AZUL

AZUL is a modern Lagoon catamaran whose broad, stable decks suit a family or a group of friends who want room to spread out. Her most distinctive quality is one you notice after dark: a large lithium battery bank keeps the air conditioning running overnight without the generator, so she rests at anchor in near silence and without exhaust. You wake to water lapping at the hulls rather than the hum of machinery. That suits the gentle rhythm of island-hopping in the Ionian, where short passages leave long, unhurried hours at anchor.

Outside, fresh cushions cover the flybridge, the cockpit and the lounging spaces. At the bow, the trampoline now has shaped headrests, which makes it the natural place to lie back and watch the sea slip by beneath you. Loose bean-bag seats can be carried to wherever the shade or the view is best. The BBQ and ice maker keep long lunches easy, the Fusion audio system carries music indoors and out, and a deck shower waits after every swim. Inside, the saloon has been reworked in warmer wood and leather, with full air conditioning and a TV for quieter evenings.

The hydraulic swimming platform lowers to the water's edge, making it simple to slip in or launch the toys. There is a Seabob iAqua Dart Nano Xtreme for gliding beneath the surface, a sea scooter, snorkelling equipment and a paddleboard for calm mornings, and a wakeboard, water ski and tube to be towed behind the Highfield tender. A fishing rod is aboard for anyone who likes to try their luck, and a sea kayak can be arranged on request for exploring the shoreline. Uno and chess come out once the sun goes down.

Much of the boat answers to a smartphone: her lighting, the anchor winch, the boarding passerelle and the hoist that raises the tender can all be worked from a handheld screen, so arrivals and departures are smooth and unfussy. A powerful searchlight aids navigation after dark, the anchor chain is stainless steel, and a water maker, generator and inverter keep life aboard self-sufficient between harbours, with WiFi to keep you connected. With the crew handling the sailing and the details, your days can follow nothing more pressing than the next swim, the next bay and the next long, quiet evening on deck.