Given the truly perilous state of the world economy, it may seem ridiculous or even flippant to be writing so many posts about yachts. How many of us can come close to affording them even in the good years? And yet here at Abbeville we believe that it’s precisely times like these that require a little fantasy, a little escapism. If we’re all going to get through this thing, it’s going to take more than bailouts or stimulus packages or stiff, delicious cocktails—it’s going to take dreams, by God. And what better dream than the feel of a beautiful boat rocking beneath you…ropes swaying lazily in the wind…somewhere, a gull cries…ah, we can almost see the blessed isles of recovery already.
It is in that spirit that we bring you the latest guest post by America’s Cup winner and all-around man of style Gary Jobson. This time Mr. Jobson has gone the extra nautical mile for us by recording a reading of his Foreword to our new volume Classic Yachts, a recording we have paired with images from the book to bring you our latest Abbeville podcast:
If there’s one voice of spirited command that can steer us not only through the current crisis, but through all the rockiest shoals of the Ocean of Life, we think it’s Mr. Jobson’s. We hope you’ve enjoyed and we’ll be back next week with another battle against the Chicago Manual of Style, a rare non-Abbeville book recommendation, and much more.
I am the helmsman of a broken vessel; too many years have I spent moored between the Gin Islands and the Indolence Kingdom. If only I had seen your nautical charts earlier, Arbiter of Style, I would have navigated the Temperance Straits toward the Gulf of Reform.
It is too late. My possessions are the toper’s—ridicule, conempt, and scorn.
Alack, Arbiter, Alack ):