M/Y Isolde

Quiet, in the engineering sense

Isolde's designers spent their budget where you cannot see it: floating floors, resilient mounts and a hull form that barely wakes the water. At anchor she is close to silent, and underway at twenty knots you can hold a conversation on the aft deck without raising your voice.

Inside, pale oak and wool replace the usual gloss. Five cabins take ten guests; the full-beam owner suite has a bath with a sea view. Chef Marianne Aubert, formerly of a two-star kitchen in Lyon, cooks whatever the ports provide.

She is the right boat for parties who measure a holiday in unhurried breakfasts, long swims and the absence of any need to plan.