Prestige Magazine

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FRÉGATE ISLAND

MALTESE FALCON

CHAMPAGNE

TOYS FOR YACHTS

WOMEN IN ART ISSUE NO. 29

R49.95

NEW ALFA MiTo

SENSUALITY & FORM

Creativity and technology, glamour and functionality, quality and innovation.

An extraordinary combination of factors, along with a strategic vision of distribution have contributed to the lasting success of Kartell. A leader in design, Kartell addresses an international clientele with a collection unique in originality, variety and depth of range.

A m s t e r d a m

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contents

55

14

marine 14

Maltese Falcon

51

Toys for Yachts

66

Sun & Sea

68

Italy's Very Best

76

Apart from the Crowd

Helicopter Onboard

Seychelles Regatta

Pershing in SA Waters

Team Shosholoza's Paolo Cian Winner of the 2009 Korea Match Cup

sensuality

68

6

PRE S TI G e

20

Women in Art

28

Never Never Land

46

Chocolate Massage

55

Magnificent MoĂŤt

60

Lingerie

72

Bushmans Kloof

From Form to Function

FrĂŠgate Island Private

Sweet Surrender

Let it Seduce You

Have a Little

Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat

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

contents

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26

34

8

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style 12

The Greatest Journey of All

34

Fairy Forest Women

39

Authentic Al Fresco

42

Gordon Clark

58

Living Technology

Louis Vuitton's Core Values Campaign

Frégate Island's Rock Spa

Frégate Island's Garden Tour

The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing

Smart Future, Smart Home

special features 18

Lord Lucan Murder Mystery

26

New Alfa Romeo MiTo

64

Paradise Transformed

Into Thin Air

Italian Style

Eden Island Boom

regulars 10 From The Helm 38 Savour 78 Live the Life 80 Making Waves

Issue 29

from the helm The world’s most attractive sporting event is not watched by a billion plus people across the globe, and it does not involve a ball of any shape. Instead, every year, the Panerai Classic Yacht Regattas gather in six breathtaking locations, three on either side of the Atlantic. In a series that stretches over several months, carefully restored classic yachts, built anywhere between the late 1800s through the early 1900s, unfurl their thousands of square metres of sail, polish their crafty brass and master carpentry, and challenge one another’s grit and glory. Panerai, if you did not know, is the most luxurious of Italianstyled precision watches, owned today by the Rupert family’s luxury brand group, Richemont.

At the last Panerai Regatta Prestige attended, in the quaint Italian port of Imperia, the lives of the international luxury lifestyle press team were livened In the Next Edition: up through an American journalist who absconded to The Manhattan Project the civility of London almost 25 years ago. Fluent in Italian, a devoted audiophile and precision watch collector, this gentleman skirted the globe from one top-end lifestyle event and trade show to another, always looking for the latest and best in sound and time equipment – and for the perfect moustache wax. Yes, he designed himself eccentric, yet read the world with sharp eyes and intellect.

Walking on the docks with this Ken in Imperia early one morning, we remarked on the stylish Italian visitors to the Regatta – impeccable shoes, striking eyewear, linens, panamas, scarves and more. “You have to understand the Italians,” said Ken, “Each one of them live out their own personal movie every day. They get dressed for a shopping trip picturing themselves as a Claudia Cardinale or Marcello Mastrantonio, casting that day for a Fellini movie.” Finally, what has been somewhat apparent to us for a while as publishers of rare, bespoke and aesthetic brands, namely that the Italian-styled brands are almost always just the most spectacular and beautiful, seemed evident and clear.

So, when Italian automaker Alfa Romeo approached us to present their latest model, the MiTo, to our readers, we decided to bias this issue towards the elements of the Fellini movie – sensuality, form, fantasy and the way in which the longer reach of wealth, success and style can make the usual taboos of our erotic desires acceptable in certain social circles. The female form in art collections, imported lingerie, the bubbles of our champagnes, the physical indulgence of a chocolate massage, the seduction of the private island, the innuendos of our yacht names, and our flight of dreams to the lives and goods just out of our reach. And for good measure, the crimes of passion that sometimes lead to mysterious murders and fugitive lives.

It is winter. Light the fireplace, pour the sherry, and huddle up to enjoy the sensual luxury of reading this edition of Prestige front to back. We bring it to you with our usual passion – the other, goal-directed kind. The Italians might not have the corner on sensuality or style any longer (or on the round ball), but their inspiration lurks deeply in every nation and industry’s concept of beauty.

Bella Italia Charl & Tanya 63024 PRESTIGE 9/11/08 2:59 PM Page 1 C

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About Prestige

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ART COLLECTIONS

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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 Lifestyle EDITOR: Claudia Henkel claudiahenkel@prestigemag.co.za ADVERTISING: Lodene Grobler Tel: +27 79 876 4130 lodene@prestigemag.co.za Claudia Henkel Tel: +27 82 443 6470 claudiahenkel@prestigemag.co.za Rui Barbosa Tel: +27 84 290 2070 rui@prestigemag.co.za Megan Coleman Tel: +27 72 567 3112 megan@prestigemag.co.za Adie Pranger Tel: +27 83 601 2291 / +27 11 465 1572 adie@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: Business Print, Pretoria 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: Alfa Romeo; iStockphoto.com Thumbnails: iStockphoto.com; Moët & Chandon; Perini Navi Shipyard; Maggie Laubser (1886 - 1973) “Portrait of a Girl with Loose Hair and Pendant; Amongst Poinsettias” Oil on Canvas, 59 x 53cm, Signed: “M Laubser” (Lower/Right)

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Composite

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, 10 PRE S TI G e adventure and more. Simply holding and enjoying Prestige should already feel like a luxury in itself.

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 PA C E

Journey The Greatest of All

Louis Vuitton’s Core Values Campaign interprets the concept of travel in an emotional rather than a physical sense, presenting it as a process of self discovery; an individual journey. With this, Louis Vuitton commemorates the 40th anniversary of the conquest of the moon, elevating the theme of travel as a personal journey to a celebration of a voyage of unsurpassed significance for all humanity.

Words: TONI ACKERMANN Image: © LOUIS VUITTON / ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

L

ouis Vuitton brought together three exceptional figures, each of whose remarkable journey has taken them into space: Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Sally Ride.

Buzz Aldrin who, in the course of the historic Apollo 11 mission with Neil Armstrong on 20 and 21 July 1969, became the second man to set foot on the moon; Jim Lovell, the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970, who − as the world watched with bated breath − heroically guided his crew back to the safety of Earth; and Sally Ride who, in 1983, became the first American woman to venture into space as a crew member on space shuttle Challenger.

The new visual, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, was shot on the high plateaux of the Californian desert, from where, on a clear night, the moon takes on an almost supernatural intensity. The three astronauts are portrayed quietly surveying the sky from a battered pickup truck, each no doubt reliving an astonishing memory.

In its first integrated press and digital advertising campaign, Louis Vuitton is launching a dedicated website − www.louisvuittonjourneys.com – on which these three astronauts talk about how the experience of space changed their lives.

The interviews were filmed using three

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separate movie cameras to create a strange, gravity-defying ambiance, as if the astronauts were indeed up in space at the time.

Jim Lovell says that although he retired from his space activities many years ago he still looks back on this time with many fond memories and a few scary recollections.

“The one thing, though, that has changed in me is that I never worry about crisis any longer. After Apollo 13, and I got over that and I’m back on good old Terra Firma, I look back and say – it’s like a naval aviator who makes a landing on a carrier: if he can walk away from it, that’s a good landing! That’s

The one thing, though, that has changed in me is that I never worry about crisis any longer. – Jim Lovell the way I feel. So crises still come to me, but I take them one step at a time.”

Sally Ride never thought she would find herself in space. “I really had to test myself to become an astronaut and get into space,” she says. “That was not my background. My background was in physics [Sally has a PhD in physics]. I’d never flown in a light airplane before I applied to be an

astronaut, though it’s something I always dreamed about, something that I wanted to do. It was almost the scientific curiosity as well as the desire to explore that got me into it. I had to do things that I had never thought about doing, just in the astronaut training and the preparation – fly in an airplane, put myself at risk, intellectually determine whether I wanted to put myself at risk, what I was and wasn’t willing to do.

That process really changed me and made me appreciate I think, my own capabilities and also my own limitations. I got to know myself much better in the process. I think that this was the biggest change to me, and then probably the biggest change in my outlook was just on the perspective that it gave me, just being able to float over to the window, look out and see Earth as a planet. It certainly had an impact on me.”

Buzz Aldrin had a different lead-up in life. Aldrin’s father was a very early aviation pioneer and he had his first ride with his dad at the controls when he was just two years old. “I was going to be an aviation guy! A pilot!” he says. “Then I got to be a pilot and got involved in combat and other things and somehow the opening just didn’t seem to be appropriate to get into the astronaut programme.” Until he was in, of course, “What a great opportunity

S PA C E

“Some journeys change mankind forever.” – Neil Armstrong. Sally Ride, first American woman in space; Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11, first steps on the moon in 1969; and Jim Lovell, Apollo 13, Commander.

opened up to be a part of such a neat gap filler programme as what the Gemini programme was, where we learned how to bridge the gap between Mercury and Apollo and did controlled re-entry, long duration flights, space walking and rendezvous those four enablers that let us get to Apollo. And then to have things open up for me to be on the first landing mission, I really did not, in a sense, want all the attention that would come being on the first landing but I didn’t have a choice.”

Aldrin recalls the feeling of walking on the moon for the first time, “My thoughts

were influenced by the fact that I had just underestimated my understanding. What I mean is, we got down to the bottom rung of the ladder then we jumped down a little over three feet and then we figured, ‘Gee, we’d better see how big a step that is!’ So Neil [Armstrong] had gone up and come back down and so I said, ‘That’s pretty easy!’

So I jumped and I missed.” Describing what he saw, Aldrin says, “At that time, I felt that there were some words exchanged and I think the word ‘beautiful’ was used and what I saw didn’t impress me as beautiful.

There were contrasting words that came to

my mind: magnificent desolation. The magnificence of mankind, humanity; the Wright brothers, reaching the point where we could put together an airplane and fly across the Atlantic and now with rockets going to the moon and landing there, and then we look out at where we are and there’s not a more desolate sight! It wasn’t beautiful, it was unearthly: the black sky, the horizon curving away, the brilliance of the sun, the Earth...”

You can visit www.louisvuitton.com and louisvuittonjourneys.com to see, hear or read more. 

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M a lt e s e

Falcon Strange, erotic, ambivalent; these are some of the defining elements of the film noir movies produced by Hollywood after the 1940s. When naming his boat The Maltese Falcon, after director John Huston’s three Academy Award-winning 1941 film noir classic starring Humphrey Bogart, owner Tom Perkins created an ambience of similar ambivalence.

Words: GARTH FLOSS Images: © PERINI NAVI SHIPYARD ITALIA

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om Perkins made his fortune in the IT industry and later as a venture capitalist. His fame should have come as the most outspoken board member opposing the merger between Hewlett Packard and Compaq, yet by marrying novelist Danielle Steele in 1998 he

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entered the limelight world of romance novels and lyrical lives. Steele even based her book Klone on their relationship. This turned Perkin’s life into something of a movie script, until they separated. Pity it was an amicable divorce. Imagine a messy court battle about custody of The Maltese Falcon, one of the world’s

most glamorous superyachts.

The Maltese Falcon carries forward the same ambivalence in its design plot. The very feature that makes this 88-metre yacht look so modern and discernable – its three 58-metre masts with six rigid square yards each – actually dates way back to a 1960s design concept called the “DynaRig.”

FEATURE

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The sails are set between the yards in such a way that when deployed there are no gaps to the sail plan, enabling each spar's sail plan to work as a single sail. The sails, when not deployed, furl into the mast. The sail is trimmed to the wind direction by rotating the mast. As there is no rigging, the yards have no restriction on rotation and this, taken together with the curved yards, low windage and effective singlepiece sail, combine to give the rig improved aerodynamic efficiency compared to a traditional square rigger.

The yacht was completed by the Italian Perini Navi Shipyard in 2006, and has since developed an acute following across the globe, with fan websites trying to track the latest spotting of the yacht as it crisscrosses from one great charter destination

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to another. The yacht has a permanent crew of 18 members, ready to care for up to 12 guests at a time when Perkins rents the yacht. (You could buy it directly from him at the latest listed price of €99,000,000.) Going price for a week charter at the moment is in the €350,000 ballpark, which comes with crew, the works. Yet, it is one of the amazing design features that one person could pilot this yacht on his or her own. The 15 sails, covering 2,400 square metres, unfurl along tracks into the yards in about six minutes, while the yacht's sophisticated computer detects parameters such as wind speed automatically and displays key data.

The interior of the yacht is completed in luxurious contemporary style, reflecting some of Perkins’ art preferences. But it is

really in the amenities department that the yacht offers a wealth of opportunities: wakeboarding, kayaks, diving and snorkelling, and what more from two ribs or a 14 foot tender.

Perini Navi has a proud history of designing and manufacturing large and comfortable sailing yachts since the early eighties. Their luminary client list includes people such as Silvio Berlusconi and Rupert Murdoch. Although a Perini Navi design would be easily spotted by any yachting enthusiast, The Maltese Falcon does, however, stand apart from any crowd. There simply has never been a yacht like this gracing the oceans and coastlines of the world’s best marine playgrounds. Learn more about The Maltese Falcon and its builders at www.perininavi.it. 

MURDER

Mystery Into Thin Air

S U S PEN S E

Lady Veronica Lucan ran through the pouring rain into a local pub with blood streaming down her head, screaming that the nanny had been murdered by her husband. In the meantime, the killer quietly escaped. Except for two short, bloodstained letters mailed shortly afterwards, Lord Lucan was never seen or heard of again, having seemingly just vanished into thin air.

Words: MICHAEL PITHEY Images: © GALLO IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES

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he dark rainy night of 7 November 1974 was supposed to be the night off for the pretty nanny, Sandra Rivett, who was not supposed to be in the house.

After spending time with the Lucan children watching television, she excused herself to go downstairs to fix hot drinks. When she had not returned after about 20 minutes Lady Lucan went after her to see what was causing the delay. The Lady returned shortly afterwards with a wound on her head and blood running down her face.

To the police afterwards, Lady Lucan relayed how she got to the half-landing in darkness when she heard a noise from the cloakroom behind her. As she turned, a gloved hand grabbed her around the throat and a series of hard blows were delivered to her head. The man wrestled her to the ground and tried to gouge out her eyes.

Fighting what she thought was an intruder, she looked up and saw her husband, Lord Lucan.

Lady Lucan claimed that her husband had admitted to bludgeoning the nanny to death with a heavy, nine-inch lead pipe wrapped in medical plaster, mistakenly thinking it was his wife, with whom he was having marital problems. Lady Lucan managed to get away by reasoning with him that she would assist him in fleeing before the police were to arrive. They went upstairs for him to tend her wounds and, when he left the room to fetch her some wet towels for her head, she escaped and ran to the local pub. Her mad dash signalled the start of one of the most intriguing murder cases in history.

Searches at the nearby flat the Lord kept revealed nothing, though his passport and suits were laid-out as if he were planning a trip. Aerial searches of the area by the police, using small, state-of-the-art

(for 1974) gyrocopters over the following few days were futile. Lord Lucan, called “Lucky Lucan” by many of his friends, had simply disappeared.

By 9 November, two bloodstained letters mailed from nearby Sussex arrived in the post-box of Lucan’s close friend, millionaire jockey Bill Shand Kidd. In these letters, Lord Lucan spun a story of him apprehending an intruder in his house, effectively saving his wife from said intruder, or so he claimed. “V [Veronica] accused me of having hired this man. She has demonstrated her hatred for me in the past and would like to see me accused. For George [son] and Frances [daughter] to go through life knowing that their father had been accused of attempted murder would be too much for them. When they are old enough, explain to them the dream of paranoia and look after them.” The second letter made arrangements for the sale of family silver through Christie’s, under the heading “financial matters.”

As the police started unravelling Lord Lucan’s life, they came to realise that the Earl, a title he succeeded to in 1964, was living a façade. Outwardly, he was a gentleman from a different era with fine homes and a live-in nanny, whiling away his time at the finest gentlemen’s and gambling clubs as a backgammon and card table wizard that earned him the nickname “Lucky.” He was a high roller who always arrived in his Mercedes smartly dressed in Savile Row suits. Believed to have held bank accounts in Rhodesia and the Bahamas, and silver rights and land in Ireland, Lucan was, however, not as financially sound as he wished to appear, having gambled away much of the family’s inheritance despite his seeming luck at the tables. In 1973, he fought an expensive custody battle with Lady Veronica and hired a very costly private eye to trace her

movements in the hopes of uncovering an illicit affair that could see him win his custody battle. In short, Lord Lucan was going broke and being torn apart by a pathological hatred for 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 embarked on a new life somewhere in the Commonwealth – away from justice and the stigma of murder. What Scotland Yard has found impossible to crack was Lucan’s tight circle of aristocratic friends, believed to have known that he did not kill himself, because they assisted his flight and bolstered the start of his new life as a fugitive – using their money and privilege in secrecy to keep the vulgarity of the law and justice far away from one of their own.

No one has ever been charged with aiding and abetting Lord Lucan, and to this day, his final secret remains safe, wherever he may be living his new life. 

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Penny Siopis (1953 - ) “Blush Rosea” Mixed Media on Cardboard Paper 102 x 150.5cm Signed: “Siopis” (Lower/Right) Dated: 2005

WOMEN

in Art From Form to Function

The portrayal of women in art is a vast and varied subject; tumescent and endlessly enticing. Such feminine depictions traverse a vivid spectrum of representations and are a continual source of inspiration for literature, music, art and life. The earliest known images of women are the painted and sculpted portrayals of the Virgin Mary. Yet, from this initial position, the expression of women has metamorphosed, undergoing numerous transitions to reveal a complex and intriguing subject.

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

T

here are numerous themes in art that have a special focus on women: Motherhood, the Spiritual worship of women, the Physicality of women (the Nude), and the Domesticity of women. South African artists are renowned for their creativity and aptitude in shaping an art form that has developed in a periodic vacuum and which redefined the trends and movements of Europe in an African context; inspired and developed within a local perspective. This portrayal of women has thus resulted in a broad collection of artworks as diverse as they are compelling, drawn from international and historical principles and interpreted individually.

The exploration of motherhood is best seen when deciphering the Madonna, who embodies all that is nurturing and represents a universally recognised iconic image that transcends class, custom and culture. The illustration of the Holy Mother was first seen from the early 5th Century.

By 500AD her imagery had developed into a consecrated figure, predominantly associated with holding the holy child. This classic, pious portrayal has not really

FEATURE

Maggie Laubser (1886 - 1973) “Portrait of Woman with Headscarf and Child on Back; Landscape in Background” Oil on Board; 60.3 x 50.2cm; Signed: “M Laubser” (Lower/Right); Dated: 1924

changed since, although this sacred subject has been explored in the birth of the modernist body, which began to radically redefine all previous perceptions of art from the mid to late 1800s.

A beautiful and compelling example of how this iconic image has been assimilated in a Modernist view in South African art is in Maggie Laubser’s “Portrait of a Woman with Headscarf and Child on Back,” dated 1924. One of Laubser’s most favoured subject matters was the representation of scenes and portraits of working class people. She found an affinity with the working class and sought to depict shepherds, harvesters and general workers predominantly involved with agricultural labour. She paid particular attention to the portrayal of women, who often wear her iconic “blue headscarf.” This blue headscarf echoes the renowned Byzantine Madonna, who is usually seen with her head draped in a blue veil and who inspires reverence and admiration; an aspect also achieved in works. Her portraits show the sitter not in

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mimetic likeness, but as an emotional and expressive representation of her social position, which embodies a more sensitive and receptive understanding of the sitter.

In this way, more is exposed about the individual than what a direct and photographic representation might reveal.

Laubser redefines the aspect of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child in a purely African context. In this portrait we can see the Matre Amabilis, or Madonna of Love, maternally at ease with her child, who is protectively tied to her back as is often seen in African traditions. Another striking aspect of this work is the placement of the Madonna in a pastoral setting, a prevalent feature seen in such art of the 16th Century and painted by some of the most notable artists including Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. This shows the spirituality of the ultimate Mother in relation to Nature, combining two idyll beauties and emphasising how such an inspiring subject matter as the Madonna continues to be one of the most intriguing

Gail Catlin (1948 - ) “Blue Nude” Liquid Crystal and Oil on Perspex; 155 x 73cm

and important subjects when depicting women in art.

At almost the opposite end of the scale, the Nude has been a subject of intense interest for as long as the Madonna and has been imbued with as much spirituality in its depiction and in its context. The Nude has similarly gone through many transformations, yet has always been disquieting, alluring and sensual. As an unclothed figure, in the early Middle Ages this portrayal was associated with shame and humiliation. Where the Greek Nude was seen as heroic and beautiful in form, the Christian Nude was viewed in a state of conscious sin. Over the years, however, the Nude has altered these previous conventions and in modern day is provocative and enthralling in its sense of beautiful or nefarious nature.

François Krige’s “Reclining Nude” draws on the renowned Odalisque that came to fame in the fantasies created by the European Orientalist obsession of the East in the 19th Century, which was fascinated

Francois Krige (1913 - 1994) “Reclining Nude” Oil on Board 44.4 x 55cm Signed: “Francoise Krigé” (Lower/Left)

Maggie Laubser (1886 - 1973); “Seated Female Nude Reading” Oil on Board; 48.5 x 43.2cm; Signed: “M Laubser” (Lower/Right); Dated: 1930

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with the exotic and erotic portrayal of the naked demure and subservient woman reclining on a bed or chaise lounge. Krige’s representation of the female Nude in this scenario shows her raising her arm behind her head while her right leg is lifted in a casual and unperturbed fashion. The style of this work is definitive of a redefined principle to this iconic imagery, as Krige uses the stylistic qualities of the early 20th Century painters such as Henri Matisse.

These artists were inspired at the time to recreate the beloved Odalisque in their own style. We see this in Krige’s work, where he redefines this significant theme in his own, distinctive manner.

A contemporary South African artist who has captured the beauty and femininity of a woman in an innovative, albeit classic manner, is Penny Siopis in her “Blush Rosea,” dated 2005. Siopis’ use of unexpected materials challenges the viewer to interpret more than just what meets the eye. Here, it is applied to express the complexity of feminine desire, vulnerability and exposure. The layers of alternative meanings open a forum for interpretation that expands across many issues including power, gender, role, and identity. “Blush Rosea” reflects the pose from the wellknown image “The Birth of Venus” (c1482– 1486) by Sandro Botticelli of the diffident presentation of the Greek Goddess. Siopis’ work subtly subverts the female body by introducing alternative cultural values that challenge the conventions of motherhood, stereotype and physicality in a discrete, beguiling way. The contrast of these postmodern values with the traditional view of women creates a dynamic work that portrays women in a new and stirring light.

The rich array of works that explore the imagery of women in South African art can only be measured by the expertise and ingenuity of the numerous masters who have been in this field historically and in modernity. In any context relating to these expressive, emotional and revealing themes, the portrayal of women is one of the most significant and everlasting subjects that could ever be explored. 

FEATURE

Italian Style:

New

Alfa Romeo MiTo

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With the MiTo, Alfa Romeo seeks to offer a new generation of customers the sportiest compact in the world.

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he MiTo is the first car to be built since the 8C Competizione – Alfa Romeo’s icon of style and technology. From the 8C the MiTo borrows certain characteristic traits: the particular shape of the side windows described by the flush windows; the threelobed motif that distinguishes the front bumper; and the shape of the headlights and LED taillights. The headlight and taillight surrounds represent a distinctive personalised feature, while the highly distinctive dashboard and seats ensure that the interior of the MiTo represents the ultimate expression of Italian style, welcoming yet sporty, with exceptional quality of material and scrupulous attention to detail.

Much thought went into defining the dimensions of the vehicle, which results in a compact and dynamic shape that agreeably fulfils the requirement for downsizing, a buzzword of present-day motoring design. This trend does not concern only the car's engines but also its weight and dimensions. Downsizing means improving energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and simplifying driving and parking around town. But this new approach to construction does not preclude sportiness, quite the opposite actually, and the Alfa Romeo MiTo is the best demonstration that these two requirements can be reconciled. The car’s compact size and the use of special steels mean that it was indeed possible to achieve outstanding torsional stiffness, an essential quality to ensure that the car’s response is always prompt and accurate. The MiTo measures 4.06 metres long, 1.44 metres high and 1.72 metres wide – without foregoing any driving comfort.

This sporty configuration is determined by two tried and tested suspension layouts: MacPherson at the front and semiindependent with torsion beam at the rear.

As a standard feature, for example, the MiTo is fitted with shock absorbers with coil-over springs that considerably reduce roll. Hence, a greater capacity to absorb road roughness, maximum linearity and precision in the steering response and excellent road-holding, maximum stability in high-speed manoeuvres, and the agility

Words: SCOTT SEED Images: © ALFA ROMEO

of a true Alfa Romeo over tight mixed routes. Not to mention the fact that the 4 generous disc brakes guarantee an excellent stopping distance – just 34 metres is needed to go from 100km/h to 0km/h.

The mechanical options that make the MiTo an uncompromising sports car are complemented by the latest new products in the field of electronics, beginning with the brand new Alfa DNA system, which this compact Alfa Romeo introduces for the first time in its sector. Until now the exclusive preserve of racing cars or supercars, the Alfa DNA system acts on the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and

Driving satisfaction means being able to count on lively and reliable power units, and those provided with the MiTo are state of the art. The 114 Kw (230 Nm), 1.4 T-Jet turbo petrol engine is utilised to the full thanks to the pairing with a 6-speed manual gearbox. This T-Jet power unit offers extraordinary performance, with a top speed of 215km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in just 8 seconds.

The MiTo was built to obtain a maximum Euro NCAP rating. Thus, the new model unveils the most sophisticated electronic devices for the control of vehicle safety and traction. Among these are VDC,

gearbox, allowing three different vehicle behaviour modes based on the driving style best suited to the situation or the customer’s wishes: sporting (Dynamic), town driving (Normal), and maximum safety even in adverse weather conditions (All weather).

As part of this innovative system, the MiTo adopts another state-of-the-art electronic device for maximum handling: the DST (Dynamic Steering Torque) system, which complements the electronic power steering as part of the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system. In detail, the DST makes it possible to apply a slight torque force to the steering to suggest the correct manoeuvre to the driver. This takes place in very specific circumstances, for example, to compensate for over steer, to make the effort at the steering wheel proportional to the steering angle, or to maintain a trajectory if the grip is different on either side.

traction control, assisted panic braking, MSR (to prevent the wheels locking during over-run), DST and Q2 electronic. The MiTo also offers total protection for driver and passengers, as evidenced by 7 airbags as standard (two of which are multistage), three-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limit limiters, and the Self Aligning Head Restraint (SAHR) system.

The new Alfa Romeo MiTo targets a younger set of individuals – those wishing to get maximum enjoyment out of life, and make a statement in so doing. With its incredible safety standards, the MiTo is designed to perfectly integrate into the lives of these individuals and is at the forefront of automotive technology in offering a vehicle that is as exciting to drive as what it is safe. All of this and still with respect for the environment in mind, as the MiTo boats exceptionally low fuel consumption and low CO2 emission levels to boot. 

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Never Never

La n d FrĂŠgate Island Private

As we sat for dinner on the private beach we had already claimed as our own that morning, the lit torches drawing a circle of light on the powder-white beach sand around us, I remarked to my partner, “Now, this is likely as good as it ever gets.” I dug my bare feet deeper into the soft sand, still warm from just another perfect sunny day in the Seychelles.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © FRÉGATE ISLAND PRIVATE

FEATURE

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e caught our first glimpse of Frégate through the front window of the motor yacht. Deliberately damp from getting ourselves into the spray of the water, the inviting blue breakers against the granite rocks of the island beckoned us to land and get into the island spirit. At the manicured marina, the whole management team came to meet and welcome us, their panama hats and foreign accents quite fitting.

The kids were off – immediately – because there were beautiful fish visible in the clear waters around the boat. Flat on their bellies, noses on the boardwalk, this was the start of their very own Peter Pan adventure on an island so unspoilt that every day would unfold another of nature’s wonders. More birds than what they have ever seen, massive shongololos (centipedes), tropical and flying fish, crabs, giant tortoises, and their favourite, the “snake lizard,” as they dubbed the lip-licking little

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glutton who happened to show herself every time we sat down for a nibble.

Frégate Island Private has been developed with three very different, yet complimentary themes in mind. Foremost, since the 1970s, it has been a bird retreat and conservation project for its passionate private owner. Secondly, the operations are intended to be virtually self-sufficient from

So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings. – Peter Pan

by JM Barrie its fresh produce and fishing activities, allowing for spectacular cuisine. And then, for guests, the hospitality experience is a continuous metamorphosis of new adventures and special moments. For our few days, there were plenty of treats lined

up: breakfast in a tree house 16 metres off the ground serenaded by birdsong, high tea with the general manager on the highest point of the island, a beach barbecue that included a heart of palm salad fresh from the forest that morning, joining the chef in picking and preparing our vegetables and fruits from Frégate’s own hydroponic gardens, and a spa treatment. Wisely these activities were mere suggestions, still allowing plenty of free time to explore the island’s beaches and forest on our own, or to just laze about enjoying the sunshine.

Privacy is the ultimate seduction of this small resort. Although there are 16 villas on the island, I never once saw the British couple we met on the inward boat trip. We definitely were not going to see them on the outward journey either, as the fashion model in their midst did not take kindly to the boat ride and insisted on a chopper flight back to Mahé. In the design of these villas, the Frégate team managed to establish a balanced coexistence between

FEATURE

humans and nature, without sacrificing the rich settlement history of this region in the choice of architecture. Creole colonial elements show in cool high wooden structures and offer refuge to the abundant birdlife as the ylang ylang thatch roof is one of the most sought-after nesting materials.

Each morning presented its own set of tough decisions about how to optimise the day. We could have happily whiled away the time at our villa with its large infinity pool and small jet spa, looking over the ocean at the birds fishing and cajoling. But, with seven pristine beaches just a few minutes away with our EPV (electric powered vehicle), we grabbed the snorkelling gear and set out.

Anse Macquereau is limited to one party a day. A “beach in use” sign, not quite unlike the “do not disturb” sign on any hotel room door, is all you need for your family’s own secluded day of sun worshipping. Anse Victorin has regularly been voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We actually ended up

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enjoying the largest beach, Anse Bambous, situated right in front of the main reception area, more than anything else, as the kids could wade in the splendid swimming pools and then run back onto the sand to try and catch the crabs digging up the beach. An impromptu pirate ship with beach towels and palm fronds as sail and rudder, and bamboo rods for fishing absorbed many an hour while we adults enjoyed our books.

Fresh pineapple juice kept us cool in the heat of the day. For dinner, we simply nominated the beach of choice to our personal assistant, who then set up another feast that evening.

The highlight of our trip, undoubtedly, was a breakfast in the tree house, despite our youngest being in one of those inexplicable foul moods toddlers sometimes develop. The Banyan tree is another of nature’s wonders, and not unlike the Mangrove at coastal plain level, sprouts multiple roots and offshoots that allow the tree to prosper as branches and roots simultaneously support each other’s

weight. With the greatest care, without a single nail hammered into the intricate structure of this organism, seven flights of wooden stairs took us up, and sometimes through the tree, to our breakfast spot. On the surrounding branches, a few feet away, a Fairy Tern mother was feeding her baby bird. Around us, the forest came alive as the first rays of sun clawed their way through the forest canopy.

Over dinner with Nicholas Loubser, Deputy Manager and a 17-year veteran of some of the best international destinations, we learned that some guests stay for as long as six weeks. I could not imagine picking up the tab on such a trip, given the temptation of probably the best selection of whiskeys outside of the British Islands, and a great selection of the world’s very best wines. Yet, what I could truly understand is how anyone with half the means would want to stretch their time at Frégate to the very end, giving their hearts wings in this state of natural freedom. Visit www.fregate.com. 

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y r i a FForest

Women F r é g a t e I s l a n d ’s R o c k S p a

As if you need any further relaxation on this serene island, the Rock Spa offers a natural Seychellois spa experience that embraces the ecology of its exceptional surroundings.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © FRÉGATE ISLAND PRIVATE

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he defining element of the inner Seychelles islands is the bold, smooth granite boulders. At Frégate, the resident spa is positioned between such boulders, high on a cliff top plateau that commands panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. The spa was designed to celebrate the island’s extraordinary surroundings and embraces the traditional elements of earth, air, water, and fire.

Delicate water features with frangipani flowers floating in decorative patterns

welcome guests, who slip off their shoes and bathe their feet. Incense and flowing music set the mood as the therapists join their guests over a cup of ginger tea to discuss the treatment wish list for the day.

From here, guests are escorted to the treatment rooms for what will certainly be the pampering of their lives.

Now, there are spas and then there are spas. What makes the Rock Spa at Frégate so exceptional is its holistic integration with the local environment. Eschewing the commercialisation of branded spa products

The Rock Spa uses only pure, natural products free from chemical or artificial compounds and prepared from over 160 ingredients grown on the islands.

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and merchandise, this is an all-natural experience. The Rock Spa uses only pure, natural products free from chemical or artificial compounds and prepared from over 160 ingredients grown on the islands.

Treatments and therapies incorporate countless medicinal plants (“raspay”) used by traditional Seychellois healers. Based on the seasonal availability of wonder compounds such as Malagasy periwinkle for the immune system or Yam weed for

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joint pain, the Madame Dibwa (akin to the French fairy forest women) mixes an everchanging daily menu of treatment options, in the belief that “fresh is best.” The therapists’ indigenous know-how of herbalism and aromatherapy helps them create new scrubs, pastes and oils depending on the plants, fruits and herbs that are in season. The objective?

Relaxation, revitalisation, detoxification and alleviation of specific ailments shorthand for “pamper” in other words.

During their stay on Frégate, guests can spend the day or visit the Rock Spa for a series of short daily treatments. Like everything else on this very private island, you get the full attention when it is your turn, with only one party of guests treated at a time. And, given the emphasis on freshness, Madame Dibwa reminded us that any ingredient used in the spa is perfectly edible. That is so fitting, because the whole experience at the Rock Spa is simply good enough to eat. 

info@neoafrica.com

s o l u t i o n s

e x o t i c a

S AV OUR

Lavender Soufflé with Vanilla, Passion Fruit and Garden Basil Ice Cream with Almond Brittle and Green Tea Marshmallow

Words: FRÉGATE ISLAND PRIVATE Image: © TANYA GOODMAN

Ingredients For the Soufflé Base • 90g flour • 90g butter • 500ml milk • 180g sugar • 1 egg yolk • 9 egg whites • 50g lavender • 1 vanilla pod For the Passion Fruit and Basil Ice Cream • 800ml milk • 200g sugar • 12 egg yolks • 200g passion fruit purée • 10g fresh basil • 500ml fresh cream For the Almond Brittle • 100g castor sugar • 200g glucose

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• 100g water • 60g butter • 100g almond flakes For the Green Tea Marshmallow • 450ml egg whites • 450g sugar • 9 leaves gelatine • 75ml strong green tea Method Make the Soufflé Base: Boil milk, 120g of sugar, lavender and vanilla pod together.

Add butter and sugar and allow to thicken.

Leave to cool before adding the egg yolk.

Whip 60g of sugar together with the egg whites. Add the vanilla mixture to this and mix lightly. Pour into a soufflé mould and place in a 200ºC oven for 8 minutes until well risen.

Make the Ice Cream: Boil milk, cream and basil together, ensuring temperature

does not exceed 70ºC. Add the sugar and egg yolks and mix. Allow mixture to cool before transferring to a container to freeze for 8 hours. Stir every hour with a fork to prevent ice crystals from forming.

Make the Almond Brittle: Bring the castor sugar, glucose, water and butter to the boil until golden brown. Add the almond flakes and transfer onto silicone paper, smoothing flat. Allow to cool.

Make the Marshmallow: Put the gelatine into cold water to dissolve (follow instructions on packaging). Melt it into the tea infusion. Whip the egg whites and sugar together and add the tea and gelatine infusion to it. Mix. Transfer to a dish lined with wax paper. Allow to cool.

To Serve: Plate the soufflé together with the ice cream, topped with almond brittle and finished off with a few squares of marshmallow. 

FEATURE S AV OUR

Authentic

Al Fresco

Frégate Island’s Garden Tour

O

ne balmy morning, I was invited to join Executive Chef Sandy Bohm for a tour of the Hydroponics House and a delectably simple lunch under the banana trees, where we dined on food mostly harvested during our tour. Since much of the vegetables, salads and herbs consumed on Frégate Island are home-grown, it was fascinating to learn precisely how the gardens are managed and how the chef integrates the various items and their ripening schedules into his daily and weekly planning.

The hydroponic technology on Frégate Island is translated into fresh, remarkably tasty fare that is presented with flair and a respect for the true nature of the item on hand. A dedicated team cultivates a wide range of organic produce in the island's plantations and the Hydroponics House.

The plantations include an abundance of naturally growing mangos, papayas, guavas, bilimbi (related to star fruit), coconuts, melons, and bananas. The herbs and variety of chilli peppers growing profusely in the fields are used to generously spice the dishes prepared at the Creole restaurant, Plantation House, as well as many of the specialties on offer in the myriad of dining experiences in which you can partake. Frégate Island’s gardeners are so expert at their task that they frequently offer their surplus produce to neighbouring islands.

Chef Bohm greeted me at the Hydroponics House with an empty basket begging to be filled and a bottle of iced water that would serve me well as I entered the lush humidity of the interior. Once inside, we strolled along the aisles of vegetation and chatted as I learned about the growing cycles and demands of the various fruits and vegetables. Hydroponic

Words: TANYA GOODMAN Image: © FRÉGATE ISLAND PRIVATE

farming allows for some manipulation of the harvest and part of the chef’s job, in line with much of the ecologically friendly philosophy at Frégate, is to plan ahead according to how many guests the island will host at any given time. During my visit, he was anticipating a special celebration that would accommodate many more guests than normal, so melons were delicately hanging in bags to time their ripening just right while the swollen cucumbers had just a few more days to go before they would be reaped.

After plucking a handful of juicy baby tomatoes, multiple leaves from a number of different lettuces, a spattering of herbs, and one of those cool cucumbers, we headed outside to explore the plantation.

Here, I was introduced to three types of basil, a slew of chilli peppers, squashes, eggplant, and more and told to mind my head in case a coconut dropped. (It was left unsaid that the bevy of birds above hoping to steal a morsel from the gardens might also drop a missile or too, though the heavily-laden banana trees provided adequate cover.) The sun was rising high and the cacophony of bird song began to soften, just as we entered a clearing to discover a shaded table set for two and the aroma of grilled lobster complemented by the crisp salad Chef Bohm had selected for me. Quenched by the cold, fresh juice of who knows how many just-picked fruit, I sat down to a delightful lunch, soothed by the sounds of the breeze through the trees and feeling completely at one with the natural world.

If you don’t have time to include a Garden Tour during your stay, you will have the opportunity to savour the chef’s menu on a nightly basis in the Frégate House restaurant, where a three-course meal is derived from the day’s harvest. I highly recommend you do both. 

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FEATURE

Gordon Clark The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing 42

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After 24 years spent living in Los Angeles, Gordon Clark has returned home to South Africa. His latest exhibition at Cape Town’s Odes Gallery, The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing, offers a new perspective on what is beautiful, and what is not; what is value and what is valued; who should be discarded and who should be idolised.

Words: LIZA DYASON Images: © GORDON CLARK

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he exhibition, The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing, echoes the journey the photographer undertook to create it; for it takes audiences on a journey in turn, which introduces them to five very different subjects from Cape Town

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and KwaZulu-Natal, who tell very different and unrelated stories, and yet share unifying factors.

Gordon Clark's photographic work has been exhibited at leading galleries and museums around the world. At Los Angeles’ Museum of Tolerance, Clark also launched

his book, Transitions, for which Oprah Winfrey wrote the foreword. Winfrey says, “The first time I set foot on African soil, I knew I had returned home... Gordon Clark's work crystallises this connection... Indeed what Clark accomplishes is to capture the essence of Africa's beautiful and amazing

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people set against a geography of challenge.”

Driven by a passion for the exploration of life, culture and society at its most untouched, Clark is a celebrated photographer and commercial director. His work is highly sought after by collectors of rare photography and his client list includes

the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jonathon Barnett and Rod Dyer. So well known is he that his work was showcased at the exhibition Great Photographers of the World, which was coordinated by The Directors Guild of America.

The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing

runs until the end of July at The Odes Gallery in the Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock, though there is talk of it being extended and possibly moved to a new venue. Keep an eye on the website for details – www.gordonclark.co.za – or contact +27 76 550 1422 for more info. 

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chocolate

M a s Ssw e ea g e t Surrender Back row of the movies; I so badly wanted to be Juliette Binoche as we watched Chocolat. The imaginable aroma of that petite Mexican chocolaterie hung heavily in the air between me and the boy by my side.

And I wondered whether he was kissing her or me when it finally happened.

Words: CHRISTINE VILLOIS Images: Š ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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hocolate, sweet, delicious chocolate. The delectable aroma of its creaminess and the bittersweet bite of rich cocoa conjure up all the butterflies and tummychurns of adolescent awakening and sensuality. The gift wrapping crackling one Valentine’s Day, followed by a furtive glance around the lecture hall to figure out which hunk left it in my backpack. The late night sharing of the last choccie in the box; an open mouth patiently waiting for the surprise interior enveloped in a thick layer of creamy chocolate. Oh yes, I learnt to love chocolate more and more with every year of growing up and growing smart. If beauty is wasted on the youth, chocolate sure is wasted on the old.

But, it wasn’t until I walked in for my first full-body chocolate massage that I truly appreciated all that this small little bean has to offer. If I may twist the words of Tom Robbins in Jitterbug Perfume a little bit, I would say that I was not aware, until it was too late, that I had walked right into a regular Cocoa Tsunami, a Nestlé Nagasaki, a Hurricane Hershey.

I lay down on the massage table while, in the back, the masseur was cooking up some storm. I smelled almond; I smelled butter. I drifted off as my nose took me

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back to a time when I was 14 years old, running around my grandmother’s farm, playing outside her aromatic kitchen with two Border Collies. And then I felt it. A ladle of hot chocolate drizzled into the hollow of my lower back. I revelled in the tingle as it spread across my spine. Every individual hair on my body was standing upright and my goose bumps must have been the size of a Harley headlamp. The hands of the masseur slowly started working the chocolate over the rest of my body and I moved to a new reality; one I would crave every single day for the rest of my life. My senses of smell, touch and taste would never be the same again.

Chocolate massage, for those not yet initiated, is really a misnomer. They do not use the edible type of chocolate. In essence, you are getting a cocoa butter treatment.

Spas generally have a pleasant aroma, and what you experience with a chocolate treatment is all the usual benefits of a proper regenerating and hydrating massage plus, and this is a big plus, all the pleasant and naughty associations that come with having one of our favourite treats spread across your skin. It is as if the masseur manages to squeeze out one taboo along with every stress nodule relieved. Is there anything quite as rejuvenating as lying with your eyes shut, reliving each and every one

of your youthful indiscretions, or at least, those where chocolate was on the menu?

South African spas have been slow on the uptake, yet you should be able to find chocolate treatments when browsing www.healthspas.co.za. For the absolute Nirvana of chocolate massages, though, make sure that on your next US trip you book a day or two at the undisputed experts in the field, the Spa at the Hotel Hershey, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Located in the town that boasts it was built on chocolate, and is often billed as the Sweetest Place on Earth, the Spa at the Hotel Hershey offers visitors the opportunity to indulge their greatest chocolate dreams. Careful attention has been given to the menu, which lists spa packages with tempting and branded names such as Hershey Kiss, Chocolate Immersion and Hershey Peppermint Patty.

Treatment names are equally tempting: Chocolate Bean Polish, Chocolate Fondue Wrap, Hershey Chocolate Rain Shower and Whipped Cocoa Bath are only some of the options. Other treatments at this Spa are just as exceptional, focusing on Hershey history and the roses about which Kitty Hershey, wife of Milton Hershey, the founder of the world-famous chocolate company, was so passionate.

But first, Lars, one more ladle please.

Oh yes, right there… 

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Toys for Yachts The superyacht concept is in a stage of constant change, with the introduction of not only larger vessels but new technologies and thus, new toys. The word “superyacht” no longer encompasses the largest yachts gracing our oceans, for we are now in the age of the megayacht. The sheer size of these allows designers to bring a new edge to the marine experience, with an embarked helicopter now de rigueur on many of the world’s most prominent yachts.

Words: JAMES FREAN Images: © HELI RIVIERA

T

he helicopter really does open a new dimension to the megayacht experience. Not only is there a fun factor but certainly a convenience factor, a security factor and, in some cases, a life saving factor too. Enhanced facilities further add to the helicopter capabilities, with a hangar to protect the aircraft from the aggressive salt-laden air, and aviation fuel held onboard to improve the helicopter’s range and allow flights while the yacht cruises in the farthest reaches of the globe. But putting a helicopter on a yacht is not always plain sailing. In accomplishing this feat, two separate worlds collide in a potential rocky marriage, as maritime meets aviation, each with its own convoluted laws, principles and practices.

When it comes to embarking a helicopter on your yacht, as with most things in life, there are the good, the bad and the ugly, and unfortunately the

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difference between the first two categories is not always readily apparent. It is not just rules and regulations that should be regarded when determining this differential, as a balance need also be struck between function and form.

A decent sized deck, free from obstructions and capable of supporting the helicopter even when it lands a little harder than normal, is a good starting point. If helicopters, and pilots for that matter, were 100 percent reliable, the story would end there. However, it would be remiss not to prepare for some “what ifs.” One of the greatest challenges in aviation is that a chain of seemingly minor events can lead

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to a catastrophic accident – and this can happen in an instant, which is why attention must be paid to the subjects of fire fighting appliances and training for the helideck team.

A superyacht or megayacht’s helideck is designed to be used in a variety of ways, from an occasional “touch and go” landing area to a fully-functioning deck carrying an embarked helicopter, and being able to accommodate a helicopter landing at night.

There is, however, one thing that they all have in common: the helicopter has to land and take off, the two most hazardous stages of flight. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a “touch and go” helipad is a

licence to reduce your safety set up, as this is not the case.

Structures and hardware are an important aspect of a yacht’s helicopter setup. Another equally important aspect is the human element. Manpower, procedures, training and currency are all included in this category. In nearly every industry these factors have been proven to swing the balance from disaster to success.

When building a yacht, change in design and function become challenging and expensive once construction is underway. The best defence against modification is thus to start with a good design, which requires a thorough understanding of exactly what it is you wish to achieve. Consultants exist for just about everything, and this includes integrating a helicopter to a superyacht or megayacht. A good consultant will save you time and money, reduce risk and improve functionality – or ideally, all of the above.

For some, a yacht with a helicopter may be considered gilding the lily, but for those who can afford it, this addition is a logical one. With the right choices made, the helicopter becomes an integral part of the way your yacht works, to the point that you will feel lost without it.  For more information you can contact James Frean, james@heliriviera.com, visit www.heliriviera.com, or visit this online blog: airwaveweb.me.com/jamesfrean.

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.

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MagnificentMoët Let it Seduce You Loved by many, champagne has made the shift from a holiday and wedding staple to an everyday indulgence. As one of the most revered champagne varietals, rosé has captivated the hearts of bubbly lovers in recent years, quietly positioning itself as a sophisticated, romantic and luxurious drink. Previously only enjoyed as summer tipple, rosé has fast become a varietal of choice, and South Africans, too, are thinking and drinking pink.

Words: TONI ACKERMANN Images: © MOËT & CHANDON

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“Champagne is the only wine that makes every woman beautiful and every man witty.” – Madame de Pompadour, while drinking a glass of Moët & Chandon

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or South Africans, rosé represents a dedication to pleasure, romance and sophistication; its taste magical, its charms irresistible.

Indeed, the local love affair with rosé champagnes has seen Moët & Chandon shine as South Africa's most loved grand marque champagne. But why the new thirst for rosé champagnes? According to Marc Brévot, winemaker at leading Champagne house, Moët & Chandon, the interest in rosé champagne has mirrored rising consumer awareness that these champagnes have their own character. “I think the incredible interest in drinking rosé has to do with the jubilant celebration,” he says. “The combination of bubbles and delicate pastel shades of berry and salmon pink are also incredibly appealing.”

Seduction, like champagne making, is an art calling for a subtle combination of seriousness and whimsy, flexibility and assertiveness. Not surprisingly, the language of Moët’s Rosé Impérial is much like the language of seduction, even the colours are those of romance. The dominant hue is pink, the very essence of warmth, while glimmers of red signify excitement and purple highlights connote depth. “Rosé has a certain way of attracting and seducing people,” says Brévot, “And gives immediate pleasure in its spontaneity.

When you drink this wine you fall into the rosé universe completely. There is a definite sense of romance and glamour accompanying it.”

Ladies took hold of this wine first, and made it theirs. Perhaps they found in this wine a way of entering a realm traditionally dominated by men. “To women, rosé is new, elegant, accessible,” says Brévot. “Women are more sensitive to creativity and innovation, and are generally much more spontaneous. This wine has a wide range of expressions, and you can adapt yourself, adapt the wine to all situations. It is designed like this – to enjoy whenever you like, at any time, as long as you feel like it. After all, aren’t all wines ones of pleasure?”

Although the world is in crisis, champagne has retained its strong position in the market. “Usually in times of crisis luxury goods are the first things people cut,” says Brévot. “But with champagne there is such a celebration around it, that this is not the case. Champagne helps lift morale, and makes us believe times are not as hard as we imagine.”

Rosé Impérial is the most extroverted expression of the Moët & Chandon style.

With the rich, harmonious diversity of three grape varietals, this wine is distinguished by its radiant colour and flamboyant flavour. Rosé Impérial’s blend is based on the intensity of Pinot Noir, the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier and the finesse of Chardonnay. Carefully selected reserve wines complete the blend and add subtlety and consistency; intensity tempered by finesse and roundness. Says Brévot, “Rosé must not overwhelm, it should be smooth, gentle and creamy – just like the white is on the palate.”

Since its inception some two-and-ahalf centuries ago, Moët & Chandon has perpetuated the vision of its founder, JeanRemy Moët, who established the world’s first international luxury brand and who believed in the genius of champagne and its power to seduce. Because of Jean-Remy Moët’s success, the 18th Century learned that champagne was the only true elixir of love. Then, as now, Moët & Chandon was, and still is, an essential ingredient in the art of seduction. Today, Moët & Chandon’s winemaking philosophy still reflects a faith in simplicity and nature and the utmost respect for the grape.

Many years spent refining this approach means their champagnes are full-bodied, harmonious in structure, well-balanced and elegant.

Rosé has certainly established itself quite firmly in the world of fine champagne; created its own niche, its own accompanying lifestyle. “It is a wine with an identity, and more and more people are trying to appreciate it,” Brévot says. “Yes, it may have started as an addiction, but now we’re having a love affair.” 

Living Technology

Smart Future, Smart Home

Perish your butler of old, with his feigned discretion – I am smart, digital, and at your fingertips.

Words: KEITH COETZEE Images: © CLIPSAL BY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

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all me Smart Home. I switch on the lights and open the garage door when you and your date drive up. I dim the lights and start that Ella song that always does the trick.

From the kitchen, where I started the cappuccino machine, drifts the smell of freshly ground coffee beans. All you need to do is hang up your coats.

Technology has followed us home. It is no longer an abstract tool that stays at the office, safely bolted to the desk. With the innovation in wireless networking

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capabilities, and in video, audio and automation technologies, it has become possible, and highly desirable, to start living technology. This by no means suggests replacing the warmth and ambience of your current home, the result of many hours of careful design and planning, with anything cold or clinical. Rather, the Smart Home of today merely integrates all the technologies already in use around the house into a simple system that will radically enhance your family’s lifestyle.

At the heart of the Smart Home is a network that not only connects all your

devices and your family, but also enables you to replicate the enjoyment of your modern appliances to many different living spaces. The kids might be researching their homework assignments in their rooms while dad is reading his favourite sports writer on-screen in the study as mom multitasks, finalising Internet payments from the kitchen while searching for a soufflé recipe online. With dinner guests arriving soon, dad chooses his favourite iPod playlist to set the mood, starts the air conditioning and sets the tone of the lights, all without leaving the study.

Oh yes, and remembers to light the pathway that leads to the house from the guest parking area.

After dinner, the teenagers retreat to their den with friends, where they plug their own music into the audio system and fire up their gaming consoles. The adults curl up in the lounge to watch, for the umpteenth time, that movie from varsity days that now looks so much better on the high-definition wide screen. If the teenagers were tempted to sneak in that hideous horror movie while on their own, the adults can control what they watch from the lounge without making a fuss about it. And for good measure, dad sent that silly photo of his best friend when he totally wiped out in the surf at Kommetjie in 1974 to the massive digital photo frame at the front door, right where no one can miss it when they have to say goodbye after dinner and movies. The digital photo frame was the only high-tech design consolation dad could wrest from the Provençal-obsessed designer whose stamp remains all over the show, despite the modern technology underpinning the house. Whenever designer Garth pops round, dad humours him with an impressionist image in this frame.

This type of household is by no means a futuristic scenario. Nowhere in the family evening described above is a single item that might not already be in your home. To turn your house into a Smart Home is just about using the next level of technology to integrate the management and control of your digital and electrical appliances in a far more enjoyable and efficient manner.

This is where specialists such as Clipsal, and their proprietary C-Bus range of premium networking and integration products are ready to assist once you take the decision to step into the comfortable future. And it doesn’t matter how old your house is or whether you are building from scratch.

Yes, it would be ideal to install the whole infrastructure on day one when you start to build, but that is by no means a necessity.

Clipsal’s Audio Solutions allow you to wire your complete house for sound. This

affordable system allows you to have background music anywhere in the house without having to invest in extra amplifiers and multiple inputs. With a simple wall control set up in each room you can control what you hear and at what volume. The C-Bus Multi-Room Audio System can even route your music through your light switches – easy as that. If you have already made the switch to MP3 technology, run all your sound off your computer or iPod, allowing local source options for other family members who might not share your taste in music. They simply plug their own iPod into the local source jack in the room where they want to head bang.

Audiovisuals are the nice to haves, yet the true benefits of a Smart Home really come to the fore in the areas of security and energy efficiency. With the push of a “welcome home” button on your remote, the alarm, lights, security gates and cameras respond to your particular requirements. And yes, the air conditioner too if you’ve had a tough day at the beach.

The “good night" button saves you that usual late round through the house checking and switching off, and as you snuggle in, the “watch DVD” button starts the system and dims your bedroom lights.

The C-Bus automation system drives all of these options; using either remote controls or beautifully-designed, touch-sensitive LCD screens in each room where you may gently tap in your desires. And when you remember just before you fall asleep that you have not watered the garden, outdoor watering and lighting are just some of the options you may add.

There is a C-Bus Smart Home system suitable for any home or budget. You can add a hard-wired C-Bus to a C-Bus Wireless system and vice versa. Whatever you fancy, it is possible. One wonders why the originators of this fantastic lifestyle enhancing technology did not call their system “Jeeves?” Goodnight Smart Home, and thank you for a lovely day.  Contact Clipsal: • Tel: +27 11 254 6400 • Visit: www.clipsal.co.za • Email: buildings@schneider.co.za

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How about a little

LINGERIE? Words: DIONELLA CIMATO Images: Š CARO CUORE

Caro Cuore is a leading lingerie company based out of Argentina and carries sexy and comfortable lingerie, workout clothes, sleepwear, slippers and pantyhose. With this as a firm base Caro Cuore has propelled itself internationally, and is making its mark in an industry filled with prestigious and glamorous names.

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tarted in 1960, Caro Cuore is one of the oldest lingerie companies in Argentina, with all of its items manufactured out of Buenos Ares. During the 1980s and 1990s, Caro Cuore started expanding outside of their homeland, with stores throughout South America, Latin America and up to Mexico.

By early 2000, the company expanded once more, this time beyond the hemisphere towards Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Caro Cuore is not a flashy brand, but

rather a practical label of everyday lingerie and underwear. They currently produce four major brands including the eponymous label, a brand for men (Carouomo), a brand for kids (Minicuore), and a line for young adults (Miocuore). Over time these have diversified to include underwear, sleepwear, fitness, and leg wear.

South African importer, Dionella Cimato says, “Caro Cuore was first introduced to me when an Argentinean friend returned from a visit home and presented me with the most beautiful red TANGO tin box. In it was the most gorgeous underwear I had seen and after wearing it I was hooked! I had to have more... And thus was born my interest in Buenos Aires’ Caro Cuore lingerie brand.”

A year later, Cimato found herself on a plane, having left her husband and two gorgeous children – one aged four and the other aged three months – headed for Caro Cuore’s manufacturing plant in Argentina.

Another year later and Cimato had secured

the distribution rights for South Africa and gleefully received her first shipment.

The range available in South Africa comprises ladies underwear from basic, everyday bras and panties to sexy, French lace pieces. Cimato’s favourite range – the TANGO range, is also the most popular.

Every item that is purchased is packaged in a gift box to match the underwear, meaning there is no need for further gift wrapping once it leaves the store. The swimwear, too, is sold with a complimentary pair of slip slops to match the cozzie. Be it lingerie, fitness wear, sleepwear, or swimwear, or men’s and children’s underwear, Caro Cuore has it all.  Caro Cuore South Africa: • Tel: +27 83 458 1100 • Email: dionella@carocuoresa.co.za • Visit: www.carocuoresa.co.za • Find them: shop LL5 Bedford Centre, corner Smith and van der Linde Roads, Bedfordview

FEATURE

Paradise

Transformed Eden Island Boom

There has been a metamorphosis at Eden Island, the reclaimed coral reef under development just off Mahé in Seychelles.

With 215 of the 470 homes already having been transferred to owners and the remainder steaming ahead to completion, the developers’ original vision is unfolding before the eye in a most spectacular fashion.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: © EDEN ISLAND

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he Seychelles Tourism Board loves promoting their exotic destination as 115 islands. That was until a team of gutsy South African entrepreneurs stepped forward in 2005 to turn a dead stretch of coral reef virtually across from the capital city, Victoria, on the largest island, Mahé, into an all-year playground and residential estate for the world’s affluent and playful. Eden Island has indeed taken on the status of a 116th island, but even more so, is starting to feel like a very personable community.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Seychelles Regatta, co-sponsored by Eden Island, departing from the sparkling marina at Eden. My jaw simply had to drop when I noticed the transformation of the place since our previous visit in August 2008. What was open, lime-coloured construction sites and mud puddles less than a year ago had now become rows of completed apartments, maisons and villas, tastefully landscaped and with the myriad of plants nurtured in Eden’s own nursery firmly taking root.

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Many families have already made Eden their permanent residence, taking full advantage of their new residency status that came with buying at Eden. The one South African couple we encountered has enrolled their children in the local international school and drive around the estate in their EPV (you know it as a golf cart, yet on Eden it’s an Electrical Powered Vehicle) as if they have been there forever.

The rest of the owners jet in from South Africa, the Middle East, Russia and often Europe as time allows. Given the short four-and-a-half-hour flight from Johannesburg that touches down literally a five-minute drive from Eden, and Air Seychelles’ competitive rates, recently advertised at R2,700 return (excluding airport taxes of around R1,800), Eden owners in South Africa are a mere blink away from this wonderful world on our doorstep.

With the phenomenal pace of development that the Eden team has managed this past six months, several amenities that complement the residential side have also been introduced. The Club House opened in May, with membership open to all Eden residents. It hosts a gym, lounge and poolside area. What I loved best are the huge, round rottang chairs with their own shade canopies out on the lawn, simply crying out to be lounged in with a good book while the kids splash away nearby. This area, along with the marina Boardwalk, is set to become the gathering place and soul of the Eden community. A fresh little deli has opened its doors in this same complex, and stocks both the small necessities and life’s best indulgences. No need to cross the bridge over to the mainland except for that one major shopping trip each month. You can pick up the local paper, or arrange for your copy of most of the world’s best-selling papers to be delivered here for you. The Club House pool is open and ready for the mid-year holiday South African residents’ invasion.

And bear in mind, there is never a bad weather season in Seychelles.

On the outskirts of the Island, yet carefully placed to allow walking access for each resident, the different Eden beaches are being prepared for use, allowing residents and their guests to immerse themselves in the wonderful, warm azure waters that surround all these islands.

Alongside the marina, tropical fish make

their home in the support structures, and our kids were kept busy for hours just watching them, with even a few stingrays making their appearance. One can very well imagine a group of teenagers rushing through their family holiday breakfast so that they can dash to the beaches, snorkel in hand. The waters around the marina and Eden are remarkably calm, perhaps courtesy of nearby St Anne Island, which may block some of the Indian Ocean’s gentle push.

While we visited, there were several people out on kayaks enjoying the sun and surf.

Eden would not be Eden without its yachting life, and the number of yachts in the marina and on private mooring outside residents’ homes has grown visibly. It is easy to see why this is set to become an increasingly popular yachting destination for sailors and luxury cruisers alike. As with our previous visit, the marina hosted a superyacht or two, testifying to the popularity among the well-heeled. And discretion is guaranteed, along with all the services and maintenance required.

What was open, limecoloured construction sites and mud puddles less than a year ago had now become rows of completed apartments, maisons and villas, tastefully landscaped and with the myriad of plants nurtured in Eden’s own nursery firmly taking root.

Every residence at Eden comes with its own mooring.

Another welcome sight at the marina is the addition of a large number of Sunsail and Moorings catamarans available for charter holidays. Sunseeker Yachts has also opened offices at the Eden Marina. From here, proximity to some of the most beautiful outlying granite islands of Seychelles, such as Praslin, La Dique, Silhouette, Cerf or St Anne is possible as day trips. Deep-sea fishing charter operators depart from Eden, several of them using sturdily built South African boats such as Africat’s large power catamarans.

The true desirability of the Eden

lifestyle became apparent to me when asking about how the global economic crisis has affected sales and specifically sales prices at Eden. New residents are stepping to the fore every month, but most telling is that the pricing structure has remained steady. For residents, present or future, this can only mean one thing: that an investment in Eden is not only in additional residency status and a magnificent lifestyle, but also a sound financial move.  Contact: • Richard Epstein (South Africa): +27 82 882 8996 • Christopher Nel (Seychelles): +248 346 000 • Email: info@edenisland.sc • Visit: www.edenisland.sc

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Sun&Sea Seychelles Regatta Debuts Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © CAZADE/JAFFREDOU FOR SEYCHELLES REGATTA 2009

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During the third week of May, we attended the launch of the first annual Seychelles Regatta, hosted by Eden Island and the Seychelles Tourism Board. A festive air, gorgeous sunshine, and windy conditions greeted the eight yachts at the Eden Island Marina as they set sail for the turquoise waters of the Archipelago under the expert guidance of professional skippers, including four Vendée Globe solo round-the-world competitors.

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ailing in the most exclusive sites of the Seychelles islands from 15 to 24 May, the Seychelles Regatta is a new, semi-professional competition on 36 to 57-foot catamarans.

It is designed for companies to invite crews of between six and eight people for team building, networking and general camaraderie. The Indian Ocean is one of the world's best fishing spots, so in addition to the sailing competition, a deep-sea fishing event is also on the agenda.

In this debut of the Regatta, crews from prestigious companies based in Belgium, France, the UK, and South Africa participated. Though the spirit of competition was high, the Regatta was not all sweat and spray. Time out for snorkelling off Denis Island, cycling around La Digue and many evenings of drinking and dancing under starry skies punctuated the tough days at sea. In addition to the professional skipper onboard each catamaran, teams were also assigned a local chef, offering the competitors a taste of the inimitable Seychellois hospitality, Creole cuisine and stories about the region.

In fact, participants had the chance to savour the magic of a number of the islands that populate the Seychelles Archipelago.

Starting at Eden Island – the biggest property management project in the Seychelles, where almost 500 homes are being built on a reclaimed island located 20 minutes from Victoria’s international

airport – the first four legs took the yachts around Mahé, exploring its granite cliffs and quiet coves and the renowned Beau Vallon area. From there, they headed onto Silhouette Island, where they anchored at Anse la Passe for the night. Leg 5 was the "fishing under sail" segment en route to Denis Island. The following day centred on the official deep-sea fishing contest, which was rounded off by a quiet evening near Aride Island and anchoring at Baie Sainte Anne off Praslin, Seychelles’ second largest island. A full day’s rest here enabled crews to find their land legs again as they toured the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the coco de mer coconut. Squeezing in a visit to yet another jewel of a Seychelles beach, participants had lunch at Anse Lazio before setting off once more for Leg 6 to Curieuse.

This segment of the Regatta was the most exciting, as the wind had picked up.

The race committee made the most out of the conditions and organised two races.

The first, between Anse Lazio and Cousin Island, was fast and was won by Michel Desjoyeaux onboard his cruising catamaran (renamed Nicolas Feuillatte for the event), which was especially comfortable in Seychelloise waters. The boats moored off Cousin for lunch. A paradise for birds, Cousin is only open to the public in the morning and limited to those on a guided tour. For the second race of the day, the catamarans took off alongside the flying

fish and turtles. With 12 knots of wind, the heavier boats that had struggled in the early days of the Regatta finally exploited some of their potential. On this particular day, the race was a close one, but saw Sam Davies and her CPR crew victorious.

Leg 7 had the yachts racing around the Sisters Islands in the morning followed by an afternoon race to La Digue. A free evening and morning here the next day allowed participants to totally immerse themselves in the vibrant Seychellois culture and to cycle around the island.

Perhaps most memorable was a trip to what many have described as two of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Grande Anse and Anse Source d'Argent.

As the Regatta drew to an end, crews returned to Eden Island for a reception and the awards ceremony. Nicolas Feuillatte, skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux, took the winning trophy, with Sam Davis and her CPR Team in second and Keneos Aubriet, with a Seychellois skipper, in third. The award for “Fair Play” was given to the crew of Lady Anya from Eden Island, skippered by Dee Caffari. First prize for the deep-sea fishing competition was awarded to the crew of Armel Le Cleach on Rome Team. While the awards were certainly a great incentive for participants in this inaugural regatta, the best reward was no doubt the opportunity to experience some of the wonder of Seychelles.

Those who were here for the first time are surely smitten. 

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PERSHING 46

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Italy’s t s e B y

Ver

Pershing in SA Waters

The most exciting luxury yachting news in the local industry is the recent entry of Pershing yachts into the South African market. Pershing has multiple awards to their credit and an obsessive, almost cult-like following of devotees internationally, soon to be joined by local enthusiasts once they have seen their first Pershing.

Words: CHARL DU PLESSIS Images: Š PERSHING

FEATURE

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ometimes it takes a little obvious yet out-of-the-box thinking to stun the market.

Now, as caustic US comedian Bill Maher liked to remind then-President Bush, “Not everyone should think out of the box. The box is exactly there for people like you.”

But when it comes to yacht design, Italian shipyard Pershing has our blessing to keep changing the rules of the game. The best example of their innovative thinking was in the design of their magnificent silver Pershing 115. Until then, yachts were simply always white, sometimes with a band of blue or maroon painted all round.

But when they hit the first boat shows with this silver star, everyone sat up and took notice. The idea was lifted from the automotive industry, which sells more silver cars than anything else. Clever, no?

The same design genius is evident in the first Pershing to reach South African shores. On a lovely late-autumn day, we had the privilege of stepping onboard a brand new Pershing 46 just arrived in Cape Town. Shoes off, we were offered a glass of champagne to toast the maiden voyage.

One of our black-off-the-shoulder dressed companions accidentally broke her glass and with baited breath we watched the

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drops, as if in slow motion, fall towards the polished teak deck. However, the skipper pretended nothing happened, probably knowing fair well that underneath all the glossy veneer of the yacht was a real work horse of the waters and ready to face much more than a few designer drops of bubbly.

As we cruised out of Table Bay, I had the chance to go below deck to investigate the living quarters. Layout is optimised in a very clever and ultimately stylish manner.

From the fully-equipped dinette, we stepped through to a three-cabin layout, with completely separate access to the VIP cabin via a second stairway in the stern. Six guests could easily use this yacht for an extended cruise, although I suspect this boat is really made for power and glamorous day trips around the Cape coast.

An elongated foredeck where even the leggiest of sun worshippers could get comfortable, and a very spacious cockpit area and transom allow for flow and excellent entertainment. Yet, it was only once the skipper opened up the throttle in Table Bay that the awe set in. We raced through the swells at 35 knots, and when the skipper held her at exactly the same speed even as we were turning back into our own wake plus the swells, I nervously had to ask where the life jackets were. No

fear, however, as the stability of the boat under these conditions was absolutely remarkable. As the skipper, an ex-power boat racer admitted, “I deliberately kept her at this speed in the turn to show you how well she handles and how comfortable she rides.”

At a landed price of approximately R12,000,000, this yacht is the ideal gift-tomyself for our local power-brokers and dealmakers. That appears to be the way how John Makelberge, the Belgian-born South African property developer with some Spanish history, came to represent Pershing. He has had his own Pershing moored in the Med for many years, but wanted access to the same yachting joy now living in South Africa. As explained to me over another glass of champagne, John and his colleagues at Aegir Performance Yachts will offer shares in this yacht, making it generally more affordable to the mere mortals among us. John also has a fractional shareholding option available for Pershing yachts moored off the Spanish coast. Given the international popularity of Pershing, I bet that in a few years time it might become one of the dominant yachts in our local and regional waters.  Contact John Makelberge: +27 21 557 5351 or +27 72 683 2660.

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Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat She was chic and sophisticated; the envy of all women, and she made male admirers hot under the collar. She was the inspiration for countless fashion fads, stole the show every time she starred in a motion picture and, in 2007, inspired the lyrics of a pop song. She won the affections of a prince in the south of France, whom she married in a fairytale wedding. She was the revered silver screen goddess, Grace Kelly, and the world’s

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ore than a quarter of a century after her death, Grace Kelly continues to exert a powerful force. Born 12 November 1929, Grace, together with her three siblings – two sisters and a brother – grew up in a respectable suburb of Philadelphia. Grace’s father, Jack, through his brick business, was a self-made millionaire and something of a local hero for his triple Olympic-goldmedal-winning sculling skills. Her mother, Margaret, later became the first woman to head the Physical Education Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Performing was in Grace’s blood; she had two wellknown uncles in the arts: one, Walter Kelly, was a vaudevillian; the other was Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, George Kelly.

It was always Grace’s dream to make movies. So much so that she left for New York soon after graduating high school.

Here, she passed the time doing odd modelling jobs, posing for magazine covers and making several Broadway and TV appearances. She also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. After two years in the Big Apple, Grace moved to California, where she soon landed a small role in Fourteen Hours, though it wasn’t

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darling, Princess Grace of Monaco. until her second film, High Noon that she really started attracting attention.

Grace’s third movie, Mogambo, where she starred alongside Clark Gable, required her to sign a studio contract with MGM. Reports circulated that, during filming, Grace had an affair with her handsome costar. Remarking on this, Grace coyly said, “What else is there to do if you're alone in a tent in Africa with Clark Gable?” Her performance in Mogambo won her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for “Best Supporting Actress.” In the 1954 film, The Country Girl, Grace’s portrayal of a decidedly unglamorous character also won her much recognition, as well as an Oscar.

By now Grace had caught the eye of the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The ultimate “Hitchcock blonde,” she appeared in three of his films: Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.

In May 1955, while in the south of France for the Cannes Film Festival, Grace met Prince Rainier on a visit to the palace of Monaco. A courtship ensued and, following Prince Rainier’s visit to the Kelly family over Christmas later that year, an engagement. When Grace announced that she was leaving Hollywood to marry a prince, MGM demanded they be present to film what everybody believed would be the

wedding of the century. Only then would they free her from the film contract she was breaking in swapping Tinsel Town for the French Riviera.

Though she was frequently offered film roles, Grace never acted again. Her last movie was High Society, a musical remake of The Philadelphia Story. She was voted 13th on the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of the Greatest Actresses of the Classic Era. Two of her films, High Noon and Rear Window, are considered by AFI voters to be among the 50 best films ever made. About stardom Grace was reputed to have remarked, “Hollywood amuses me; holier-than-thou for the public and unholier-than-the-devil in reality.”

On 4 April 1956, Grace, together with more than 50 friends and family members, boarded the USS Constitution for Monaco.

Some eight days later, Prince Rainier's yacht left the harbour to meet Grace and bring her back to shore, giving the people of Monaco the first glimpse of their new princess. Grace’s marriage to Prince Rainier, a splendid coming together of genteel European aristocracy and dazzling Hollywood glamour, had a sure hand in turning the small seaside enclave tightly wedged between France and Italy into a magnet for investment and tourism.

S PIRIT

Spending just a few days at Bushmans Kloof, located 270 kilometres from Cape Town in the Cederberg Wilderness area, felt simultaneously like a magical eternity and just a moment suspended in time. The deep sense of tranquillity and the feeling of rejuvenation, however, lingered longer, carving itself a spiritual space in my memory and beckoning me to return.

A

t Bushmans Kloof there is a tangible sense of being transported in time, both backwards – into the footsteps of the humans who first traversed this majestic landscape and left traces of their stories in the rock art still visible throughout the property – and sideways – out of the rush of everyday life and into the quietness of solitude and the soothing embrace of nature.

Words: TANYA GOODMAN Images: © BUSHMANS KLOOF

The rock art paintings were the major draw for me, and they did not disappoint.

There are over 130 documented sites on the Reserve’s land (currently spanning 7,500 malaria-free hectares) with 14 main sites, some dating back more than 10,000 years, and each of which can be visited with a trained guide. I found it remarkable that we were able to get up close to these ancient works and sit in wonder under a rocky overhang for as long as we chose while our

guide explained the likely mythology and meaning of the various symbols.

While there is still much we do not know about the tales that these fragments of art represent, archaeologists have pieced together some of the complex belief structure of the original San people and continue to seek to understand this culture, which lived in harmony with the ecological system.

Now known as being home to the

w w w. p r e s t i g e m a g . c o . z a

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“world’s largest open air art gallery,” Bushmans Kloof’s dedication to preservation has been awarded South African Natural Heritage status. To further research the culture of the San people, Siyakha Mguni has been appointed Resident Archaeologist and Curator. His primary function is to document all the rock art sites on the Reserve to create a database linked to a Geographic Information System platform.

An onsite Heritage Centre provides guests with further information about the San people through artefacts and images, which include the famous Rudner Collection. If these national treasures pique your interest, plan your visit to Bushmans Kloof to coincide with one of their special programmes called “The Art of Archaeology” to learn more about this mystical history.

But it is not only the rock art conservation programme that has won Bushmans Kloof environmental accolades, such as the Relais & Châteaux Environment Trophy 2007 and National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s Top 50 Eco Lodges 2008, but also its provision of a sanctuary for many indigenous plants, birds and animals. The fauna is diverse, featuring over 35 species of mammals, such as Eland, Bontebok and the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra. Sharing the mammals’ home are over 150 bird species and 755 plant species, including the famed Rooibos plant. All thrive on the property, and the absence of any large predators means that guests are completely safe to interact closely with nature when walking or mountain biking or on traditional game drives. Bushmans Kloof is located in a distinctive part of the Cape where three

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different botanical communities merge – the Cederberg Wilderness Area, Fynbos and the succulent Karoo – and is part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage Site. A serious effort is underway to preserve and restore the natural vegetation here, and organic kitchen gardens, recycling waste materials, water and energy saving programmes totally round out the eco-friendly philosophy-in-action of the Reserve.

Besides offering a safe haven for flora and fauna, Bushmans Kloof offers serenity for the human soul in a number of different ways. I was overwhelmed by the sensory experiences, from the chef's unique Fynbosinfused menu using local, indigenous herbs picked daily from the hotel’s gardens to the setting of the Wellness Retreat amid the rugged landscape, with the sound of the Boontjies River gurgling through rock pools nearby and a gentle breeze wafting into the Spa Gazebo as I lay almost dozing adrift in the heady scent of a Rooibos-inspired body balm. The spa was a complete indulgence, where, once again, time and physical concerns were easily transcended.

The Spa Gazebo is specifically made for couples’ treatments and many of the signature massages are followed by a tray of treats delivered to the gazebo’s patio – sparkling wine and canapés or bamboo skewers of fresh papaya and kiwi – allowing the couple even more time to bask in the sense of pleasure and privacy.

If you are travelling with a romantic partner, opportunities abound for enchanting interludes. Dining, for example, involves award-winning cuisine, but it is

the choice of extraordinary venues that make this really special. One option, Kadoro (translated from the !Xam dialect of the San people, meaning “Tinderbox of Stories”) is a charming stone building set in the shade of an ancient blue gum and offers a very secluded dinner by candlelight. The River Boma is the perfect setting for sundowners or nightcaps in the moonlight, accompanied only by the nocturnal sounds of Africa, while the Homestead Terrace and Manor House Bar and Deck under the gigantic fig tree are ideal for more traditional fine dining or after dinner fireside drinks in the cosy living room.

There are fine, thoughtful touches throughout the lodge. Designed for intimacy, accommodation is limited to 16 rooms for a total of 32 guests. My deluxe suite had all the decadent amenities one anticipates at a five-star property: underfloor heating, air conditioning, an expansive bathroom stocked with divine Africology bath products, wireless Internet access, and the added bonus of a fireplace and lounge space where piles and piles of regionspecific books lay tempting me to stay and spend a week reading and relaxing here.

With my patio overlooking the mountains and plains, one of the four swimming pools within sight, and the Spa Gazebo a mere stroll across the grass plus the soothing twitter of Weavers building nests and the awesome night sky undisturbed by ambient light, a week might not be long enough.

For more information, contact reservations at +27 21 481 1860, email info@bushmanskloof.co.za or visit www.bushmanskloof.co.za. 

LIFE PASSION ADVENTURE

OfямБcial agent for Fairline 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

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FEATURE

Above: Team Shosholoza match racing skipper Paolo Cian and his crew with the silverware after winning the Korea Match Cup 2009, stage three of the World Match Racing Tour in Gyeonggi, Korea.

Team Shosholoza’s

Paolo Cian

Wins 2009 Korea Match Cup Words: DI MEEK Image: © GARETH COOKE, SUBZERO IMAGES

T

he Team Shosholoza match racing team skippered by Paolo Cian pulled off a massive victory in Stage 3 of the World Match Racing Tour by defeating World Champion Ian Williams 2 – 1 in a light air final to clinch the 2009 Korea Match Cup championship title.

Paolo Cian, who wears the colours of MSC Cruises and Breil Milano, was so over the moon with his win that he flung himself off his boat with a celebratory back-flip into the Korean waters of Gyeonggi while his jubilant crew sprayed him with champagne. This is Cian’s first World Tour win since the Brazil Cup early last year, and puts Team Shosholoza in sixth place overall on the Tour leader board.

Guy Nowell of Sail-World.com, writing for the 2009 Korea Match Cup, says it had been a shaky start to the series for Cian, and his position in the quarter-finals wasn’t

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assured until the last moment. “But after losing the first two matches of the best-tofive quarters to Adam Minoprio (Emirates Team New Zealand), Cian was on fire, reeling off seven wins in a row, dropping one to Ian Williams, and then coming back in the last one to win the final. It was definitely celebration time!”

At KRW300,000,000 ($240,000), the Korea Match Cup is the richest purse on the World Match Race Tour. A good deal more champagne was sprayed on stage in front of the closing ceremony crowd as the giant cheques were presented by the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Kim Moon-Soo. It may have been a desperately slow start to the day but it sure finished in cracking style with a great demonstration of lightair precision from “The Quiet Italian”, Paolo Cian.

Team Shosholoza embraces a strong training and development component

through the Izivunguvungu MSC Foundation for Youth in Simonstown, Cape Town. Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is the patron of Team Shosholoza.

For more information, you can visit www.teamshosholoza.com  Top Race Results: 1st place: Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza 2nd place: Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar 3rd place: Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin 4th place: Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Onboard 5th place: Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing

livethelife Cartier Trinity Ring

It is one of the most famous rings in the world, both a source of inspiration to Cartier and a symbol: three entwined bands of pink, white and yellow gold. Three bands with real meaning; three bands which, as a circle, redefine a certain type of French elegance – natural but classic.

Drawing on the singularity and timeless mystery of this design, the new collection takes sensuous beauty to the extreme. Gently rounded on the top and beautifully smooth in the back, with the bands coiling seductively around each other. It is a jewellery collection reflecting the aura of exceptional creations. For more information, contact +27 11 666 2800.

Gucci IconBit Bag Debuting on the Gucci Fall/Winter 2009 runway, this new handbag design embodies the bold spirit and potent glamour of Frida Giannini’s latest collection. The bag’s silhouette is characterised by a compacted, controlled volume, while its soft, expandable body is reduced to fit perfectly under the arm. The modernity of its shape and feather light weight contrasts with Gucci’s iconic horse bit metal closure, this one oversized. Using such tactile materials as crocodile, python, suede, and pony skin as well as an iridescent, oil-spill patent, the Icon Bit’s novel shape offers a highly individual look. A striking palette of colours, from midnight blacks and blues, to purple and oil green, through to white and cardinal red further distinguish this item. Each bag is lined in colour-coordinated Napa leather and finished by hand. The Gucci Bit Bag Collection 2009 is available exclusively at Gucci stores.

For more information contact +27 21 421 8800 or +27 11 784 2597, or visit www.gucci.com.

Drink What

London’s High Society Drinks

A surge of international interest in the quintessentially European-style wines produced by South Africa’s Waterkloof Estate brings with it rich rewards, including acceptance into London’s high society. The Estate’s elegantly dry Circumstance Cape Coral Mourvèdre is now stocked

by Harrods. The 2008 vintage of this sophisticated and delicate wine is currently the only South African rosé to make it onto the shelves of this world-famous, luxury department store in Knightsbridge. The Harrods appraisal is the latest in a string of impressive listings in some of the world’s finest restaurant and hotels. Winemaker Werner Engelbrecht’s wines are also gaining recognition across the channel with new listings in Berlin’s Porta Vinum wine house, Antwerpen’s Bernardin Restaurant and Den Horst Restaurant in Schoten. For more information or wine orders, contact +27 83 2316936 or visit ww.waterkloofwines.co.za.

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

makingwaves

Sunreef One Fifty –

A New Era for SuperYachts and Mega Cats

Although she is still in the design stages, One Fifty is the largest sailing catamaran in the world, and the result of a year-long study into a new, revolutionary concept for modern and luxury catamarans. Her futuristic look comes from the almost invisible full-beam deckhouse, which spans the entire beam and provides the significant advantage of creating another level (floor) within the hulls. One Fifty has a sleek and clean profile, free of railings, instead exploiting differences in deck levels as a natural protection.

The deckhouse lowers towards the bow section and finally reaches main deck and hulls level. This gives the yacht's profile an expressive look and an aggressive exterior shape. Access for crew and guests throughout the One Fifty has been carefully separated – access for guests is aft via large glass doors, while the crew enter directly from the hull by a passerelle. The interior design is based on the specific aesthetic tendency in space organisation, and thanks to a high level of luminosity, as well as the glass walls of the saloon and galley, the border between indoor and outdoor space is kept very soft. Email info@sunreef-yachts.com or visit www.sunreef-yachts.com for more information.

Breathing Life into Water

Visitors to last year’s boat shows will remember the stunning Agon wakeboarding prototype on display, which people quickly began referring to as the “Batmobile” or the “Bond Boat.” Voted Best Newcomer at the Johannesburg Show, another 12 months of production precision and design enhancements have pushed intrepid local entrepreneurs, Peter Evans and Jacques Cilliers, to recently complete the first production model of this stunning sevenmetre sports boat. Enjoy a cruise at sunset with as many as 10 guests onboard, lounging around in the stylish interior with renowned Spanish naval design features. Capable of reaching speeds of over 80km/h and with the perfect wake design, the Agon rivals any imported boat in this category, but at a fraction of the price and offering excellent local service support. Drop in at your local boat show this year to step onboard this beast. Visit www.agonmarine.com for more info. Alternatively, contact Peter Evans on +27 84 667 4466 or email peter@agonmarine.com, or Jacques Cilliers on +27 82 268 4329 or email jacques@agonmarine.com. Dealer enquiries welcome.

Zero Emissions Safari Vehicle for Londolozi Game Reserve Renowned for its pioneering work in conservation development and the creation of the Londolozi Conservation and People Development model, Londolozi recently introduced a vehicle that moves guests silently through the wilderness and which has a lower carbon footprint than conventional 4x4s by its use of rechargeable batteries. Londolozi has moved a step closer to more efficient use of propulsion energy and will continue to work closely with the prototype developers to use increased battery efficiency and solar power to achieve a zero-emissions status of this new technology. Endorsed by Nelson Mandela, Londolozi prides itself on being a constant innovator in the safari industry. “During my long walk to freedom I had the rare privilege of visiting Londolozi,” says Madiba. “There, I saw people of all races living in harmony amid the beauty that Mother Nature offers. Londolozi represents a model of the dream I cherish for the future of nature preservation in our country.” Londolozi does not profess to have all the solutions but they certainly are getting people to ask a few questions. Visit www.londolozi.co.za.

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