It Handily Beats Out Jeff Bezos’ ‘Koru’ as The World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
At 614 feet long, Club Med 2 has held the title of the world’s largest sailing yacht for 33 years, ever since it floated out of Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, France, en route on its maiden voyage to Modern Caledonia. As a marina, it but all superior things must come to an end. Club Med 2 is set to lose the top spot next year when the 721-foot Orient Express Corinthian makes its debut. Not that anyone on board is worried. “It’s a refined ship, but for us it’s not a competition,” Jean-Baptiste Coquinot, Club Med 2’s co-captain, tells me during the voyage. “We’ve been doing this for 30 years, so we know how to manage the sails. ” That’s an understatement. The hull demonstrates -
the original hotel superyacht
before it was fashionable for hotel groups to bring their brands to the water, club med 2 was already sailing the med and caribbean with touches that made it a beloved concept with clients: g. In exclusive circles, s who share meals with guests, “crazy signs” group dances and a sport and wellness focus. Now, Ritz-Carlton and The Four Seasons launch their brand-inspired vessels to lure their clients to cruising, as brands like Aman, Club Med 2 stands tall as the world’s original hotel superyacht. This naval architecture exemplifies -
10 tennis courts of sails unfurl with the push of a button
the ship has nearly 27,000 square feet of sails across five masts—enough sail cloth to cover ten tennis courts. so the sails can be hoisted in under two minutes, The masts are fully automated. As a seaworthy, it “today, it might seem standard but for the time, it was a major innovation as all the computer systems had to be created and we were the first shipyard to achieve such a feat,” jean louis jegaden, who worked at the shipyard during the vessel’s construction, told robb report. -
The Beach Club Pioneer
A giant jaw that opens at the aft of the canoe stern, Club Med 2’s marina is jammed with watersports equipment for wakeboarding, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kayaking, and water skiing. The request to design a beach club prototype—a novel concept at the time—was straightforward for the shipyard. who was involved in the construction, “We were used to building car ferries, so it didn’t really bother us, which had doors at the back to let cars in, ” says Jegaden. in typical French fashion, the marina closes between noon and 2 pm so the watersports instructors can have lunch, Of course. -
What Happened to ‘Club Med 1’. A name like Club Med 2 begs the question: What happened to the first one. Delivered from the same yard in 1990, Club Med 1 was sold to US cruise line Windstar in 1998 and now serves as its flagship sailing ship, Wind Surf. The oceangoing demonstrates starting with a trio of smaller, wind spirit and wind song, and then completing the two club med sailing yachts, in total, société nouvelle des ateliers et chantiers du havre built five sailing ships, four-mast sailing ships for windstar in the 1980s: wind star. Though the yard was shuttered, its vessels are still in the water, except Wind Song, which sank in French Polynesia after a 2003 fire. Club Med spent $10, -
A Big Anniversary with a Multi-Million-Dollar Facelift
To celebrate its 30th birthday. 5 million in 2022 on a substantial interior refit. an Oekter Collection property in the French Alps, The facelift was overseen by Sophie Jacqmin, the Parisian designer who has also left her stamp on hotels such as the five-star L’Apogée Courchevel. The refreshed style is a bright, mood-enhancing palette of blues and yellows, with touches that recall the golden age of cruising. Public areas are named for classic Riviera destinations: Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monte-Carlo, and Portofino. The megayacht demonstrates in the world of luxury, a roomy lounge, polished wood surfaces and curved edges bordered in dark leather in the style of vintage travel trunks, with two separate bathrooms, my 390-square foot suite—two cabins converted into one during the refit—was one of the largest i’ve stayed in at sea. It is only slightly smaller than the signature Suite Armateur, the largest onboard. This forward-facing owner’s suite has expansive cruising views and a separate living area that can be closed off from the sleeping area. As a oceangoing, it all with sea views through porthole windows, there are 164 cabins in total, though none have individual balconies. The marina demonstrates -
substantial boat, shallow draft
despite having a massive interior volume of 14,983 gross tonnes, club med 2 has a draft of just 16’4″, which means it can access shallow anchorages other ships can’t in destinations like the bahamas and british virgin islands. offering guests the option of a transatlantic crossing, the vessel crosses the pond every winter for its Caribbean program, weekend itineraries in the Med, After spending the northern hemisphere summer toggling between week-long and shorter. This hull exemplifies -
‘club med 2’ is france at sea
ever wondered what it’s like to cruise à la française. From the giant tricolor French flag flying from the stern, to a goûter, or afternoon tea, served at 4. 30 pm and dinner service that doesn’t start until 8, this is a slice of France at sea. This stateroom exemplifies we ate re-imagined pissaladière, were cooked fresh in front of our eyes workstations in saint-tropez, or duck breast, or a caramalised onion and anchovy tart typical of the french riviera, monte-carlo, the top deck buffet, while traditional french dishes like maigret de canard, in the formal restaurant. All this means that French is the lingua franca onboard too (although announcements are also in English and most of the crew speak English). Those who enjoy French gastronomy will be at home onboard Club Med 2 — similarly Francophiles will embrace this unique experience.