Rafael Nadal
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal may be the next celebrity to succumb to the ultimate status symbol: a luxury yacht. The 28-year old athlete, widely known as the top clay court tennis player of all time, was seen spending an afternoon looking at a particularly luxurious vessel in France. Nadal and his girlfriend of eight years Xisca Perello were reported to look relaxed, in love and very interested in the luxury motor yacht.
Blue Ice
Docked at the Cannes, Blue Ice is a 45.7 meter performance motor yacht built in 2009. It features a large sundeck with a Jacuzzi and five well-appointed cabins, as well as a spacious master cabin on the lower deck. With a top speed of 27 knots and an eye-catching blue finish, Blue Ice is a spectacular yacht.
No stranger to yachts
Although Rafael Nadal is regularly seen lounging on yachts around the Mediterranean, he has yet to turn his interest into ownership. In an interview with the Telegraph, Nadal’s sister Maribel said: “He’s always talking about buying himself a boat”. Nadal and Perello certainly seem comfortable on boats. The internet is inundated with photographs of the long-time couple taking short trips on various chartered yachts, including trips to his luxurious holiday home on the island of Ibiza. Rumoured to have cost an outrageous £6.5 million, the eco-villa is located on the popular south-west corner of the island and is entirely solar powered. With that kind of money floating around, what is a few million more for a yacht?
Is it time to buy?
After recently spending some time at the Monte Carlo Yacht Club, Nadal said: “It was a wonderful way to enjoy an afternoon, it was a special experience for me. I am from an island, so the sea, the sails and everything involved means a lot to me”. Perhaps now is the time for everybody’s favourite tennis player to make this kind of boat talk a reality.