CREDIT: Ponant/Antoine Le Guen – Aix Production


SEYCHELLES SAILING ON A CATAMARAN: Key tips


If your clients have ever dreamed of owning a superyacht, Spirit of Ponant will introduce them to the lifestyle. But they will need to bear in mind that a yacht is very different from a cruise ship. čn` Ãi>ÃiVkniÃà ià Ìhi wÀÃÌ Ìhin} Ìo Ìhink >LoÕÌ° Speeds of 12 knots under sail feel a lot faster than on a cruise ship, because you’re closer to the water. Our trip wasn’t particularly rough, but you could feel yourself being rolled on the waves; one of our party fell very ill, unable to keep anything down for a couple of days. As well as initially clambering aboard the catamaran using a wooden ladder, you need to be able to get back into the tender boat from the Ü>ÌiÀ] ÜhiVh m>Þ inÛolÛi >n inili}>nÌ LillÞ yo«] or standing gingerly on the motor at the back. On board, though, it’s super-swanky, with


plenty of French chic. Cabins, reached via the central galley/indoor sitting area, have plenty of space and are nicely kitted out, with plugs by the bedside, lots of storage and modern bathrooms with seemingly endless hot water through the powerful showers.


Not only is the food excellent, but the chef, John, caters to individual tastes and allergies – guests are sent a questionnaire before embarkation on likes and dislikes for both food and drink. And as for all those Instagram moments, the Wi-Fi is strong – and complimentary.


served nibbles and cocktails before we descended a deck to eat in the open air. And so the day went by, sometimes under sail, sometimes motoring along, passing tiny islands and channels where whale sharks apparently venture. Whenever we anchored, there was the chance to try our hand at watersports such as wakeboarding and waterskiing. One day, we took turns in the sailing boat, catching gusts of wind as we went. Another, we launched the paddleboards, laughing as waves caught us unawares, and spending most of the time on our knees. “It’s called stand-up paddleboarding, in case you’d forgotten,” Shanyl joked as he circled in the tender boat in case anyone needed assistance. He was also there every time we went snorkelling, escorting us to the best places and waiting should anyone need help returning to the catamaran, its movable platform at the back designed to make getting in and out of the water easier.


Wildlife wonders "ÕÀ wn>l `>Þ Ìook Õà Ìo ÕÀiiÕÃi Ãl>n`] «ÀiÛioÕÃlÞ named Ile Rouge because of its unusual red soil. Boats lined the beach when we arrived – day-trippers had come from the larger island of Praslin to see the 114 resident giant tortoises. It turns out the Seychelles has almost as many giant tortoises as it does humans, with more than 100,000 on the remote Aldabra atoll alone. They’re everywhere on Curieuse, with babies in a nursery, some ‘parked’ in a row beneath a bush and others on the beach, where many have become accustomed to posing voÀ Ãilwià ÜiÌh ÌoÕÀiÃÌð 7i voÕn` Üil`livi in Ìhi Ü>ÌiÀ too, with baby sharks and rays basking in the shallows. By 5pm the dayboats had disappeared and we had the beach and the bay to ourselves, save for a ray splashing and a turtle raising its head from the water. Back on Spirit of Ponant, I sat alone at the bow, appreciating the solitude that a sailing trip offers. Like the rest of the Seychelles, this island will always be special – but it’s extra special when you have it all to yourself.


BOOK IT: Ponant offers a seven-night all-inclusive sailing in the Seychelles from £6,192. Qatar Airways offers return flights from London from £973. UK.PONANT.COM QATARAIRWAYS.COM


58 ASPIRE JUNE 2025


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