WALLY WONDER

WALLY WIND 110 IS THE 'BEST EVER ACCORDING TO THE BRAND'S FOUNDER AND FROM ON BOARD YOU REALISE WHY HE WOULD SAY SUCH A THING. TOBY HODGES SAILS GALMA OFF BARCELONA

There are very few times I feel the need to video the scene from a day on the water simply to brag to my friends. But standing in the master cabin of the stealthy Wallywhy 200, watching the foiling AC75s Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand streak past while warming up for America's Cup battle, was a moment to savour - and one that had me reaching for my phone camera.

Why am I talking about the Why - it's a motoryacht? Yes, the Wallywhy 200 is another revolutionary, achingly hip Wally. To experience that view from a master cabin - a sumptuously furnished one with near 360° surround vision - within the motoryacht's snub-nosed plumb bow was mind-boggling. As was watching the day's Cup matches over lunch from the covered flybridge. But after racing the experience was over: we just motored back to port. All of which helped me realise just how special its sailing yacht counterpart is.

The following day we watched the next round of match races from this first new Wallywind 110, Galma. While it may have lacked the auto stabilisation and positioning of the Wallywhy, comfort levels were similarly resplendent on deck - if not more so. And despite the excitement of being so close to the live America's Cup racing, it is the sailing experience afterwards which remains so much more memorable. Taking the wheel of this formidable 70-tonne pinup, when it's heeled, loaded and scything upwind in double digits, was sublime.

This is more than simply a sail/power preference.

Both boats are the height of style in their respective fields, both are new Wally models of similar size (90ft and 110ft) which prove Wally is still a pioneer of carbon craft, and both days were exclusive experiences. But while the other support and spectator boats returned to dock after racing, we went sailing on Galma - an experience which even transcended achieving a lifetime dream of watching the America's Cup from the water.

WALLY VISION