Yachts do not take shape on slipways and in boat sheds through divine scheming or spontaneous creation. Given plans, timber, metal, a quantum of art and an infusion of engineering, the craftsmen work their magic, but no vessel ever felt the first kiss of the sea without the will of her owner. After all, nobody is forcing him to build her. No trading opportunities demand it; no celebrated international cup draws his vanity. In their place lies the kingdom of dreams brought, he hopes, to reality by the yacht.