Continental drift

Club Med 2, the world's largest sailing yacht, travels through the Mediterranean during the summer months for unforgettable getaways

- Mark Lean

MENTION CLUB MED and conversations invariably turn to wholesome family fun in beach or snow-capped resorts from Cherating to Kiroro in Japan. Founded in 1950 by Gérard Blitz, Club Med evolved from being a postwar holiday concept to an active fun-in-thesun getaways idea for singles in the 1970s. The company pioneered the all-inclusive holiday that included everything from water sports activities to themed parties and cocktails. Presently owned by Chinese conglomerate Fosun Tourism Group, Club Med is banking on its Exclusive Collection properties (and a ship) to attract a new, globally diverse demographic.

Riffing off the all-inclusive idea, Club Med 2 is the world’s largest yacht with five majestic sails, and is quite literally a holiday resort on sea. (In case you’re wondering what happened to Club Med 1, the vessel was sold to Windstar Cruises at the end of the past century.) There’s a decidedly French imprint on board the 187m Club Med 2, from the champagne served at sunset to the themed parties with Eurotunes and Abba-ish dances that take place every night.

The yacht, built in 1992, recently benefited from a €9 million makeover of its restaurants and bars: Le Saint-Barth, Le Cannes and Le Portofino, Le Monte-Carlo, and Le Saint-Tropez.