The Superyacht with a Super Story...

Unless you cite a vessel as iconic and well-travelled as Columbus's Santa Maria or Nelson's HMS Victory, you'd be hard pushed to find a yacht with so many tales to tell as Eilean, which is currently docked in London for a fortnight. If the name doesn't sound familiar, then the names associated with it certainly will...

Eilean is a 22-metre ketch that set off on its maiden voyage back in 1936 after it was built for the Fulton Brothers, Scotland's famous steel merchants. Years of service followed until she was bought in 1964 by Lord Shawcross, lead prosecutor at the infamous Nuremburg Trials, who spent many summers cruising the Balearic Islands. Ten years later, she was sold again for use as a charter.

In 1983, Eilean had her fifteen minutes of fame when UK New Romantic band Duran Duran used her as the location to film the music video for their song 'Rio'. While Duran Duran went on to become mainstream stars, Eilean's fate was not so happy when, shortly after the video was made, she suffered a collision with a ferry in which her mizzenmast was broken. While waiting for repair, Eilean sadly sank on her mooring and was dragged to a backwater where she was left to rot.

Of course, the story doesn't end there. Angelo Bonati, chief exec of luxury watch brand Panerai, rediscovered Eilean and fell in love with her. At his own personal expense, he had her fully restored to the original specifications she was built to in 1936. Eilean is now docked in London and has become a high-class floating luxury store, on which people can view and buy Panerai's latest chronograph.

If you own or are considering buying a yacht, then Bachmann Group have so much to offer you. Find out more about our marine services on our website and get in touch with our team to find out how we can make your yachting experience perfect...