Planet Nine

Planet Nine was delivered by Admiral in Italy in 2018 under the name Antarctica, which says a good deal about her purpose. Tim Heywood gave her a naval-looking profile, the hull is ice-classed, and she can run some 6,000 nautical miles between fuel stops. A long refit in 2026 softened the interior that Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi had originally designed, giving it a calmer, more contemporary feel without touching what she is built to do.

What she does best is take a group to places most charter yachts never see, then keep them busy there. The upper deck aft is a commercial-grade helideck with a hangar below and refuelling on board, so a helicopter, chartered separately, can fly guests inland or to a remote reef. The tender fleet is led by a 43-foot Freeman rigged for sport fishing, and the crew run diving, kiteboarding, windsurfing and foiling as a matter of routine. At the stern, a beach club with a sauna and steam room is where everyone ends up after a day outside.

The layout keeps the principal guests apart. They have a deck of their own with a full-beam suite, a private lounge, an office, a gym and a spa. For everyone else, full-length windows frame the view ahead from a lounge facing the bow, and films get a room of their own. Of the eight cabins, one twin is normally used by staff travelling with the client, so a family with a nanny or a security detail fits without squeezing anyone.

Her recent seasons point the same way: winters in Central America, from Costa Rica and Belize to Mexico's Pacific coast, with a return to the western Mediterranean planned for summer 2027.

Choose her if the brief is fishing, diving and flying rather than beach clubs and harbourfront dinners. She is the wrong yacht for a group whose main aim is to be seen in Saint-Tropez, or for anyone who wants to cover distance quickly; her speed is steady rather than fast, and her charm lies in self-sufficiency.