Many owners, when asked how they began their journey into the world of yachting, give answers that range from the heartfelt, to the egotistical, to the bizarre. As almost every yacht is unique, the same can be said of each owner and their entrance into the market. For Luca Regusci, owner of 32m motoryacht Miamaa, the answer is beautifully simple. "Well, let's just say I was born on the water," he begins. However, this water wasn't the salty Mediterranean, rather the clear lakes of his native Switzerland. "As a Swiss, I was near a lake, next to the yacht rather than on it! So I've always had the passion to sail; since I was very young I liked the water and what moved on top of it."

Regusci appears to have gradually introduced himself to the yachting world as he moved up in size with each vessel - starting at 15m, then a 20m, then a 25m, before making the leap into superyachting with Miamaa at 32m. "I had a passion for being on the water and going fishing. You start with a little boat, and then you have the necessity to move on to something a little bigger, then at a certain moment or another you find yourself in the world of yachting!" he remembers. "I told myself that a small two-seater boat that I have is a little small, so I'll take a four-seater, and then at a certain point I say, 'Why not sleep in the boat?' and there we have it."

These incremental upgrades are key to his relationship with the market, as he believes this is vital to understanding the industry and his yacht. "Follow a road step-by-step, which will help you arrive to a realistic judgement of what you expect," he says, indicating that this incremental approach helps to fully understand the true ethos and reason behind owning a vessel. "Having a step-by-step approach helped me because you make certain mistakes with the first one, then for the second you arrive and get rid of the first mistakes, then for the third one you make other mistakes but the first ones are fixed. Therefore, in the end you calibrate better and have a better understanding of the environment of the needs, the product and the solutions."

It could be said that Regusci embodies the true, traditional sailing mentality, using his yacht to explore and travel rather than sitting in a port. "I'm looking for what pleases me, which is the sea in fantastic locations with atmosphere; the countries, the people, it's a bit of a discovery," he explains, recalling a recent journey around Greece that was driven by his interest in the history of the area. "I really like being in locations that are almost unknown. This is what intrigues me. Every season we discover regions that we know already, but from a different point of view."

"Having a step-by-step approach helped me because you make certain mistakes with the first one, then for the second you arrive and get rid of the first mistakes, then for the third one you make other mistakes but the first ones are fixed. Therefore, in the end you calibrate better and have a better understanding of the environment of the needs, the product and the solutions."

It is this sense of exploration that means Regusci has no real desire to dramatically move up in vessel size any further. "I am of the opinion that there is a size barrier above which you can't do certain things and you have quite a few constraints." He explains that the areas he likes to sail, such as the south of the Mediterranean, Greece, Croatia and sometimes Spain and Italy, are where larger yachts may encounter issues with the facilities and ports available.

The use of Miamaa is exclusively for the Regusci family, another reason for his contentment with staying at 32m. As a four-person family, there isn't the need to upgrade the vessel to something larger as they are satisfied to fit into three or four cabins. Inherently, Regusci believes that the larger the boat, the more disconnected you are with an authentic sense of sailing. "With a 32m, you are treated like a sailor with a smaller boat, but you have the comfort and possibility to sail," he explains.

Throughout our conversation, Regusci's sense of joy that his yacht brings him is evident. In an industry where some lose sight of the true nature of sailing, his passionate approach is refreshing. By gradually moving up in size of vessel, rather than starting at the top end of the market, Regusci has also schooled himself in the practices of the industry that enables him to not only make enlightened decisions but also to truly appreciate his vessel. A lesson that most definitely should be one for us all.

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