Yachts & the Rich in times of Pandemic
A new Royal Yacht is going ahead. It will cost £200m (i.e the taxpayer) unless Johnson can get one of his mates to stump up for it. The Rupert Murdoch Royal Yacht anyone?
Apparently it will be a tourist attraction or a national flagship or one suspects as viewed by OTHER COUNTRIES, a symbol of British silliness.
Yachts however are one of the symbols of the pandemic. Last weekend’s Financial Times How to Spend It magazine had an entire feature on yachts. I’m not sure whether yacht owners read the FT for guidance or if the paper just likes the advertising.
It reports anyway that the during the Pandemic the very rich have become even richer and have some spare cash to spend on a new yacht. The FT reports that 494 superyachts (up from 341 in 2020) are currently being built in boatyards.
It appears that slightly smaller but better equipped yachts are what is required. Things like on-board spas, ski rooms, centrifuges and Artic ice crushers are essential items
As the FT’s yachting correspondent notes they ‘have no real reason’ to exist. They serve no actual purpose. However yacht owners are getting younger, under 40, and as much sailing around in them they want their boat to make a statement when it comes into harbour. Apparently.
Choosing what yacht one wants is reportedly a tricky task. Practical or aspirational. Cost is not an issue either for the super-rich who have created a boom in the market or I suspect for readers of this who may not get much further than the Ally Pally boating lake.
Leave a Reply