Antara

Antara comes from the years when Perini Navi in Viareggio was turning out the large cruising sailboats that made its name, and she was launched in 1991. She has never been left to age: the yard itself has taken her back for major work on the interior, rig, machinery and electronics, and her latest refit was finished in 2023. The point of a yacht like this is the sailing, and with more than 600 square metres of canvas she gives a real sense of it without asking the guests to pull a rope.

One technical detail matters more than the rest: the keel. With the board up she draws only a little over three metres, and lowered it goes to about seven for windward work. That means she can reach anchorages that a fixed-keel boat of the same length would have to admire from the outside, which matters in places full of shallow, sandy bays.

Life on board centres on the flybridge, which has been extended and now holds a Jacuzzi, a barbecue, an outdoor dining table and generous sunbeds. The aft cockpit below is a lounge with a bar and a U-shaped sofa, sheltered for long lunches. Inside, the saloon by Perini's own team and Bernardo Chichi is traditional and comfortable, with formal dining and a bar. The owner's cabin runs the full width of the hull, with his and hers bathrooms, a small office and a discreet exercise corner.

The crew of eight, under Captain Barney, includes PADI professionals, so guests can dive during the charter, and the toy store adds small sailing dinghies for those who want to try helming themselves.

She suits a family or a group of friends who like the idea of real sailing days and quiet anchorages. Beyond the master, the guest cabins are compact and two of them use Pullman berths to reach ten guests, so she is less suited to five couples. Anyone wanting speed, a beach club or a modern open-plan interior should look at a motor yacht.