Prestige August 2009

PRESTIGE i n

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BANYAN TREE

GUCCI

FARRAH

OCEAN RACING

FEMINART ISSUE NO. 30

R49.95

Fairline Targa

Life. Passion. Adventure.

contents

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66

travel 14

Dive Egypt's Red Sea

36

Marataba Safari Lodge

80

Touching Beauty

84

Doing Green Business

Full of Surprises

Gem of the Waterberg

Banyan Tree Seychelles

Banyan Tree

marine

36

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18

Breaking New Ground

28

Azimut Breaks its Record

32

Enter the Emperor

44

Classic Curves

54

If You Can’t Take the Heat

58

Volvo Ocean Race

66

Blue Water Calling

78

Wake’s Up

Award-Winning Fairline Targa 38

8 New Yacht Models

SuperYacht Nero

Kral Speedster

San Pellegrino Cooking Cup

Final Wrap Up

Introducing the Silverton and Ovation

Agon 23

contents

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26

style 26 New Ferrari California Arrives in South Africa

30

Tin Korver Introduces Designfaktorii

40

The Women Behind the Art

46

Invest in The Pepper Club

56

Art and Soul

70

Forever Fashionable

Local Designers on the Scene

SA’s Most Celebrated Female Artists

Cape Town’s Hottest Address

Orpheo Twins' Bespoke Jewellery

Guccio Gucci’s Legendary Creation

special features 24 Farrah Fawcett The Ultimate Poster Pin-Up

62

51

The Best Onboard Whirlybirds

62

Vida Exclusiva

74

Seismic Events

88

Make a Move to Malta

Helicopters for Yachts

The Pampered Life

The Manhattan Project

Crusader Rock Can Help

regulars 10 From The Helm 90 Savour 92 Sip 94 Live the Life 96 Making Waves 8

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from the helm “Desperately trying to be different, like everybody else. Or trying to be like everybody else, namely different.”

This sardonic statement by one of our dearest friends, arguably the most calmly self-confident person in his own skin we have ever known, often comes to mind when we attend the flashy affairs hosted by some players in the world of luxury. What is it that makes the mark of a man and distinguishes someone when in the company of the moneyed, the symbols of their wealth, and the beauties and cronies that this standard of life seems to attract? If anything, the real truth in the quote above is that we are all so remarkably similar and have so few opportunities to set ourselves apart in a meaningful way. You only In the Next Edition: need to glance around these functions at the masses Owning the Wealth of Nations of tagalongs – young men with the same trendy, gelled-hair, super-skinny little black numbers by their side – to feel the strong pull of the ordinary.

Over time, we have developed the habit of reading the nametags left on the sign-in table to see who has opted not to attend. Once inside, we seek out the visibly absent, the ones who could have bought out the whole parade if they were bothered. Why? Because it appears to us that the ultimate mark of individuality remains in the freedom to choose. The freedom to choose whether to attend. The freedom to choose whether one is interested in making a particular luxury brand and its stated values speak for you as person. The freedom to choose whether to stand further to the back or bask in the limelight of the event. What an amazing luxury – this freedom to choose. Not only in the manner in which one earns that wealth, but even more so, in how one lives it and how strongly one can resist the pull of glamour-laden similarity away from individual quality. And how dangerous is that statement we too often hear around South African dinner tables, “We have too much freedom.” The fact is, being free is like being pregnant – you either are or you aren’t. There is no in-between.

With that in mind, one cannot but realise how the values underpinning each luxury brand take on an important role. By definition, a brand means trust in a predictable experience. Trust, itself, means the expectation of a constant set of behaviours in the future – whether it is a person’s actions or the performance of a luxury product. So, when we opt to associate with a particular brand through our admiration or acquisition of some goods under the brand’s banner, we are really choosing a particular set of values for ourselves into the future. In this edition, for example, we highlight the manner in which the international Banyan Tree hotel group has committed to particular social and environmental objectives and involve their guests in these initiatives. Opting to holiday with them may say as much about you as a person as does going for the Bentley rather than the flashy convertible. Through the rest of this edition, you will experience a smorgasbord of such wonderful luxury goods and services from which to choose. A genuine exercise of your freedom to shape parts of your personal world through the manner in which you consume.

The same argument applies to the manner in which you choose to consume information, and that is why our team at Prestige is rather proud of making the bold claim that you are holding the only local magazine in the world of luxury that not only writes about luxury, but also offers you a luxury product and experience when holding and reading our magazine. We cover the most trusted brands in the world of luxury, and our long-standing clients know that this publication and its team live by the same integrity and quality that is the hallmark of a timeless brand. So, enjoy the read, and take comfort in knowing that behind presenting another edition to you there is a trail of promises kept, honest business conducted and loyalty honoured among friends, colleagues and clients. As our established luxury clients often tell us – with Prestige, you place our brand in good company.

Charl & Tanya PS: The boating & yachting season is around the corner! The country's premier yacht shows are underway, paving the way for a glorious summer along our great coastline. If this Sport of Kings is new to your family, enjoy this edition of Prestige where we feature several of the yachts you can experience at the National Boat Show, taking place in Johannesburg (14 - 16 August) and the Cape Town International Boat Show (25 - 27 September). Time to jump in!

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Issue 30 PUBLISHER: Tanya Goodman (PhD Yale) tanya@prestigemag.co.za Chapel Lane Media PO Box 13404, Hatfield, 0028 Tel: +27 82 671 2762 Fax: +27 866 78 6370 MANAGING EDITOR: Charl du Plessis (MBA Yale, PhD Darden) Tel: +27 82 452 8110 charl@prestigemag.co.za EDITOR: Toni Ackermann toni@prestigemag.co.za ADVERTISING: Sharon Kaplan-Webster Tel: +27 79 015 2986 sharon@prestigemag.co.za Rui Barbosa Tel: +27 84 290 2070 rui@prestigemag.co.za Adie Pranger Tel: +27 83 601 2291 / +27 11 465 1572 adie@prestigemag.co.za Lodene Grobler Tel: +27 79 876 4130 lodene@prestigemag.co.za Claudia Henkel Tel: +27 82 443 6470 claudiahenkel@prestigemag.co.za DESIGN & LAY-OUT: Liesel van der Schyf VDS Design Studio Tel: +27 82 336 7537 liesel@vdsdesign.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS: R499 for 12 issues; R949 for 24 issues SMS the words SUBSCRIBE PRESTIGE, followed by your name and email address, to +27 82 452 8110.

Alternatively, email your name, cell number and delivery address to mail@prestigemag.co.za.

Print: Type & Repro, Johannesburg DISTRIBUTION: Prestige is available at major news stand outlets, retail stores and through subscription. Prestige is freely distributed in leading five-star hotels and airport lounges, as well as upscale coffee shops, wellness centres and spas, and waiting areas for private banking clients.

Cover Images Credits: Main: Boating World Thumbnails: Gucci; Banyan Tree; Guy Salter/ Ericsson 4 for Volvo Ocean Race; Gallo Images/ Getty Images; Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (1914 - ); “Young Girl”; Oil on Canvas; 64.4cm x 52.8cm; Signed: “Bettie Cilliers-Barnard” (Lower/Right); Dated: 1950

PRESTIGE i n

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All rights are reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. PRESTIGE is published by Chapel Lane Media. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or any of its clients. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and reports in this magazine, the publisher does not accept any responsibility, whatsoever, for any errors, or omissions, or for any effects resulting there from.

No part of this publication may be used, or reproduced in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.

Copyright ©2009. All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs to Chapel Lane Media and/or the individual contributors.

All rights reserved.

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S U B M ER G E

Egypt's

Red Sea Full of Surprises

The Red Sea is a melange of calm, crystal-clear cerulean surf and a mesmerising underwater wonderland. Shifting light and endless visibility, colourful corals and creaking shipwrecks, rocky overhangs and sheer drop-offs, rare pelagic fish and ancient mermaids of the sea. This is what welcomed an underwater adventure photography duo from Bittenbysharks.com, who recently lead a 12-day diving expedition to Egypt’s Red Sea. Words & Images: © Claudia Pellarini-Joubert and Leon Joubert of www.bittenbysharks.com

W

e disembarked the plane in Hurghada, Egypt, and stepped into a scorching Egyptian summer – 38ºC and climbing. A short ride through the featureless desert led us to Des, the Irish owner of the boat, and Mohammed, his knowledgeable cruise director and our trip leader, who welcomed us onboard a new liveaboard, anchored in the picturesque Hurghada Marina.

We travelled through the night, awoken the next morning by the yells of the captain and the sounds of the tenders firing up so the crew could fix the mooring lines. The Brothers Islands are well known for elusive thresher sharks and oceanic white tip sharks, as well as pelagic ocean-dwellers – creatures living, floating, or swimming in the water column above the bottom. We moored on the leeward side of “Little Brother,” with “Big Brother” visible in the morning light a mere kilometre away, its Victorian lighthouse peering out over the vast ocean. The water was crystal clear, with visibility exceeding 60 metres. There was nothing special about the two islands nearby; windswept slivers of hardened desert sand and desolation, but we had come for the spectacular treasures below the surface so we didn’t mind much.

Descending on our first dive at the

Brothers we were a tad apprehensive, stories of run-away currents in the back of our minds. But almost immediately below us, at 40 metres, we caught a glimpse of a shape slowly and gracefully moving in our direction, its long tailfin trailing like a banner behind it – this was our first sighting of a thresher shark. Sleek, gracious, and rarely seen, it swam slowly past before disappearing into the distance.

For the remainder of our dive we were tailed by huge curious napoleon wrasses, dazzled by millions of red anthias, enthralled by dancing pairs of butterfly fish and entertained by several aggressive anemone fish.

The lush walls of the ocean were alive and dripping with soft corals and fans. After two days of incredible colour and astounding ocean life, not to mention many hours spent exploring old wrecks, which groaned under the weight of coral growth, we set sail once more, saluting the little islands as we moved further away, eager for more adventure.

Daedelus Reef turned out to be a partially submerged ring of hard coral with a lighthouse perched in the middle. We floated past her mountainous drop-offs and precarious overhangs, taking it all in. On our afternoon dive, the highlight was, without a doubt, the way the dappled, glittering sunlight beams filtered down through the gullies and swim-throughs. It was

mesmerising. That evening, as our small group chattered excitedly about nature’s entertaining lightshow, Mohammed overheard our conversation and chipped in – promising us even more to come.

We were growing accustomed to our daily wake-up call: the sounds and frenetic activities of the crew running ropes and mooring the boat. Dressing quickly, we grabbed our cameras and scuttled to the bridge. Mouths agape, before us was a sight to behold: an azure-coloured lagoon, at least five kilometres long, surrounded by a fringe reef that sparkled in the morning rays of sunlight, situated at the foot of a golden mountain. This was the island of Zabarghad, and she beckoned us to discover her beautiful overhangs, schools of big eyes and dancing anthias.

That night we steamed towards the South, where Egypt borders Sudan. We anchored at the first of many coral pinnacles, feeling quite lost in the vast southern Egyptian Red Sea. Over the next few days we dived Haab Ali, Shaab Eid, Cane Reef, Gota Stay, and others too plentiful to mention. True to Mohammed’s word we came across enormous underwater caverns in the St Johns area, with surreal light beams streaming through slits cracks and holes in the corals above, like stage lights on a wonderland of shifting colour.

We snorkelled with dolphins, which zipped

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in and out of the surf, gleefully playing catch with a dead fish, and encountered yet another curious oceanic white tip shark at Elphinstone Reef.

“Dugongs are on my list” said Eva, when we first boarded back in Hurghada, “I have to see one on this trip!” Yeah right, we had all thought to ourselves. We were now gearing up for the last dive of the trip, looking out at the nondescript bay just ahead, Mohammed’s promise of the “chance of a dugong sighting” still in the back of our minds. There was no current; the water was a temperate 29°C and the visibility seemingly endless. As we descended, we found ourselves immediately scouring the sea grass beds of Marsa Alam’s Abu Dabab for traces of this large, underwater hippo-like creature – just in case.

Instead we spotted a large, green turtle covered in remoras and as we slowly moved on metre by metre, we saw another and yet another! What a lovely dream this is turning into, we mused, as we continued to snap photographs from every angle. It was mighty difficult to tear ourselves away from the obliging turtles, which, while intent on ripping at the green sea grass, would occasionally look soulfully towards

us. But we were focussed on our mission – after all, we were here for the illusive 400-kilogram dugongs were we not? And then... a cloud of dust from the ocean floor.

We were suddenly on alert mode as we had been advised during the briefing to keep an eye out for dust clouds, a sure sign of the dugong’s presence. Expectantly, we swam

Feverishly fingering the shutters on our cameras, almost forgetting to click, we were fixated on this large creature as it glided down and settled in the sand, totally oblivious to our presence. towards the promising sandstorm, hearts a-flutter, but alas there was nothing, no dugong. Disappointed, we turned towards Mohammed, but he was intently looking up at something and as we craned our necks to see what it was, we saw it: a giant dugong and it was propelling itself headfirst towards us!

We scattered to give way. Feverishly fingering the shutters on our cameras, almost forgetting to click, we were fixated on this large creature as it glided down and settled in the sand, totally oblivious to our presence, and set about calmly “vacuuming” the ocean floor with its muzzle. A large sand cloud began to form as the dugong inched forward, all the while sucking, slurping and munching. The animal snuggled into the sea grass beds, still either pointedly ignoring us or blissfully unaware.

Catching a ride on its back were a number of large yellow remoras, clinging precariously to the thick, rough-looking skin. After a short while the dugong shifted loose of the sand and propelled itself upwards towards the surface for a gulp of air, where it floated for a while. It should be said, when its muzzle was out of the sand, the dugong is a rather endearing mammal.

Back on the boat, we sat dazed and unbelieving; privileged to have spent some time with this ancient mermaid. Despite all the magic we had seen on our underwater Red Sea safari, this was, without a doubt, the highlight of our many dives.

Visit www.bittenbysharks.com or email info@bittenbysharks.com. 

Award-Winning

FAIRLINE

TARGA 38

Breaks New Ground

Recently winning Motor Boat of the Year in its category, the new Targa 38, a superfast little Fairline model, indeed the smallest in the Fairline range, is the perfect luxury cruiser for a spontaneous sundowner cruise to Clifton, an overnight stay at Dassen Island, or a long, leisurely tour to Hout Bay. Sleeping up to six people in comfortable style, this Fairline model is one of the most versatile motor yachts in the Fairline stable, offering all the convenience and luxurious mod cons of their larger models.

Words: ANGELA PRICE Images: Š BOATING WORLD

FEATURE

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he Fairline brand, represented exclusively in Southern Africa

by Boating World, has become synonymous the world over with outstanding performance and first-class design. Earlier this year, Fairline received a triple nomination for the prestigious “Motor Boat of the Year” Awards. With nominations in three of the four relevant categories, the Phantom 48 in the Flybridge Below 50ft, the Targa 38 in the Sportscruiser Below 45ft, and the Squadron 55 winning the Flybridge Above 50ft, Fairline was recognised for continuing to push boundaries in creating class-leading motor yachts.

In response to boat buyers’ changing

requirements, and to ensure that the Fairline brand continues to appeal globally, the UK’s leading luxury performance motor yacht manufacturer has announced changes to its entry-level Targa 38 model.

And in response to its mounting popularity, Boating World has made the brand new Targa 38 a part of their stock in Cape Town, available for demos and viewings. She boasts a few additional luxuries (not available on the standard model), such as plush leather seating, a barbecue griddle in the cockpit, full air conditioning and heating in all cabins, teak-laid floors, advanced audio visual entertainment systems, mood lighting in the cabins and elegant interior upholstery. The South African landed price for this yacht,

including all the extras, is R4.5million.

Since she was launched in 2006, the Targa 38 has been one of the fastest selling models in the Fairline range. At the time, she was capable of a top speed of 36 knots, but some customers were seeking greater speeds and performance on the water. In response to these demands, at the end of 2007 Fairline introduced the new Volvo Penta D6-370 EVC diesel engines as an option. The result: this stylish, elegant sports cruiser now effortlessly reaches speeds of 42 knots – making it the fastest Fairline ever! Some people aspire to own a Fairline for its comfort, style and luxury detailing and have no need to invest in the bigger – and consequentially more expensive – engine options. In response to

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these customers’ wishes, Fairline recently introduced the lower-engine option, D4-260 EVC diesel, to allow those on a smaller budget access to this luxury brand, thus offering even more versatility.

Derrick Levy, CEO of Boating World and a boating veteran with more than 40 years' experience, comments, “By responding to the needs of the boat buying public and allowing choices to be made according to budget and need, Fairline and Boating World continues to provide a luxury product across the widest customer base. To be successful within this competitive 38 to 40-foot entry market, brands have to listen to their customers. These changes to engine options have allowed the Fairline brand to become more accessible to discerning boat buyers, yet without compromising the quality of design and construction that is synonymous with this luxurious brand.”

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Further endorsement to the quality of the Fairline range of boats was received when the company won “The Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2008” in the International Trade category.

The announcement was made in April 2008 and is just another feather in the Fairline and Boating World caps. The Squadron 65 is the newest Fairline model currently being tested, and with its debut at the Cannes Boat Show later this year it is guaranteed to follow in the wake of the other Fairline models and exceed all expectations.

Way back in 1988, Boating World became the first boat dealer in South Africa to sell a luxury motor yacht over 40 foot. As the experts on the African continent, their name has become synonymous with quality and expertise, and of course, everything relating to luxury boating. With offices located in Durban and Cape Town, and an

African expansion plan well underway, Boating World also offers a range of other complementary services, such as co-ownership programmes, maintenance plans, fishfinders/GPS equipment, air berths, marine insurance and much more.

They are also the exclusive African agents for the prestigious Australian luxury motor yacht brand Riviera, which has produced some of the best sports-fishing vessels in the world.

For more information on Boating World or the Fairline motor yacht range, contact Derrick Levy on +27 21 418 0840. Boating World has just opened the doors to its brand new showroom located at The Waterclub in Cape Town’s Granger Bay. It also has two offices in Durban – one at the Quays at The Point, and one at the Yacht Mole. For more information visit www.boatingworld.co.za. 

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MURDER Farrah Fawcett The

Mystery Ultimate Poster Pin-Up Into Thin Air

S U S PEN S E

Lady Veronica Lucan ran through the pouring rain into a local That famous redstreaming swimsuit down posterher soldhead, morescreaming than eightthat million pub with blood the copies and recently went on eBay for $400 a pop.

Fawcett-Majors wasInthe idol of a whole generation, and her nanny had beenFarrah murdered by her husband. thepin-up meantime, trademark blondeescaped. mane and whiteforsmile a standard for sex appeal that will endure beyond the killer quietly Except two set short, bloodstained her ownmailed troubled life. afterwards, Lord Lucan was never seen or letters shortly heard of again, having seemingly just vanished into thin air.

P T

restik wasn’t even around yet.

I carefully went through those old-style poster racks at CNA, turning my head this way and thatrainy way every hethen dark night time of 7I flipped, finally home November 1974 bringing was supposed that famous Farrah poster. to be the night off Cheryl for the Tieggs pretty was relegated to the insideRivett, of my cupboard nanny, Sandra who was as I stucknotmy new idol thehouse. wall supposed to beon in the with sellotape.

After spending time with the My children boardingwatching school television, friends were Lucan she amazed when coming home with on excused herself to go downstairs to me fix hot weekends thatshemyhadmother would after even drinks. When not returned allow thisminutes poster Lady on the about 20 Lucanwall. wentFarrah after adoration was supposed to the be delay. a young her to see what was causing The man’s secret andshortly the worlds of mothers Lady returned afterwards withanda Farrah were and neverblood intended to wound fantasy on her head running collide. down herThese face. were the days of grand Apartheid and Scope To the moral police censorship, afterwards, Lady Lucan magazine published their topless relayed howstill she got to the half-landing in women strategically darknesswith when she heard placed a noisestars. from Yet, the from my bedroom stared out ata cloakroom behindwall her.Farrah As she turned, my teenage friends, leaving absolutely no gloved hand grabbed her around the throat secret as to what rested that and a series of hard blows were inside delivered to swimsuit suppose my mother her head. top.

The I man wrestled her to was the pretty many groundcool andthat triedway. to Not gouge outyears her later, eyes. she brought girlfriend and me Fighting whatmy shevarsity thought was an intruder, breakfast in bed guestroom double she looked up in andthesaw her husband, bed the first introductory visit to the Lord on Lucan. same family home where I grew up. No Lady Lucan claimed that her husband surprise that to this girlfriend the hadnanny a little had admitted bludgeoning to Farrah abouta her – shenine-inch was, after all,pipe our death with heavy, lead generation’s primal imprintmistakenly of beauty wrapped in most medical plaster, and lust. it was his wife, with whom he was thinking Whichmarital of us, then, in the Lady years before having problems.

Lucan celebrity and by cheesy magazines, managed television to get away reasoning with would have know behind him that shewanted would to assist himthat in fleeing the poster girl was thetoreal life of a Texas before the police were arrive.

They went girl who for made in Tinsel Town, and, and upstairs himittobig tend her wounds invited a lifetime highstoand lowsher into her when he left theofroom fetch some seemingly life.she Imagine having wet towelsglamorous for her head, escaped and your lifepub. story a few ran toentire the local Her reduced mad dashtosignalled singular the stars you the start headlines of one ofabout the most intriguing dated, which you married and murder the casesone in history. divorced, theat other who flat resented his Searches the nearby the Lord rejected advances so much he beat kept revealed nothing, thoughthat his passport you a pulp.

Or laid-out having your and tosuits were as companion’s if he were rehab centre number in planning a trip.telephone Aerial searches of listed the area the same littleusing blacksmall, book as your plumber, by the police, state-of-the-art

dentist, hair stylist and son’s officer.

Words:parole MICHAEL PITHEY Images: ©shook GALLOthat IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES Yes, once Farrah golden mane at the camera, her life was never the same again. road to fameover started she (for Farrah’s 1974) gyrocopters the while following was student in Corpus few still daysa were futile.

Lord Christi, Lucan, Texas, called where was by spotted “Lucky she Lucan” many when of hisfeatured friends, in hada student magazine as one of “the most simply disappeared. attractive A modelling career in By 9 co-eds.”

November, two bloodstained Los landed her Sussex the famous lettersAngeles mailed from nearby arrived swimsuit poster ofassignment andfriend, she in the post-box Lucan’s close became thejockey embodiment of Kidd. the mood of millionaire Bill Shand In these the time: theLucan sexualspun revolution the letters, Lord a story and of him Californian dream.

She caught the eye of apprehending an intruder in his house, producer Spelling and was in effectivelyAaron saving his wife fromcastsaid the original Angels“Vseries that intruder, or soCharlie’s he claimed.

[Veronica] brought every hired American, and later accused her me into of having this man.

She South African, living has demonstrated herroom. hatred for me in the ended up like thattoher man, Lee pastItand would see bionic me accused.

For Majors, had clay feet and[daughter] the pair to were George [son] and Frances go divorced as Farrah onto father a lifetime through life knowingmoved that their had roller coaster of companionship with would hardbeen accused attempted murder drinking and for swashbuckling be too much them. WhenRyan they O’Neal. are old Farrah’s actress remained enough, merits explain asto an them the dream of overshadowed by her pin-up paranoia and look after them.”and Thecelebrity second status, and itarrangements was only after letter made forshe thesuffered sale of the brutal physical at theunder handsthe of family silver throughabuse Christie’s, rejected lover Johnmatters.”

Orr and starred in The heading “financial Burning Bed, a film aboutunravelling abuse, thatLord she As the police started won as an actressthatwhen Lucan’srecognition life, they came to realise the nominated Emmy to andinfive Golden Earl, a title for he two succeeded 1964, was Globe Farrah shocked he thewas worlda living Awards. a façade.

Outwardly, when she finally agefine of gentleman from a agreed, differentaterathewith 47, to pose the first time,away for homes and anaked live-infor nanny, whiling Playboy his timemagazine. at the finest gentlemen’s and In 2006, was diagnosed gambling clubsFarrah as a backgammon and with card cancer.

Afterthatanearned apparently table wizard him thesuccessful nickname treatment where she “Lucky.” He of waschemotherapy, a high roller who always reputedly with thesmartly doctorsdressed that “you arrived in joked his Mercedes in would not rest you finally gotheld my Savile Row suits.until Believed to have hair,” conditionindeteriorated bank her accounts Rhodesia once andmore. the After several as anand item, Ryan Bahamas, anddecades silver rights land in O’Neal and theynotwere Ireland, finally Lucan proposed was, however, as planning wed once Farrah returned from financiallytosound as he wished to appear, an experimental treatment in family’s Europe. having gambled away much of the But this wasdespite not tohisbe, as Farrah inheritance seeming luckpassed at the away Junehe 2009, withanherexpensive son not tables.onIn251973, fought present, prisonVeronica sentenceand on custody away battleserving with aLady drug hired charges. a very costly private eye to trace her

Words: RICK COROSA Images: © GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES; WORDPRESS.COM

I cannot recall when I finally took down my Farrah Fawcett poster. Maybe it just fell down by itself as the sellotape finally dried out one day after I left home. It doesn’t matter.

In myinmind, that picture remains an as movements the hopes of uncovering clear day, that and there only his be illicit as affair couldwill seealways him win one Farrah – that all-American blonde custody battle.

In short, Lord Lucan was mane eyes and smile, theby waya going with brokeradiant and being torn apart she was captured on film day.  pathological hatred for that his wife which, according to the police, he thought he could solve with one swift blow.

Lucan’s last traces were in Sussex, at the home of Susan and Ian Maxwell Scott.

He recounted to them the same story as contained in the letter, and drove off at 1:15am in a dark saloon car. He was never seen again. Somewhere on this outbound journey he must have mailed the two bloodstained letters. Several theories abound as to what had happened to him.

There were rumours that he boarded a cross-channel ferry where he threw himself into the cold water close to Dieppe. Some believed that a friend flew him out of the country from a nearby private airstrip.

Others thought he may have changed his identity, taking with him a small amount of capital from a Swiss bank account and Face of an Angel embarked on a new life somewhere in the Hardly out of –university, Farrah posedand in Commonwealth away from justice this stigma red swimsuit just What after she moved to the of murder.

Scotland Yard Los Angeles in 1976. Shot nextwas to the pool has found impossible to crack Lucan’s at her home by photographer Bruce tight circle of aristocratic friends, believed McBroom, usingthat oneheof to have known didhis notold killMexican himself, blankets asthey backdrop, therehis wereflight no stylists, because assisted and art directors assistants. latera bolstered theorstart of his McBroom new life as told Time– magazine, like the fugitive using their“Farrah moneydidn't and privilege way she looked in the a bikini and didn't in secrecy to keep vulgarity of thehave law one justice on her.far Soaway she would go in the house and from one of their own. and No come in aever swimsuit say, ‘What oneouthas been and charged with do youand think of this?’Lord ... I Lucan, shot rolls aiding abetting andoftofilm, this and his it final just secret wasn'tremains happening.

She's a day, safe, wherever beautiful butnew there wasn't he may bewoman, living his life.  anything that I would put on a poster. ... Then she went in to look around and came out of the back door and stood in the doorway in this red suit, and she said in her Southern accent, ‘Well, is this anything?’ And I literally said to myself, ‘Oh my God’.”

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FEATURE

New

Ferrari C a l i f o r n i a It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s here – the Ferrari California has arrived in South Africa.

Words: JASON CLEGHORN Images: © FERRARI

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ecently, a carefully-selected group of some 300 guests gathered at Castle Kyalami for an event based on the concept of “Six Senses” – the obvious five of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, along with the sixth sense – that of the love for

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this incredible piece of machinery, the Ferrari California.

Guests were welcomed to the Ferrari Red-lit castle by a display of impeccablygroomed Lipizzaner horses performing the Cavallino Rampante – or Prancing Horse – a real-life rendering of the famous Ferrari brand. Later, to the sound of South

African soprano Dewald von Solms serenading all present with a rendition of Nessun Dorma, lights dimmed in a most dramatic fashion, and the gleaming beauty was at last unveiled. Displayed high on a luminous, revolving stage, the car shone in its own spotlight, delivering not only the finesse of the Ferrari brand, but also the

FEATURE

innovation and technology that makes this car one of the most advanced in the world – not to mention one of the best to drive.

The engines roared to life and the roof lifted up so that the interior could be explored and admired, the whole car revered.

Standing in front of it, this icon of motoring, guests were left speechless, the car magnificent before them.

The Ferrari California completes Ferrari’s product range in the 8-cylinder car segment. Until now this segment had been covered by mainly high-performance models such as the F430 and 430 Scuderia.

Now, the Ferrari California comes side by side with the flagship 612 Scaglietti in the sports GT segment, among the most exclusive cars on the market.

The Ferrari California is available solely as a convertible with a folding hard top, both as a two seater with a traditional rear bench and a 2+ version, equipped to seat one or two rear passengers for shorter drives. It comes fitted with a new V8 engine

which, for the first time in the brand’s history, is front mounted. The V8, 4,300cc displacement engine has a flat crankshaft and gasoline direct injection. The engine outputs 460CV at 7,750rpm, with engine torque level and range fully enhancing the driving dynamics and pleasure features. The engine, which enables a 0 to 100 standing start acceleration of less than 4 seconds, is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transaxle, with F1 paddles on the steering wheel.

The new transmission improves the car’s performance and enhances driving excitement, with greater comfort and better fuel economy. The car comes with the exclusive F1-Trac traction control system, introduced for the first time on the 599 GTB Fiorano, with further improvements for the most typical uses of this new GT car.

Finally, maximum braking efficiency is obtained with the Brembo carbo-ceramic material rotors, standard equipment as on all other models in the Ferrari range.

Following Ferrari’s tradition, this new

model offers extraordinary, innovative features. Among these is the retractable hard top, the 2+ concept and the high versatility, especially at the back of the car.

Luggage capacity and the pass-through feature between the rear bench and the luggage compartment are also original ideas, aimed at the target customers of the car.

In addition to the classic styling cues of Ferrari, the vehicle’s interior matches topquality materials with the brand’s traditional craftsmanship. New components and equipment, coupled with aerodynamic optimisation of the car as a whole, assure superior driving ergonomics both in top-up and top-down conditions.

The Ferrari California is a thoroughbred sports car; highly innovative and capable of fulfilling the expectations of even the most refined and passionate drivers. For more information on the Ferrari California or another model in the Ferrari range contact Tracy Eagles on +27 21 464 3560 or teagles@ferrari.co.za. 

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FEATURE

Azimut

Sets Its Own Record Global economic crisis... What crisis?

At least this is what’s being said at Azimut Yachts, which is seeing 2009 as a rather lucrative year despite the apparent global meltdown.

Words: TONI ACKERMANN Images: © AZIMUT YACHTS

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FEATURE

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elebrating the fortieth anniversary of the AzimutBenetti Group, this year saw eight new models added to the line-up, perhaps a record in its own right. The Azimut 72S, Azimut 53, Azimut 38, Azimut 40S, Azimut 78, Azimut 88, the Magellano 74, and the new Azimut 100 Leonardo are the newest additions to Azimut’s stable, launched in response to the requests of ever more demanding boat owners.

The 100 Leonardo made its debut in Porto Cervo earlier this year. Of all the flying bridges from Azimut Yachts, this new model is a class unto itself. The profile offers sensations of great sportsmanship and extreme elegance while the saloon brings to mind a sophisticated loft, designed to favour socialising and offer moments of life at its best to the owner and his guests.

The position of the telescopic gangway in the stern is the first demonstration of the quality of the Azimut 53 design. This new yacht has a line designed on the lower deck by a coloured “ocean purple” band.

Boarding access is to the side so that the passage leaves the cockpit's dinette and relaxation area free, while stairs integrated in the superstructure, with comfortable

teak treads, give access to one of the largest flybridges of the category. Three extremely comfortable twin cabins, in addition to the seaman's cabin, make the Azimut 53 a perfect example of space expansion theory.

The launch of these eight new models, designed to offer enhanced comfort and ever greater satisfaction to yacht owners around the world, is undoubtedly the most fitting and concrete way to celebrate the company's past and present, but it is also the best of premises for facing the challenges of the next 40 years.

Contact Mike Friedman: • Tel: +27 82 801 7065 • Email: mike@brodericksports.co.za • Visit: www.azimutyachts.co.za

Every year Azimut holds a Gala to entertain all existing Azimut owners as well as potential owners. The full range of yachts from 39 to 116 foot are on show and also available for sea trials. Last month, in Varrazze, Italy, Broderick Sports’ Mike Friedman played host at this event when proudly presenting a gleaming Azimut 55 to a beaming, new owner from our part of the world.

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FEATURE

Tin Korver

Introduces

Designfaktorii Words: TONI ACKERMANN Images: © TWIICE INTERNATIONAL

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S TYLE The world should brace itself for the design talents of South Africa because, thanks to the establishing of Designfaktorii, brainchild of Tin Korver, hot, innovative products from local designers will soon be available on local and international markets. This will surely put Southern Africa on the global map of top quality furniture manufacture.

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n March this year, Tin Korver, together with Twiice board member Paul Rohof, purchased Cape Townbased company, Bauhaus Kitchens and Interiors and rebranded it as Designfaktorii. Jonathan Barnes, who founded Bauhaus in 1996 and is now Managing Director of Designfaktorii, says, “Designfaktorii is the next leap forward.

With our strong design base and craftsman skills, we are equipping our factory to become the unquestioned leader in creating and triggering interior environments that really work and which turn heads.”

Designfaktorii offers custom-made kitchens and bathrooms as well as a range of corporate office furniture and yacht interiors plus retail interiors.

To allow for further growth, Designfaktorii is deploying the most advanced machinery yet to be imported into South Africa. Monique Braithwaite, Design Director of Designfaktorii, says, “We work with a variety of materials ranging from timber, glass, stainless steel and aluminium to stone and composites.

All specialised aluminium, steel and glass work is done in our factory, and all outsourced work is closely managed by our team of qualified engineers and industrial designers.”

It comes as no surprise that Korver decided to invest in a factory of his own to produce South African pieces. After years of experience in this industry, Korver intends to develop and produce high-end furniture of an equal measure to that from Europe. “I believe it is the right time to invest in Southern Africa. This continent is filled with local talent; it just needs a little push.” That being said, Korver has teamed up with a local outfit, two established and talented designers, who will be developing a range of furniture for Designfaktorii.

Korver has always had strong feelings about the importance of design integrity and originality, believing these to be core values in his line of work. The two new local designers that will be joining Designfaktorii fit nicely into this frame of mind, as theirs is a company with a conscience and a

wealth of original ideas. They place much value on the sustainability of design. This means design that is sensitive towards culture and the local community, design that makes economic sense, and design that considers the impact it has on the planet by the re-using and re-thinking of waste and materials. They have a preference for handmade rather than machine manufactured products and thus, as far as possible, try to support local industries by employing skilled craftsmen. “Designfaktorii is an opportunity for furniture designers to be recognised according to their own talents,” says Korver. “I would like to prove that it is possible to find quality and originality in South Africa and I believe in the potential that this country has.”

Korver believes that Southern Africa’s past offers just what designers need to get started – a rich range of cultures, traditions, languages and original ideas. He says, “I think it is time to express the varied landscape of Southern Africa and use our archetypes, myths and traditions to create functional designs that appeal to clients for their kitchens, lounges or patios – designs that are unique, designs that are South African, but designs that would suit any place, from Cape Town to Paris to Dubai and further afield.”

The international market has shown definite interest in what Southern Africa can produce. “Putting Southern African design on the world map will benefit this country tremendously from an economic, social and technological point of view,” concludes Korver.

Designfaktorii’s first corporate products will be available from September this year, through Twiice International.

Twiice International has two showrooms, one at 70/72 Bree Street, Cape Town (contact +27 21 487 9060), the other at 1 Jellicoe Avenue, Rosebank (contact +27 11 343 8900). You can also visit www.twiice.com to view the ranges and designers online.  For more on Designfaktorii, contact Claire Yoh at claire@designfaktorii.com or +27 21 487 9060.

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S TAR

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S UPER S I Z E

S u p e r Y a c h t

NERO Enter the Emperor

Just looking at the sleek, black-hulled superyacht Nero, named for the decadent Roman Emperor, transports one back to the golden age of classic yachting. She exudes class, refinement and tradition from her intricate woodwork to the soft pitter-patter of her ship’s cat, Nelson.

Words: ELLA TURNER Images: Š NEIL TAYLOR

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ompleted as a new build in 2008, Nero was inspired by the “Corsair” series of yachts owned in the early part of the last century by the financier JP Morgan. With her fully-panelled, traditional oak and ash interior and Burmese teak exterior with sweeping decks, the magic of this era is faithfully captured. Despite her retro character, however, Nero is very much part of the modern world.

Built by Corsair Yachts and designed by owner Neil Taylor, Nero is not only beautiful to behold, but also a strong and sea-kindly ship. Her super-efficient hull and integration of the latest in stabilisation systems enable her to cruise through rough seas at over 16 knots with the minimum of roll and pitch. She is fast, quiet and supremely comfortable both at rest and under way. Outfitted with state-of-the art technology and amenities, and offering all the latest developments in construction and design, guests enjoy low noise levels and refinements unheard of with an original classic yacht. Nero features the latest audio video systems with large plasma screens in nearly all cabins and both an indoor and outdoor cinema. All areas have surround sound and high speed Wi-Fi, while iPod docking stations are available throughout.

At 90.6 metres (297 foot), the designer of Nero was very careful to ensure that the yacht had a feeling of intimacy despite her large size. It was thought important that the yacht could adapt to being a cosy family boat as well as a grand entertaining platform. To that end, Nero features a wide range of differently-styled dining and relaxation areas to cater to the exact number of guests aboard, as well as the mood of the occasion. And, as is the custom on old ships, Nero has a ship’s cat – Nelson – who adds a warm and furry familial touch. Nelson lives in the crew’s quarters, and although he is not permitted in the guest areas, he can occasionally be seen taking his morning and evening stroll on deck.

The main deck is typically the principle entertaining area for big social gatherings with the aft deck table ideal for larger dinner parties. The spacious main salon,

library and dining salon also offer the capacity to entertain on a grand scale. The boat deck above is used more as the dayto-day living space and the aft sky lounge and outdoor seating area seem to be the most frequently-used living spaces. The outdoor area has both a pop-up 50-inch plasma TV and a drop-down screen for movies. The dining table here is the most popular on the yacht, while the smaller card table can be raised for intimate dinners for two. My favourite space is the snug; a perfect spot for a casual meal or just to catch some shade, chill out and read a good book.

When it comes to accommodation, the options are expansive and adaptable. The owner’s cabin is effectively a large duplex apartment. On the main deck, where the owner’s quarters are full beam (12 metres or 39.4 foot), there is a stateroom with his and hers bathrooms and a central, shared dressing room. Aft of this there is a large owner’s study, which has a relaxing area with 65-inch plasma TV, a writing desk and a private dining area. From here a private staircase leads up to a lobby off which is a day head and the observation lounge. This is a spacious room with windows on three sides. The forward-facing sofa can be rotated and a drop-down screen lowered in front of the fireplace to transform this room into the yacht’s indoor cinema.

Leading off the observation lounge is the owner’s oval office, which has its own entry door from the port-side deck for discreet arrival and departure of business meeting visitors.

The guest accommodation is midships on the lower deck and comprises two very large suites separated by two centrallylocated twin cabins. The aft guest suite can also be divided into two separate cabins, each with its own en suite bathroom, by closing the adjoining doors in the sitting room. Total guest accommodation is for 12, with a maximum crew of 22.

Toys and tenders are, of course, abundant and personalised. There are three tenders including an enclosed cabin 31foot custom-designed classic cruiser and two rigid inflatables, which were custom built for Nero in the yacht’s own livery. Five jet skis, two seabobs and all the usual water sports toys you would expect to find

on a yacht of this calibre round out the picture. Should you not want to stray too far, a large Jacuzzi on the sun deck and a 5.7-metre swimming pool with swim current machine on the foredeck offer inviting spots to refresh and relax.

Nero is currently chartering in the Mediterranean with rates starting at

€350,000 per week, excluding all operating expenses. Her winter charter destination is still to be determined. Nero is also offered for sale.  To learn more, contact Burgess Yachts: • Tel: +44 20 7766 4300 • Email: london@burgessyachts.com • Visit: www.burgessyachts.com

Magical

Marataba Safari Lodge

There is a mystical place at the foot of the Waterberg Mountains on the ancient trade route through southern Africa, from the mighty tower of “Great Zimbabwe,” over the raging Limpopo River and across vast plains teeming with game. In this hidden place, discover Marataba, a new luxury frontier offering from Hunter Hotels, epitomising all that is Africa.

Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © MARATABA/HUNTER HOTELS

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ithin a dramatic landscape encompassing vast plains, dense bushveld, winding rivers, deep gorges and majestic mountains, Marataba is an exclusive 23,000-hectare private concession in the heart of Limpopo’s Marakele National Park, a “place of sanctuary” for Africa’s Big Five and a multitude of other animal species including rare antelope such as roan, sable and mountain reedbuck. This malaria-free wilderness is also home to the world’s largest breeding colony of the endangered Cape Vulture. Birdlife within the park is prolific with more than 400 species having been recorded, a veritable birder’s Eden.

The story of Marataba’s location – within Marakele National Park – is a remarkable tale about nature and people. It is a story about personal commitment and collective dedication, about putting existing natural resources to the best use and about launching a successful publicprivate partnership. It is about an innovative approach developed in Marakele National Park, which could become a model for saving the irreplaceable gems of subSaharan Africa: its national parks.

Marakele National Park has one of the most accessible and breathtaking landscapes in South Africa, where a diverse combination of mountains and gorges, bush and plains, rivers and ponds come together. But when the current owner of Marataba discovered this region in 1997, it was in decline. There was no money, no hope of achieving the expansion of lowland areas that was needed for the animals’ feeding range, or of building and maintaining fences. Access was difficult, facilities were lacking, and there were practically no visitors. Simply providing money would not have been a sustainable

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solution. There had to be a broader strategy grounded in a model of public-private partnership, where both parties could focus on what they do best.

Based on a 30-year business contract, South African National Parks agreed to delegate the oversight and development of the northern area of Marakele to a joint management team. A dedicated group of South Africans was brought together to activate the project and within a period of two years the entire programme was completed.

The initiative has shown the need for, and ability of, a new approach to preserving national parks across the continent. All African governments face a similar dilemma: in a desperate situation of overwhelming human needs and limited funds, wildlife slips inevitably from low to last on the priority list. In addition, the vast wildlife resources of sub-Saharan Africa have not been managed to help address precisely these pressing human needs, such as food and employment. This is all part of a larger picture that includes devastation wrought by civil war, hunger, crime, and HIV/Aids. Some national parks only exist on paper as an area on a map surrounded by a green line. Many have had their game decimated, poached or starved during civil war. Others have been invaded by people simply trying to stay alive. The Marakele model of private-public partnership works as such: the state contributes land and provides the legislative framework; the private sector supplies initial funds, management, and suitable commitment.

Together, they develop tourism activities to make the park economically self sufficient.

Today, the Main Lodge of Marataba, with its huge expanses of glass that take full advantage of the breathtaking panorama, welcomes guests to this

wilderness haven, which holds nothing back when it comes to superlative style and service. Inspired by the discovery of primeval ruins, Marataba’s architecture embraces both the contemporary and the ancient, incorporating the use of indigenous stone, timber, sand and soil in its structures.

Accommodation is offered in 15 extremely luxurious air-conditioned, tented suites with en suite bathrooms, outdoor showers and private decks overlooking the magnificent plains below. With this impressive union of innovative design and modern technology together with a spectacular location, Marataba takes the idea of an African safari to new levels.

Opportunities for relaxation abound.

Admire the view while enjoying a cocktail in the Ladies Bar or simply relax in The Wallow with a book from the library, housed within the stone tower with a birds-eye view of the surrounds. Exceptional cuisine with fresh African flavours is served either in the elegantly-appointed dining room or outdoors on the dining veranda or, alternatively, under a glorious African sky.

And, as temperatures rise in Limpopo, cool off in the crystal-clear pool. The Main Lodge also boasts a guest business centre for those who cannot totally escape the outside world. Marataba is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association based in Paris and offers a unique five-star service.

So, if an afternoon siesta in your suite, lazing around the pool, or simply indulging in the tranquil atmosphere of the African bush before heading off for high tea, a game drive, and a quiet cocktail followed by a gourmet dinner sounds like your kind of retreat, then contact Ron MacKenzie at Neo Odyssey to arrange your trip.

Telephone +27 82 711 8554 or email ron@neoodyssey.co.za. 

LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE

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LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE

ART

Eleanor Esmonde-White (1914 - 2007); “Fishermen Carrying a Boat”; Oil on Canvas; 55.5cm x 112cm; Signed: “Esmonde White” (Upper/Left); Dated: 1956

The Women Behind the

S A’s M o s t C e l e b r a t e d F e m a l e A r t i s t s 40

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South Africa has a rich and incandescent array of artists who have significantly contributed to the constructed identity of South African art in modernity. Women have played, and indeed continue to play, an integral role in the development of art in this country, with many such artists having historically instituted the foundations of art practice for women in South Africa to ardently build upon.

Words: AMY THORNE Images: Š GRAHAM’S FINE ART GALLERY

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Irma Stern (1894 - 1966); “Still Life with Figure and Fruit”; Oil on Canvas; 85.3cm x 69.3cm; Signed: “Irma Stern” (Upper/Left); Dated: 1949

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he Modernist and Post War female artists of this country comprise many well-known names, among them Irma Stern, Cecil Higgs, Freida Lock, Nita Spilhaus, Maud Sumner, Maggie Laubser, Eleanor Esmonde-White, Gladys Mgudlandlu and Bettie Cilliers-Barnard.

Each in her own, self-determined right has pioneered the role of women in art, the role of women socially and the advancement of art itself.

“And what she knows of Africa, the heart of it; all her pictures breathe it out...” – On Irma Stern, Cape Times, 1929 It is difficult to ascertain who was perhaps the most influential female historical artist, however, Irma Stern (1894 - 1966) was certainly one of the strongest characters in the art world; achieving both national and international recognition in her lifetime. With her notoriously flamboyant behaviour and mannerisms, her personality created as equal a stir as her art in a conservative, transitionally post-colonial and pre-democratic South Africa.

Born in the North West Province to Jewish-German parents, Stern spent her earliest years in South Africa before returning with her family to Germany at the start of the Boer War. She travelled

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Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (1914 - ); “Portrait of an African Woman”; Oil on Canvas; 38.5cm x 30.6cm; Signed: “Bettie Cilliers-Barnard” (Lower/ Right); Dated: 1951

frequently, which was later to greatly influence her works and progress as an artist. Stern studied art in Germany where she became associated with the German Expressionists of the period, the greatest influence in her style of art-making, and who encouraged her work and assisted in her first exhibition, which was held in Berlin, 1919.

Stern returned to Cape Town in 1920.

Initially, she was disapproved of; her work not understood by the artistically unadventurous nation. She persisted with her vocation, however, and her energetic brushwork and vivid use of colour in her innumerable portraits, still life paintings and landscapes created a platform for Modernism in South Africa. By the 1940s she was truly regarded as an established artist.

Irma Stern refused to visit or exhibit in Germany during World War II, which resulted in several expeditions in Southern Africa, Zanzibar, the Congo and across Europe. Her journeys supplied much inspiration in terms of subject matter and colour for her paintings, which featured exotic figures, portraits, fertile landscapes and still lifes in a range of media from oils and water colours to gouache and charcoal.

Stern's work is a visual feast, providing a rich, textual experience for the viewer.

Almost one hundred solo exhibitions

were held during Stern’s lifetime, in South Africa and Europe, showcasing her passionate and rebellious nature, undoubtedly reflected in her works. Her initially controversial work played a huge role in introducing modern art to South Africa and she has paved a leading path for South African female artists. “[Painting] has become my first love and there is nothing else I want to do.”

– Gladys Mgudlandlu, Cape Argus, 1962 Gladys Mgudlandlu (1925 - 1979) is another exemplification of the significant roles women played in the art world and in South Africa. Gladys lost her mother in infancy and was raised by her grandmother, who ceaselessly recounted the many folk tales of their Xhosa background. This imbued a monumental sense of overlap between fantasy and reality, which was later an influential subject in Mgudlandlu’s works.

Described as the first African woman painter of note, Mgudlandlu was indeed the first African woman to exhibit her works in Cape Town, certainly, if not in the whole of South Africa. First qualifying as a primary school teacher and then a nurse, Mgudlandlu was only able to devote herself entirely to painting at the age of 40, having until then only painted in her spare time at night by the light of her oil lantern.

Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (1914 - ); “Young Girl”; Oil on Canvas; 64.4cm x 52.8cm; Signed: “Bettie Cilliers-Barnard” (Lower/Right); Dated: 1950

Having thus received no formal training in art or painting throughout her life or career, she nevertheless received instantaneous interest and recognition for her unique and prolific paintings, which were saturated with uninhibited colour, expressive brushwork and unusual perspectives.

The innate aptitude which Mgudlandlu possessed was, and still is, evaluated on different levels by both viewers and critics who are confronted with her work. On a linear level, the ingrained naïvety of both form and concept as a result of her selftraining and rural background were viewed as innovative and revolutionary in context.

However, the magnitude of her imagination and her natural ability for storytelling in her images gained great attention.

Gladys Mgudlandlu was not only one of South Africa’s pioneering female artists, but also South Africa’s foremost pioneering black female artist. She remains a prominent figure in South Africa’s art heritage.

“Artistic expression reflects what is true and authentic in life. Art is universal.”

– Bettie Cilliers-Barnard From an early point in Cilliers-Barnard’s (1914 - ) career as an artist, she has been philosophical and involved, even preoccupied, with the principles of Light

Gladys Mgudlandlu (1925 - 1979) “A Xhosa Woman”; Gouache on Board; 45cm x 30.3cm; Signed: “Gladys Mgudlandlu” (Upper/Right); Dated: 1965

and Shade as contrasts in her works, which she used as metaphors for life and eternity.

In the late 1950s, in her early explorations in technique and form, she became one of South Africa’s earliest abstract painters, investigating a new manner of work that existed separately to all other art practices being developed in South Africa at the time. In this new experimental phase, it was easy to fall into a habit of “patternmaking” in abstract works, though CilliersBarnard forced her way through this by her continual return to formal study (travelling many times to Europe) to advance her ideas both in method and in theory.

By the early 1970s, Cilliers-Barnard shifted her focus onto the theme of Man as an element of society and as an individual in order to further explore her interest in existence and eternity. Returning from her fourth study trip to Paris, she began to introduce figures and tangible objects into her compositions again, depicting stylised faces, slightly abstracted to portray the “inner-self” as the central focus into Cilliers-Barnard’s developed philosophy and use of symbols. Her integration of colour is used as the body to transcribe light and shade within all of her paintings, both figurative and non-figurative. The use of symbols is not intentionally based on a historical or literary context but developed as a personal representation by the artist to

divulge certain elements of her own ideals and set symbols that exist as a result of her own understandings of the world.

Cilliers-Barnard’s extensive life (she is 94 years of age) means that she has been witness to a great deal of the last century’s artistic developments in South Africa. The extraordinary journey of her life has exposed her to the various inspirations, physical and philosophical, that surrounded her in both her homeland and in the world. Her devoted involvement in the arts nationally and internationally is reflected in the many awards she has received throughout her life for her own artwork and for the contributions she has made to the global art world, thereby establishing her as one of South Africa’s most attributed and admired artists.

South Africa’s female historical artists have shaped our understanding of the evolution of South African art and South African history. The platform created by such passionate and exceptional individuals has formed a rich and captivating heritage for this country, which endeavours to excite and challenge its current audience.  For more information contact Laurelle Baard: • Tel: +27 11 465 9192 • Email: laurelle@grahamsgallery.co.za • Visit: www.grahamsfineartgallery.co.za

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FEATURE

Classic

Curves

K ra l S p e e d s t e r

It takes years of dedication to get a product to market that celebrates the Bridget Bardot, St Tropez 60s era, while simultaneously incorporating the reliability of today’s manufacturing processes. Kral, which means “King,” has been perfecting this since 1985.

Words: WILLIE TRUTER Images: © WILTEL MARINE

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K

ral is a glorious example of the golden age of motor boating, with classic modern lines, elegant design and striking, head-turning looks, all of which make it the king of classic boats. There is certainly something romantic about such a boat that one just cannot ignore.

Kral currently offers four models: the Speedster 580, the Classic 700 Openbow, the Classic 700, and the Classic 990.

According to Willie Truter, Managing Director of Wiltel Marine, these sizes complement Wiltel’s existing range of boats. He says, “We have found something

S PLA S H

truly unique in design and quality, and which offers the customer a host of custom options that will reflect his or her own character. Kral really represents this.”

The 580 Speedster is the most popular model in the range, closely followed by the 700 Classic. Customers also seem to be more daring when it comes to the range of colour choices on the 580 Speedster, and

embedded with epoxy resin and then coated in six layers of UV-resisted, highgloss varnish. The detail in the mahogany is exceptional, and many large manufacturers can learn the basics of sika surrounds and carefully-cut inlays from this fairly small manufacturer.

The foredeck is uncluttered, with recessed cleats and an abundance of high-

multifunctional Gramer seats with integrated suspension. Incredible attention to detail is also seen in the engine compartment, with is teak finished flooring and stainless steel engine tray. The engine compartment is well laid out and easily accessible on all the models.

Since all the boats are handmade to exact customer requirements, engines of

these have been manufactured in Ferrari Red, Silver, Gold, Deep Metallic Blue, Charcoal and Pearl White, to mention but a few chosen colours. The curvaceous hull design is certainly what characterises Kral, the colour, with its polished finish, further accentuating this.

When the 700 was launched at the Southampton Boat Show, members of the press could not help commenting on how it attracted more attention than most 60 footers.

After more than 20 years in the business, Kral take pride knowing and following this simple philosophy: “Quality goes in, quality comes out.” Thus, they strive to produce boats of exceptional quality, while still representing the golden era of boating. This high regard for build quality can clearly be seen in a number of areas. The hull consists of 14 to 16 layers (depending on the model) of hand-laid GRP, reinforced with high density polyurethane stringers. The top deck is also laid in GRP, which provides a very strong and reliable basis for the boat. The top deck is then inlaid with mahogany

grade, polished stainless steel, which is laser cut off site and then sculpted, welded and polished in-house by Kral. The rub rail, for example, consists of solid, 3mmstainless steel. There is no place here for hollow rub rails – these boats have to last another 20 years! Even the hinges are handmade because the factory does not approve of the thickness on commerciallyavailable hinges. The detail can further be

your choice can be fitted. The 580 and 700 models can accommodate either Volvo Penta or Mercruiser engine options, the most popular being the 5-litre and 5.7-litre variants. In the 990, twin engine installation is also possible. Top speeds in excess of 40 knots are easily achieved. Volvo Penta in Turkey did some independent tests and were able to reach an impressive 96km/h in a 700 equipped with a Volvo Penta 5.7-litre, GXI DP (320 HP) gasoline engine. Not bad for a boat weighing in at two tons. Motor Boats Monthly said that the 700 Classic handles more like a classic sports car than a classic boat, a direct result of the weight of the boat as it feels like it is gripping a roadway instead of the “bouncy” feeling normally experienced on boats of this size.

The Kral 580 Speedster will be on display at the Johannesburg National Boat Show in August and at the Cape Town International Boat Show at the end of September. For more information, contact Wiltel Marine on 0860 MARINE or +27 21 421 8426. Alternatively, visit their website at www.wiltelmarine.co.za. 

The 700 Classic handles more like a classic sports car than a classic boat. seen when looking at the air vent intakes.

Even before the grid is placed over the air vent holes, they are covered with stainless edging and inserts, once again hand polished. It is little wonder the stainless steel manufacturer is the highest paid worker in the factory!

The cockpit harks back to a bygone era, with a retro-looking dashboard fitted with Faria gauges, a feel further enhanced by the use of classic mahogany. Seats are

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45

Invest in

The Pepper Club Cape Town’s Hottest Address

Twelve months ago, with interest rates at 15.5 percent and property prices appearing inflated, the case for local property investment was extremely poor. Yet, these are the conditions under which visionary entrepreneurs such as David Solomon, Director of Solomon Brothers Property Holdings, thrive. He launched The Pepper Club, on Long Street in Cape Town’s city centre, an architectural landmark of unparalleled five-star luxury living and a fantastic investment opportunity.

Words: ELIAN WIENER Images: © THE PEPPER CLUB

S TAY

S

kip 12 months ahead and the value proposition in the buyto-let market seems to have improved considerably. With interest rates down 30 percent and property values returning to reasonable levels, a number of investors are again finding good opportunities to re-enter the market.

For example, Solomon Brothers Investment Holdings (Solomon Brothers) is offering buyers of units in The Pepper Club below prime interest rates, guaranteed returns for a fixed period of time as well as substantial tax incentives thanks to its location in an Urban Development Zone (UDZ).

The development, a 20-storey tower with 220 apartments, boasts all the important luxury amenities of a top hotel, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa, swimming pool and sundeck, private movie theatre, 24-hour security and concierge service, undercover parking and a serene palm tree-lined courtyard that connects directly to the vibrant Long Street. Apartments range from studios of 34 square metres to the luxurious penthouse suite duplex of 400 square metres. Prices range from R899,000 to R18million.

According to David Solomon, Chairman of Solomon Brothers, the company is offering buyers of The Pepper Club units a guaranteed mortgage rate of prime minus five percent (to a minimum of 10.5 percent).

The apartments are leased out on behalf of buyers as five-star apartment hotel rooms by way of a rental pool. Owners of units in the rental pool have the option of garnering a projected return of 12 percent per annum or a guaranteed return of eight percent per annum for the first two years of ownership.

“A R1-million apartment investment provides investors with a guaranteed monthly income which, when combined with the reduced monthly mortgage repayments, leaves owners with a very small starting monthly cash shortfall that soon turns into a positive cash flow,” says Solomon. “This is a far better value proposition than virtually any other buy-to-let opportunity out there at the moment.”

An investment in The Pepper Club also has some very beneficial income tax allowances, which can be utilised to reduce an investor’s tax liability on income from all sources. In an effort to improve the

ability of South Africans to acquire homes, the then-Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, introduced a tax incentive in 2003 to promote urban development in specified areas of certain South African cities, including Cape Town.

The Pepper Club development falls within a designated UDZ, providing investors with benefits from a tax incentive of 55 percent on the purchase price of units, which will help to reduce their taxable income. The incentive is not limited to the taxpayer's current year’s taxable income. If it is not absorbed in any tax year

five-year period. The Pepper Club also offers the opportunity for significant capital appreciation.

“We believe there is significant upside at these pricing levels,” says Solomon. “The finishes are all of the highest quality, as one would expect of a five-star hotel. Our positioning in the heart of Cape Town also means that not only does the hotel have panoramic views of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is within walking distance of many of the finest attractions that our cosmopolitan city offers. It is also a short walk from the city’s

it can be carried forward as an accumulated tax loss until fully absorbed. In addition, the incentive is not “ring-fenced,” so it can be offset against any other taxable earnings. See the table at the end of this article to get an indication of the tax incentives purchasers can offset against rental and other income over a

remarkably safe and clean CBD, making it the obvious choice for discerning foreign and local businesspeople. We have no doubt that The Pepper Club will become an iconic building in Cape Town. There is nothing else like it in the city.” For more information, visit www.pepperclub.co.za or call +27 21 438 8888. 

Below are the tax incentives purchasers can offset against rental and other income over a five-year period. Your return: based on a R1-million investment (R850,000 + R150,000 furniture pack).

Projected Net Rental

Mortgage Interest at 10.5%

UDZ Allowance

Depreciation

Total Tax Allowances

Year 1

120 000

(75 863)

(93 500)

(30 000)

(199 363)

Year 2

132 000

(75 863)

(37 400)

(30 000)

(143 263)

Year 3

145 200

(75 863)

(37 400)

(30 000)

(143 263)

Year 4

159 720

(75 863)

(37 400)

(30 000)

(143 263)

Year 5

175 692

(75 863)

(37 400)

(30 000)

(143 262)

TOTAL

732 612

(379 315)

(243 100)

(150 000)

(772 415)

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47

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Prestige magazine has grown from its roots as a luxury yachting magazine, to become the leading South African luxury lifestyle magazine for high net worth individuals, and those who aspire to that lifestyle. Prestige incorporates the latest on the sport of kings and the king of sports (yachting), luxury travel, exotic motoring, private aviation, style and design, food and décor, arts and architecture, collectibles, jewellery, fashion, property and holistic well-being. Working with a finely nuanced definition of luxury, namely “meaningful and successful lives beyond money, old or new,” it is a magazine for families with finesse and financial freedom who engage with the world across many interesting dimensions. With each edition, Prestige pursues a mix of luxury elements that include rarity, nostalgia, elegance, understatement, freedom, curiosity, generosity, intelligence, wit, aesthetics, adventure and more. Simply holding and enjoying Prestige should already feel like a luxury in itself.

SMS 'Subscribe Prestige' to 082 452 8110 (R499 for 12 issues; R949 f o r 2 4 i s s u e s )

Five of the Best

Onboard Whirlybirds If you track the spending patters of a high net worth individual, the first purchase is often the private jet, used for getting around quickly and safely. What follows is more oft than not the private yacht, previously an iconic symbol of the sophisticated playboy, now a genuine addition for privacy, security and the ultimate location for entertaining those not easily impressed. And finally, ultimately, comes the private helicopter, with the almost unique ability to take-off and land virtually anywhere, including on the helipad of said private yacht.

Words: JAMES FREAN Images: © KEVIN BARKER; PATRICK PENNA

B

ut choosing a chopper to suit your purposes, and land easily and safely on the deck of your yacht, is no mean feat. Much should be considered, least of all what make and model to choose. What follows is a rundown of the top five helicopters for yachts, based on some of the more standard requirements of owners currently engaged in this niche industry.

The current “Queen of the Skies” is the EC135, a light, twin engine helicopter from the Eurocopter stable. The EC135 has a compact footprint, making it ideal for the small helidecks generally found on yachts.

Even in VIP configuration, the EC135 has passenger seating in the back for five, although it would be rare to travel with such numbers, remembering that there is always a balance between passengers, fuel and power when it comes to helicopters.

Up front are two pilot seats, though the helicopter can be flown single pilot,

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51

FEATURE

creating one more passenger space or allowing an owner pilot to be up front with a professional pilot alongside. The twin engines allow for a level of redundancy in the event of one engine failing during flight, although this is no guarantee that you will not wind up in the water anyway. The “fenestron” tail rotor, which encloses the tail rotor blades and is unique to Eurocopter, adds a degree of safety to people outside of the aircraft, as well as when manoeuvring in confined areas.

A possible contender for the top spot comes in the form of the new Bell 429, which is currently going through the last elements of the certification process. The Bell 429 is another light twin, similar to the EC135, although the footprint will be slightly larger. Thus far, all reports on this helicopter have been positive, and owners will benefit from Bell’s high quality aftersales and support service, which is particularly important when operating single helicopter fleets, especially far from home.

The Agusta 109 Grand is again a similar size, and has powerful twin engines affording impressive single engine performance, but is a different style of

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helicopter, with retractable wheeled undercarriage and sleek lines designed for high-speed cruising. To many, the Agusta line of helicopters represents an embracing of the Italian flair for design. It is also noteworthy to mention the available interior specification by the design house Hermès.

For the very largest of yachts, a major contender for a VIP helicopter must still be the Sikorsky S76, especially in the C++ form and in time, the D model. This is the choice of both the Queen of England and Donald Trump, probably due to an unbeatable level of comfort, especially with regards to interior noise. Again, the S76 has twin engines and retractable wheeled undercarriage to reduce drag in forward flight, but has passenger seating for up to 12 in a utility form, but six to eight in VIP configuration, which offers ample space.

Our final helicopter, Eurocopter’s AS350, fills a slightly different niche, as it is really a helicopter that you could expect to use in a charter application. As a single engine helicopter, the initial acquisition costs and operating costs are much lower than the twins. Even so, the AS350 has an attractive interior and provides a

pleasant ride. Where an owner does not have a private helicopter available, this would be a suitable charter alternative – although whether to allow a charter helicopter to operate to and from your yacht is another discussion altogether.

The decision to purchase a helicopter should not be taken lightly. The purchase decision should be made only after the many elements that determine how the helicopter is intended to be used have been properly weighed up and considered. While flying capabilities are a major consideration, it is the passenger experience that is most important, together with how the chopper will integrate with the yacht. A sensible move would thus be to consult with a specialist, someone knowledgeable in helicopter acquisitions, to lead you through this process.

For more information contact James Frean, james@heliriviera.com, visit www.heliriviera.com, or visit his online blog, Airwave, via a link their website.  James Frean is the Director of Heli Riviera, based out of Fort Lauderdale, USA. Heli Riviera is a recognised leader in the field of helicopter integration on large yachts.

S I Z Z LE

If you Can’t Take the

Heat…

San Pellegrino Cooking Cup The 2009 event marked the ninth occurrence of this, the world’s most delicious regatta. Fine dining, international teams, and 10 chefs from 10 countries – the ingredients for success at sea, one might say.

T

his most unusual international regatta, fuses a passion for sport with a love of fine dining.

Organised in cooperation with the Compagnia della Vela, the historic Yacht Club of Venice, the Cooking Cup takes place between the Lido and the Island of San Giorgio. It is considered one of the main calendar events in Venice and provides a platform both for skilled sailing enthusiasts and young chefs.

The regatta consists of professional sailing crews competing for first place, and involves teams from 10 different countries, each with a representative chef onboard.

Countries represented at this year’s regatta within a regatta included Australia, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Germany, UK, Italy, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, and Switzerland.

The cooking part of the competition is

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Words: TONI ACKERMANN Image: © San Pellegrino Cooking Cup

referred to as “Inside the Cooking.” Skills taken into consideration are those of sailing prowess and culinary know how. In spite of all the veering and steering, speed and swells, the participating chefs need be able to demonstrate their ability to multi-task, preparing scrumptious fare while onboard – a real challenge to cook while sailing.

Although the threat of foul weather seemed likely to rain on the parade the day of the Cooking Cup, the skies soon cleared for a perfect day’s sailing. Starting from 8:00am at the famed Rialto Market, the chefs first hand picked their ingredients, ensuring they kept within a budget of €300, before being ferried to San Giorgio, where they joined their crew onboard.

Officials were on hand throughout to ensure that the ingredients were all fresh and not pre-prepped in any way.

Each year the crews are judged by two different juries: a technical one, judging the fastest boat, and a culinary one, comprising famous and international chefs and sommeliers. At the end of the race, the finished dish, along with a complementary wine and water suited to the meal, is presented to the jury, which judges the dish on the basis of taste, difficulty of preparation, presentation, and the right pairing of the accompanying beverages.

This year’s jury comprised eight culinary professionals including Michelin-starred chefs Giovanni D'Amato, Massimo Bottura and Karl Obauer, as well as South Africa’s Luke Dale-Roberts, Executive Chef and owner of La Colombe Restaurant. Fashion designer Vittorio Missoni, whose boat Timoteo is used by the jury every year, was also an honourary juror.

Aside from the main regatta trophy, the international teams compete for several titles: Inside the Cooking Fastest Boat, Inside the Cooking Winner (combining cooking and sailing skills) and Young Chef of the Year – all participating chefs were below 30 years of age.

This year, South Africa's Henrico Grobbelaar was awarded the first “Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year” Award for his tasting plate of flavours that included Cape Malay curry, Dukkah lamb, Tuna tataki, Scallop in pancetta, and Oyster on samphire. Città di Grisolera, with chef Paola Budel onboard, won the San Pellegrino Cooking Cup Trophy for sailing and cooking, and they were closely followed by Capricci Ricci and Stelle Olimpiche in the other top spots. The United Arab Emirates crew was crowned the fastest boat, while Italy walked away – or would that be sailed away? – with the highest score for the combination of chef and crew performances. 

S W OON

ArtandSoul

Orpheo Twins' Bespoke Jewellery

Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © ORPHEO TWINS

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S W OON

My initial encounter with Orpheo Twins was something that alternated between the tremulousness of a first date and the self-consciousness of a visit to a therapist. Good thing my partner was with me, or not? It was his sentimental idea to arrange to have a piece of jewellery designed as a treat for myself. Thankfully, he has a sense of humour too.

S

eriously, I had butterflies in my tummy and slightly sweaty palms as we entered the intimate space that is Orpheo Twins’ jewellery shop. As I listened to myself describing what I envisioned, I found myself stuttering as my running internal commentary had me second guessing the deeper meanings of each utterance I made. My clammy hands created a bit of an embarrassment, too, when I held out my fingers to be examined. Yes, here I was in one of Johannesburg’s most exclusive boutiques, surrounded by glorious items of adornment, about to embark on the wondrous adventure of having a ring designed by two of the most talented jewellers around.

This is not just any kind of handmade creation. Having a piece designed by Orpheo Twins is a journey – a journey into one’s own being and a willingness to trust that the artist will reflect one’s wants and desires accurately and artfully. A first date with all the promise of a great romance? A first appointment at the therapist with all the hopes of a great discovery? Ah, yes. All of this, and more.

But first, I had to spill my guts, or at least, present in a nutshell what I wanted in a piece of jewellery – how I envisioned it would reflect my personality, my priorities and my personal taste. And because I intend for the end product to indeed be a special memento of this particular phase in

my life, I knew I had to allow the artist who was interviewing me a window into my soul.

For the sake of editorial honesty, I should probably disclose that it didn’t help quell my trembling much that I found Gilbert to be a rather handsome and very charming man. He is one of those people who just ooze joy, who seem to grab life with two hands, who laugh out loud and find pleasure in small things. And that’s always intoxicating. Gilbert is one half of the Orpheo Twins – a team of identical twin brothers who were born in Barcelona, trained and worked in Switzerland, and somehow ended up on South African shores. Their jewellery is bold and distinctive, their vision uncompromising and daring, and their passion contagious.

Somewhere into our second cappuccino, Gilbert explains the Orpheo Twins’ design ethic. It’s simple. “Life,” he says, “is about having fun while creating beautiful things.”

You can see he lives this philosophy on a daily basis – you can see it in his smile, in his eyes, in the way he greets people who stop by to say hello. And I’m convinced this is a journey worth taking.

So, somewhere between hello and goodbye, I realise that Gilbert has already started sketching designs of rings for me in his mind’s eye. We talk a bit about materials, about colours, about weight and shape. But mostly we chat a little about everything and nothing at all. When it’s

time to head home, I depart feeling totally at ease leaving the design up to him. In fact, I am intrigued to see what he comes up with, how this man, who so obviously lives life to the fullest, will see me, what of my soul’s stirrings he will capture, and how he will craft this into a band of metal that will circle my finger.

About a week later, my heart skips a beat as I see a message from Orpheo Twins pop up in my email inbox. Stomach lurches, palms begin to tingle. First date jitters again? This is ridiculous, but I actually begin to delight in the feeling. Falling in love, even with a material object, is all about suspense and how the mystery unravels, isn’t it? They’ve sent me some design ideas; five in fact, and I virtually rip open the attachment to take a look. It takes me three weeks to finally decide on one.

And now, the romance truly begins as the design can move from concept to construct.

In fact, the journey has turned out to be so much fun, I might ask them to design something for my partner too – in part as apology for my adolescent blushing and bumbling, and in part as a token for the true love I have found in my own life.

To be continued...  To get a glimpse of Orpheo Twins’ work, take a peek online at www.orpheotwins.com, or visit them in person at Hyde Park Shopping Centre, Shop LM53A, Jan Smuts Ave, Johannesburg, or call +27 011 325 5048.

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57

Volvo Ocean

RaceWrap

Up

“The race was intense. To win you had to make the right decisions at the right time. To come out on top in such a difficult environment is a fantastic feeling.” – Torben Grael, winning skipper of Ericsson 4.

T

orben Grael’s sailing CV, like so many others in this race, makes for impressive reading. Five Olympic medals (two gold, one silver and two bronze), six world titles and a Louis Vuitton Cup. And now, victory in the Volvo Ocean Race. But victory was sweet for all those who finished. After nine months, 10 legs, and nearly 40,000 nautical miles of racing, the 2008-2009 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race has come to a close. We've seen great racing, close finishes, friendships forged, acts of bravery and sportsmanship, all in the cauldron of one of the toughest endeavours left on the planet. On Sunday 28 June 2009, in St Petersburg, the final prize giving was an opportunity to remember and celebrate all that has happened on this magnificent adventure.

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Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © Dave Kneale; Guy Salter/Ericsson 4; Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue; ALL FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE

Ericsson 4 took the trophy after an impressive race. The scoreboard attests to their sheer endurance, expertise, and willingness to push the boundaries. At the beginning of the race, they shot out of the blocks, winning the first two legs before claiming podiums at two of the next three.

While the America's Cup gybes from courtroom to courtroom, the Volvo Ocean Race raced straight into hearts of the sailing world. What a race!” – Russell Dexter Thereafter, they turned the afterburners on and scorched two wins in three of the last

four legs, slamming the door shut against the chasing pack. Among it all, they even set a new 24-hour world record for distance travelled in a monohull.

It was a good night for Puma’s il mostro as well, as the Inmarsat Media Prize went to Rick Deppe, who was recognised for his outstanding work across the entire race.

Deppe won the prize for leg 10 (his fourth win), as well as the overall prize (which included a cheque for €10,000), and he was quick to pay tribute to his colleagues. The advent of the media crew members has allowed the race to secure high-definition footage that has never been recorded in past races, when regular crew were asked to do double duty as media men as well. In this race, the media crew members were not allowed to participate in the sailing of the boat. As a result, they were more like

“embedded reporters,” bringing the true story of their teams to life.

An avid follower of the race, Russell Dexter, writing from Boston Harbour summed the race up well, “From the brutal upwind battle to China to the marathon run across the South Pacific, to the tacking duels right up to several finishes, this event has been one of the greatest sailing adventures ever. While the America's Cup gybes from courtroom to courtroom, the

The Volvo Ocean Race represents the pinnacle of yacht racing, steeped in prestige, tradition and money. Lots of money.

Volvo Ocean Race raced straight into hearts of the sailing world. What a race!”

While the winning teams stand on the podium lit by the flash of a thousand cameras, many of those vital to their success remain unseen. What goes on in the backrooms of the race to keep the show on the road and sail a Volvo Open 70 around the world? A doctor, a chef, a sponsorship manager and a meteorologist, to name but a few. But it hasn’t always been like this:

rewind back a few races and crews were almost self-sufficient; repairing their own boats when they reached land, with the help of a team manager and sailmaker at best. A quantum leap in race technology means that there are now three shore staff to each sailor, a sort of “travelling circus” tasked with holding everything together, even when boats fall apart. These are the men and women who work behind the scenes like a pit crew in a Formula One race. They include sailmakers, engineers, boat maintenance specialists, media teams, nutritionists, physiotherapists and syndicate management staff. In terms of moral support, one cannot ignore the role of wives and partners who travel from port to port, sometimes with kids in tow, ready to nurture the sailors back to full strength before they take to the sea again.

The Volvo Ocean Race represents the pinnacle of yacht racing, steeped in prestige, tradition and money. Lots of money. As the fastest offshore monohull in the world, the Volvo Open 70 is in a league of its own, each boat taking thousands of man-hours to design and craft. A mainsail alone costs €45,000, and a genoa upwards of €30,000. Between marketing, salaries, boat construction, research and development and a training programme,

the tab for a boat programme with a 12 to 18 month lead-time will cost somewhere between €15 and €50million. Off the water, the sky’s the limit, and campaigns can spend as little or as much as they like on marketing, local advertising and corporate hospitality over the course of the race.

Preparations are already well under way for the 2011-2012 edition, with some changes and improvements at play. Cape Town will be bidding for one of the port stops, and if you missed it last year, make sure you are there when the boats dock in 2011. 

Volvo Ocean Race Final Overall Standings

Position

Boat

Points

1

Ericsson 4

114.5

2

PUMA Ocean Racing

105.5

3

Telefonica Blue

98.0

4

Ericsson 3

78.5

5

Green Dragon

67.0

6

Telefonica Black

58.0

7

Delta Lloyd

41.5

8

Team Russia

10.5

Vida Exclusiva

Th e Pa m p e r e d L i f e

Vida Exclusiva means “the exclusive life” and yet, pampering is much better shorthand for the type of facilities that this concierge service offers its very select members.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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he concierge concept is probably one of the best kept secrets in our society. The middle classes and masses might frequently stare at, or drive by, some of the luxury items owned by wealthy individuals. But the world of the perfect concierge is on a different plane, and you would not know of its existence if you were not already a serious player, or about to become one. In no small way because a major part of the value that the perfect concierge service adds to their clients’ lives is the ability to get them out of the bump and grind that Joe Average has to endure.

How does it work? Very well, most concierge members would probably interject. But more seriously, an initiative such as Vida Exclusiva spends a disproportionate amount of time lining up a range of absolutely reliable services and experiences that are typically engaged by well-off individuals and corporations, and

then streamlines access to these to ensure that the frustrations users experience are managed out-of-mind by the concierge team.

You are in really good hands when the concierge team is so particular about what it offers its members that it rather opts to own each one of the lifestyle service delivery companies that its members may wish to engage at any given time. In the case of Vida Exclusiva, this has given rise to the VE Lifestyle Management Group of Companies, operating luxury car rentals, yacht and air charters, personal protection, wellness programmes, leisure travel and destinations, international property sourcing and financing, art advisory, kids

Joining a concierge company as a member is a bit like being invited into a secret society or a very elite club. Members know what it is about, and that is where it stops. programmes and action activities either in fully-owned companies or in joint ventures on behalf of their members. Need a VIP seat or private box at an important event? This is the place to come knocking.

By bundling all of these elite offerings into one contact point through a virtual 24/7 concierge desk, Vida Exclusiva not only saves its members the pain of finding reliable service providers and making their own arrangements, they also save money, as the team negotiates very competitive rates on behalf of their select clientele. And this is not limited to South African shores.

With formal links to established lifestyle management networks in 30 countries, members’ needs are accommodated across the globe. VE holds solid agreements with offshore lifestyle management market leaders in these foreign countries. Their companies add the benefit of local knowhow and have met the most stringent quality expectations before being allowed to formalise an association with VE in South Africa. Truly Exclusive, the travel and destination operating arm of VE, recently hosted several guests on a superyacht at the Monaco Grand Prix. Now that is the good life made easy.

Vida Exclusiva has three different membership levels, each offering its members immediate free services and discounts that already cover much of the annual fee. At individual level, called Diamante Blanco, one could join for a mere R7,500 and gain access to many of the

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social and business networking events, as well as to the full suite of services on offer. You also get five free service credits, and enjoy five luxury chauffeur airport transfers within your first year. Roadside assistance, travel insurance, complimentary visa processing, and many more good things fall into your lap – including a free subscription to Prestige magazine!

At the next level, available at R19,500, Diamante Azul members have all of the above, plus a free helicopter transfer of up to one hour, safe deposit box benefits, an international airport priority pass to 600 airport lounges worldwide, 24-hour emergency services, 10 personal service credits, and 12 free luxury airport transfers per year in an S-class Mercedes.

For the corporate market, the Diamante Estrelle membership makes all of the above available for up to five directors or managers of the company, and adds significant additional opportunities such as private launches and members-only events, plus the tax benefits of managing these lifestyle services though the corporate account.

Part of what has made the concierge concept so attractive and successful all over the world is the huge importance that companies like these place on protecting members’ privacy. Each trip and transaction is handled with the most intense emphasis on confidentiality and privacy. In many ways, joining a concierge company as a member is a bit like being invited into a secret society or a very elite club. Members know what it is about, and that is where it stops.

Vida Exclusiva is owned by some highly successful and energetic South African entrepreneurs who saw the gap in this market because of their own and their clients’ highflying lifestyles over the course of many years.

There is no better guarantee for good service delivery than knowing that the service provider can completely identify with what you are experiencing or feeling. With an exclusive blend of benefits, privileges and personal 24hour services that are vital to an elite lifestyle, VE is always just a phone call away from making the impossible a reality, or making the tedious a stress-free formality. They see it as a significant responsibility to present their members with only the best-in-class wherever they may venture.  If you think you are ready for this pampered life, contact a representative for a personal presentation on VE, either at www.vidaexclusiva.com, or: • Susann Myburgh +27 82 369 2011 • Jacques Blignaut +27 72 959 3072 • AJ Smith +27 83 568 4350 Editor's note: Vida Exclusiva will offer new members signing up in response to this article a gift of Kumkani award-winning wine.

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S PRAY After many years of building boats and being an active participant in local and international tournament fishing competitions, founder Keith Jensen handed Bluewater Marine down to his son, Kevin, a former captain of the South African Springbok Bass Fishing team, and business associate Duncan Campbell. In view of the upcoming summer, Kevin and Duncan present local boating and fishing enthusiasts with two stunning ranges – the Ovation 52 & 55, and the Silverton Sport Bridge 38 & 43.

Words & Images: © Bluewater Marine

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aving made its debut in February 2009 at the Miami International Boat Show, the US-manufactured Ovation 55 Sport Yacht joins the successful 52 as the second luxury yacht in the prestigious Ovation product line, both of which are now available in South Africa.

According to Kevin Jensen of Bluewater Marine, “The 55 was the next logical step for the Ovation product range, incorporating many of the intriguing refinements that were introduced in 2008, when Ovation launched the 52, but in a sleek sport yacht design.” Like the 52, the 55 SportYacht is one of the few production yachts in the world powered by triple Volvo IPS 600 drive systems. The IPS drive system allows the engines to be placed significantly further aft in comparison to traditional shaft drive installations. This space saving allows the master berth to have a fore-and-aft orientation in the full beam master cabin while still providing enough space forward for a very generous VIP cabin.

Volvo’s standard joystick system offers unprecedented benefits in slow-speed manoeuvring, eliminating the need for a bow thruster and making docking an absolute breeze. Underway, the steerable drives offer nimble handling, excellent acceleration and significant fuel savings compared to conventional shaft drives. As an added benefit, the underwater exhaust system eliminates diesel fumes and soot and significantly reduces noise.

Sheltered by an extended overhang, the large cockpit features an optional hydraulic swim platform. A stylish transom bench seat and summer galley are standard, and convenient engine room access is located in the cockpit sole. From the cockpit, ascend the safe, wide, moulded-in stairs to the SkyDeck to experience a large alfresco entertaining or sunbathing area complete with standard refrigerator and optional

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icemaker. The spacious SkyDeck area is an industry first and provides an ideal venue for relaxing or entertaining.

When it is time to leave the cockpit to go below, a telescoping three-piece sliding glass door system with polished stainless steel frame opens to a safe, wide main cabin entrance. Her cherrywood main cabin features port-side incliners (separated by a table with optional wine chiller) and a starboard-side curved, leather-covered lounge with incliners. Forward, the command station area is raised with unobstructed sightlines to all points. The dinette, also raised, is offset to starboard and includes an entertaining area that features a wetbar and under-counter refrigerator to port. The command centre captain’s chair swivels to include the pilot at the dinette table. This area offers guests a 360-degree, panoramic view through the yacht’s full-width windshield, a large opening sunroof with OceanAir® powered screen, sliding cockpit doors, and screened side windows.

Bathed in natural light, the main cabin is ideal for entertaining, and when the weather is pleasant, the large opening skylight truly lets the outside in. Below decks you will find a full galley furnished with plenty of storage and all the necessities

to craft an elegant meal. The large open area above the galley contributes to an airy, naturally-lit feeling in this area. A spacious forward VIP stateroom is enriched by warm cherrywood. A walkaround, queen-sized bed and port and starboard cedar-lined wardrobes are the principal amenities of this luxurious space. Following a split-head arrangement, the portside enclosed shower is privately accessed from the VIP stateroom. A starboard-side vanity and commode are accessed from the passageway for use as a day head, or entered privately from the VIP stateroom.

The largest in its class, the spacious full beam master stateroom features a walkaround queen-sized bed flanked by cherry nightstands, two cedar-lined wardrobes, and a private head. New owners may opt for a convenient stackable washer dryer system that is accessed from here.

The Ovation 55 SportYacht is also available in a three-cabin layout, which features the owner's cabin forward and split cabins aft with a shared head.

Both the 52 and the 55 can comfortably sleep six people but entertain as many as 15 guests onboard its generous entertainment spaces. With summer just around the corner, book your test ride on this exquisite yacht now.

Blue Water

Calling Ovation

55 and 52

Silverton Sport Bridge Brothers John and Warren Luhrs have earned a solid reputation for building some of the most respected yachts in the industry. In 1969, they took over the Silverton outfit that had been building yachts for the north-eastern US’s waterways since time memorial, and turned Silverton into a world-class manufacturer of family cruising yachts, which are now also available in South Africa.

The Silverton Sport Bridge range has a decidedly American yachting feel about it.

Think bigger open spaces, seats for people who want to stretch out and plenty of space for guests and crew alike. The design team did a stellar job on the newer 43 model to soften the all-American feel with some Euro-style lines in its window shapes and interior finishes, yet the 43, quite like its sibling 38, remains a bold yacht for hard working and hard playing skippers.

The 43 takes its larger-than-life approach below decks with a full beam main cabin, yet still maintains good fore and aft access. This effect is created with a side-walk design that connects the bridge and the foredeck, with permanent-moulded steps to the rear deck. The bridge should be the place where the main man holds sway, and up here we find a good companion bench close to the helm and a sun-lounging space in eyesight. For those hot days in the sun, no need to walk down to the galley as there is a wet bar with optional fridge space up here too.

After a long day of play, nothing beats sitting down on the lower deck, putting one’s feet up and watching the sun set over the wake of the yacht. If one can persuade the captain to stop, guests can take a last plunge from the transom swim platform, which has enough space to carry a small tender if desired. Showers are fitted to wash the saltwater off before wrapping up warmly for the last stretch home. Thanks to large windows, the interior entertainment area is bathed in sunlight and awash in fresh air when the side vents are opened. A beautifully-curved sliding glass door separates the cabin from the possibility of rapid inclement weather, with which our coastline often surprises us.

Inside the lounge area, space for a large-screen TV and a couch that folds out as an extra double berth quickly help to make guests feel comfortable and at home.

The dinette is a mere step up to the front

Images: © FOREST JOHNSTON

38 & 43

and a step down to the galley. Seating should be ample around the full beam table, and all the amenities any gourmet chef would require are available in the galley.

Between the master stateroom and the guest suites below deck, both the 38 and 43 yachts comfortably sleep six guests.

The interiors are of the highest standard, with finishes in semi-gloss cherrywood, solid cherry faces and birch plywood.

Silverton also offers an interior package

the decks and portions of the superstructure are stiffened with balsa coring. The 43's interior is built in modular fashion and installed in the hull prior to its mating with the superstructure. The hull/deck joint is bonded and bolted. The joint is also fibreglassed where accessible. Silverton's new five-year warranty is standard.”

Owners have the option of fitting Yanmar, Volvo or Cummins engines. The first Silvertons to arrive in South Africa are fitted with Yanmar 650s. On trial with a

with carefully-chosen designer touches and accessories.

After conducting a comprehensive review of the 43, Jay Cole of YachtingWorld magazine was extremely impressed with the production precision of the boat. He describes the process, “Like all Silverton products, the 43's design was modelled on computer and mocked up prior to production. A five-axis router was used to cut plugs for the hull and superstructure tooling. The net result is that the 43's complicated exterior styling flows smoothly and her gelcoat finish is near perfect. The hull is hand-laid with woven roving; coremat is used to increase thickness and minimise print-through, while a vinylesterresin skin coat is laid on below the waterline to reduce the chance of blistering. Stringers and web frames are pressure-treated plywood encapsulated in fibreglass, and

480hp Volvo package, reviewers recorded a maximum speed of 28.3 knots and a fast cruise of 25.9 knots at 2,400rpm. Given that they were testing in a three-foot chop, the yacht seemed most comfortable at a relaxing 21.3 knots (2,100rpm).

They concluded that the 480hp Volvos seemed a good match for the 43. She accelerated evenly without noticeable smoke and reached maximum turns in around 25 seconds.

The Silverton is a comfortable boat and an ideal platform for family cruising. If you have not yet had the chance to step onboard, both the 38 and 43 are worthy of inspection.  Contact: • Kevin Jensen, Bluewater Marine &

Sportfishing • Cell: +27 82 338 0659 • Email: kevin@bluewatermarine.co.za

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ForeverFashionable

GUCCI

Guccio Gucci’s Legendary Creation

s y mb o l

In 1921, Florentine-born Guccio Gucci opened a workshop and store specialising in leather goods in his native city. Though his merchandise was certainly popular, he had little inkling of the phenomenal empire into which his handmade leather merchandise would eventually grow.

Words: TONI ACKERMANN Images: © GUCCI

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uccio Gucci had spent some time working at London’s Savoy Hotel, which afforded him the opportunity to scrutinise the tastes and mores of the upper classes.

Of course, what he absorbed was a distinctly English aesthetic which, when introduced to Italians, immediately stood out for its refined style, simplicity and innovation – though the master craftsmanship of his Tuscan artisans had much to do with it too.

Gucci’s new label enjoyed such success that, in 1937, the young businessman and designer expanded his workshop. He began to draw inspiration from the equestrian world, and the horsebit and stirrup motifs, as well as the classic red-green-red web quickly made their way into his designs, soon becoming tantamount to the brand; emblems of this Florentine firm. The result was an exclusive, original style that embodied the tastes of his sophisticated, international clientele. Along with the titled families of Tuscany, said clientele also included wealthy foreign tourists.

Gucci’s products sold out almost as soon as they were introduced, quickly becoming icons with a cult-like following.

But it was during the difficult years of Italy’s Fascist dictatorship that Gucci really established itself as an enterprise recognised for its exceptional creativity.

The shortage of standard materials at this time affected all entrepreneurial activities, but Gucci ingeniously introduced hemp, linen, jute and, most recognisably, bamboo as alternatives. A handbag famously referred to as the “Bamboo Bag” was developed in the late 1940s and left an indelible mark on the label’s history. It became the favourite accessory of numerous prominent personalities of that day, among them Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Deborah Kerr, not to mention Queen Frederica of Greece and renowned film director Michelangelo Antonioni, who used this bag in several of his movies too.

The label continued to flourish and

operations to expand, marked by the opening in 1938 of a new store in Rome, on Via dei Condotti. In the 1940s, Guccio Gucci’s four sons, Aldo, Vasco, Ugo, and Rodolfo were each given minority stakes in the business, though it remained in Guccio’s control until his death in 1953. In 1951, a store opened in Milan, at Via Montenapoleone 5, followed just two years later by Gucci’s debut in the US. It was one of the first Italian brands to arrive in New York. It wasn’t long before stores shot up in London, Paris, Palm Beach, and Beverly Hills. Thanks to Aldo’s international vision and approach, the Gucci name had achieved worldwide acclaim and importance, and become an established symbol of modern luxury; synonymous with unsurpassable quality. One of Aldo Gucci’s most famous sayings remains, “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.”

In the years that followed, the house explored new interpretations of its iconic motifs, including the interlocking double “G” motif and the crest. As the years wore on, the central reference point for the brand continued to come from the equestrian world, though other themes – the sporting cultures of tennis and golf, for example – eventually developed their own significance, thereby enriching Gucci’s

imagistic vocabulary. Flora, a print drawn from a variety of flowering plants and insects, created in 1966 by painter Vittorio Accornero, was just such a theme. Originally conceived of as a silk scarf for Grace Kelly, the print was realised in 37 colours as a single design (not in repeated squares as with traditional printing techniques) and continues to be a vibrant part of Gucci’s house codes.

Following more than a decade of reorganisation within its ranks, the opening of several new stores and much effort spent diversifying the house’s production processes and researching new materials, the company re-emerged during the 1990s under the leadership of Domenico De Sole and Tom Ford. A dramatic new era of style quickly commenced.

Gucci’s designs were groundbreaking, and coveted by consumers around the globe. It was fashion that mixed tradition and innovation, luxury and modernity, and the house achieved incredible global renown and cultivated the following of the high-powered, accomplished elite, among them Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sting, Tom Cruise, Mick Jagger, and Brad Pitt. Gucci had become a brand with a definitive statement – one that was as much about

quality and refinement as it was about sex and provocation. The classic, horsebit moccasin was transformed into a stiletto, brightly coloured silk satin shirts were cut close to the body, and trousers were low waisted and hip hugging in velvet.

Over the next decade, Gucci continued to build its brand, establishing strategic alliances and eventually evolving into a conglomerate in the international luxury goods industry, strengthening their portfolio through the acquisitions of such houses as Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, YSL Beauté, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, Bedat & Co, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Balenciaga. Gucci was now known as Gucci Group NV. Creative talents came and went, and in 2006, Frida Giannini, who had already been responsible for the women’s ready-to-wear range and all accessories, took over menswear, thus rising to sole Creative Director of the label.

Under Giannini’s creative directorship, Gucci revisited its most authentic roots, reexploring their trove of iconic references, giving them a contemporary edge. Flora Grace Kelly leaving a Gucci store

was resurrected and reworked on a range of Gucci accessories, including bags, shoes and watches – items that became instant bestsellers. In 2005, Giannini launched “La Pelle Guccissima,” re-proposing the classic double “G” and horsebit motifs on heatprinted leather and other prestigious materials. In a matter of months, this became the label’s newest icon. Giannini’s collections, a celebration of both past and present, have continuously sparked a new fashion consciousness, setting off global trends and resulting in undisputed hits.

According to a 2007 study conducted by Nielsen, Gucci is considered the most desired luxury brand in the world.

From 2005 to 2008 Gucci achieved four record years: revenue grew by 46 percent to over €2 billion; new, directlyoperated flagship stores opened in the most important capital cities, including

Tokyo, New York and London; and emerging markets such as China were further explored.

The house’s leather goods and readyto-wear collection continues to be 100 percent “Made in Italy,” a long-standing brand attribute that is increasingly becoming an industry anomaly. The exquisite quality and craftsmanship first introduced by Guccio Gucci has been meticulously maintained by expert artisans, many of whom have collaborated with the company for generations.

Today, Gucci continues its vibrancy and leadership on the global luxury stage.

According to a 2007 study conducted by Nielsen, the international marketing research company, Gucci is considered the most desired luxury brand in the world. It was further ranked as the 45th most valuable brand in the world in any industry, as well as the highest ranked of all Italian brands, according to a 2008 study.  For further information on where to get your Gucci in SA, contact +27 21 421 8800 (Cape Town) or +27 11 784 2597 (Johannesburg).

Seismic Events

The Manhattan Project

S PLIT Once in a generation, a few brilliant people come together to deliver an innovation that forever changes the world. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Schumpeter called this phenomenon “creative destruction” because the invention wipes out the familiar with the advent of the new.

This description has never been more apt than with the Manhattan Project, which marked the beginning of the nuclear age and all of its incredible destructive powers.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS; US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Images: © GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

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lchemists have dreamt for centuries of being able to transmute the most basic building blocks of any substance in the hopes of turning it into gold and thereby enriching themselves. By 1919, Ernest Rutherford finally achieved the first half of this idle wish by transforming an atom, yet not turning it into gold. All over the world, fierce research into these most basic structural worlds of atoms and neutrons engulfed some of the best minds.

The theories of Albert Einstein had suggested that the splitting of an atom would release an amount of energy still unknown to humanity, and when word of the first splitting of an atom, called “fission,” came from Berlin in 1938, the prospect of building a nuclear bomb suddenly seemed like a real possibility.

Everywhere across Europe the beating of a distant war drum was already audible, with the earlier German occupation of the Rhineland now followed by the invasion of Sudetenland and the Anschluss of Austria.

In the east, Japan had invaded China the previous year, and political and social repression, instability and military violence were rising in Italy, Spain and Central Europe. Stalinism was reaching a fevered pitch in the Great Purges of 1936-38, and in 1937, the strongman leaders of Germany, Italy and Japan signed on for the Axis Alliance, declaring their willingness to support one another under any act of aggression.

News of the fission experiments of German scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann spread rapidly. On 26 January 1939, Niels Bohr, accompanied by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, communicated the latest developments to some European émigré scientists and members of the American scientific community at a conference on theoretical physics in Washington, DC. American physicists quickly grasped the importance of Bohr's message, yet secretly knew that they already led the way in producing

equipment for nuclear physics and highenergy physics research.

In 1939, nuclear physics research reached fever pitch. Fermi and Leo Szilard collaborated at Columbia University in investigating the possibility of producing a

nuclear chain reaction. Given that uranium emitted neutrons when it fissioned, the question became whether or not a chain reaction in uranium was possible and, if so, in which of the three isotopes of the rare metal it was most likely to occur. By March

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argued that an atomic bomb was feasible, the US government knew that the time had come to prepare for production of the world’s first nuclear bomb.

By 1942, there was still no clarity on whether uranium or plutonium would deliver the desired result, and when appointed in June 1942 to organise the effort, Brigadier-General Leslie Groves kept both these options open. He appointed J Robert Oppenheimer to head the bomb research and design laboratory to be built at Los Alamos, New Mexico. On 18 September, Groves ordered the purchase of 1,250 tons of high quality Belgian Congo uranium ore stored on Staten Island, and the next day purchased 52,000 acres of land to be the future site of the Oak Ridge research facility in Tennessee. Groves was a gruff man who would often get under the skin of the scientists, but the hallmark of his career was that he had delivered results, most recently completing the construction of the Pentagon. By December 1942, President Roosevelt gave the order to proceed with building the bomb. The Manhattan Project was underway.

1940, John R Dunning had demonstrated conclusively that uranium-235 was the isotope that fissioned with slow neutrons, not the more abundant uranium-238 as Fermi had guessed. This finding was important because it meant that a chain reaction using the slightly lighter uranium-235 was possible, but only if the isotope could be separated from the uranium-238 and concentrated into a critical mass, a process that posed serious problems.

The prospect of an atomic explosion alarmed a number of émigré physicists within the US who had fled their native countries because of the expansion of Nazi Germany. Fermi and others convinced most within the American and British scientific community to voluntarily withhold future publication of information that might aid a Nazi atomic bomb programme.

Governments were slow to react to this very esoteric scientific news, and only one month before World War II formally began did Leo Szilard finally enlist the help of Albert Einstein in personally calling President Franklin Roosevelt's attention to the matter. What was seen by some as the inevitable involvement of the US in the War became a reality with Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Strengthened by the influential Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Report, the latest and most influential in a series of studies that

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Across the world, the horror of World War II reminded the scientists every day that theirs was a race against time. By mid1944, with monthly costs running in excess of $100million, the jury was still out on whether uranium or plutonium would be the actual fission material.

There were many problems to solve over the next few years; both in physics and in the design of a delivery mechanism.

The scientists developed what was to become known as “the gadget” as a delivery device, where two fissionable materials would implode to create the desired release of nuclear energy. Fat Man and Thin Man (named after Churchill and Roosevelt) were designed to test both the gun method and implosion method of delivery, with the latter proving more ideal.

Meanwhile, in the background of all the flurry of activity posed by the choice between plutonium or uranium, the superbomb hydrogen bomb concept that would eventually dominate the Cold War

was not entirely forgotten as Oppenheimer assigned some members of his team to chisel away at the idea. Across the world, the horror of World War II reminded the scientists every day that theirs was a race against time. By mid-1944, with monthly costs running in excess of $100million, the jury was still out on whether uranium or plutonium would be the actual fission material, as the former was too scarce to enrich in the right quantities, and the latter required an implosion model delivery device of particular specification which the team had not yet been able to produce. After D-Day, it was becoming evident that Germany was losing on all fronts, and that Japan was going to be the ultimate target.

When the Oak Ridge facility made critical breakthroughs in delivering sufficient weapon-grade uranium-235 towards end of year, the project finally moved forward. The uranium path to the atomic bomb had indeed been proven viable and short enough to result in a weapon before the War's end, which was estimated at the time to only end at some point in 1946. Yet the plutonium process was to prove equally resilient and hence the eventual bomb (Fat Man) intended for Nagasaki used plutonium, while Hiroshima’s (Little Boy) carried uranium.

Debate over how to use the bomb began in earnest in early summer of 1945.

The successful Trinity atomic test of 16 July confirmed that the stakes for this decision were very high. With a blast equivalent of approximately 21 kilotons of TNT, the test explosion was greater than had been predicted, and the dispersal of radioactive fallout following the test made safety something of a real concern. News of the success at Trinity reached President Harry S Truman at the Potsdam Conference where Germany was surrendering. Following consultations with his advisers, Truman made the decision to use the bomb against Japan as soon as the first weapon was ready.

On the morning of 6 August 1945, the crew of the Enola Gray set off to drop Little Boy, the untested uranium bomb, on Hiroshima, Japan. The plutonium weapon, Fat Man, followed three days later at Nagasaki on 9 August. Use of the bomb helped bring an end to the war in the Pacific, with Japan surrendering on 14 August. The most destructive war in human history was finally over. The Manhattan Project had fulfilled its mission and opened the Pandora’s Box for the Cold War that followed. 

LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE

OfямБcial agent for Riviera luxury motor yachts in South Africa.

DURBAN HARBOUR : Durban Yacht Mole Tel: 031 301 1115 / 083 324 4630 DURBAN POINT : The Quays Tel: 031 332 1987 / 079 872 2335 CAPE TOWN V&A WATERFRONT : Breakwater Boulevard Tel: 082 881 2607 / 072 860 6401 www.boatingworld.co.za | info@boatingworld.co.za

LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE

Wake’s Up AGON 23 Agon Marine introduces the new Agon A23. Designed by renowned Spanish naval architects, Barcelona Yacht Design, the A23 represents cutting-edge design aimed at the more discerning leisure boating enthusiast. Its exceptional styling will leave most people impressed, but no one indifferent. The current model will have a limited production run of only 100 units, to promote exclusivity.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © AGON MARINE, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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verybody spoke about it at last year’s boat shows. “Have you seen the Batman boat?”

Replace “Batman” with “James Bond” or any other action hero – the A23 made a definite impression, and one of speed and performance. Since it won the “Best Newcomer” award at the Johannesburg National Boat Show last year, there has been a host of enhancements brought to the Agon A23, and frankly, it matters not whether you are a Tuxedo-wearing, Martini-sipping, secret agent, or a sun and fun seeking playboy rich kid. This gorgeous boat will make a statement as to your style

S TUNT

and appreciation of the finer things in life.

The Agon A23 is the first in a line of performance boats that two local boat builders and entrepreneurs, Peter Evans and Jacques Cilliers, have had under development since 2007. Last year’s black prototype that they took to the waters and to the boating public for testing helped these perfectionists to set themselves clear goals for the final launch of this exciting concept. This summer they are launching the A23 as about as close to perfect a wakeboarding boat you will find in local waters, and certainly the only one of such high standards, speed and performance and at what is evidently an extremely competitive local price.

The design of the boat was commissioned to the BYD Group, a company located in Barcelona with broad international experience in all kinds of nautical projects, BYD has, for more than a decade, worked

different speeds, the A23 shapes the almost perfect wake at between 25 – 35 km/h.

And this is without any ballast. For the wakeboarder extremist, the addition of ballast would deliver the veritable tsunami required to gain serious altitude on the board.

The boat was designed, however, to do more than just that. One to two people can easily be towed at once, leaving ample family or friend time on regular water-skis, tubes, or kneeboards, and comes to planing rather quickly.

The boat can be fitted with an allrounder propeller to allow for variation of its use and is capable of speeds up to 82km/h. New owners can, however, request a special adaptation to the pitch and number of blades that will render the A23 capable of speeds of up to 110km/h. And because of its superior design, passengers onboard remain dry where they are sitting

Fosgate/Lightning Audio marine speakers and active subwoofer, and a freshwater shower on the stern of the boat. And when the crew just want to relax out in the middle of nowhere, simply drop the specially-fitted bow anchor. Steel work for the onboard storage of wakeboards and spotlights for night boarding can be customised according to each customer’s preference.

But, when all is said and done, there remain the two most compelling reasons to consider investing in the A23 rather than in an import: price and mobility. To be able to acquire a 23-foot boat that can reach these speeds and deliver this performance for less than R500,000 is an absolute steal compared to what comes from abroad. Where else could you find a boat able to host as many as 10 of your friends for a day of fun in the sun at this rate? And, you have access to a local team

with some of the best international designers and in a number of ambitious and vanguard projects, as well as in the design process.

Founded by engineers, exterior and interior designers who graduated from some of the best universities of Europe and specialised in yacht design, the BYD Group uses only the most sophisticated design technologies on the market.

What they produced for Agon Marine is a world-class design, with particular emphasis on the hull and the interior options. Designed as a multi-purpose hull, the keel starts very deep in the front, in order to stir up the perfect wake from deep down. The hull then flattens out towards the back, allowing the formation of the ideal rounded wake for ramping up on the wakeboard for manoeuvres. Testing at

on the carefully, hand-stitched leather seats to front and aft.

The production team has spent enough time on the water to understand the adrenaline lifestyle that accompanies this

when you need enhancements or maintenance. On the mobility side, despite the powerful performance of a much larger yacht, you can still hitch this 1,500-kg looker onto a nine-metre trailer and just drive her home after the weekend. No mooring fees required, and easy to clean once out of the water. And with regular cleaning, your investment lasts much further into the future.

Drop in at either the Johannesburg or Cape Town Boat Shows this year to see the Agon A23 in its full glory, and meet the enthusiastic team behind the fruition of this project.  Contact: • Peter Evans: +27 84 667 4466 • Jacques Cilliers: +27 82 268 4329 • Visit : www.agonmarine.com

Owners can request a special adaptation to the pitch and number of propeller blades that render the A23 capable of speeds of up to 110km/h. kind of boating and added some real “wow factors” to enhance the overall experience of a day out on the water. The A23 is fitted with an onboard DVD system with Rockford

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Banyan Tree S e y ch e l l e s Touching Beauty

Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © BANYAN TREE

S PLEN D OUR Banyan Tree Seychelles bills itself as “A Sanctuary for the Senses” and lives up to its vision in every aspect. Guests are offered an oasis of wellbeing and calm from the moment they set foot on the property, whether it is the taste of the iced fruit juice at reception, the smell of incense wafting through the lobby, or the lulling sound of the waves crashing on the beach below.

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e arrive at the Banyan Tree Seychelles on Mahé Island after a scenic 30-minute drive from Victoria airport, which took us meandering along the coast, winding through the jungle and up through the hills before a steep descent to the resort. Within moments of our arrival we are whisked away in an electrically-powered vehicle to our beachfront villa. And from that point forward, we can choose whether to remain completely isolated or indulge in some socialising at the main pool, any of three restaurants or the cocktail bar. We opt for privacy.

The accommodation is sumptuous, the mood soothing, and the amenities truly luxurious. Our villa master (otherwise known as a butler) invites us inside and offers tutorials on the myriad lighting and air conditioning options, the steam and shower room, outdoor jet pool, and various entertainment selections at our disposal. I, however, am not paying much attention, as the delicate aroma of ylang-ylang from an oil burner tantalises my senses and the sound of music fills the room, washing all concerns away.

Incense is a signature at this resort, and each day a new scent is introduced along with a description of its healing powers.

The lighting of incense is part of the housekeeping and turndown procedures, along with the ever-new, intricatelydesigned patterns of flower petals on the beds – a ritual that my two small children

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and I begin to eagerly anticipate. The music, too, captures the essence of this resort.

Playing in the background is a collection of original compositions commissioned by the Banyan Tree and titled “Touching Beauty” – it might as well have become our anthem for the three nights we spent wrapped in this cocoon of simple splendour.

There are six different styles of villas available, depending on the number of guests and whether you choose to reside on the hillside, in the rocks, or at the beach.

All have their own infinity pools and many have a spa gazebo, where you can schedule any of the treatments available from the resort’s extensive Banyan Tree Spa menu.

Being in a beachside villa, it doesn’t take long until the children drag me down through our private garden to the path which leads onto our own piece of paradise.

This coast is a prime spot for turtles, and in season, you can watch them come on shore to lay eggs, under the watchful eye of the resident turtle guide.

When it comes to dining, we are spoiled for choice and can stroll through the paths set in a protected wetland to the main restaurants for Thai cuisine at Saffron,

international and Asian cuisine at Au Jardin d’Epices, or Creole cooking at Chez Lamar.

Travelling with kids, however, we opt for invilla dining at our convenience, and with Banyan Tree’s discreet and efficient service, we delight in our meals on the patio as the kids frolic between the hot tub, the outdoor shower, and the pool.

Should you be embarking on a romantic holiday instead, options abound for intimate interludes. The chef will prepare a private beach barbeque, a moonlight dinner, or pack you a picnic and champagne for a trip to Intendance Bay. If you really want to splurge, you can book a “Sea and Star” evening at the Presidential Pool Villa.

The villa occupies its very own cove by the water’s edge and no expense has been spared at this secret hideaway. As you soak in the majestic scenery, your butler will serve a five-star meal and take care of every whim. And should you desire to extend the dream, you can even stay the night.

For yet another unforgettable experience, you can also explore the open seas and pristine beaches by booking a trip on the Banyan Lagoon I, a 47-foot

catamaran that resides at the resort.

Beautifully outfitted, this boutique boat comes with classic Banyan Tree décor and exceptional service, perfect for a special overnight celebration or a day of diving and snorkelling or deep-sea fishing among some of the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago.

Although we did not take advantage of any of these special offerings, our stay was nonetheless an exceptional one. I am not sure whether it was the fine, sensual touches or the wide range of amenities, the dramatic physical location of the resort, or the knowledge that Banyan Tree is seriously committed to an eco-friendly consciousness that made this such a deeply pleasurable stay.

Our visit to Banyan Tree Seychelles was our first experience of the Banyan Tree Resort offerings, and I do know we are smitten. The incense I brought home with me is a tangible reminder of how we touched beauty at Banyan Tree Seychelles.  For more information: • Visit: www.banyantree.com • Email: seychelles@banyantree.com • Tel: +248 383 500

S YNER G Y

Green Doing

Business B a n y a n Tr e e

I often have the opportunity to travel to sumptuous lodges where I am pampered in a phenomenally physical way – from the food to the furnishings to the activities on site. Believe it or not, one can become a tad uneasy about this level of “luxury.” So, when I come upon a place that manages to provide all of these features and yet is guided by a serious commitment to social development and environmental protection, I tend to feel a bit more at ease.

Words: TANYA GOODMAN; BANYAN TREE Images: © BANYAN TREE; ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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he Banyan Tree accomplishes all of this with determination, grace and charm. I suppose it starts with their mission statement, to be a socially responsible business with the central value of driving sustainable development. Through responsible tourism, Banyan Tree seeks to be an agent of social and economic change in the countries where they operate. This means that a triple bottom line – the economy, society, and the environment – is used to define measures of success. Putting this vision into play involves a number of interrelated tasks and goals.

The overriding objective, of course, is to provide a memorable experience for guests.

But this is complemented by treating employees (“associates” in Banyan Tree parlance) and suppliers with fairness and dignity as well as enabling long-term societal prosperity for the communities in which they are based. With each property, the Banyan Tree exercises great caution with respect to the environmental impact

of their operations, and takes an active role in the protection and remediation of the global ecosystem.

From its start in 1992 in Phuket’s Bang Tao Bay, Banyan Tree has grown to now comprise over 20 resorts with a footprint in more than 20 countries, with five new properties due to be launched by the end of 2009 in regions such as the UAE, Mexico, South Korea, China and Indonesia.

“While Banyan Tree is still a small and young enterprise,” says founder and CEO, Ho Kwon Ping, “we have big dreams of being a global player in our chosen niche.

As we grow, we need to remain true to our core founding values so that at any point in the future [we] can look back and be proud of what we have achieved; proud of our choices and ... proud of the values which have guided our efforts.” The compelling vision, which drives Banyan Tree’s business development, is founded on a belief that, as Ho Kwon Ping claims, “Businesses can, if morally driven and passionately executed, be a positive force in making this a world of greater equality

and prosperity for all in the community.”

For Banyan Tree, this means that a basic philosophy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is embedded into the heart of each and every property. Not only does Banyan Tree conduct a CSR Self Audit, but they recently made the environmental portion of their audit freely available to other hotel and resort operators as a simple, cost-free way to begin monitoring and reducing their environmental impacts. The practices and programmes that embody these CSR values are wide-ranging, with a primary focus on four areas: the environment, education, community, and health. These principles find expression in a number of projects, including Banyan Tree Greening Communities, Seedlings, Energy Conservation, and Labs.

In general, all Banyan Tree resource conservation programmes are designed to reduce operational impact upon the environment and efficiency measures are specifically targeted at monitoring and systematically reducing power and water consumption as well as enhancing waste

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management. One project, Greening Communities, involves a commitment to planting trees (2,000 at each resort over the next 10 years) as a way of combating climate change by offsetting a small amount of the globally produced atmospheric CO2. More importantly, such an effort seeks to capitalise on the multiplier effect to drive greater awareness of climate change among communities, employees, and guests. At Banyan Tree Lijiang, for example, the aim is not only to plant a significant number of fruit trees over the next few years but to team with a local fruit preserving plant, which will purchase the fruit from the community to create snacks that will then be sold back to the resort as well as at the local markets.

Launched in 2007, the Seedlings programme is targeted at enhancing longterm prosperity within communities by building the capacities of young people.

Seedlings aims to guide youths at risk of societal exclusion to achieve what may have otherwise remained beyond their means. The effort starts with mentorship, continues with scholarship, and concludes with internship as a means to provide young adults with the motivation and

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ability to complete their education and successfully enter the labour force as adults. Seedlings currently operates in six countries with 19 students.

Another fascinating initiative is the Banyan Tree Labs. A dedicated research facility was first opened at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in 2003 for coordinating extensive conservation work and raising environmental awareness in the Maldives.

The centre is designed to provide basic facilities and equipment for important fieldwork conducted by visiting expert scientists, as well as to share the necessity

Businesses can, if morally driven and passionately executed, be a positive force in making this a world of greater equality and prosperity for all in the community. of marine conservation and sustainable livelihoods with local communities and guests. Due to the success in contributing to both the scientific body of knowledge, as

well as the community’s understanding of the importance of environmental conservation, this model was recreated in late 2006 with the opening of the Banyan Tree Maldives Velavaru Marine Lab and again in 2007 with the opening of the Banyan Tree Bintan Conservation Lab, a facility which deals with terrestrial as well as marine life. At each of these Labs, guests are invited to participate directly in the work of the centre. Activities range from coral transplanting to reef cleaning, as well as marine biology classes and tree planting.

In addition to these specific projects, Banyan Tree resorts conduct a variety of other initiatives in support of environmental conservation and awareness building. There is the turtle and beach monitoring in the Seychelles; rain water harvesting in Phuket, Lijiang and Bintan; water recycling in Bintan; and a policy to eliminate plastic bags at the Bangkok and Lijiang properties.

With 7,000 employees from over 50 nationalities, Banyan Tree’s diversity presents many opportunities to make a lasting, positive impact on the communities and environment in which they operate.

Even the Banyan Tree Gallery, the retail arm of the resort group, is committed to sustaining village development, conserving natural and cultural resources, showcasing ethnic crafts and culture, and educating and motivating stakeholders. The origins of the Banyan Tree Gallery date back to 1989, when Claire Chiang, Managing Director, was first approached in Thailand to buy two traditional Thai “maun” (triangularshaped) cushions. Instead of just purchasing two cushions, the Yasathorn community in North Thailand was commissioned to produce 500 sets of cushions for the interiors of the resorts in Laguna Phuket.

Proceeds from the sale were then distributed to the village women artisans, with the leftover funds channelled to support a local school. It is through this appreciation for supporting indigenous artistry and empowering communities that Banyan Tree Gallery creates a platform for building cultural and green awareness.

Environmental conservation and social development are quite obviously real priorities at Banyan Tree. For their commitment, they have received accolades and environmental awards from various organisations. According to the Banyan Tree, however, while they are honoured to receive these awards, these awards remain rewards, not incentives. For a guest at one of these resorts, it means greater peace of mind and the opportunity to get involved. If you would like more information, visit www.banyantree.com/csr. 

info@neoafrica.com

s o l u t i o n s

e x o t i c a

S ETTLE

Make a Move to

Malta

Long considered the bridge between Europe and Africa, Malta is a sailing mecca off the Italian coast in the Mediterranean Sea. For South Africans looking for a swift, cost-effective, and relatively effortless means of gaining residency in a European Union (EU) member state, Crusader Rock, with its multidisciplinary team of experts, has established itself to facilitate and expedite Maltese residency applications and advise upon property investment opportunities within the region.

Words: JANET MCKELLEN Images: Š ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

C

onsisting of the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, the Republic of Malta is scenically impressive with its towering cliffs and clear seas, mild winters and hot summers, plus a rich historic, cultural, and artistic heritage that is unique in its diversity.

Ancient forts, palaces and churches, many of which were built by the Knights of St John, dot the landscape in abundance. Crusader Rock has identified this as a very attractive option for South Africans choosing to emigrate, invest offshore, set up an insurance strategy and hedge, or simply improve their travel access into Europe by no longer needing a Schengen visa. One can actually enjoy all of the benefits Malta offers and only visit Malta once if you so wish.

Gaining residency in Malta is simple with the assistance of Crusader Rock, who will guide you through all of the requirements including property acquisition or rental, minimum annual income transferred to Malta, income or capital qualifications, legal and documentation requirements, work permits and employment placing, and more.

With close to zero crime; English being one of the two official languages; good government infrastructure; added tax incentives; numerous investment

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opportunities; and no estate duties, South Africans are likely to be quite tempted.

Furthermore, the cost of living in Malta is quite comparable and the official government policy welcomes the introduction of foreign expertise and ideas in a variety of industries, meaning that there are great opportunities for young people and families to build a life here or those who wish to retire in tranquillity.

The economic data for this region is quite promising. Since its inception into the European Union (EU), Malta has become a fast developing country with low unemployment and an inflation rate of under three percent. According to the Global Financial Services Index, Malta is placed fourth as the country most likely to increase in importance in the next few years. Malta is also seen as one of the world’s most open economies with an extensive network of double taxation treaties as well as benefits where no treaties are in force.

Lifestyle is definitely an appeal here.

Among other benefits, there is fantastic cuisine, most of which is very much Mediterranean, combined with fabulous wines from the continent. There are also a host of leisure activities such as sailing, hiking, watersports, diving, fishing or simply lazing on the glorious beaches.

A burgeoning economy; strategic

geographical positioning between Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe; competitive operational costs; an educated and skilled labour force; a stable political situation; a modern legal and tax framework; strong industrial relations; excellent telecommunications infrastructure; a convenient European time zone; the largest Mediterranean Free Port and a culture of hard-working professionals as well as a relatively low cost of living are just some of the reasons that Malta is more than just food for thought for professionals wishing to invest, work or gain residency in the EU. The team at Crusader Rock brings with them a wealth of experience and success in the fields of finance, international and local property investment and development as well as business, leisure, and travel management. Together they are well positioned to ensure first-class service in all aspects of residency and investment applications.

To find out more about minimum application criteria and the comprehensive services offered by Crusader Rock, contact James Bowling, Managing Director of Crusader Rock, on +27 21 418 0091, mobile +27 82 776 7444, or email him at james@crusaderrock.com. Alternatively, visit www.crusaderrock.com or call +0861 4MALTA.ď ?

Hertzoggies Hertzoggies are light, puffy pastry tartlets with a scrumptious apricot jam and meringue filling. These delicate cookies are named after General Hertzog, who was South Africa's Prime La Residence Celebrates South African Flavour

Minister between 1924 and 1939.

Words and Image: © LOUISE SERFONTEIN

Ingredients Crust • 450ml flour • 1½ tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ cup castor sugar • ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional) • 125g butter • 3 extra-large egg yolks • 1 tbs cold water Filling • 50 to 75ml apricot jam • 3 extra-large egg whites, well beaten • 300ml sugar • 500ml desiccated coconut

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Method Sift flour, castor sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt together. Rub the butter into this mixture. Whisk egg yolks and water, and add to flour mixture. Mix well to form stiff dough, knead it and let it rest for a while. Roll out the dough (approximately 5mm thick) on a floured surface and cut into rounds with a pastry cutter. Line greased patty tins with the rounds of pastry. Whisk egg whites, gradually adding sugar while beating. Fold in the coconut and mix well. Place a little apricot jam in the centre of each pastry round. Spoon the coconut mixture into each tartlet, to cover the jam. Bake in a 180°C oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden.

Cool slightly in the patty tin, remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Gold mines and giraffes might be a far cry from the Perfume River in Hue, Vietnam, but the aroma of South Africa is celebrated along these banks at La Residence Hotel and Spa, where the country’s foremost South African chefs will gather between 7 and 9 August to cook and kuier the South African way. Not surprisingly, food and wine will anchor the weekend-long festival, with ostrich, crocodile, wild boar, pheasant and quail featured prominently on the menu, while sweet treats like melkterk, koeksisters, hertzoggies, and malva pudding with rooibos tea-flavoured syrup and ice cream will leave the inimitable taste of South Africa fresh on the tongue. The three chefs hosting the event are Louise Serfontein from La Residence Hotel & Spa, Hue; Eric Fettke from InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, Hanoi; and Juergen Kauz from Melia Hotel, Hanoi.

S IP

From Trevor Boyd Culinary Quality Assurance Manager HTA School of Culinary Art, and Manager Culinary Team South Africa • • • • • • • • •

Ingredients for Glühwein 1 litre red wine 100ml rum 200g sugar, granulated 6 whole cloves 3 sticks cinnamon 3 star aniseed 2 apples, peeled and diced zest of 2 oranges zest of 1 lemon

Method Mix all ingredients together in a pot.

Bring to a simmer but do not allow the wine to boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Strain and serve hot.

Glühwein This month, we begged, borrowed and stole (well, almost) the favourite glühwein recipes from three of South Africa’s top chefs.

Image: © iSTOCKPHOTO.COM

From Jodi-Ann Pearton The Food Design Agency and Slo-Jo • • • • • •

• •

Ingredients for Glühwein 750ml red wine – shiraz is good 1 stick cinnamon 8 whole cloves few cardamom pods, squashed rind of ½ a lemon, cut into thick strips rind of ½ an orange, cut into thick strips 45ml brown sugar (hard or soft) 60ml brandy

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Method Break cinnamon sticks into three or four pieces. Mix the wine, sugar, cloves, cardamom, and lemon and orange rind together in a pot and heat gently. Simmer for 20 minutes and remove from heat.

Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the sugar to your liking. Strain the mixture to remove the spices. Add the brandy and stir through. Serve warm.

From Allistaire Lawrence Head Chef of Roots Restaurant at Forum Homini, and member Culinary Team SA •

• • • • • • • • •

Ingredients for Glühwein Jellies 2 bottles of your favourite red wine, though not an overly expensive wine 50ml brandy 1 tbsp castor sugar rind of 1 orange, grated rind of 1 lemon, grated 1 stick cinnamon 3 whole cloves 5 star aniseed 120ml lemonade 4 leaves gelatine

Method Bring all the ingredients except the gelatine to the boil, on a low heat, so that all the flavours infuse. Following package instructions, sponge and melt the gelatine leaves and set aside. When the wine has come to the boil, remove from heat and strain about 400ml of the wine mixture onto the gelatine leaves. Stir, and then pour this mixture into a lined mould or tray.

Leave to set. Once firm, cut into cubes.

Bring the remainder of the wine and spice infusion to the boil once more, then remove from heat and strain into a jug or flask to keep warm. Enjoy the glühwein warm, accompanied by the jellies. 

P r o u d Catamarans

Proudly made, Proudly owned!

Our Pride: 38ft

40ft

44ft 64ft

70ft.

S a i l i n g , Po w e r a n d S p o r t F i s h i n g C a t a m a r a n s m a n u f a c t u r e d t o o w n e r s s p e c i fi c a t i o n s .

Contact: Keith McVeigh Tel: +27 82 320 5917 Email: keith@proudcatamarans.co.za www.proudcatamarans.com w w w. p r o u d c ata m a r a n s . c o m

O u r c a t a m a r a n s a r e n o w av a i l a b l e i n t h e S e y c h e l l e s .

C o n t a c t o u r I s l a n d A g e n t Jo h n d a C o s t a o n + 2 3 0 7 2 2 3 3 8 8

livethelife Spoil Yourself at

One&Only Spa Cape Town

Located on its own private island in the V&A waterfront, the spacious 1,400-squaremetre One&Only Spa Cape Town is an unparalleled retreat; a quiet haven in the bustling Mother City. Based on One&Only’s innovative “Unwind, Balance and Uplift” philosophy, tailored treatment plans are on offer, with highly-qualified therapists recommending to each guest the programme most suited to his or her needs. The Spa makes use of powerful, authentic techniques, indigenous ingredients and highly natural, parabenfree products produced by ESPA, all tailored to restoring natural equilibrium.

Encompassing no less than 12 treatment rooms, there are two vitality pools with air massage recliners, sauna and aroma-steam rooms, and “experience” showers with three different kinds of water settings to complement the relaxation spaces. A hair salon, two beauty suites and the celebrated Bastien Gonzalez pedicure and manicure studios provide additional facilities. Guests between the ages of 12 and 16 years are also looked after at the Teen Spa, which offers a special selection of treatments catering specially to youths and their young skin. One&Only Spa Cape Town is open from 8:00am to 10:00pm; contact +27 21 431 5800 for more information.

Go Colombo

Simply Grand Set behind Camps Bay’s Grand Cafe, with palms and the azure ocean but a squint away, The Grand Shop is at the apex of Zen shopping. Here, one finds a collection of quirky and evocative much-loved things and an intoxicating combination of elements, from beach apparel to home accessories. Goodies include St Tropezdesigned men’s trunks from Vilbrequin; the Made-in-Italy attitude of Cosabella costumes and beach wear; Mediterraneanstyled straw hats from Hats & Dreams; and locally-made Hanna M resort wear. You’ll also find an outlet for Rock Republic Jeans’ new Recession range; the beautifully-funky South African-made clothing range Homework; imported French cotton-doux shorts; cashmere robes, satin, velvet and leopard-skin pumps, and Papa-Razi clutch bags (which resemble rolled-up glossy magazines). For home interiors there’s Tom’s Drag Collection, a vibrant collection of ceramic objets; Grand Indian towels; and the Grand’s own, exclusive range of candles and room sprays. Find it on Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town. Call +27 21 438 2332 or visit their website at www.thegrand.co.za.

The objective for the Colombo Cordless was to design a telephone that was visually familiar but thoroughly modern in execution, with a design that was enduring and easy to relate to. The phone also needed to be easy to use. Thus, Colombo re-introduced the relationship between the earpiece and mouthpiece, something that has been lost on most modern handsets. The device incorporates elements essential on today’s modern residential handsets, among them a large inverse black and white display, speakerphone, digital answerer, and phonebook. The phone can also be wall mounted by cleverly rotating a hook in the base. Brothers Tej and Sach Chauhan of Chauhan Studio designed this futuristic phone, fittingly named after famed Italian designer Joe Colombo. The phone was awarded the prestigious “iF Product Design” Award 2009 for its innovative and stylish design. The significance of this award is recognised throughout the design world, with winners lauded for outstanding creativity. The Colombo Cordless will be available from Telkom Direct outlets and major retail outlets from mid August. To order call 10219 or visit www.telkomphones.co.za.

makingwaves

Fancy Your Own Foozi Table?

Big, Bold and Beautiful –

2009 National Boat Show

At this year’s National Boat Show, taking place from 14 to 16 August at the CocaCola Dome, Northgate, visitors can expect to see some of the higher-end luxury boats with all the trimmings. The Show will cover the entire spectrum of leisure and sport boats: wakeboard boats, waterskiing boats, bow riders, deck boats, cruisers, sailing and charter catamarans, ski boats, sportsfishing yachts, inflatables, even jet skis and trailers. You will also have the opportunity to investigate insurance options for your new, bigger, better, cleaner boat. In fact, if it has anything to do with water – both on it and near it – you’re sure to find it at the 2009 National Boat Show. Also featuring Dive Expo, visitors can see anything from the world’s most thrilling water toys to the world’s most fuel-efficient speedboat.

Expect some of the sexiest power boats, sail boats and leisure toys out on the water this summer, try the latest scuba diving equipment and explore local and exotic boating holidays, destinations and marina properties, and competitions, attractions and workshops. Tickets cost R60 for adults, R30 for pensioners and students, while kids under 12 go free. For more information, visit www.nationalboatshow.co.za.

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Always wished you could play a game of foosball on a whim? Then, roll up your sleeves and select your adversary because Foozi tables have hit the market. Previously only marketed to keen advertisers, fanatics can now purchase their own table, which Foozi Gaming will happily cover inside and out with a motif, style, slogan, design or colour of your choosing. The tables are made entirely of metal (except for the specially-designed cast plastic men, balls, handles and counters), and the rods are solid, as opposed to the traditional wood, to prevent bending of any sort. Each table comes with 10 balls in a closed system. Specifically designed to be fully branded, when used as marketing tools these tables create exceptional exposure in the form of a low-cost, highlyenjoyable advertising experience that reaches millions as the tables are placed freeto-play in various social gathering areas of South Africa, including pubs and bars, universities, colleges, taverns and community centres. Fully branded with your choice of artwork, Foozi tables sell for R10,000 excl VAT and delivery. Visit www.foozi.co.za, contact +27 11 463 7636, or email sales@foozi.co.za.

ExecuJet ExecuJet South Africa handled a record number of private jet movements in recent months with the inauguration of South Africa’s new President, Jacob Zuma, in May and soon after that, the 19th World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa. The inauguration weekend was both a challenge and a reward for ExecuJet, with many presidential and diplomatic flights coming in from all over the world. Between 7 and 11 May, ExecuJet handled 28 international and 28 local movements at Lanseria International Airport, and 35 movements at OR Tambo International Airport. A month later, it was ExecuJet’s brand new state-of-the art Fixed Base Operation (FBO) in Cape Town’s turn to welcome private jets carrying overseas ministers, presidents, VIPs and celebrities for the WEF. The Cape Town facility is strategically located parallel to the main runway with 5,000 square metres of hangar space and 7,000 square metres of dedicated ramp parking. The ExecuJet Aviation Group is a leading global business aviation organisation offering a diverse range of services and operating six stunning FBO facilities in Berlin, Zurich, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. The Group also manages 150 business jets worldwide under the most stringent safety standards. For more information, visit www.execujet.net.

AVOID THE RUSH

ROLLS-ROYCE 200EX Arriving December 2009. Contact Marek on 082 560 1023 Rolls-Royce Sandton: Sandton Isle, Cnr Rivonia Road and Linden Road, Sandown,Telephone: +27 (11) 676 6655