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ShareMumbai: Look out on a clear day past the Gateway harbour and you'll spot the bobbing miles of white -- a slew of speedboats and larger yachts. With the clear, azure skies and bracing weather that only a winter brings, it's time to welcome the yachting season into Mumbai.
But don't be fooled: This postcard-pretty sight cuts a cool figure, for some of these babies can cost the earth -- in some cases, a couple of crores at least. With the city slowly recovering from last year's economic downslide, higher-end yachts that come with the fanciest fittings are wooing the glitterati as a newer and more active way to spend some recreational time.
"I'd say sailing's moving in the right direction more than ever now," enthuses Aashim Mongia, silver medalist in world sailing championships and among the first to set up a marine company in Mumbai. "The bulk of demand has been in smaller boats but the interest in upper-end yachts is reviving as well. These are certainly an expensive proposition, but people more and more are looking for alternative lifestyles now - a sort of escape or second home, and these yachts fit right in."
And plush doesn't quite do justice to it. With everything from jacuzzis, alfresco dining options, a cinema and swimming pools to mini golf courses, these customised vessels have raised the bar in leisure luxury.
For industrialist Gautam Singhania, his 45.5 metre tri-deck super-yacht Ashena has him out on the seas with a bunch of pals and family. "As often as I can," he admits, with a smile. "It's a great feeling to be out on the water; so de-stressing to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Nawaz (his wife) enjoys sailing with me and sometimes we are there two days in a row. It's mostly an impromptu plan, sometimes Mandwa or then up to Elephanta." Gautam feels sailing hasn't quite taken off over here the way it should have. "That's because we don't have marinas or the infrastructure, plus there needs to be more awareness," he explains.
Actor Sameera Reddy admits her recent sailing expedition in Greece landed her with a summer crash course in handling a boat. "We sailed to Mykanos, Santorini and Paros and I learnt to make the knots and anchor," she recalls. "There's nothing like unfurling the sails and harnessing the cool winds."
Says actor Kitu Gidwani who attended a programme by Mumbai's Aquasail recently, "I think everyone should be exposed to sailing. The Hobie Cat was fantastic and I loved the Kayaks too; they gave me the feeling of confidence and freedom."
Model/actor Kelly Dorji says he's had the good fortune of experiencing the sport with some of the best sailors in India. "I sailed in Mauritius and off the coast of Mumbai. In fact, my life's plan would be to get a 60-foot sailboat right after that island I saw in the
Seychelles," he grins.
Sums up actor Milind Soman, "I have often sailed to different parts of the world and loved every experience. I enjoy wide open spaces and I think being on the sea gives you a great perspective. It's my dream to own a yacht someday and spend the rest of my life living on it and sailing from continent to continent...though I don't know how practical that will be."
