Every month, superyacht owners share where they are and where they’re heading. Sir Andrew Cook has been sailing for 68 years, racing 30-metre Nostromo across the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Here, he explains his enduring fascination with the Gulf of Kotor, why he prefers Antigua to St Barths and why reliable wind is becoming increasingly hard to find in the western Med.
Sir Andrew Cook
Yacht: Nostromo
Length: 30m
Year: 2009
Location: Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro
Why is the Gulf of Kotor a favourite spot?
The geography is extraordinary, quite unlike anywhere I’ve experienced in the world. And the Balkans are a fascinating region historically. It has been the frontier of what we used to call Christendom right up to the 20th century, until it was conquered by communism, from which it was only released just over 30 years ago. And it has flourished since.
So there’s an awful lot of very interesting places to explore. It’s also quite easy to get to, and the climate is agreeable. It’s not too hot like pure Mediterranean regions of France, Spain and Italy are now. The final reason I like it is the bora wind. If you want to go south it’s the most splendid wind, and it’s pretty good for going east to west. The western Med is a write-off for reliable winds from late June until the end of September.
Speaking of wind, how was the Cyclades Cup?
We won it in 2025, but not this year. We were tied for first place, but on this bizarre rule, in a tie, that the winner of the last race wins overall. So all these laurels are heaped upon the winner, who’s actually done no better than the loser.
Do you race often?
I go across the Atlantic sometimes for the winter season and do the Superyacht Challenge Antigua and St Barths Bucket, which are very different races. I think St Barths is over-professional and over-competitive; Antigua is the opposite. In the summertime, our normal regattas have been the Armani, Cyclades and Ibiza JoySail, which we’ll do this year.
Do you take the helm?
No, I’m just a boring passenger. I don’t interfere either, because I once said, “I think that’s a mistake putting this tack in,” and I was wrong. I’ve shut up ever since and just enjoy the ride. I know exactly what’s happening though. I’ve been sailing since I was nine years old… that’s 68 years now.
What’s next for Nostromo?
We have to have some work done, a repaint of our antifoul and have a look at the bottom. We found quite a big fish entangled with our skeg, one of these fish that attaches itself to sharks. I had been wondering why we were losing up to a knot of speed. That’s the reason I want to have a new coat of slippery antifoul put on. I can’t afford to give up any speed voluntarily for these regattas!
First published in the September 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.