Driftwood

Driftwood was her owner's second Amels, and he used the yard's Limited Editions approach to shape her around one passion: the ocean, and surfing above all. The hull is the proven Amels 180 platform with lines by Tim Heywood; what makes her different is everything that was customised on top of it.

The clearest example travels alongside. Quikwood, her 19-metre chase boat, was the first of the Sacs Strider 19 series, has a deep-V hull, can carry up to 22 people and tops out at around 50 knots. In practice that means the yacht can stay in a sheltered anchorage while a group races up the coast to check which point is working that morning. An 8.3-metre XTender handles the shorter runs. The quiver on board is serious, with standard, motorised and electric surfboards, foils, wing foils, kites with training kites for beginners, and dive and spearfishing gear for flat days.

Inside, Rémi Tessier gave her a relaxed beach-house feel: bleached teak, big windows and lighting that keeps the evenings warm. The principal cabin has its own balcony, an office and a walk-in wardrobe, and two doubles can be combined into a VIP suite with a lounge, which makes the layout easy to adapt for couples or a family. After dark the best seats are on the sun deck, where a big outdoor screen at the bow replays the waves everyone caught that afternoon.

Being able to run some 4,500 miles at 13 knots between refuelling stops lets her follow swells across an ocean, and she is currently cruising Central America, where the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is famous for its waves.

She is the obvious yacht for surfers, kiters and active families who measure a good day in sessions, not in restaurant bookings. Beginners are fine too, since the crew are adventurous and the kit covers every level. She is a poor fit for a group that hardly gets wet and wants formal dining and a classic interior, and, while she stays in Central America, for anyone set on the Mediterranean.