SELFIES: PLEASURE OR DESIRE?

After the crowded Cannes Yachting Festival and Genoa International Boat Show, I still have a doubt. Who knows if that fine lady with Roman accent, a five-strand river pearl necklace around her neck and a Chewawa appearing out of her bucket bag finally got a boat?

Yet, at the boat show, she had blatantly asked all the other visitors to move away so that her diligent friend could take

a smartphone photo of the dinette of a 53-foot catamaran.

Then, as a token of gratitude to her kind companion, the lady agreed to take a selfie with her distancing herself a little from the friend playing the part of mere onlooker.

It seemed like the celebration of a rite which could consecrate the 1980s cult film where Johnny Dorelli said: “Maybe I will buy a boat”.

Now that the last sun remembers the recently ended summer, I think of the thousands of dreamers visiting the legendary Cannes and Genoa boat shows and I’ m sure that some among them have actually managed to make their dream come true.

I don’t know how may they are; sure, “hit-and-run” visitors are not many but what is clear is that everybody, armed with a smartphone – more rarely with a camera – can organize his own virtual – and, fortunately, temporary – possession of a boat.

The most talented ones even create some situations that are bordering on embarrassment.

Beautiful girls hurriedly sneak in the master cabin to jump on the round double bed and invent the most suitable pose for the prompt click of their partner.

At the stand reception, where visitors are required to take an appointment to visit the boat, no one can imagine the real intentions of a couple insisting on visiting a luxury 18-metre yacht.

Once, a “chief boat” (the man or woman who supervises the visitors climbing on board) was obliged to invite an annoying visitor to leave the cabin because, after having set his camera’s self timer, he and her partner wanted to immortalize themselves while tasting the (fake) grapes placed on the tray of the briar-root dresser.

I’ve even heard of someone who had wanted not to miss the occasion to immortalize himself on the last deck positioned close to the fly bridge of a super maxi yacht equipped with jacuzzi pool.

Tight angles and sunny days can help to create nice deceptive photos that people can use to make others believe that they were taken in Antigua, Kos or Porto Rotondo.

Of course, I will not be so foolish to tell my friends, who know me very well, that it’s my boat. I will simply tell them that I had the opportunity to share this luxury with some acquaintances of mine or that everything happened during a particular boat holiday.

Some worried souls whisper that some photo albums are totally virtual and reproduce travels people have never made, in places they have never seen and with unknown companions on board highly desired – and, of course unattainable – yachts.

An insider console himself by saying: ” Even if selfies and photos were numerous, I don’t think they could harm yachting industry. Of course, many among these dreamers will probably end up purchasing just a small dinghy, a RIB or a small outboard-equipped open model. Anyway, sea enthusiasts will probably increase in number”.

And what happened to the lady with the Chewawa? She is said to have visited some stands devoted to nautical clothing and accessories, which confirms the fact that, for every one yachtsman, there are at least other 150 people who just dress as yachtsmen.

Anyway… Fair winds!