20Isea&iISPRING-SUMMER 2012Ian Insull[on boardCalliopeThe captain of the 42.28m (138'7)Calliope is set for a world cruise via theGalapagos Islands andthe Panama Canal ]

INSULL ON. HIS BACKGROUNDI grew up in Gosport, a small town on the south coast of England, so yachtingwas very much the family business and a natural step for me career-wise. Atone stage in the nineties, my father, two uncles, an aunt, a brother and threecousins were all working in the yachting industry. I love travelling and thiscareer opens up the world in ways that are not accessible to many people.I've been fortunate enough to have worked on some fantastic yachts, includ-ing the 55m (180') Lady Ghislaine, the 36m (118') Sunliner X, the 53m (172')Natalina B, the 80m (262'4) Talitha G, the 31m (103') Moon Peace, the 24m(80') Charger and the 32m (105') Cassiopeia.INSULL ON. TRAVELThe Hawaiian islands are superb, but Croatia and Turkey are my favourite areasfor cruising. I did three consecutive seasons in the eastern Mediterraneanon board Cassiopeia and loved every minute. Despite the region's growingpopularity, it is not crowded and every day you can see an amazing walledtown or visit ancient sites - it offers genuine cruising variety. Having said that,my favourite haunt ashore is Bonifacio in Corsica. Two things that never fail totake my breath away are the view of the town atop the white cliffs as youapproach, and the hidden entrance to the harbour. It's an incredible place totake guests. I also love being in Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca -dinner and a few drinks in the old town is my idea of a good night out.There are a few places I'd still love to visit, Alaska being one of them. Asfar as my other wish-list destinations are concerned, Calliope is about to tickthose boxes as we are setting off on a world cruise which will see us transitthe Panama Canal and visit the Galapagos Islands.INSULL ON. BEING A CAPTAINI am lucky to have a great crew who work and relax together really well andmake each other laugh. My advice for an aspiring skipper? Don't do it! Onlykidding. The easy answer is not to rush into it, and don't be fooled intothinking the grass is greener elsewhere. I think you learn as much from toughsituations as you do from good ones and remaining with a challenging boat,owner or captain for several years can be a great education. I've experienced many amusing scenarios. Early in my career we arrived ata shipyard in Florida for a paint job, but the skipper misjudged things andsmacked the port quarter into the dock, requiring a pretty major repair. Afew weeks later we spun the boat around. Different side, same result as hebashed the starboard quarter into the dock, resulting in another huge repairjob. Guests can also inspire a good story. This year at anchor off Beaulieu, acharterer asked me to have a limousine waiting for him the minute we arrivedso he could go to his apartment in Cannes and change his clothes. The char-ter had only started the day before so you'd have thought he might havebrought some with him. INSULL ON. CALLIOPECalliope is pretty much my ideal yacht in every way. She is beautifully builtand a very sound sea yacht, but what I like most are her zero-speed stabi-lizers. It is the first yacht I've worked on that has them and I can't believe thedifference they make to comfort at anchor. nFor information on chartering Calliope, contact your Camper & Nicholsonscharter broker, see page 6captain'sviewPhotography: Jérôme Kélagopian / Nicolas Claris SPRING-SUMMER 2012I sea&iI21SPECIFICATIONSLENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42.28m (138'7)BEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.4m (27'5)DRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.63m (8'6)BUILDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Holland JachtbouwYEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010GUESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10CREW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9CRUISING AREA .South Pacific (summer); Caribbean & Bahamas (winter)PRICES FROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .US$160,000 per week