Staff Reporter
By Hamish Goddard
I WAS lucky enough to be invited onto the newly refitted 40m superyacht Zalmon for a sea trial this week.
It never ceases to amaze me what we see out and about in Palma Bay – and we have perhaps all become a bit blasé.
In Cornwall, where I come from, anything bigger than 40ft grabs attention.
Over here, change feet into metres and even then we barely raise an eyebrow when seeing some of the largest and most beautiful yachts in the world.
Zalmon is a stunning example. Formerly named Kokomo of London and designed by the late great Ed Dubois, she is now resplendent in black (sails, spars, lines, indeed everything) with a discreet fire flash along her topsides from stem to stern in deference to her biblical warrior namesake.
Next to us on the quay was the dramatic 65m Lady M – the largest motor yacht built by the American yard Palmer Johnson for a cool $55 million.
The owner’s wife’s love for felines is shown in the yacht’s logo, a cat reproduced on the transom and engraved into a skylight and gates.
Also capturing the yacht’s powerful yet agile personality is a stunning prow figure – a chiselled jaguar designed to mirror the curves and angles of the yacht.
On our return from our sea trial, Lady M´s place had been taken by no less than Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior III – visiting Palma within the framework of its international campaign Less Plastic, More Mediterranean – an inestimably worthy cause.
And this was before the motor yacht Katara, the 300 million dollar yacht belonging to the Emir of Qatar turned up and parked outside our office in Puerto Portals.
Just another day in Palma Bay.
On the business front, we at Baxter Marine are busier than ever with some great deals at present – please see our top deals in association with The Olive Press!
Classic Car Sunset Cruise
Classic cars are generally pretty uncomfortable by modern standards, occasionally tricky to drive smoothly and less reliable than what we are generally used to.
Of the 15 cars we had in the Moto Mallorca Rally a few years ago, four came back on flatbeds after a two day event.
We had a Healey 3000 for a rally a few weeks ago: soft brakes and loose steering, loud and hot.. Fabulous fun and rewarding for a day or so, but tough for much longer… It was a relief of sorts to get back in the R32!
This stylish and glamorous discomfort enthuses the many classic car owners to enjoy their beautiful machines and Mallorca’s warm summer evenings are a perfect time to drive somewhere spectacular (we are spoiled for choice…) to watch the sun go down.
The Mallorca Classic Car Club’s Sunset Car Show takes place on June 25, finishing at the Santuari de Cura atop Puig de Randa east of Palma. So if you´re a classic car enthusiast and looking for a sunset with a backdrop of beautiful cars – or vice versa – you know where to go!
For further details on the club, visit www.ccc-mallorca.com.
Best buys
2015 Fairline Squadron 48:
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2007 Solaris 53:
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EXCEPTIONAL EASE OF SAILING WITH FURLING MAINSAIL AND GENOA, EXISTING MOORING AVAILABLE IN SW MALLORCA
