VUE

strong and favorable wind fills the ship's iconic sails. Its hull knifes through the rhythmic ballad of the Mediterranean Sea, each bounce an elegant bow into the crashing waves below. is graceful dance is both classic and modern—evocative of a bygone era, yet, emblematic of modern imagination. Whether from arm's length atop the ship's bowsprit or by a rapturous gaze from the water's edge, the Vijonara's captivating performance leaves both its sailors and observers mesmerized in the wake of its unyielding splendor. It was an unusual genesis for Vijonara—her aluminum hull was built at Bloemsma in the Netherlands, and the rest of her details were completed by Pendennis Shipyard in the U.K. But the ship's story really begins with her owners, who first met living in Communist East Germany in the '80s as university students. It was there that the pair quickly formed a bond over sailing, with aspirations of one day enjoying the freedom of the open ocean. At the time, the Swiss couple would transform an old 32-foot hull into their very own sailboat to take onto a small nearby lake. But like East Germany, they outgrew the lake and opted for the task of bringing their boat to the only place they were permitted to sail, the Baltic Sea. e duo crossed a canal under close watch of East Germany's armed guards and battled government regulations each summer, simply for the joy of sailing. By 1989, they were finally both free from Communism and subsequently began their life of freedom. V U E N J . C O M 93

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