On board 26.2m superyacht Haze with owner Steve Rigby

 Three decades after dropping out of school, the owner of 26-metre Haze, UK-based entrepreneur Steve Rigby, talks about finally making his first foray into superyacht ownership.

“I have been dreaming about owning a boat ever since I was a young man,” says energetic British businessman Steve Rigby. “It is a big commitment financially, so it just took me a bit of time to build up the courage.”

Having built up that courage, and nearly a decade of charter experience, Rigby decided there wasn’t anything on the water that met his requirements; so rather than buy a boat, he opted to build one. “A new build seemed the obvious route for me because I didn’t particularly like the traditional format of motor yachts,” he explains. “I wanted something that was stern-orientated and there are very few of that style of boat.”

As part of creating this homely feel he has recruited a “small and personal” crew of four, including BOAT International columnist Eddie Jordan’s former captain, Tim Beebe. Haze’s layout, with the galley on the main deck, means that there is a constant dialogue with the Croatian chef. “We like an informal style; we are not hierarchical,” Rigby says. “We don’t want people to be on watch; we are happy to serve ourselves drinks or to get drinks for them. Tim is a great guy, and we would be friends with him outside of our boating life.”

Despite Covid-19 limiting some of Rigby’s initial plans, he wasted no time in getting to know the yacht last summer. After joining the boat in Sicily, the couple spent time on the Amalfi Coast and the surrounding islands, taking advantage of the reduced summer crowds. “Capri was beautiful,” he says. “I have never been to Capri when it has been so quiet before. It was lovely.” They then went on to Sardinia and Corsica before returning to the South of France, where Rigby enjoyed a “boys’ trip” on board.

The yacht is wintering in Savona in Liguria, and Rigby has no intention of her crossing to the Caribbean for winter seasons. “The boat doesn’t really suit the Caribbean,” he says. “She’s a Med-only boat.” After the winter, Haze is set to head for Turkey, where she will be based for the summer and available to charter with Fraser. “The plan is to spend five weeks on board each summer,” he explains. “One with my family, one with Claire’s family and the rest either by ourselves or with friends.” Steve’s three children from his previous marriage were able to enjoy their first trip on board Haze last summer. “The kids love the watersports and, as they get older, the rosé and beer flow quite a lot,” he says, with a wry smile. “They created this thing called rock beers, where they took a paddle board, found a rock somewhere and had a few beers on it. I have no idea why.”