NAVIS Feb/Mar'26

Cutting a profile directly out of the golden era of yachting, the 90-meter Corsair Yachts Nero is the picture of perfect 1930s proportion. Sporting elegant livery, Nero’s sheerline rises in the architecturally correct style of the day, defining both its form and function in one thoughtful arc. The crisp white of the superstructure atop gleaming black hull allows the red waterline to peek through, while gold accents trace the curve along its run.

Nero is a classic new build inspired by twentieth-century financier J. P. Morgan’s Corsair IV. In its day, the 104-meter, turbo-electric powered, steel-hulled Corsair IV was the last of Morgan’s four Corsair yachts. It was also the largest yacht ever built in the United States, delivered by Bath Iron Works of Maine in May 1930 at a cost of $2.5 million.

This modern interpretation of the Corsair IV clipper was commissioned and built by British entrepreneur Neil Taylor. Unable to locate a suitable hull to restore, Taylor decided to build his vision anew, establishing Corsair Yachts expressly for that purpose. Taylor drew his own design, relying on IMT Marine Consultants for naval architecture.

To execute the design, Taylor rented the entire Yantai Raffles Shipyard in Shandong, China, and its 400 workers in 2004. With additional input from 30 experts representing the world’s top shipyards, the yacht was delivered in December of 2007.

Gracefully stretching 112 meters bow to stern, the Freire Yacht Renaissance effortlessly displays how to have it all. From aesthetics and amenities to exceptionally spacious design, Renaissance invites guests to a full menu of luxury and entertainment.

From clubby cocktails at a jazz bar table for two, to formal dinners for 30, film screenings for 19, or all-day beach fun with toys, tenders, and room to roam, Renaissance easily accommodates all. High-level meetings, multi-generational family gatherings, and special celebrations all fit beautifully into the luxurious Renaissance layout.

Designed for a couple who had visited celebrated yacht designer Jon Bannenberg some four decades ago but decided not to build the original 42-meter yacht that had been drawn for them, the couple returned to Bannenberg & Rowell’s London office in 2017. With those original drawings in mind, the couple sought to build their ultimate vessel reflecting the deeply personal aspects of the yacht while appealing to charter users.

Seven years in the making, Renaissance gathers together an epic list of details beloved by owners, guests, and charter itineraries for a standout voyage that will be fondly remembered years from now. The abundance of volume made room for drama, but Simon Rowell noted the importance of balancing the grandiose with the intimate to maintain a comfortable human scale, ensuring guests would not be overwhelmed on approach.

The 2025-26 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race arrived as a definitive cross-section of modern naval architecture and offshore endurance. Marking eight decades since its inception, the 80th edition transitioned from a celebration of heritage into a rigorous exhibition of fleet resilience. The entry list exceeded 100 yachts, ranging from 100-foot carbon-fiber supermaxis to 30-foot IRC-optimized designs.

While the departure from Sydney Harbour provided the customary high-visibility start for the spectator fleet, the race was ultimately dictated by a volatile weather system in the Bass Strait. This weather event served as a primary filter, recalibrating the standings across all divisions and shifting the focus from pure boat speed to technical durability. The 2025-26 edition proved that despite 80 years of data, the Tasman Sea remains an unpredictable variable that defies even the most advanced meteorological modeling.

Anchoring Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen’s largest public square and a nexus of culture near the Royal Danish Theatre, the palatial Hotel d’Angleterre is a legendary “grande dame” hotel, if not the most legendary of Europe’s grande dame establishments. In true Scandinavian fashion, the Law of Jante emphasizing egalitarianism precludes calling attention to its 5 Star Superior accreditation, its prevailing room rate, or its extensive history dating from 1755. A tale of unrelenting passion for food and hospitality of two star-crossed lovers -- the daughter of the Danish King’s chef and a young French servant, Jean Marchal -- seems straight from the pen of playwright Hans Christian Andersen.

Located where the pedestrian shopping thoroughfare Strøget meets the harbor, d’Angleterre resides at the city’s geographic and cultural heart, functioning more as an extension of Copenhagen life itself than a traditional hotel, where locals don’t just pass by, but actively seek out for celebrations, business meetings, and weekend indulgences. This accessibility transforms the hotel from visitor central into a genuine community gathering place, a rare achievement for five stars. Naturally, visitors -- especially first-timers to the city -- are exceptionally well-served by quick access to the colorful canal-front Nyhavn, the exceptional Torvehallerne food hall, and several current and former palaces, including the Royal Danish Academy of Art occupying Charlottenberg Palace. And shops like Prada, Max Mara, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès conveniently reside at the end of Strøget facing Kongens Nytorv.

The Amalfi Coast is never silent from the water. Even on calm days, motion surrounds you, boats navigating with implicit precision, voices rising from shore to deck, the coastline unfolding in a layered choreography of cliffs and clustered houses, all leaning toward the sea. I remember the salty spray hitting my face as our boat cut through gentle waves, a local fisherman calling out a familiar greeting in the melody of his dialect, grounding me in that moment. From this vantage, Ravello appears almost abstract: a pale geometry suspended far above the tide line, more concept than destination.

Arrival at Caruso begins with distance. Whether by sea or winding road, the approach reveals the hotel slowly, as elevation rises and the sound of the coast recedes into color. First, the air shifts, then the rhythm. My thoughts quiet with each hairpin turn, mirroring the landscape’s ascent. It is a gradual journey upward and inward. By the time the palace comes into view, it feels like crossing into another state of being.

Perched high above the Tyrrhenian, Caruso occupies a rare psychological perch on the Amalfi Coast: close enough to remain tethered to the sea, yet far enough to be untouched by its urgency. Down on the coastline, the hum of scooters and the cries of gulls form a constant tapestry of sound. Here, such clamor is absent, replaced by a serene silence that cocoons the senses. The difference is palpable. Shoulders lower. Voices soften. Time resettles.

At the infinity pool, the illusion completes itself. The edge dissolves, the horizon steadies, and the sea, once insistent, becomes a calm, unbroken plane of light. From here, the coast no longer demands attention. In that stillness, Caruso reveals her most enduring luxury: perspective.

On a serene autumn evening overlooking the Mediterranean, we settled into the reimagined Blue Bay Marcel Ravin at Monaco’s Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, poised to experience what Gault & Millau lauds as the best Caribbean-influenced cuisine in France. Following a transformative five-month closure after earning a second MICHELIN star in 2022, the establishment reopened its doors on February 14, 2024, re-branded with reference to its iconoclastic chef. Its metamorphosis extended beyond just a stylish new interior. Mere days before reopening, the restaurant earned admission to the prestigious Grandes Tables du Monde, joining just over 200 of the world’s greatest dining establishments..

The moment you see the Aston Martin DB12 head-on, something subtle happens to your body before your mind gets involved. You stop walking. Your shoulders square. Your eyes fix on the width of the grille and trace its edges almost involuntarily, as if confirming the car is as planted as it appears. That reaction is no accident. This is design doing its quiet work on a human nervous system.

The grille is larger because the engine behind it breathes harder, but what you feel is reassurance. Its mass sits low, visually tethering the car to the ground, telling your brain this object is stable, confident, resolved. The hood creases guide your gaze upward and back, creating a sense of forward momentum even while standing still. Nothing shouts for attention, yet everything holds it. The DB12 simply behaves in a way that makes you trust it. And trust, more than beauty, is the emotion that draws you closer.