Secret Life

Secret Life left the Feadship yard in 1974, with her exterior lines and engineering by De Voogt, and spent part of her life as Jardell II before taking her present name. Fifty years on she still has the proportions of that era: a long steel hull, low superstructure, plenty of open teak. Two refits, in 2017 and in 2023, renewed her systems and interiors without trying to make her look new.

Her layout is more flexible than most yachts of 45 metres. A sliding door divides the main saloon into two rooms, so one end can host a card game or a film while the other stays calm, and a separate panelled library with a small bar gives a third place to retreat. By day, the VIP cabin at the front of the main deck doubles as a sitting room. Down below, the owner's suite runs the full width of the hull and has a sofa that becomes a double bed behind a sliding partition: that is how she reaches twelve guests, and it is handy for parents who want a young child sleeping next door.

Hosting is another of her talents. Alongside the quay, her decks hold up to 150 guests for a reception, which makes her useful for a company event or a party during a festival week on the Riviera, followed by a quieter family cruise. The main tender is a fast launch of 8.7 metres, large enough to run to a distant beach or a restaurant on the far side of a bay while the yacht stays at anchor.

Saint-Tropez is her winter home, and in summer she covers both halves of the Mediterranean at an easy 10 knots, from Italy and the Balearics to Greece, Croatia and Turkey. Her consumption is modest for her size, so longer passages stay reasonable.

Choose her if you enjoy classic yachts, travel with several generations or need one boat for an evening event and a week at sea. Look elsewhere if you want a contemporary interior or fast runs between islands: she rewards an unhurried rhythm.