PICTURE OF THE DAY!

ULTIMATE YACHTS!

When it comes to designing a superyacht, the golden rule is that almost anything is possible. Whether you want a basketball court on the deck, a cocktail bar, a submarine or car in your tender garage, a swimming pool that converts to a dance floor, a garden or even a sumptuous cinema room, there are no limits. In this industry, the combination of generous budgets and owners who constantly demand more means it is on the water that you're most likely to find the most innovative designs. And while most yachts are a pleasure to be aboard, there are some that transcend all expectations, making their mark on the industry and causing the jaws of even the most discerning millionaires to drop, with stunning designs or breathtaking on-board features earning these vessels a place in superyacht history. Click through the slides, below, for our guide to the top 10 ultimate yachts. - superyachtworld.com

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SURFERS PARADISE!

YACHTSMAN: MR CHAD HUDNUT!

Owning a yacht would be a dream for most of us, but despite it being simply part of everyday life for Mr Chad Hudnut, it still seems as if he's living a fantasy. "Even if you are just heading out for a quick sail around the harbour, the minute you step on a sailboat you get the feeling you can go anywhere." With a voice set constantly to "at ease", island life in Nantucket - where he divides half his year with New York - is something life-long sailor Mr Hudnut has enjoyed since 2000. Growing up in the Midwest, he cut his teeth as a youngster on the lakes of his hometown and, after honing his skill in Maine, never looked back. "There was a position on an 80ft schooner heading out to Florida, so I hopped on board. I spent several years sailing between New England and the Caribbean, and eventually landed here." He was soon snapped up to captain a new boat (Mustang - as seen in the pictures above - was designed by naval architect Mr Joel White) and manage a yacht programme, which includes Nantucket Race Week and the Opera House Cup - the largest and oldest wooden-boat sailing regatta on the East Coast.

Mr Hudnut spends his work days checking in with his crew, mending line and fixing sails. "There's always a project or two - even down to stocking some beers on board," he says. And, as you can imagine, downtime isn't too shabby either. "There are beaches all the way around the island - you can find yourself totally alone. I try and get up early and head out, take a coffee, go for a surf." 

Various projects take him away from the water, too. He is currently working with sailing brand Atlantis Weather Gear on a collaboration with Maine shoemaker Rancourt & Co. Having given the green light to Mr Hudnut's designs for versatile yacht wear, pieces should be available mid-August. "Often you'll be sailing and have to go to dinner immediately after. All the shoes available look silly around town. I wanted to create something that bridged the gap." Indeed, for a man who likes to sail in "shorts and a button-down" as much as technical gear, it's clear that he takes style cues from some MR PORTER favourites. "I admire those classic shots of JFK on his boat. He made casual wear look very sophisticated. Another one would be Paul Newman. He wore that workwear style perfectly." 

Click through the shots, below to see Mr Hudnut's summer gear of choice, whether in sailing mode or enjoying some much-deserved shore leave. 

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THE ICON: MR HARRY GESNER!

The life story of Mr Harry Gesner, whose 88 years have packed in three times the action of most ordinary high achievers, is so fabled that if it were not true, you'd suspect it had been fabricated by the author of a classic Boy's Own yarn. Mr Gesner is primarily an architect, whose work over six decades has defined many of Southern California's most sought-after bluffs, coves and hillsides... But that only scratches the surface. 

MR PORTER has been invited to meet Mr Gesner at his home, Sandcastle, a remarkable circular construction of stucco, salvaged brick and repurposed wood set flush to the beach at the western end of Malibu, California. The building next door is also a Gesner structure: The Wave House (completed in 1956), much admired by Mr Jørn Utzon (who channelled some of that admiration into his design for the Sydney Opera House) and formerly owned by rock'n'roll legend Mr Rod Stewart. 

"I thought that the best education I could possibly get would be to see the world. ''

MR PORTER was joined by model and actor Mr Zen Gesner, 42, the youngest of Harry's offspring, whose credits include a fistful of Farrelly brothers comedies and the TV series The Adventures of Sinbad, in which he played the title character. On looks alone, both father and son qualify as archetypal Southern Californian supermen: they are lords of the longboard, buffed to a state of golden wellbeing by the ocean and the sun.

 If Game of Thrones happened to be set in modern Malibu, the House of Gesner would be a dominant dynasty, fortified by its youngest generation, which includes Mr Zen Gesner's three sons, Finn (15), Rory (12) and Tuck (9). It has become a family tradition that fathers instil in their offspring a love of creativity, a close bond with the natural world and an appreciation for ancient weaponry. "My dad is the ultimate renaissance man," says Mr Zen Gesner. "He trained me how to use a sword, and a bow and arrow, and he taught me how to dance. I'm an actor, and I love that walk of life, but I have a great appreciation for what my father does as well. Dad was always a constant source of inspiration." 

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SUN, SEA & STYLE!

If you're wondering why Messrs Zac and Jordan Stenmark look so at home in these images, it's probably because they are. The 21-year-old twins, who are currently taking the modelling world by storm, were born and raised in Sydney, Australia, only a short drive from the picturesque shores and headlands of the Northern Beaches. The stretch of coastline is their stomping ground, the scene of many an idyllic summer spent at the family's holiday home in Palm Beach, and this is far from their first time at sea. "Our teachers had us in a boat learning to sail in primary school," says Jordan, "and Zac's girlfriend's dad had a boat, too - it's always been a way of life. We've grown up around the ocean''

Sailing might come as second nature to the twins, but sport - Australian Rules football, in particular - is their first passion, and that was the direction they were pursuing, playing semi-professionally with Greater Western Sydney, when their modelling careers started to take off. Coaches, family and friends urged them to give it a go. "We were happy to put the sport on hold for a while," explain the twins. "And our family has been really supportive; they appreciate that not everyone gets this opportunity to grow and travel the world." Their family would certainly know - the twins' parents both had modelling careers. Clearly, in the Stenmark household, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 

The brothers are currently based in New York, and although it's a long way from Sydney, they try to organise a return trip every three or four months. "We're very family-oriented," they explain, citing family activities - of the sporting variety, of course - as central to a relaxed weekend at home.

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HEY BEACHES!

Shooting from doorless helicopters, this series by Guy Malin has been photographed around the world from the U.S. to Brazil to Australia. Inspired to take aerial shots from the balcony of a hotel in Las Vegas, Malin immediately become intrigued by the spectacle the different perspective he achieved from above. A few months later, Malin was at Art Basel Miami Beach and realised he should be shooting from the sky, not the hotel balcony. It was then that A la Plage, A la Piscine was born.   

In each location, Malin hires a private helicopter, ensuring that the door is removed. There’s only a couple of seconds to shoot and capture, which is what makes this series even more impressive. It is difficult not to love these images; the colour, the vibrancy, the elements of play and the beauty of the water. However, these are not just visually pleasing photographs of a simple beach or pool. From above, these locations become a blank canvas that allow Malin to see the world as art. People and objects become patterns creating repetition, shape and form. Fancy a holiday?

Check out the entire Series here!

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LIFE IS A DREAM!

I dream of boats (ships, catamarans, yachts, whatsoever)

I could eeeaaasily live on a nice little one for a..long time!

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