Latitude

Having more conquerors of The Northwest Passage to their name than any other yacht designer in the world, Vripack knows that an expedition yacht needn’t necessarily look like one. In other words, as long as her heart pounds with the strength and rhythm of an explorer’s.

The trick in Latitude’s case was to render the dozens of smart solutions and capabilities almost invisible to the untrained eye. They include a cruising focussed hull design that comes fitted with an ice belt; engineering provisions that deliver exceptional steering performance, particularly when cruising in reverse; access to all the necessary back-up systems essential for cruising long distances; and a smart layout that offers a host of benefits to both owner and crew.

Vripack takes great pride in its yachts, and are always delighted to see the fruit of their designs pushed to the limit. Thus, as though to indulge the design team, and with one successful Passage crossing already under his belt, courtesy of Latitude – only the 216^th ever made since 1905 – Thadani did it again the following year. And there have been further adventures since Thadani became the first person in recorded history to celebrate his 70^th birthday at latitude 81° 25 14.9 North, on an ice floe just 400 miles from the North Pole, a feast facilitated by the ideal combination of resources for extreme adventure: an expedition yacht fit for purpose, a top-flight Captain and crew and most importantly, an adventurous heart.