Each month, BOAT catches up with superyacht owners exploring the far corners of the globe. This time, Dario Segre – owner of Baltic Yachts' 43.3-metre Canova – shares tales from Norway’s wild coastline, from chasing polar bears in Svalbard to planning his next big build for remote Chilean cruising.
Dario Segre
Yacht: Canova
Length: 43.3m
Year: 2019
Location: Norway
Where are you right now?
Sailing up the Norwegian coast, past some spectacular mountains and fjords. I love cold water – this is the new wave, because the Med is too hot and overcrowded. It’s fantastic up here. There is no one around, we can anchor amongst this incredible scenery and the people have been so welcoming.
Where are you heading?
We’re going up to Svalbard to see bears! You need a permit but it’s been no problem from a paperwork point of view. When we go ashore, we also need a guide with a weapon and we’ll have a guide on board, too, to help us make the most of the experience. We booked a mooring up there, only to discover we had lost it to the King of Norway!
Where will you sail after Svalbard?
We’ll come back to Norway and spend all July here, after which we’ll sail to the Azores and then maybe on to Madeira. In September we’ll be in Monaco. We’ve been to the Azores a few times before and it’s a beautiful place – the mountains and hiking are amazing. When we’re in Monaco we’ll likely appoint a central agent for the boat because we already have plans for the next boat – an aluminium motor catamaran, which we’ll take to Chile. Canova is carbon fibre, which is a great material, but not perfect for cruising in remote Chile.
Alongside the catamaran, we’ll build a smaller sailing yacht, around 16 to 18 metres, to serve as a support boat. All the luxuries will be on the catamaran and we’ll have the yacht ready so we can always sail. There’s more cold water to look forward to! I have been to Patagonia before in a Garcia 52 sailing yacht and we went all the way to Antarctica, and I absolutely loved it.
How long have you been on Canova this season?
We started at the beginning of April and went to Sardinia for a brief stop, before cruising north to Tromsø.
What’s been your overriding impression of Norway?
The people are so welcoming. We have had some wonderful invitations to meet people and they’re very curious about Canova - or more accurately, the people on board! We spotted a killer whale yesterday and I can’t wait to see more wildlife in Svalbard.
How’s Canova sailing?
Beautifully. She’s a yacht that prefers the ocean to the Med, big passages instead of short hops.
First published in the August 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.
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