Clipper sailing is all very well but one can only go so far

Clipper sailing is all very well, but one can only go so far.Ah, mealtimes For many, the highlight of the cruise For some, apparently, almost the only reason for coming All day long, the dining tables groan with food A continental breakfast awaits early risers at 6am. The full “English” version, individually cooked if desired, starts two hours later Fruit and cakes are left out for the stayabeds At half-past noon: a sit-down lunch or barbecue on deck In mid-afternoon: tea, pancakes and assorted fried morsels. Then, the pi? de r?stance: a four-course dinner between 7.30pm and 10pm, followed by late-night snacks at half past eleven. By the end of the first day I had noticeably gained weight, and struggled to my cabin half expecting my steward to knock in the middle of the night proffering cocoa and biscuits.For me, there are two compelling reasons for going on a Clipper cruise – and it’s not the food One is the feeling of being part of a true-life drama.

As you leave or arrive at a port, bystanders hurry along the shore to get a better view. It’s like a steam train, bringing awe to the faces of young and old alike. The vessel on which you are travelling is so magisterial that you feel like a member of a privileged club.The highlight is arriving in Monte Carlo, home of the yacht’s Swedish owner, whose villa looks out to sea. Wind or no wind, he insists that every inch of the Star Clipper’s 36,000 square feet of sail is unfurled, a task carried out with great ceremony – and not a little flamboyance – by the crew. When the last sail is unfurled, the skipper, who has choreographed the whole exercise, turns to his captive audience and announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, that is all we have.” We break into a spontaneous round of applause.

And then the engines have to start up, because there’s not a breath of wind. It has all been just for show.The other attraction of drifting around the sea under sail is that there’s not very much to do – apart from Climbing the Mast, of course. One empty afternoon, I stroll from one end of the deck to the other, stopping half a dozen times to shoot the breeze with my suddenly familiar shipmates: people whom I would probably never encounter ashore. Many are elderly, with jaunty nautical caps and hip replacements, reminiscing about voyages past.Half an hour is spent identifying a speck on the horizon, which turns out to be a yacht. But what kind of yacht? And how far away is she? Estimated speed? And those clouds out there – is that a storm approaching? If so, will we make extra sail for speed? Or haul them in for safety?And afternoon becomes evening, and we tarry on deck a little longer than we should to watch the sunset. And so another day is ticked off our lives – a day made up of many such inconsequential events and encounters. But because we’ve learned to stop rushing: to pause and ponder and observe the sea and the sky and the sun – and our place among them – the day hasn’t been inconsequential at all.

It might even be among the most important days of the year.But I must go now The ship’s bell is ringing Can’t be late. Dinner is being served.Traveller’s GuideThe author travelled as a guest of Magic of Italy (08700 270 500, ), one of several tour operators that sells Star Clipper cruises; they are also available through Kuoni (01306 747002, ) and Fred Olsen Cruises (01473 742424, ).Prices for the 2003 season have not been finalised, but are likely to be in the region of £2,300 per person for a one-week spring or summer cruise. In the most popular months of July and August there is a weighting of around £100.Prices are based on two people sharing. They include a standard cabin with en suite facilities, all meals, return flights to Rome, transfers to and from Civitavecchia, tips and entertainment (including climbing the mast).Sailings on the “Ligurian route” for 2003 leave Civitavecchia on 17 and 31 May; 14 and 28 June; 12 and 26 July; 9 and 23 August; and 6 and 20 September.The ports of call vary slightly but the basic format is unchanged, with seven-day cruises starting and finishing at Civitavecchia.The alternative is the Tyrrhenian route, which takes in the islands off southern Italy, including Sardinia Prices are likely to be identical..