Size, they say, isn’t everything. That’s certainly true on Orient Express’s new yacht, Corinthian, even if it is, at 220m, the largest sailing yacht yet built. That’s because there are other wonders – like its sails, which are, with one exception, solid – made of smooth carbon fibre-reinforced glass rather than woven material. held up by masts that rise 100m aboce the waterline, they not only look amazing, but are energy efficient and provide a comfortable ride. Sailing is such a smooth experience that I only realised we were on our way when I looked out the window.
Which I did less than I should have along the Riviery because there was so much to gaze at indoors. Almost everything on this 54-cabin boat is bespoke, made to the very precise specifications of the architect and interior designer Maxime d’Angeac. Because this is Orient Express, the brief included evoking the sumptuous art deco atmosphere of the trains.