VANILLA

Dufour 460 Grand Large — Greece A production cruiser with genuine presence, the Dufour 460 Grand Large strikes the balance that owners of this size range look for: clean, purposeful lines above the waterline and a layout below that actually works when the anchor drops. She draws attention on the dock without trying to, which says most of what needs saying about her proportions. Accommodation runs to four cabins, each with a double bed, and she welcomes up to ten guests aboard. It is a straightforward, egalitarian arrangement — no cabin left as an afterthought — which makes her particularly well suited to two or three couples cruising together, or to a family group wanting space to spread out rather than negotiate over who gets the good berth. Her natural territory is the Greek islands: short, rewarding hops between anchorages, lunch at a taverna reachable by tender, afternoons under sail with the Aegean meltemi filling in. This is sailing in the honest sense of the word, with a yacht sized to be enjoyed rather than merely admired. Aboard, the crew handle the navigation, the provisioning and the daily rhythm of the itinerary, leaving you to decide little more than where to swim next. Their knowledge of the local coastline is what turns a well-planned route into a genuinely well-judged one — the sheltered bay when the wind turns, the island worth the extra hour under way.