I BOUGHT A SUPERYACHT BY ACCIDENT

imon Kidston never intended to buy a boat. He had distant yet fond memories of travelling through the French canals on his father’s Fairey Swordsman in the 1970s and dreamed of keeping a Riva Aquarama on Lake Geneva, but despite this nagging desire it never came to fruition. So how did a man with a love of classic cars end up “accidentally” buying one of the most famous superyachts ever built for an absolute song? To understand this you have to go back 15 years to a time when Simon left auctioneers Bonhams to start his own business buying, selling and restoring classic cars. Cars are all he has ever known career-wise but they are also a personal passion. That’s why he specialises in classic cars with a story behind them and a background that holds a particular allure: “We often help clients find family cars that they would like to buy back – generally rare and special ones,” he