 on a sailing trip in Cádiz. She is a beautiful looking high-quality yacht with a deck saloon layout which makes the saloon area far brighter and airier than the usual below decks feeling of a sailing boat. My version would have to have a master ensuite cabin towards the stern. That puts all of the guests and any crew forward! The 54 is superbly built and fitted out with go-anywhere capabilities. Of course electric winches would be a must, as would the latest mainsail reefing system.
RIVA AQUARAMA LAMBORGHINI £2,500,000 CLASSIC
On the basis of “go big or go home”, my choice would be a Riva Aquarama that would have to be fitted with the twin V12 Lamborghini 400hp engines as specified by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1968. A marina berth in the South of France would be the ideal location. I would treat her to an overall cover with a skirt to protect that beautiful varnish and paintwork. The sound of those V12s firing up, blasting off to the next port mooring would be a dream. These boats are quite simply one of the marine industry’s greatest achievements.
Send in your suggestions to mby@futurenet.com with My Fantasy Fleet in the subject line. You must choose three boats for your imaginary fleet with a total value of up to £5 million.