Hey Larry,

As one who spent roughly 30 years immersed in the "sport" of motor racing, I'm not exactly a stranger to what many would perceive to be "excessive", or "wasteful" expenditure in pursuit of a desired result... During most of the 17 years I did the bidding of Phillip Morris & Leo Burnett, PM was averaging over $250 million per year between their sponsorship of Ferrari in F1, and Team Penske in IndyCars... Trust me, that sort of expenditure has nothing to do with a CEO's ego, or his particular passion for motor racing... (grin)

Whether it be motor sports or yacht racing, sponsors like Marlboro and Volvo are there for one reason, and one reason only... To promote the "Brand", and the expectation that their investment will pay dividends over the long haul... It has nothing to do with "ego", or trying to impress a rival corporation, or the audience...

And, certainly, wealth - and the display thereof - will always be "relative"... However, I don't believe therefore there should be no limits, or that nothing can be rightly branded as excessive, or in poor taste... So many of the large yachts I see today seem nothing more than grotesque amounts of VOLUME, and the highest possible decibel shout to the world that "I've made it"...

Again, I'm not addressing ISOBEL or her owner now, but much of what goes on in the world of megayachts now is all about ego... MINE'S BIGGER, about the building of MALTESE FALCON,, and the "rivalry" between Tom Perkins, Jim Clark, and Joe Viottoria, addresses the subject in great detail, a very enjoyable read...

best regards,

Jon