Mediterranean waves sparkle in windswept agitation as I sip a morning cappuccino on board the five-mast sailing yacht Club Med 2. Suddenly a figure in pink streaking across the water enters my field of vision. It can’t be. I squint and realize that, yes, it is. Club Med 2’s Chef de Village, Adrien Gailhac, is serving the guests a breakfast display of his waterskiing abilities—in dazzlingly florid pink boardshorts that stand out in a sea of steel-blue hues. It really isn’t out of character since Gailhac is a larger-than-life figure aboard the vessel. If you’ve visited Club Med’s landside resorts, you’ll know how important the role the Chef de Village, or Resort Manager, is. They’re the figure who sets the tone for the village, whipping up guests before a pre-dinner can-can show, or jockeying them towards the dance floor as the D.J. gets under way. Gailhac is a master at getting guests to loosen up and have fun aboard the world’s largest sailboat.
Club Med 2, the seaborne element of the French resort brand’s Exclusive Collection, is a whopping 614 feet in length, or nearly 200 feet longer than Jeff Bezos’s Koru, with a lot more history. The Exclusive Collection designator means the yacht shares the same high-end offerings as Club Med’s top-tier land-based resorts.
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Launched in 1992 as the world’s largest sailing yacht, its original interiors were designed by legendary interior designer Alberto Pinto, who also designed Alfa Nero and Ocean Victory, among others. The eight-deck ship remains the pride of Club Med, the all-inclusive pioneer founded in 1950 by ex-Belgian water polo champion Gérard Blitz and French businessman Gilbert Trigano and, since 2015, owned by China’s Fosun International, who also counts luxury fashion labels Lanvin and Sergio Rossi among its portfolio.
With just 164 cabins, the yacht/cruiseship offers a much more intimate, service-focused experience than all but the smallest luxury cruise vessels. The tony reservations-only restaurant Le Monte-Carlo, Sothy’s spa, high-end decor in the suites, and, of course, the magnificent fields of sails billowing overhead, make it a one-of-a-kind adventure no matter where it weighs anchor. I experienced everything—including Gailhac’s water-skiing prowess—during a three-day cruise from Nice, France to Portofino, Italy.
While most passengers enjoyed the all-inclusive food and drink, as well as the often cheesy but fun shows put on by Club Med’s crew (called G.O.s, short for Gentil Organiseurs or Gentle Organizers), I became enamored by the vessel. During its 33-year history, it has visited the most remote parts of the world, hosted thousands of guests, and undergone multiple refits. It has one of the most interesting histories of any modern sailing vessel.
Here are eight other facts about this five-masted sailing superyacht.
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It Handily Beats Out Jeff Bezos’ ‘Koru’ as The World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
It Handily Beats Out Jeff Bezos’ ‘Koru’ as The World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
At 614 feet long, Club Med 2 has held the title of the world’s largest sailing yacht for 33 years, ever since it floated out of Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, France, en route on its maiden voyage to New Caledonia. But all good things must come to an end. Club Med 2 is set to lose the top spot next year when the 721-foot Orient Express Corinthian makes its debut. Not that anyone on board is worried. “It’s a nice ship, but for us it’s not a competition,” Jean-Baptiste Coquinot, Club Med 2’s co-captain, tells me during the voyage. “We’ve been doing this for 30 years, so we know how to manage the sails.” That’s an understatement.
The Original Hotel Superyacht
The Original Hotel Superyacht
Before it was fashionable for hotel groups to bring their brands to the water, Club Med 2 was already sailing the Med and Caribbean with touches that made it a beloved concept with clients: G.O.s who share meals with guests, “Crazy Signs” group dances and a sport and wellness focus. Now, as brands like Aman, Ritz-Carlton and The Four Seasons launch their brand-inspired vessels to lure their clients to cruising, Club Med 2 stands tall as the world’s original hotel superyacht.
10 Tennis Courts of Sails Unfurl With The Push of A Button
10 Tennis Courts of Sails Unfurl With The Push of A Button
The ship has nearly 27,000 square feet of sails across five masts—enough sail cloth to cover ten tennis courts. The masts are fully automated, so the sails can be hoisted in under two minutes. “Today, it might seem standard but for the time, it was a major innovation as all the computer systems had to be created and we were the first shipyard to achieve such a feat,” Jean Louis Jegaden, who worked at the shipyard during the vessel’s construction, told Robb Report.
The Beach Club Pioneer
The Beach Club Pioneer
A giant jaw that opens at the aft of the canoe stern, Club Med 2’s marina is jammed with watersports equipment for wakeboarding, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kayaking, and water skiing. The request to design a beach club prototype—a novel concept at the time—was straightforward for the shipyard. “We were used to building car ferries, which had doors at the back to let cars in, so it didn’t really bother us,” says Jegaden, who was involved in the construction. Of course, in typical French fashion, the marina closes between noon and 2 pm so the watersports instructors can have lunch.
What Happened to ‘Club Med 1’?
What Happened to ‘Club Med 1’?
A name like Club Med 2 begs the question: What happened to the first one? Delivered from the same yard in 1990, Club Med 1 was sold to US cruise line Windstar in 1998 and now serves as its flagship sailing ship, Wind Surf. In total, Société Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre built five sailing ships, starting with a trio of smaller, four-mast sailing ships for Windstar in the 1980s: Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song, and then completing the two Club Med sailing yachts. Though the yard was shuttered, its vessels are still in the water, except Wind Song, which sank in French Polynesia after a 2003 fire.
A Big Anniversary with a Multi-Million-Dollar Facelift
A Big Anniversary with a Multi-Million-Dollar Facelift
To celebrate its 30th birthday, Club Med spent $10.5 million in 2022 on a big interior refit. The facelift was overseen by Sophie Jacqmin, the Parisian designer who has also left her stamp on hotels such as the five-star L’Apogée Courchevel, an Oekter Collection property in the French Alps.
The refreshed style is a bright, mood-enhancing palette of blues and yellows, with touches that recall the golden age of cruising. Public areas are named for classic Riviera destinations: Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monte-Carlo, and Portofino. My 390-square foot suite—two cabins converted into one during the refit—was one of the largest I’ve stayed in at sea, with two separate bathrooms, a roomy lounge, polished wood surfaces and curved edges bordered in dark leather in the style of vintage travel trunks. It is only slightly smaller than the signature Suite Armateur, the largest onboard. This forward-facing owner’s suite has expansive cruising views and a separate living area that can be closed off from the sleeping area. There are 164 cabins in total, all with sea views through porthole windows, though none have individual balconies.
Big Boat, Shallow Draft
Big Boat, Shallow Draft
Despite having a massive interior volume of 14,983 gross tonnes, Club Med 2 has a draft of just 16’4″, which means it can access shallow anchorages other ships can’t in destinations like the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands. After spending the northern hemisphere summer toggling between week-long and shorter, weekend itineraries in the Med, the vessel crosses the pond every winter for its Caribbean program, offering guests the option of a transatlantic crossing.
‘Club Med 2’ is France at Sea
‘Club Med 2’ is France at Sea
Ever wondered what it’s like to cruise à la française? From the giant tricolor French flag flying from the stern, to a goûter, or afternoon tea, served at 4.30 pm and dinner service that doesn’t start until 8, this is a slice of France at sea.
We ate re-imagined pissaladière, or a caramalised onion and anchovy tart typical of the French Riviera, in the formal restaurant, Monte-Carlo, while traditional French dishes like maigret de canard, or duck breast, were cooked fresh in front of our eyes workstations in Saint-Tropez, the top deck buffet.
All this means that French is the lingua franca onboard too (although announcements are also in English and most of the crew speak English). Those who enjoy French gastronomy will be at home onboard Club Med 2 — similarly Francophiles will embrace this unique experience.