A boat's license to thrill

The Sunseeker 40m yacht. [Photo/GORDON HUI SUNSEEKER ASIA]

Oozing sex appeal with its super-sleek design and cutting-edge British engineering, Sunseeker is the luxury yacht of choice for the rich and famous. And thanks to a drop in the pound post-Brexit, it's become a little bit more affordable.

With their aggressive good looks and superb handling at speed, Sunseekers have long been a favorite of Formula One drivers and movie stars－and the James Bond film franchise, which has featured them in The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Sunseeker's Asian operations are run from Hong Kong by Gordon Hui, a native of the city who studied architecture in London before starting his own property investment company. He fell in love with the brand in 1992 when he bought his Sunseeker Tomahawk 37; when Hui returned to Hong Kong in 2003, he seized the opportunity to take over as chairman of its Asian operations.

Luxury yachts have long been seen as the ultimate playthings for the superrich, but in Asia they are put to practical use, says Hui, whose company distributes the boats in 11 countries around the region. Chatting over lunch on the deck of Hong Kong's Aberdeen Boat Club, Hui says that Hongkongers in particular have a long tradition of weekend trips out to sea with family and friends, and is dismissive of the showoff culture of boating on the glitzy Cote d'Azur.