Columbus, the spanish cigar monopoly, and what do good cigars
Transcription
Columbus, the spanish cigar monopoly, and what do good cigars
ISSUE 01 | 2015 www.polo-luxur y.com Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup in Tianjin Worldwilde a class of its own US dollar or gold Columbus, the Spanish cigar monopoly, and what do good cigars and noble wines have in common? The fascinating world of cigars THE ART WORLD OF THE MIDDLE EAST The impressive development of the Middle Eastern art market © Johanna Mühlbauer – fotolia.com © ExQuisine – fotolia.com © psdesign1 – fotolia.com In search for a ‘safe haven’ Handcrafted by Racers. Der neue Mercedes-AMG GT. Der erste Mercedes war ein Rennwagen, sein jüngster Nachfolger trägt dessen Erbe weiter: Mit dem neuen Mercedes-AMG GT startet die Sportwagenmarke von Mercedes-Benz in ein neues Sportwagen-Segment. Fahrdynamik und erstklassige Rennstrecken-Performance verknüpft der neue GT mit hoher Alltagstauglichkeit und einer Effizienz, die im Segment neue Standards setzt. www.merbagretail.ch/schlieren PERSONENWAGEN-ZENTRUM SCHLIEREN · Zürcherstrasse 109 · 8952 Schlieren · T 044 732 55 55 ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG ZÜRICH-CITY · Badenerstrasse 119 · 8004 Zürich · T 044 245 82 82 ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG ZÜRICH-SEEFELD · Färberstrasse 6 · 8008 Zürich · T 044 268 99 66 ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG ZOLLIKON · Rotfluhstrasse 54 · 8702 Zollikon · T 044 395 20 60 LUXURY E DITORIA L & COUNTRY Liebe Leserinnen Liebe Leser LIFE MAGAZINE Dear Readers, Polo-Faszination around the world: Die März-Ausgabe lädt Sie auf eine vielseitige Reise zu Polo-Events ein – rund um den Globus. Unser Ausgangspunkt ist der Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup Tianjin in China, ein Turnier von beeindruckender Grösse und bestechender Klasse. Die nächsten Stationen unserer Reise führen zum schneebedeckten St. Moritzer See und ins österreichische Kitzbühel. Von der winterlichen Kälte geht es zum Porangahau Beach Polo, dem einzigen Beach Polo-Event Neuseelands, und anschliessend zur Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge, eines der jährlich herausragendsten Sport-Events in Dubai. Polo passion around the world: The March edition will take you on a fascinating journey to polo events around the globe. We start out at the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup Tianjin in China, a tournament of impressive size and intriguing class. The next stop of our journey brings us to snow-covered Lake St. Moritz and to the Austrian town of Kitzbühel. From the alpine winter chill we are heading to the summery shores of the southern hemisphere to the Porangahau Beach Polo, New Zealand’s only beach polo event, and then on to the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge, one of Dubai’s most prominent sporting events of the year. Für einmal rücken wir die Leidenschaft für erlesene Weine etwas in den Hintergrund und entführen Sie in unserem Special in die Welt der Zigarren. Unscheinbar von Gestalt, verbirgt sich hinter einer guten Zigarre viel Handarbeit, grosses Know-how und nicht selten auch eine spannende Geschichte. For a change we will slightly roll back the passion for sophisticated wines and introduce you to the world of noble cigars with our special Havana feature. Behind its unsuspecting appearance, a good cigar is made up of a great deal of skilful handcraft, deep know how and quite often also an exciting story. Parallel zum Erscheinen der März-Ausgabe öffnet auch das neue Polo Luxury & Country Life-Internetportal seine Pforten. Sich optisch im Stil eines modernen Newsletters präsentierend, wartet es mit aktuellen Beiträgen und exklusiven Hintergrundberichten aus den Bereichen Polo, Lifestyle, Luxus, Kunst, Reisen etc. auf und dient gleichzeitig interessierten Usern und unseren Kunden als Networking-Plattform. Alle Besucher, die sich auf dem Portal für den Newsletter registrieren, haben die Chance, einen exklusiven Preis zu gewinnen, der Polo-Fans begeistern wird. Schauen Sie vorbei unter www.polo-luxury.com und gehen Sie auf Entdeckungsreise auf dem neuen Polo Luxury & Country Life-Internetportal. Coinciding with the release of the March edition, also the new Polo Luxury & Country Life internet portal is launched. Presented in the style of a contemporary newsletter, the site features latest news and exclusive background reports about polo, lifestyle, luxury, art, travelling etc., and at the same time provides interested users and our customers with a unique networking platform. All visitors signing up for the newsletter in the portal will stand the chance to win an exclusive prize that will excite any polo fan. Visit www.polo-luxury.com and explore the great features of the new Polo Luxury & Country Life internet portal. Birgit Herrmann Publisher & Owner 3 Birgit Herrmann Publisher & Owner Christoph Hügli Chief Executive Officer Christoph Hügli Chief Executive Officer Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 INHALT · C O N TE N TS Polo Interview with FIP President Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers........... 7 “Polo is not just a sport but a total way of life” Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015 in Tianjin/China.... 12 Worldwilde a class of its own Chukker break with Chris Hyde ............................................................. 14 A talk with the charming king of snow polo 31st Polo World Cup on Snow St. Moritz.............................................. 18 Third successive victory in a row for Cartier 7 13th Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel 2015............. 21 Fantastic polo and lots of glamour in ‘Kitz’ Beach Polo at its best.................................................................................. 22 Porangahau Beach Polo’s second successful tournament 10th Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at Desert Palm Polo Club Dubai................................................................ 24 Team Desert Palm: Diego Cavanagh leads his team to victory The Hawaii Polo Club.................................................................................. 30 Polo in paradise Fahrzeuge • Cars 14 Infiniti QX70 V6 3.7..................................................................................... 35 Nissans Noble SUV wagt einen Spagat Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster................................................. 37 Engineering skill and design for top precision and perfection 27 37 4 INHA LT · C ONTE NTS Special The fascinating world of cigars................................................................ 38 Columbus, the Spanish cigar monopoly, and what do good cigars and noble wines have in common? Die faszinierende Welt der Zigarren ..................................................... 46 Kolumbus, das spanische Zigarrenmonopol, und welche Gemeinsamkeit teilen gute Zigarren und edler Wein? Premium humidors – sophisticated casings for storing fine cigars....................................... 50 50 © Anton Gvozdikov – fotolia.com “A good cigar ages best in the tropics” 54 Finance Secure Investment....................................................................................... 54 US dollar or gold: In search for a ‘safe haven’ Art Christie’s and the impressive development of the Middle Eastern art market........................................................... 60 The art world of the Middle East Christie’s Shanghai and Hong Kong offices......................................... 64 The art of the horse - Equestrian Art across the ages Lifestyle Die Terrasse als grüne Oase der Entspannung.................................. 67 Bacher Garten-Center AG – Publireportage Travel 64 The most expensive cruises anywhere in the world....................... 68 Open-ocean cruising like Rockefeller Jürg Beeli presents the colourful underwater world of the Maldives.............................. 70 Schools of fish – living pieces of art under water 68 5 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO FIP President Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers “Polo is not just a sport but a total way of life” Since last December, the Federation of International Polo has a new President: Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers. The charming Australian played an outstanding role in the polo world like not many others. Having served as Chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Association from 2008 to 2012 as well as being the Chairman of the prestigious Ham Polo Club London for over 20 years, Nicholas has now taken the reigns of the global polo organisation. In his professional life he is Chief Executive of Horizon Energy Group (UK) Limited, the London subsidiary of the Dubai-based oil & shipping corporation, where he has earned a reputation as a man of diplomacy and a skilful negotiator – someone who doesn’t beat around the bush but pursues his goals with vigour and focuses on sustainable success. In the interview with the publisher of Polo Luxury & Country Life, the new President spoke about his short- and medium-term goals and his love for the polo sport. Interview: Birgit Herrmann End of last year you have been elected President of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), what were your reasons to run for this office? Of course it could be that no one else wanted the job! However, I would like to believe that after being involved in polo for almost 50 years that my experience with running both a club and an association might allow me the necessary attributes to make a success of the post. I was proposed by the Argentine Polo Association with whom I had worked closely during my term of office with the Hurlingham Polo Association, and it was felt by all three of the major Associations, the AAP, the HPA and the USPA that the Federation needed to become more focused and professional in its management in order to be able to promote the growth of international polo and to assist the emerging polo nations. 7 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO AUS DEN BERNER ALPEN Rein. Natürlich. Nachhaltig. Geniessen Sie den einzigen Schweizer Kaviar. Im Oona-Shop oder im Oona – das Restaurant. www.oona-caviar.ch 8 Tropenhaus Frutigen AG CH - 3714 Frutigen Tel: + 41 33 672 11 44 info@oona - caviar.ch POLO What are your short- and medium-term goals for your first term as President of the FIP? In the short term it is imperative that we set up a strong administrative base for the Federation to be able to then drive forward our various initiatives. To that end we have for the first time employed an interim CEO, Alejandro Taylor who was a past Treasurer of the AAP. We are currently canvassing the Member Nations to fill the permanent post. Once this has been achieved we will move onto reviewing the way the Federations Zone structure works to ensure that we can support all our Members at whatever level they play and to find ways to encourage more junior polo to bring in new blood to the sport. This all runs alongside current commitments such as the FIP World Snow Polo Tournament at the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China and ongoing preparations for the FIP World Cup which will take place in Chile in March. Let’s talk about promoting young talent in polo. With the pony clubs, England does an exemplary and sustainable job in supporting young riders in all equestrian disciplines. Outside of the UK, the support for young talent in polo may certainly have improved, but the majority of newcomers in our sport are still middle-aged adults. Does FIP have an approach that could achieve a structured support of young riders in the future? Will you personally campaign for the kids in polo sport, and if yes, in what form? Yes, Pony Club Polo in the UK has been an outstanding success and has brought many new players into the sport, as has the Schools and Universities (SUPA) programme. The FIP Ambassadors Cup formula has always been one of the main platforms for FIP, it is hoped that we might be able to start a series of Junior & Intermediate Ambassadors Cups around the world as the friendships made at this early stage will endure throughout their playing lifetime. FIP also has a development programme to encourage both youth polo and umpiring clinics and we distribute around $ 30,000 each year of IOC funds to Member Nations to promote the sport but we need to raise more funds to advance this programme. FIP’s Mission Statement is probably the best way to outline our various priorities: • Enhance the image and stature of the great game of polo on an international level. • Promote the practice of the sport worldwide. • Unite the polo associations of the many countries that play the sport under one Federation and one International rule. • Promote the sport to FIP members through coaching clinics and tournaments for children. • Promote the concepts of friendship, team spirit, equality, respect, integration and embrace the idea of fair play and safety. 9 Polo is certainly one of the most costly sports that you can practice. Large tournaments are funded by sponsors that the organising clubs and their presidents are often recruiting from their business environment. Does FIP also make efforts to win companies and well-heeled private individuals as sponsors for the polo sport? Will these revenues only be used for promoting the proprietary FIP international championships or will parts of the funds also be used for other projects supporting the polo sport? I really have to dispute your first statement, I agree that the sport is not inexpensive, but it is a lot more affordable than many other sports such as of sailing, flying, motorsports or even skiing if you do it regularly, it really depends on the level you play at. Certainly at the grass roots level it is a lot less expensive than many people believe and unfortunately we lose a lot of potential players due to this misconception. However, on the sponsorship front you are right, the only way to keep the costs at reasonable levels is to encourage business cooperation and sponsorship but we also need to take heed of what the sponsors require if we wish to retain them for a reasonable period. Yes, FIP encourages partnerships with commercial concerns but not just to promote the events, we also look to using such funds raised to promote both the sport and development internationally. For over two decades you have been Chairman of the Ham Polo Club that was established back in 1926 and is the last of many polo clubs that used to be in London’s Greater Metropolitan Area. Please tell us more about your club. I have always been immensely proud of the HPC, not just that we are the last club in London out of a dozen or so that flourished back at the turn of the last century, but also because we are a grass roots club which is owned and run by its members for the enjoyment of the sport so it is a mini-democracy. We play four times a week during the summer, we all love our ponies and we all love the sport, players and spectator members alike. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 Stärker als der Schweizer Franken. Die aktuelle Situation erlaubt uns eine Anpassung unserer Preise. Und auf dieser Basis können wir jetzt allen Freunden unserer Marke einen Bentley zu besonders attraktiven Konditionen anbieten. Vereinbaren Sie am besten noch heute einen Termin für ein Erlebnis ohne Kompromisse. Gern informieren wir Sie im Detail über unsere Angebote. Mit unseren massgeschneiderten Finanzierungspaketen kann der Erwerb eines Bentleys nun exakt auf Ihre Bedürfnisse zugeschnitten werden. Bentley Continental GT3-R Kraftstoffverbrauch in l/100km: innerorts 18,5; ausserorts 9,2; kombiniert 12,7; CO2-Emissionen 295 g/km. Effizienzklasse: G. 580 PS. Zur Vereinbarung eines Termins oder zum Erhalt weiterer Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an Bentley Zug, AUTO 1 AG, Alte Steinhauserstrasse 1, CH-6330 Cham-Zug T: +41 (0)41 748 6767, E: [email protected] www.bentley-zug.ch Der Name „Bentley“ und das geflügelte „B“ sind eingetragene Markenzeichen. © 2015 Bentley Motors Limited. BENTLEY ZUG POLO In addition to the above-mentioned offices, you are Steward of the Hurlingham Polo Association for 16 years. What are your main tasks in this position? In the past I have represented the smaller clubs on the Stewards Committee and I am also proud to be the Representative for Ghana on the HPA Council, a country I used to take a team to each year for over 17 years. Ghana has a long tradition of polo having started in 1902 and we still have reciprocal matches between our two clubs. The HPA Stewards meet several times a year to discuss how best to administer our Member Clubs, agree the season’s programme to ensure there are no clashes and look for ways to develop and promote the game. One of the biggest challenges that I have currently been given by the HPA is that I have been tasked to set up an HPA Virtual Polo Museum on line which will have galleries where people can reference the history of the modern game, see works of art, bronzes, trophies and past records to do with our sport. We are hoping to have it on-line sometime this year and all nations will be able to participate with their own section where they can record how the sport started in their own particular country to give a global picture of how the modern game spread around the world – it is a very exciting project but quite time consuming. If you would have to describe yourself, how would you complete the following sentence: Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers is a person who... Believes that polo is not just a sport but a total way of life and my only regret was that my overwhelming passion for polo was never fully supported by my talent, my time or my financial circumstances! Will you tell our readers something about the private life of Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers? Where do you live, do you have a family? Apart from your professional duties and polo, do you find the time for any other passions, and if so, which are they? I have lived in London, one of the greatest cities in the world, for almost 40 years with a most wonderful wife who generously allowed her passions to fade in order to support mine and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being so wonderfully big hearted! So I guess my only other passion is my wife Annie! Sadly, we were unable to have children so we tend to regard the Club as our surrogate child. What were your greatest achievements as an active polo player? What goals do you still pursue in that regard? I will never forget the thrill of playing with Cambiaso on the 10th anniversary of being Club Chairman of the Club – a match arranged in secret by a close friend, Peter McCormack to celebrate the event – I am sure it was as much of a shock for Adolfo as it was to me! The UK is a classic equestrian sport country. Did you always have a preference for the polo sport, or is there any key experience that kindled your passion for the game of kings? Actually my passion started at home in Australia and you can blame Sinclair Hill the +10 Goal Australian Player for kindling my passion – I used to listen to his wonderful stories of polo around the world and I guess I just followed my dream! I then joined the British Army and was lucky enough to be able to play in Germany and Hong Kong. No great achievements other than enjoying my ponies and loving every minute in the saddle. Proud to be still playing 4 times a week at the age of 66 and having achieved a +1 goal rating for 17 years until age, aches and trying to be a little less foolhardy got the better of me! 11 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015 in Tianjin, China Worldwide a class of its own China is a superpower not only economically – also when it comes to snow polo, the Middle Kingdom certainly knows how to impress. Already for the fourth time, the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club Tianjin was hosting the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup. Inspired by the Snow Polo in St. Moritz, the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club set out four years ago under the leadership of its Chairman Pan Sutong to organise the first snow polo tournament in Asia. In the meanwhile, the 10-day event has evolved into the biggest snow polo tournament in the world. And in the coming year, the organisers in Tianjin will continue to write polo history when 16 teams will compete at the next Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup. By Birgit Herrmann 12 POLO Anyone who has ever been to the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club knows that here things are a bit more glamorous than elsewhere in the world. If you want to describe the modern Goldin Metropolitan Hotel with its widely known wine cellar, a star-decorated cuisine of international reputation and the life-size polo statues in the driveway, the polo greens, the stables and the training opportunities with just a few words, all you can say is ‘a class of its own’. And just like the club, also the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup is a tournament like no other. Apart from the high-level duels between the 12 teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the UK, France, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Spain and the US on the snow-covered polo field, also the social program is an absolute highlight. Music lovers were thrilled by the Buenos Aires Opera Show with its ensemble of 12 outstanding musicians mesmerising the guests with a stunning selection of opera, Italian canzonetta, Broadway musicals, tango and modern music. In the final match, the Brazilian Team with Guilherme Lins (+5), Gustavo Garcia (+4) and Aluisio Vilela Rosa (+7) scored a comfortable 11-5 victory against Team USA (Delmer Walton (+3), Thomas Biddle Jr (+6) and Mike Azzaro (+7). In the game for third place, Argentina with Juan Cruz Gregouli (+4), Juan Maria Echeverz (+6) and Hector Jacinto Crotto (+6) played against France [Clement Delfosse (+5), Patrick Primael Paillol (+4) and Brieuc Rigaux (+5)] and secured a 8-5 victory. The Most Valuable Player award went to the Brazilian player Gustavo Garcia. 13 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO Chukker break with Chris Hyde A talk with the charming king of snow polo Chris Hyde is one of the world’s best snow polo players. The Australian-born polo professional played with an arena handicap of +9. This year he won the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz with Team Cartier for the third time in a row. Evelina Jakovlevskaja met him at Mr. Hyde’s Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz for Polo Luxury & Country Life Magazine. Interview: Evelina Jakovlevskaja How did you come to polo? What was your first experience of playing polo? I came to polo through my family. Back then in England there was a place called pony club. So when you were young, you rode the horses and the polo was one of the events that you can do in the pony club being a young boy and addicted to sport – polo is very addictive. If you like riding horses and you like polo sports, it combines very well. Most English players come up through the pony club and they either become professional or go to something else, and I took the professional path. At what age did you start to play polo? Did you start playing polo right away or were you just riding horses? I’ve been riding horses all my life since I can remember. My mother was an eventer and dressage rider and I started to play polo when I was 14 in a pony club and at 17 I got the apprenticeship to go to New Zealand. I did 6 months there and I started to work for them with sort of young horses. You really had to work your way into polo back in those days, unless you came from a very wealthy background. I wanted to be a proper professional. 14 Why you didn’t you stay in New Zealand? 20 years ago polo was a summer sport, so you played in summer in England and then in winter you went to the southern hemisphere: Argentina, Australia or New Zealand, that’s what we did. You started to play professionally when you were 17? Yes, I started to get my apprenticeship at 17 and I probably turned a proper pro when I was 17 or 19 years old. Have you ever thought to try another sport/ profession? I was going to go into architecture like my father and I was a quite successful Rugby player. But in those days Rugby wasn’t really a career, so it didn’t take much persuasion. Therefore I approached my dad and he said: “Do you want to do it?”, and I said “Yes, absolutely”, and haven’t looked back since. Were you able to make a living being a polo professional in England? Yes. It’s an amazing life. If you look back to your long career, what is your preferred place to play polo? There are so many. I mean in the winter there is no better place to play polo than St. Moritz. In the winter nothing compares to playing on the Lake St. Moritz, and in summer Barbados is fantastic, playing in Guards or in Gauge in England, there are so many nice places, Palermo in Argentina is an excellent place. I would say my favourite place is Guards Polo Club. You are a member of which polo club? Where were you trained? In England there are so many polo clubs, and then you have your yard, there you keep your horses and then you join a club and that’s from where you play. I am paid by my boss and all his team is in Guards where I play as well. If, for some reason, you would not be able to play in England anymore, which club would you join and in which part of the world? In Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. We used to go back there every winter. POLO 15 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 A HORSE DEFINITELY WORTH BETTING ON. Enjoy life‘s finer things and invest for the future with our Degussa precious metal bars or our series of investment coins. As an example, we offer the limited edition “Year of the Horse 2014“ Gold or Silver coin. We also provide secure storage solutions. This summer we will be opening our Geneva showroom. Until then we remain at your service in our Swiss headquarters at Zurich and in our Online Shop. DEGUSSAGOLDHANDEL.CH Bleicherweg 41 · 8002 Zurich Phone: +41 (0)44 403 41 10 [email protected] Zurich I Frank fur t I Berlin I Cologne I Hamburg I Hannover I Munich I Nuremberg I Pforzheim I Stut tgar t I London I Madrid POLO “I have been riding horses all my life since i can remember.” Where did you play on snow for the first time? The first time was in 2001. I played for Adriano Agosti for Cartier. I have been back maybe 6 or 7 times since then, and luckily we are here for 2 years in a row. 17 How different is it to play on the snow in St. Moritz or in other places, for example in Megève? It is completely different. None of the other tournaments have the same level as St. Moritz has. The ability of the players is much higher. The quality of the horses is a lot better and the money spent in St. Moritz is almost double than what you spend in Megève or any other place. They are very small. Very good tournaments but very low handicap. So very good for people who want to test their polo. What about the level of difficulty of managing the horse when you play on snow? It all depends on the weather. For example, last year the conditions were horrendous, so we played in very deep snow, but the year before it was the best conditions ever. I am looking forward to play this year, the lake looks really good, but it can change overnight. Do you associate any particular episode with St. Moritz? One thing that sticks in my mind was last year. Normally we play 4 chukkers. But last year we went on to 6 chukkers because no one could score and this never happened before. It just shows how difficult the conditions were. The horses were fine, but you couldn’t hit the ball very well because it was really deep, so this made it very hard for the players to run and score a goal. By many of your colleagues, you are considered the best polo player in the world on the snow. This is a big honour, but do you feel a particular pressure from your colleagues? Pressure depends on who you are playing with. If you have a good team chemistry you sort of release the pressure on each other. Obviously, if there is a penalty in the last 2 seconds, everyone feels pressure and deals with it. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO 31st Polo World Cup on Snow St. Moritz 1/ Third successive victory in a row for Cartier In its 31st edition, the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz was once again the sportive and social crowning point of the snow polo winter season. The AustralianBritish Team Cartier won the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz for the third time in a row. In the decisive match, Jonathan Munro Ford and his team did not give a chance to the Italian-GermanArgentine Team BMW and secured the hat trick. The physical conditions were excellent on all three days of the tournament. Attracting more than 12,000 spectators, the tournament was hugely successful with the public. 18 The battle for the first place of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz, The Cartier Trophy, was held on the Sunday afternoon between Cartier and BMW teams. By the start of the third chukker, Cartier had distinct the winning position of 5-1.5. In the third chukker, the aptitude of the game of the young Max Charlton of Team Cartier triumphed by scoring three remarkable goals in the fourth chukker alone. But the true leading man of the game was the 6-goaler Chris Hyde, who was also named ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the final, unveiling advanced tactical skill. Chris scored five out of the ten goals for Cartier. To win the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz 2015 was therefore the Cartier Team led by Australian Jonathan Munro Ford who beat in the final, with a sensational 10-2.5, the BMW Team, captained by Italian Rommy Gianni. By Evelina Jakovlevskaja POLO Cartier erneut eine Klasse für sich Der Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz war auch bei seiner 31. Auflage ein Publikumsmagnet. 12 000 begeisterte Polo-Fans fieberten mit bei den heissen Duellen auf dem gefrorenen St. Moritzer See. In einem sensationellen Final besiegte das Team Cartier das Team BMW mit 10:2,5 Toren. Herausragender Spieler mit 5 Toren im Final war Chris Hyde, der auch als «Most Valuable Player» ausgezeichnet wurde. Für das Team Cartier war es der dritte Sieg in Folge. Im Spiel um Platz drei setzte sich das Team Badrutt’s Palace Hotel gegen das Team Trois Pommes durch. After the game, the winning Team Cartier’s Chris Hyde, who scored five of the ten goals in the finals, praised the high level of the tournament. “The match against Badrutt’s Palace was one of the best snow polo games I ever played”, said the scorer of the, by now, three-times winning team. “The field was superb—these are the best conditions I ever played on.” In the finals for third place, the Swiss Team Trois Pommes bowed to the Irish-British Team Badrutt’s Palace Hotel and had to contend themselves with the last place in the tournament. The crowds were fascinated by both games of the last day: playing on a hard ground, all teams put up a strong fight and displayed fascinating polo playing, which the spectators visibly enjoyed. Photos: 1/Evelina Jakovlevskaja, 2–5/www.swissimage/Andy Mettler 19 Team Cartier (+16) Jonathan Munro Ford (0, AUS) Max Charlton (+7, GBR) Jamie Morrison (+3, GBR) Chris Hyde (+6, GBR) Team Badrutt’s Palace Hotel (+16) Richard Fagan (+1, IRL) Max Hutchinson (+3, IRL) Richard Le Poer Beresford (+6, GBR) James Harper (+6, GBR) Team BMW (+15) Rommy Gianni (+1, ITA) Paolo Netzsch (+1, GER) Lucas Labat (+6, ARG) Dario Musso (+7, ARG) Team Trois Pommes (+14) Tutti Wolfensberger (+1, SUI) Pepe Riglos (+6, ARG) Piki Diaz Alberdi (+7, ARG) Cedric Schweri (0, SUI) Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 Jeder Raum ein Erlebnis. Every room is an experience. Die eigenen Bedürfnisse und die persönlichen Anforderungen an einen Raum unterscheiden sich von Mensch zu Mensch. Multipliziert man diese Tatsache mit dem Angebot an Materialien, Formen, Farben und Stilrichtungen, entstehen grenzenlose Möglichkeiten der Raumgestaltung. People’s individual needs and expectations of a room vary from one person to another. Multiply this by the array of available materials, shapes, colours and styles, and the interior design possibilities become virtually limitless. Arttesa ist Architektur, Innenarchitektur, Design und Landschaftsarchitektur von der Idee bis zur Realisation. Arttesa stands for architecture, interior design, design and landscaping, from the initial idea through to project completion. Arttesa, 3011 Bern, Wasserwerkgasse 20, +41 31 310 51 00 Arttesa, 1207 Genève, Rue du Parc 4, +41 22 735 38 22 www.arttesa.ch, [email protected] POLO 13th Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel 2015 Fantastic polo and lots of glamour in ‘Kitz’ One week before the world-famous Hahnenkamm Race on the Streif, the 13th edition of the Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup attracted almost 15,000 spectators to the alpine town of Kitzbühel, also affectionately known as ‘Kitz’. Superbly styled ladies, the fragrance of potent Cuban cigars and sophisticated perfumes in the air, and the riveting duels of polo players darting through the snowy arena on their nimble horses give the Kitzbühel snow polo event its unparalleled glamour. Fantastisches Polo und viel Glamour in «Kitz» Eine Woche vor dem weltberühmten Hahnenkammrennen auf der Streif zog die 13. Auflage des Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup fast 15 000 Zuschauer nach «Kitz». Elegant gestylte Ladies, der Duft von kräftigen Havannas, edlem Parfüm und die begeisternden Duelle der auf ihren schnellen Pferden durch die Schnee-Arena stiebenden Polospieler verleihen dem Kitzbüheler Schneepolo-Event viel Glamour. Jahr für Jahr vermag der Veranstalter Lifestyle Events, unter der Führung von Tito Gaudenzi und Frank Bahrenburg, das Niveau des Turniers zu steigern und mittlerweile gehört ein Sieg beim Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel zu den Meilensteinen, die wohl jeder ambitionierte Polospieler gerne in seinem Palmares verewigt. Dem Deutschen Sebastian Schneberger, Stammgast in Kitz, gelang dies mit seinen Teamkollegen Philipp de Groot und Valentin Novillo Astrada zum zweiten Mal. Die Spannung und die Emotionen kochten in der Finalbegegnung zwischen Schnebergers Team DWB Holding und KCC/Transgourmet hoch. Matchwinner für DBW Holding war der das gesamte Turnier über brillant spielende Valentin Novillo Astrada. Photo: Michael Werlberger The ‘13’, feared by many as an unlucky number, brought a lot of good fortune to this year’s snow polo tournament in Kitzbühel. Year after year, the organiser Lifestyle Events under the leadership of Tito Gaudenzi and Frank Bahrenburg had been able to raise the level of the tournament, and by now a victory at the Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel is certainly one of the milestones that any ambitious polo player is keen to show in his portfolio. For a second time in a row, the German player Sebastian Schneberger won the tournament with his team colleagues Philipp de Groot and Valentin Novillo Astrada after having scored last year’s victory. The final showdown between Schneberger’s team DWB Holding and KCC/ Transgourmet was marked by great suspense with emotions running high. Match winner for DBW Holding was the Argentine player Valentin Novillo Astrada. Pushing the game from the start and showing a brilliant technique, he managed to pull off the decisive manoeuvres for a clear 8.5-4 victory. 21 Ranking 1. DWB Holding Sebastian Schneberger Philipp de Groot Valentin Novillo Astrada 4. Tom Tailor Uwe Schröder Gastón Maíquez Heinrich Dumrath 2. KCC/Transgourmet Mathias Maíquez Henk van Druten Maurice van Druten 5. AUDI Estelle Wagner Patrick Maleitzke Tatu Gomez Romero 3. Bernd Gruber Eva Brühl Steffi von Pock Adrian Laplacette 6. Valartis Bank Tito Gaudenzi Stefan Proietti/ Andreas Bihrer Matthias Vial Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO Porangahau Beach Polo’s second successful tournament Beach Polo at its best! By Trish Heming The final cup for the day was for the High Goal Marquee Game winners, Ngatarawa. Presented to Aaron Vowles, Simon McDonald and Lochie Hunter. Lochie also won MVP, winning a trophy donated and presented by The Argentinian Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Fernando Daniel Escalona LTR Simon McDonald (Wanstead Polo Club Stalwart and Porangahau Beach Polo Committee Member), Mr. Tsogt, International Ambassador for Genghis Khan Polo and Riding Club and His Excellency Mr. Fernando Daniel Escalona chatting at the Porangahau Beach Polo’s Cocktail Party Aaron Vowels, Lucas Simcox, Simon McDonald and Lochie Hunter Team Ngatarawa (in black shirts) versus Central fm High Goal Marquee game 22 8 teams, 24 players, 72 horses, hundreds of guests and casual watchers all made for a fantastic day of polo for Porangahau Beach Polo’s second annual event. Porangahau Beach Polo holds the only beach polo in New Zealand, and players themselves are enthusiastic about participating as the event gives them the opportunity to play the sport they love whilst showing the uninitiated a sport that they, often know nothing about. POLO Four games of polo were played on the almost made-to-measure Te Paerahi Beach at scenic Porangahau, a little township tucked away in the eastern Central Hawkes Bay hills. Players who came from Malaysia, China, Mongolia, Australia, England as well as various parts of New Zealand along with their horses treated locals and guests to a feast of speed, colour and excitement on the beach whilst commentators Ben McKelvie and Harriet Kuru explained the intricacies of beach polo to the more than expected crowd which was estimated to be approximately 2000. Brothers Hugo, Barnaby and Harry Kirk who had travelled from Scotland, USA and Australia to watch their father, former All Black captain David Kirk, who played in the 5C Global Links V Bailador game in the tournament LTR Edwina Askew (Red Snap’r/Mandalay Polo) and Abi Slater (Nite Watches) with sticks aloft ride with Lucy Taylor on the softer side of the playing arena as the sand flicks up The final game, the showpiece high-goal game, had last year’s Champions Team Ngatarawa: Lochie Hunter (+5), Aaron Vowles (+4) and Simon McDonald (+2) beat Team Central fm: Dave Miller (+5), Jonny Coddington (+4) and Lucas Simcox (+1) 5 goals to 1. In the international game, Team 5C Global Links [Hamish McLean (-1) Simon Coddington (+2) Nick Bowen (+1)] beat Team Bailador [David Kirk (-1), Jared Thompson (+1) and John Reisima (+1)] 4 goals to 2. Team Red Snap’r/Mandalay Polo Team of Edwina Askew (0), Laura Harris-Malone (-1) and Lucy Taylor (+1) won the Ladies Game Trophy. They beat Team Nite Watches Abigail Slater (-1), Melanie Cochrane (-2) and Dani Miller (0) 5 goals to 1. In the invitational game Team EuroTour [Andy Cochrane (-2), Tim Simcox (0) and Nick Coddington (+2)] beat Team Splashzone [Cody Jones (+1), Phillip Thompson (0) and Palam (-2)] 4 goals to 1. VIP guests descended on Porangahau from around the globe, representing more than a dozen countries as well as those from many parts of New Zealand and faithful locals to be at this ever applauded event that, is not just about the polo, says Porangahau Beach Polo Chairman, Hamish McLean, but about bringing the community together. The Red Snap’r/Mandalay Polo Team of Edwina Askew, Laura Harris-Malone and Lucy Taylor with their Ladies Game Trophy Isla Paget, Sue Stoddart, Chrissy Stoddart, all Porangahau locals with Anne Knight from Napier and Sheryll Freeman from Waipawa enjoying cocktails at the Porangahau Beach Polo Cocktail Party Beach Polo vom Feinsten Acht Teams mit Spielern aus Malaysia, China, der Mongolei, Australien, England und verschiedenen Teilen Neuseelands kämpften beim einzigen Beach Polo Turnier Neuseelands – dem Porangahau Beach Polo – um den Sieg. Im Final verteidigte der Vorjahressieger Team Ngatarawa [Lochie Hunter (+5), Aaron Vowles (+4) und Simon McDonald (+2)] den Titel mit 5:1 gegen das Team Central fm, für das Dave Miller (+5), Jonny Coddington (+4) und Lucas Simcox (+1) in den Sattel stiegen. Doch auch neben dem Spielfeld ging es hochkarätig zu. Porangahau Beach Polo Chairman Hamish McLean konnte VIP-Gäste aus der ganzen Welt willkommen heissen, die das spannende Geschehen auf dem Spielfeld und die Strandparty in vollen Zügen genossen. Photos: Trish Heming 23 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO 10th Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at Desert Palm Polo Club Dubai Diego Cavanagh leads his team to victory HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein Photos: Chris Jackson/ Getty Images for Cartier 24 POLO Under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the internationally acclaimed Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is held each year at Desert Palm. The one-week lead up to the final match features four teams playing a series of tough league games and the final is one of Dubai’s most anticipated sporting events of the year. The champions of Team Desert Palm: Tom Brodie, Diego Cavanagh, Rashid Albwardy, Alan Meeker 25 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and Olivia Palermo 10th Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at Desert Palm Polo Club Dubai Bereits zum zehnten Mal war der Desert Palm Polo Club in Dubai Gastgeber der Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge. Das auf Handicap 12-Niveau ausgetragene Turnier stand unter der Schirmherrschaft von Prinzessin HRH Haya Bint Al Hussein, Ehefrau von Scheich HH Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vize-Präsident und Premierminister der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate. Im Final standen sich das für den gastgebenden Desert Palm Polo Club antretende Team (Alan Meeker, Rashid Albwardy, Tom Brodie und Diego Cavanagh) und das von HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum angeführte Team UAE gegenüber. Das Team Desert Palm gewann den Final mit 10:4 Goals. Das Spiel um Platz drei konnte wegen eines Sandsturms nicht ausgetragen werden, daher teilen sich die Teams Cartier Red und Abu Dhabi den dritten Platz. Best Playing Pony: Ali Albwardy’s Castora played by Desert Palm’s Diego Cavanagh 2015 was an anniversary for the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge, as this was the 10th time that the prestigious tournament had been held at the Desert Palm Polo Club Dubai. A novelty in this anniversary year is the fact that two teams are sharing third place in this handicap 12 tournament: Team Cartier Red and Team Abu Dhabi. This is due to the circumstance that after the final, where we saw a high-level sport performance, a sand storm made it impossible to hold the Desert Palm Trophy for third place. In the final, the hosting Desert Palm Team (Alan Meeker, Rashid Albwardy, Tom Brodie and Diego Cavanagh) defeated the Team UAE led by HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum with 10-4 goals. 27 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 HOME FURNISHINGS FASCINATION FROM THE BLACK FOREST Made-to-measure furnishings to meet the highest demands. Dreams of a home with its own character- individually planned and created 2.000 m2 Showroom - near the Swiss border. 79862 Höchenschwand / Black Forest Fon +49 7755.93 93-0 · Mail: [email protected] baur-bwf.de POLO HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein with Alan Meeker (Team Desert Palm) and Laurent Gaborit, Regional Managing Director of Cartier Middle East, India and Africa HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum Ranking 1. Desert Palm (Handicap 12) Alan Meeker (0) Rashid Albwardy (+2) Tom Brodie (+2) Diego Cavanagh (+8) 2. UAE Polo Team (Handicap 12) Sandra Schneider (-1) HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum (0) Santiago Stirling (+4) Lucas Monteverde (+9) 3. Cartier Red (Handicap 10) Clive Reid (0) Martin Valent (+2) Tariq Albwardy (+1) Matias Zavaleta (+7) 3. Abu Dhabi (Handicap 12) Faris Al Yabhouni (0) Nasser Al Shamsi (+1) Ernesto Oscar Trotz (+4) Alfredo Cappella (+7) Cartier White (+12) Rashid Al Habtoor (0) Khalaf Al Habtoor (-1) Joaquin Pittaluga (+7) Nacho Gonzalez (+6) Guards (+12) HRH Prince Abbas Bin Ali Bin Nayef (0) Amr Zedan (0) Pablo Casero (+2) Pablo MacDonough (+10) Laurent Gaborit and actress Olivia Palermo 29 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO Polo in paradise For most of the world Hawai‘i conjures up images of beautiful sandy beaches, deep blue seas, towering waves ridden by daredevil surfers and lovely, graceful beauties dancing hula to the soft romantic sound of Hawaiian music. It comes as a surprise to many that Hawai‘i had cowboys before the western world and polo before the mainland U.S. By the mid1800s cattle ranching was well established in Hawai‘i, with numerous large ranches on all islands. The paniolo culture and their skills as horsemen had also become a part of the Hawaiian culture and legend. In the 1870s the Hawaiian monarchy was at its peak with King Kalakaua on the throne. Known as the Merrie Monarch for his love of music, hula and pageantry, he was the first world monarch to circumnavigate the globe. He brought electricity back to his home, Iolani Palace, before it was installed in the White House in Washington D.C. Many of Hawai‘i’s royalty followed, traveling around the world, introducing the Hawaiian Kingdom abroad and bringing ideas and other inventions from England, Europe and the U.S. back to the islands. Kalakaua was also a great lover of horses and horse racing (as well as gambling...). In 1877, he gave a gift of royal lands in Waikiki as a park to the people of Oahu, stretching along Waikiki Beach below the famous peak of Diamond Head, to be named Kapiolani Park. In the center of the park was a race track for horses. By the 1880s a polo field was established in the middle of the race track as well. While polo is often said to have been introduced to Hawai‘i by British Army officer Louis Van Tempstey (while visiting the Big Island in 1885, where a match was played at Opolo point), Honolulu newspaper stories from 1880 describe a game of polo, with five men to a side, played on Oahu on November 3rd 1880. Either way, without a doubt, by the late 1880s polo was flourishing on Oahu in Kapiolani Park under the patronage and support of King Kalakaua. Even the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy in 1889, and the loss of 30 royal patronage and support, did not slow the popularity of polo and its growth in the islands. The sport of kings continued to grow, and polo soon spread to all the major islands where the ranching paniolo culture was well entrenched and horses plentiful. From the 1920s to the early 1940s, Hawaii polo was in its heyday. Competitions between islands and families were fierce and the army/ cavalry teams brought an additional level of competition to the tournaments. On Oahu (the home island of Honolulu) there were at least seven polo fields, several at military bases such as Schofield Barracks, home of the 25th Cavalry. Horses were plentiful and of high quality. Parker Ranch exported many horses to the mainland U.S., so much so that the islands were considered the top U.S.Army remount ranch/supplier to the U.S. from the 1920s to the 1940s. The Dillingham family on Oahu developed a reputation for breeding and training top polo ponies as well, with a number being sold and shipped back to the East Coast of the U.S., selling for large sums. U.S. Army General George Patton, at that time still a colonel, was a frequent player on Oahu in the 30s and early 40s. He was known as a fierce competitor, and was sent off the field in one match for ‘ungentlemanly conduct’. But the fiercest competition was between the Oahu Blues, led by the Dillingham family, and the Maui Gold, led by the Baldwin and Rice families, with the championship of the islands going back and forth between the two from year to year. With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the onset of World War II and the demise of the cavalry, polo went dark in Hawai‘i from 1942 until 1948 when the islands were under Photo: MKuras POLO By Mike Dailey In 1793, Captain Vancouver delivered a gift to King Kamehameha I: a shipload of cattle, a creature that had never been seen in the islands before. The Hawaiians, having no experience with these beasts, looked abroad for help controlling, containing and managing the cattle which were running loose in the countryside, creating havoc. Help came from Mexico when a group of Mexican vaqueros were invited to the islands by the King and his advisors to help tame and manage the cattle. The Mexican cowboys taught young Hawaiians cattle management and horse riding skills, married Hawaiian ladies and raised families. Thus cattle ranching was born in Hawai‘i along with the ‘paniolo’, the name the Hawaiians coined for the Hawaiian cowboy. © Andrea Izzotti – fotolia.com 31 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 POLO martial law. Once the war was over, the Hawai‘i Polo and Racing Association was restarted on its outdoor field in Kapiolani Park. Soon after in 1950, an uncovered grass arena field was added in Kapiolani Park as well. With no more cavalry and a shortage of polo horses in the post war island world, Hawaii polo struggled to get back on its feet, and arena polo led the way. From 1954 to 1957 polo found a new boost in popularity as arena polo matches featuring visiting U.S. mainland teams with high goal players, as well as inter-island rivalries, were played in the old Honolulu Stadium in the heart of downtown Honolulu. Large crowds attended polo once again. Many famous players of the time, such as Bob Skene, George Oliver, Billy Linfoot and Buddy Combs, traveled to Hawai‘i to play in these popular and exciting matches. In spite of its popularity and consistent crowds, stadium polo ran out of money in 1957 and shut down. Yet, within a year a group of players led by Fred Dailey, Bob Allen and Peter Perkins, the highest rated player ever from Hawaii at eight goals, got together and formed the new Waikiki Polo Club with matches held once again in the arena in Kapiolani Park. These well-attended games were open and free to the public and Honolulu had a strong polo fan base. However, Honolulu was growing and the forces of urbanization were pushing hard against keeping polo and the adjacent public stables, in Kapiolani Park. Neighbors complained of flies and smells and the crowds that the games attracted. It was a losing battle: by the early 1960s the stables were torn down and polo in the park was history. With the closing of Kapiolani Park polo, arena polo moved to Tongg Ranch on the western outskirts of Honolulu. It was also in the early 60s that Hawai‘i business tycoon, Rudi Tongg, who had started playing polo with his son Ronnie in the late 1950s, purchased the Santa Barbara Polo Club, with polo greats Billy Linfoot and Bob Skene as his pros. He then took a Hawai‘i team of six-goal player/son Ronnie Tongg, Harold Merk, Ray Harrington and Billy Linfoot, and their horses, across the Atlantic Ocean to play the English and French seasons in 1964. Hawai‘i was making itself known on the international polo circuit. In 1964 the Hawaii Polo Club, headed by Fred Dailey, opened at Mokuleia with its outdoor polo field on the beach on Oahu’s North Shore on the grounds of the historic Dillingham Ranch with its rich polo history and tradition. 32 Polo at Mokuleia thrived and crowds of fans made the trek from Honolulu to ‘the country’ to take in the matches, tailgate and socialize and enjoy the view along the beach. It was a social event, a sporting event and ‘a day in the country’. Visiting teams from around the world and the continental USA came to play and to thrill the local fans. Crowds of thousand or more would line the field for the big events and most popular visiting teams. Most popular of all visiting teams was the English/Irish team captained by Tyron Waterford. From 1964 to the late 1980s the Hawai‘i vs England series kicked off every season at Mokuleia. POLO © trubavink – fotolia.com Photo: MKuras The revival of outdoor polo on Oahu at Mokuleia helped lead the way to a reawakening of polo across the islands. The Maui Polo Club, under the leadership of Peter Baldwin, roared back on the scene with Maui teams soon challenging Oahu teams for the inter-island championship. Clubs sprouted up on Kaua‘i and the Big Island; and a second Oahu club, the Honolulu Polo Club , was formed. Over the past five decades, the Hawaii Polo Club has hosted a variety of teams from around the world, including India, Kenya, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Malaysia and Brunei. The signature honor of playing in Hawai‘i is the famous ‘Mokuleia Red Ascot’ awarded to each of these visiting players. Last year the Hawai‘i Polo Club celebrated 50 years of polo at Mokuleia. The field is part of the historic 2,500 acre Dillingham Ranch, established in the early 1900s and once home to the Dillingham family team and their extensive polo pony breeding and training operations in the pre WWII era. As part of the Golden Anniversary celebration, visiting teams scheduled for the 2014 season include Mexico, New Zealand, India and Malaysia. Inviting residents and visitors to enjoy the beauty of Mokuleia, Hawai‘i Polo Club President Mike Dailey says every Sunday, April to September, the polo field at Mokuleia is the place to be. While the matches begin at 2:00 p.m., the gates open early for carloads of fans who park their cars around the field, taking beach walks or a swim at halftime. The Hawaii Polo Club members enjoy food and tall drinks in the open-air clubhouse that combines island elegance with Hawaiian backyard-style casual party feel. Sky divers do pin point landings on the field at half time, and live bands play post match till sundown. The only handicap to visiting players is the distraction of the ocean in the background or a beautiful Hawaiian rainbow arching across the field. This is truly ‘polo in paradise’. Hawaii Polo Club, www.hawaii-polo.org 33 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 BESICHTIGEN SIE DIE MUSTERWOHNUNG AB FRÜHLING 2015 W W W. O N E - O N E . C H Neubau in Cham, Kt. Zug Phone +41 41 500 01 38 HLP Development AG Ein Heinz Häusler Unternehmen FA HR Z E UGE · C A RS Infiniti QX70S V6 3.7 Nissans Nobel SUV wagt einen Spagat Wer einen SUV sucht, mit dem er wenig auffällt, ist mit dem Infiniti QX70 definitiv falsch beraten. Nicht einmal mit den neuen Modellen von Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, um nur einige zu nennen, sind wir je so viel angesprochen worden, wie mit dem Infiniti. Der bullige Allradler fällt auf und häufig kam von Passanten die Nachfrage, was das für ein Fahrzeug und dessen Hersteller wäre. Von einer bequemen Sitzposition aus eröffnet sich der Blick auf das Armaturenbrett und die breite Mittelkonsole. Für mehr Übersichtlichkeit keimt dabei angesichts der vielen Schalter und Bedienelemente der Wunsch nach mehr Klarheit in Form von Multifunktionselementen auf. Hält man sich den Anschaffungspreis vor Augen, darf man das Fehlen eines lederbezogen Cockpits nicht wirklich kritisieren, auch wenn einen der viele Kunststoff nicht wirklich glücklich macht. Von Christoph Hügli Ich muss gestehen, dass ich als eingefleischter BMW X5-Fahrer mit der Marke Infiniti bisher wenig Berührungspunkte hatte. Umso mehr war meine Neugier geweckt, als auf dem Testplan der Redaktion der Infiniti QX70S V6 3.7 auftauchte. Es juckte mir in den Fingern herauszufinden, was Nissans Nobelmarke in Sachen SUV im Köcher hat. Der Blick auf den Preis des Testfahrzeugs (CHF 75 750) entlockte mir ein ungläubiges Staunen, und noch hinzukommend, weil die bei den deutschen Herstellern naturgemäss vorhandene lange Liste der Zusatzausstattung, als mehrheitlich schon im Serienpreis enthalten, abgehakt werden konnte. Ein Vorteil, den auch Toyotas Luxusmarke Lexus für sich verbuchen kann. und dem Infiniti Q70 V6 3.7 schlummert. Dieser hängt gut am Gas und es wird deutlich, dass Infiniti mit seinem Cross-over-Fahrzeug den Spagat wagt, die Attribute eines SUV mit einer sportlichen Limousine zu verschmelzen. Optisch widerspiegeln dies zudem die 21-Zoll-Leichtmetallfelgen, die markante Frontpartie sowie die insgesamt recht flache Oberlinie des QX70. Auch wenn der QX70 in 6,8 Sekunden von 0-100 km/h beschleunigt, ein grosser Sportler ist er nicht. Dies zeigt sich vor allem auf der Autobahn, wo man sich bei Überholmanövern doch mehr Reserven wünschen würde. Im Stadtverkehr und über Land offenbart der QX70, dass unter seiner muskulös wirkenden Motorhaube kein eigentliches SUV-Aggregat, sondern vielmehr der 320 PS starke V6 3.7-Motor aus dem Nissan Z370 Auch wenn zuvor nicht nur Lob verschüttet wurde, so fällt das Fazit für den QX70 durchaus sehr positiv aus. Er ist ein Fahrzeug mit hohem Wiedererkennungswert, bietet viel Platz und Fahrspass und dies zu einem extrem günstigen Preis. Rechnet man den aktuell geltenden Euro-Bonus von 15 % noch ein, so spricht vieles für den QX70. Mehr Informationen und die Möglichkeit einer Probefahrt hält die Garage Zollikofer in St. Gallen jederzeit gerne bereit. 35 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 traumhaus © traumhaus/Lea Hepp; traumhaus/Tanya Hasler Ihr Partner für Baufragen Wir projektieren, bauen, erneuern Wohnbauten Bauten für Industrie, Gewerbe und Dienstleistungen Bauphysikalische und energetische Sanierungen Umnutzung und bauliche Erneuerung bestehender, auch historischer Bausubstanz Wir planen, beraten Gestaltungspläne Bebauungsstudien Bauphysik, Energie Gutachten, Expertisen, Schätzungen Hans-Peter Bärtsch Creed Kuenzle Christian Gerber Christof Geyer Münchsteig 10 8008 Zürich Telefon 044 385 93 11 Telefax 044 385 93 10 [email protected] www.bkg.ch FA HR Z E UGE · C A RS Als Aston Martin seinen neusten leistungsstärksten V12-Motor mit dem neuen automatisierten 7-Gang-Schaltgetriebe Sportshift III kombinierte, schufen sie einen Vantage, der einen beispiellosen Vortrieb auf die Strasse bringt. Der V12 Vantage S Roadster vereint Emotionen, Begeisterung und ein intensives Fahrerlebnis in einem unvergleichlichen Gesamtpaket. Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster Design und Ingenieurkunst in Perfektion Von Birgit Herrmann Der V12 Vantage S vermittelt eine einzigartige Mischung aus atemberaubender Leistung, moderner Ingenieurskunst und überwältigendem Design. Mit dem neuen dreistufigen adaptiven Dämpfungssystem (ADS), der weiterentwickelter Carbon-Keramik-Bremsanlage, einer leichtgängigeren Servolenkung sowie einem per Knopfdruck abrufbaren Sport-Modus wird ein präziseres Ansprech- und Fahrverhalten erzielt und gewährleistet, sodass die Grenzen des fahrerisch Möglichen immer wieder neu definiert werden. Seine 565 Pferdestärken und 620 Nm lassen den Fahrer einen Adrenalinrausch erleben. Der Ausdruck sportlicher Kraft und perfekte Proportionen machen den V12 Vantage S zu einer modernen Designikone. 37 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster Powerful athleticism. Perfect balance. Vantage is a true icon of contemporary design. Perhaps the greatest achievement is producing a car which looks as simple, pure and toned in Roadster format as it does as a Coupe. An explosive combination of fearsome power is delivered by the AM28 V12 engine, the most advanced sports car engine ever made by Aston Martin. This raw power is shown by scintillating figures; 565 bhp of power, 620 Nm of peak torque and a top speed of 201mph – this is the fastest convertible ever produced by Aston Martin. V12 Vantage S doesn’t just deliver power it’s harnessed by the bespoke seven-speed Sportshift III automated manual transmission. This marriage of high performance engine and specifically engineered transmission is one derived from our GT race programme – proven through endurance race success. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 © ExQuisine – fotolia.com SPECIAL 38 S PE C IA L The fascinating world of cigars Columbus, the Spanish cigar monopoly, and what do good cigars and noble wines have in common? Cuba is synonymous for premium cigars. But long before Havana became the world’s prime hub for fine cigars, it was the Spanish who introduced cigars to the world. Shortly after Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, the first cigar factories were established in Spain. And this is also how tobacco turned into what it is still today: a luxury commodity. In its place of origin, the Americas, it had only been used by the indigenous tribes for religious or medical purposes as a chewed, snuffed or boiled herb. The first cigar factory in Havana opened its doors in 1799. But in this period the Spanish still controlled the world market due to a monopoly. This changed all of a sudden in 1817 when the Spanish monopoly was lifted. In Cuba cigar factories were popping up like mushrooms, the economy was booming and quickly Havana turned into the biggest trading hub for cigars in the world. By Birgit Herrmann 39 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 Ein authentisches Feuer. Ausdruck von Kultur und Lebensart. – Es kann wärmen – Es soll aber auch ein Ort der Ruhe, des Nachdenkens, des Ideenfindens, des Gespräches, des Geniessens, sein. Solche Feuerstellen bauen wir. Objekt. .Vesta Baujahr. .2012 Gewicht. .1050 kg Einzelanfertigung. .auf Mass Material. .Schiffstahl, ø 10 – 20 mm Mittelteil. .360° drehbar DANI RUTZ. Feuerstellen, St. Gallen 071 245 40 92 www.rutz-feuerstellen.com [email protected] S PE C IA L But reducing the world of cigars purely to the smoking experience would not do justice to this highly interesting industry. Anyone who goes to the trouble of learning more about the particular features of the individual tobacco-growing regions and leading brands will quickly feel the desire to get detailed insight into the manufacturing of cigars which requires a great deal of skill, and the numerous different cigar varieties. And, quite unexpectedly, this can also be highly entertaining, as many cigars tell stories of romantic encounters, catastrophic storms or plotting business tycoons, and much more. © ViewApart – fotolia.com For a long time cigars were rather associated with elderly gentlemen of aristocratic background. The British Premier Winston Churchill, for example, epitomised the typical cigar smoker. But to the enjoyment of producers, the number of cigar lovers kept rising steadily since the 1990s – also attracting the younger generations. The industry has responded to this development with an ever increasing range of products on offer. According to experts, today you can find excellent cigars in any price range. This is because some new producers that are pushing onto the market offer their raw diamonds sometimes at very appealing prices in order to introduce them to the consumer. Those discerning customers, however, that don’t settle for anything less than outstanding products of noble pedigree will have to dig quite deep into their pockets to purchase those rare gems at auctions or selected cigar lounges. Similar to noble wines or whisky, also when it comes to cigars, first-class raw materials are only the basis for making fine products. At least as important for determining whether a cigar will indeed become a prime product is the workmanship and the storage process that may take quite a number of years for top-level cigars. The most sought-after are the hand-rolled long filler cigars made of whole tobacco leafs. Premium cigars stand out by having uniformly coloured wrapper leaves. The leaves not only determine the visual appearance, but to a decisive degree also the flavour of the cigar. As a cigar smoker you have a dazzling selection to decide from. Apart from the type, you can select from a wide variety of countries of origin, many different tobacco varieties with the most diverse levels of strength and flavours, and also the format of the cigar – the so-called vitola – that determines the proportion of length and diameter of the cigar, offers a huge variety which can also impact on the flavour of a cigar depending on the format. Although there are no regulations of how a cigar should look like, over the years preferred cigar formats have developed. Vitolas such as Robusto, Corona, Churchill, Torpedo, Toro, Panetela and Cigarillo are the most common formats. Prefixes like Petit or Small and Grand or Long indicate whether the cigars are smaller, larger, thicker or thinner. The cigar smoker is a connoisseur who smokes for enjoyment. For his smoking experience he will allocate sufficient time and select the size and format accordingly. Therefore, a cigar of 18 centimetres and above, such as the Double Corona or the Grand Panatella, will rather be enjoyed in the evening when there is sufficient time and leisure. 41 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 A n Un iqu e D es ign S c u l p tu re? A h i gh te ch h u mi dor co nst r u c te d as a g la ss t résor. Hygi eni c like an o pe rat i ng ro om . Revo lu ti on ar y i n tech no log y a nd d esi gn . Cre ated for ever. The first impression is intense. Massive float glass gives the Reposo transparency to which the brushed stainless steel stands in an elegant contrast. Solid cedrela reflects the lights of many staging spots. Inside the finest scent of untreated cedrela wood. Protecting rare cigars for decades. The perfect grain carefully selected out of one single block of wood. Stored for a couple of years before incorporated in a Reposo. So every Reposo shows it‘s unique personality. Equipped with the most advanced technologies like the electronically generated cold moistened fresh air. The programmable logic controller system provides a permanent auto steering of the system and all electronic probes. A constantly sterilisation of air and water is providing a maximum of protection. C re a te yo ur own v in ta ge. Re p o so is on e of 100 Ge r m a n m a nu fa ct ur e rs a t the ‘H an d m ad e Wo rl d tou r 2 01 5 ’ www. h a nd m a de - wo rl dto ur. co m Re p o so Hi gh En d Hu m id or s - Ha n dc raf ted in G e r m a ny ww w. re p oso . d e S PE C IA L © ExQuisine – fotolia.com List of the most common formats and their dimensions 43 Format Length in mm Diameter in mm Ring size Cigarillo 80 to 130 Up to 11.5 Up to 29 Corona 130 to 170 15 to 18.5 38 to 47 Long Corona 149 to 162 16 to 17.5 40 to 44 Gran Corona 143 to 168 17.5 to 18.7 44 to 47 Petit Corona 102 to 129 16 to 18 40 to 45 Double Corona 171 to 197 19.5 to 21.4 49 to 54 Robusto 114 to 140 19 to 21.4 48 to 54 Short Robusto 100 to 110 19 bis 21,4 48 to 54 Double Robusto 125 to 140 20.6 to 24 52 to 60 Toro 143 to 168 19 to 21.4 48 to 54 Double Toro 140 to 170 21.4 to 24 54 to 60 Torpedo 140 to 170 19.4 to 21.4 49 to 54 Perfecto 150 to 155 16 to 17 40 to 43 Churchill 171 to 200 17.5 to 20 44 to 50 Lonsdale 165 to 184 16 to 17.5 40 to 44 Panetela 145 to 175 13 to 15.5 33 to 39 Small Panetela 102 to 127 13 to 15.5 33 to 39 Slim Panetela 127 to 170 12 to 13.5 30 to 34 Long Panetela 170 to 195 14 to 16 35 to 40 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 GARDEN STAGING, DER ZUR WERTSTEIGERUNG IHRER IMMOBILIE Vision Garten Gartenar chitektur & Design VISION GARTEN GMBH · GARTENARCHITEKTUR & DESIGN DORFSTRASSE 45 · CH - 6035 PERLEN / LU · T +41 41 203 30 10 · [email protected] · WWW.VISIONGARTEN.CH S PE C IA L Some cigar know-how for perfect enjoyment From smoker to collector The perfect enjoyment of a cigar requires a little bit of know-how and the right equipment. To avoid ruining a fine cigar, it has to be properly cut. This is done by using a special cigar cutter that enables the connoisseur to cut off the cap completely, at the same ensuring that the head of the cigar is only cut to such an extent that later it won’t unravel in the mouth. Also lighting your cigar requires a certain level of skill, as any mistakes might impact on its flavour during smoking. Experienced cigar smokers will prefer cedar wood strips (known as ‘spill’) or a gas lighter. As the fire might damage the wrapper, when lighting the cigar it should never be exposed directly to the flame but only lit with the radiation heat of the flame. Unlike with cigarettes, where the ash is flicked off, cigar smokers will gently press the cigar into the ashtray ensuring that it will break off evenly. The smoke is not inhaled. For an intense taste experience, connoisseurs recommend to keep the smoke in the mouth for a while and then exhale it through the nose. Smoking cigars is about enjoyment, but over time many cigar lovers have turned from smokers to collectors. This is a hobby that – depending on your preference – may involve investing quite a bit of money. Some rare specimens can go for up to several thousand Euros per cigar. A most for each collector is having one or more humidors, depending on the size of his collection. This is how the boxes/cupboards used for storing cigars are referred to. Humidors are equipped with a moisturising system that should stabilise the relative humidity in the recommended range of 68 to 75 percent. For more information, refer to the pages 50/51. Collectors’ cigars are usually divided into three categories: worldwide aged, rare and regularly produced cigars. Aged cigars are at least five years old. Old and rare cigars are sought-after, but only an expert will really be able to tell whether these have been properly stored and thus are still in a smokable condition. Cigars from regular production will only have a chance to turn into collectors’ items if they have been aged over many years under perfect conditions. For the beginner it is very difficult to assess which cigar is really worthwhile to be taken into the ‘treasure chest’. A ‘blind’ purchase of so-called rarities can soon turn out to be a giant flop. The market is rife with fakes – some of them with swapped or perfectly reproduced labels – that only an expert can tell apart. So anyone thinking about building a collection should rely only on reputable brand dealers and also seek their advice when buying at actions. Whether you prefer port, sherry, a heavy Bordeaux wine or even coffee, choosing the right drink to go with your cigar can round off your taste experience. Many connoisseurs enjoy combining cigars and drinks of similar flavours, assuming that these will melt together in harmony. When skilfully combined, this can create taste experiences that a cigar or liquor on its own will not be able to afford you. 45 © merc67 – fotolia.com The main growing regions for tobacco are in the tropical countries. Good tobacco must mature like a good wine. After harvesting, the tobacco leaves are left to dry suspended on strings for about two months. This first step is followed by the fermentation process during which the tobacco develops its unique flavour. Depending on the quality, the tobacco leaves will then be stored for several years until the desired level of maturity is reached. Finding this right point of maturity requires a great deal of knowledge and experience. For further processing, the leaves are then sorted according to size, colour and quality. Immaculate leaves of homogeneous colour have the highest value. The tobacco of each growing region is characterised by a particular bouquet, almost like its own handwriting. Cigar connoisseurs, just like wine lovers, are able to identify individual growing regions. The first and decisive step to a premium cigar is made by the Master of Blend who chooses the blend of tobacco leaves. These are then rolled into cigars in the cigar factories, a fully hand-made process. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 © markusrenner – fotolia.com SPECIAL 46 S PE C IA L Die faszinierende Welt der Zigarren Kolumbus, das spanische Zigarrenmonopol, und welche Gemeinsamkeit teilen gute Zigarren und edler Wein? Kuba ist ein Synonym für erstklassige Zigarren. Doch lange bevor Havanna zum weltweit bedeutendsten Umschlagplatz für edle Zigarren wurde, waren es die Spanier, die den Siegeszug der Zigarren anführten. Kurz nach der Entdeckung Amerikas durch Christoph Kolumbus im Jahr 1492, entstanden in Spanien die ersten Zigarrenmanufakturen. Und damit wandelte sich Tabak zu dem, was er bis heute geblieben ist: ein Genussmittel. Im Ursprungsland Amerika hatte er hingegen den indigenen Völkern – gekaut, geschnupft oder zu Saft gekocht – für religiöse oder medizinische Zwecke gedient. Die erste Zigarrenfabrik in Havanna öffnete 1799 ihre Tore. Doch noch immer kontrollierten die Spanier dank eines Monopols den Weltmarkt. Dies änderte sich schlagartig 1817 mit der Aufhebung des spanischen Monopols. In Kuba schossen Zigarrenfabriken wie Pilze aus dem Boden, die Wirtschaft boomte und schnell entwickelte sich Havanna zum weltweit grössten Handelsplatz für Zigarren. Von Birgit Herrmann 47 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 SETZEN SIE AUF IHR GLÜCK Spielen, geniessen und feiern STILVOLLE UNTERHALTUNG VOM FEINSTEN – ALLES UNTER EINEM DACH ! Grand Jeu Casino – Jackpot Casino – Casineum/The Club – Cocktail Bar Restaurant Olivo – Seecafe – Bankette/Kongresse – Parking Täglich geöffnet: 12 bis 04 Uhr; Mindestalter 18 Jahre, Zutrittskontrolle (Pass, europ. ID, Führerschein) www.grandcasinoluzern.ch S PE C IA L Lange Zeit wurden Zigarren eher den älteren Semestern zugeschrieben. Doch sehr zur Freude der Hersteller steigt die Zahl der Zigarrenliebhaber – und hierzu gehören durchaus auch die Jüngeren – seit den 90er-Jahren stetig. Wen jedoch das Verlangen nach herausragenden Produkten mit erlesener Herkunft treibt, kommt nicht darum herum, für diese Raritäten auf Auktionen oder in ausgesuchten Zigarren-Lounges durchaus tief in die Brieftasche zu greifen. © Givaga – fotolia.com Doch die Welt der Zigarren auf das pure Raucherlebnis zu reduzieren, würde ihr nicht gerecht. Wer sich einmal die Mühe macht, in die Besonderheiten der Tabakanbaugebiete und führenden Marken einzutauchen, wird bald das Verlangen verspüren, einen detaillierten Einblick in die von grosser Fingerfertigkeit geprägten Zigarrenherstellung und die vielen verschiedenen Zigarrensorten zu erlangen. Und ganz nebenbei kann dies auch sehr unterhaltsam sein, denn viele Zigarren erzählen Geschichten von romantischen Begegnungen, Sturmkatastrophen oder geschäftlichen Intrigen und vielem mehr. Analog edlen Weinen oder Whiskys bilden erstklassige Rohmaterialien auch bei Zigarren nur die Basis. Ob daraus ein tatsächliches Spitzenprodukt wird, beeinflussen auch hier die Verarbeitung und die Lagerung, die bei Zigarren der Extraklasse durchaus viele Jahre in Anspruch nehmen kann. Am edelsten sind die von Hand gerollten Longfilter-Zigarren aus ganzen Tabakblättern. Premium-Zigarren zeichnen sich durch einheitlich gefärbte Deckblätter aus. Die Blätter beeinflussen aber nicht nur die optische Erscheinung, sondern in entscheidendem Mass auch den Geschmack der Zigarre. Als Zigarrenraucher hat man im wahrsten Sinne die Qual der Wahl. Man kann zwischen unterschiedlichsten Herkunftsländern wählen, darüber hinaus gibt es eine grosse Auswahl an Tabaksorten mit unterschiedlichsten Stärkegraden und Aromen und auch das Format der Zigarre – die sogenannte Vitola –, die das Verhältnis zwischen Länge und Durchmesser der Zigarre angibt, bietet eine immense Bandbreite, da sich je nach Format auch die geschmackliche Ausprägung einer Zigarre ändern kann. Vorschriften wie eine Zigarre auszusehen hat, gibt es keine, jedoch haben sich über die Jahre bevorzugte Zigarrenformate entwickelt. Vitolas wie Robusto, Corona, Churchill, Torpedo, Toro, Panetela und Cigarillo sind die verbreitetsten. Namensvorsätze wie Petit oder Small bzw. Grand oder Long dokumentieren, ob die Zigarren kleiner, grösser, dicker oder schlanker sind. Der Zigarrenraucher ist ein Geniesser. Für sein Raucherlebnis nimmt er sich genügend Zeit und wählt dementsprechend die Grösse, das Modell aus. Eine Zigarre von 18 Zentimetern und darüber – wie die Double Corona oder die Grand Panatella – gönnt sich ein Kenner daher eher am Abend, wenn genügend Zeit und Musse vorhanden sind. Ob Portwein, Sherry, ein schwerer Bordeaux-Wein oder auch Kaffee etc., die Wahl des richtigen Getränks zur Zigarre vermag das Genusserlebnis abzurunden. Viele Liebhaber kombinieren gerne Zigarren und Getränke ähnlicher Geschmacksnoten, davon ausgehend, dass diese harmonisch miteinander verschmelzen. Geschickt kombiniert, entstehen so Geschmackserlebnisse, die eine Zigarre oder Spirituose alleine nicht zu erreichen vermag. 49 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 SPECIAL Premium humidors – sophisticated casings for storing fine cigars “A good cigar ages best in the tropics” Just like good wine, also cigars are a natural product. Although much more sensitive, when it comes to ageing they are similar to wine. Hand-made cigars can become better from year to year. Top-class products can be laid down to mature for 12 to 15 years; after that their flavour will gradually start to deteriorate, depending on the country of origin. By Birgit Herrmann “You should simple recreate the climate of their country of origin”, says Carsten Schroeter, designer and engineer of the globally unique Reposo humidors, adding with a charming smile: “This may not be easy in the northern regions, especially in heated, dry rooms, but with a humidor this is no problem.” However, from here on things start to become complicated, meaning that before purchasing a humidor, the cigar lover should have a clear understanding whether he is merely looking for a short-term place to store his smokes, or – similar to climate-controlled wine cabinets – a safe haven where his cigars can mature into prime products over many years. Will he be content with a normal middle-class car, or is he looking for a humidor that has the technological know-how and sophistication of a Bentley? 50 S PE C IA L Photos: © Reposo Cigars don’t take well to incorrect storage. Under no circumstances should they be exposed to UV-rays by sunlight or artificial lighting. The wrapper of a cigar is under a certain amount of tension and may tear when not stored correctly. As a result the cigar will dry out. But also excessive humidity can harm a cigar. Adding to this conundrum is the fact that a cigar, despite requiring fresh air for further maturation, is extremely sensitive to any kind of draught. Contrary to popular perception, cigars should never be stored in air-tight boxes or similar contraptions. This will cause them to rot very quickly. Also, they should never be chilled or even deep-frozen trying to kill the infamous tobacco beetle. While this may well kill the beetle and its larvae, the cigar will be equally dead. Together with Carsten Schroeter we will look into the best way for cigar lovers to store their treasures. A humidor is – as the Latin origin of the word (humidus) indicates – simply a container equipped with a humidifying system designed for storing cigars. But beyond this brief description applying to all humidors, the similarities end very quickly. A good humidor is characterised by the fact that it controls its climate precisely. “This”, says Carsten Schroeter, “is only possible when you are able to actively control the climate in the interior.” To complicate matters even further, a good humidor should be divided into various humidity zones. “Cigars – similar to wine – must be shifted from zones with high humidity to zones of lower humidity from time to time, depending on their level of maturation, in order to age further to perfection”, explains the expert. The layman may wonder what the differences are between high-end humidors and standard products, and who has the requirements that would warrant the purchase of such a premium model? A normal humidor can store cigars over several months, as initially mentioned, provided you look after the climate. But its owner should be prepared to do more than just taking out his cigars every day and enjoy looking at them. Apart from controlling the humidity/water supply, care must be taken to keep the device clean and remove any mould that may have developed. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 Natural Phenomenon Zbären Kreativküchen AG Bahnhofstrasse 26 . CH-3777 Saanenmöser . Telephone +41 33 744 33 77 [email protected] . www.zbaeren.ch Official Dealer Saanenmöser . Gstaad . Lenk Official Dealer S PE C IA L Ambitious cigar collectors, on the other hand, focus on ageing their treasures to perfection. Just like wine lovers, after purchasing their objects of desire, they let them age over many years. For this purpose they need a humidor system that autonomously creates the right climate conditions for the ageing process while being able to function on its own for various months. As a perfectionist, designer and cigar lover, Carsten Schroeter has spent many years with research and developed a patented electronically controlled system that processes the air and humidity by means of ultrasonic before transporting it into the humidor’s interior. Furthermore an UVC device constantly sterilizes water and air. This prevents any mould from developing, and the humidor only requires fresh water every 3 to 4 months, depending on the climate of its surroundings. Whenever it needs a refill it will notify its owner – even via tablet or mobile phone if preferred. The selection of cigars to choose from is huge, and so are their manifold flavours. Many cigar lovers don’t restrict their enjoyment to a single variety or country of origin. As a novice you will automatically wonder whether you should store cigars from all corners of the globe in one single humidor, or whether you should rather acquire several of those sophisticated devices. Carsten Schroeter seems to have expected this question and can’t help but smiling gently. “Although any humidor manufacturer will surely be happy to increase his sales, you can rest assured. You can store cigars from various growing regions in one humidor, but you should always leave them in their own boxes to prevent the individual flavours from mixing. Because this would result in a gradual amalgamation of the distinct aromas into a nondescript uniform flavour.” When asked whether there are any additional secrets for bringing out the perfect aroma in a cigar, apart from the perfect storage conditions, Carsten Schroeter replies: “No lacquer or other chemicals inside the humidor and the right type of cedar wood, because the scent of the cedar will blend with the aroma of the cigar making it even more distinct.” The trick with the aroma is used by every good cigar manufacturer to some extent. While the cigar box is usually made from a cheap type of wood for price reasons, the sheets covering the cigars are made of cedar wood. With his hand-manufactured Reposo humidors, Carsten Schroeter has taken an approach that reminds of the noblesse of a British luxury car manufacturer. Minimalistic on the outside, with the elements glass and steel strongly reminiscent of the Bauhaus style, on the inside the cedar wood creates a warm interior. The principle of Yin & Yang combined in design objects, guiding cigars to perfect maturity, while at the same time being an asset for any room as a fine design piece. And for cigar lovers with a special affinity for technological gadgets there is a special feature: With a Reposo humidor you can communicate anytime, anywhere via smart phone, no matter where you are currently located, allowing you to always monitor the well-being of your precious Havanas. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 FINANCE “Gold is a currency. It is still, by all evidence, a premier currency. No fiat currency, including the dollar, can match it.” Alan Greenspan, Council of Foreign Relations, 29 October 2014 © Anton Gvozdikov – fotolia.com Secure Investment US dollar or gold: 54 FINA NC E © psdesign1 – fotolia.com In search for a ‘safe haven’ By Dr. Thorsten Polleit Since the end of 2012, the US dollar has been appreciating markedly against many other currencies. Two reasons may explain the sudden return of investor interest in the Greenback. First, the economy in the US appears to be doing better than those in other countries. Investors might expect more attractive returns on investment in the US than elsewhere, therefore increasing their demand for the US dollar and raising its exchange rate. 55 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 V12 VANTAGE S NERVENKITZEL PUR Der V12 Vantage S Roadster entfacht wahre Leidenschaft, weckt sämtliche Sinne und setzt durch seine schiere Energie ungeahnte Instinkte frei. Durch die Power des preisgekrönten 6.0 l V12 Motors mit 565 PS und das souveräne Handling unseres kompakten Sportwagens sind Sie hinter dem Steuer des V12 Vantage S Roadster garantiert im Mittelpunkt. Ein Drivers’s Car ohnegleichen. Lassen Sie sich vom V12 Vantage S Roadster begeistern: Emil Frey AG Aston Martin Safenwil Emil-Frey-Strasse 5745 Safenwil 062 788 88 07 www.astonmartin-safenwil.ch Aston Martin V12 Vantage S: Mixverbrauch 14,7 l/100 km, CO2-Emissionen 343 g/km. Durchschnitt aller in der Schweiz immatrikulierten Neufahrzeuge 144 g/km. Energieeffizienzkategorie G. 56 FINA NC E © tashatuvango – fotolia.com Second, the world’s credit and money architecture is in bad shape. Many currency areas suffer from excessive debt levels and anemic economic growth. In particular, Japan and the euro area appear to increasingly become a major source of investor concern. The ‘land of the rising sun’ is already taking recourse to a full-blown monetization of government debt, which has already resulted in a marked depreciation of the yen exchange rate. The euro area, suffering under mass unemployment, is heading towards ever greater economic and political problems. As a kind of ‘policy of the last resort’, the European Central Bank (ECB) has now announced to expand, presumably as a starting point, the quantity of base money by 1.14 billion euro. It seems to dawn on savers and investors that the euro area – the conglomerate of 19 different nation states – can only be kept together if and when the ECB is running the printing press for preventing governments and banks from defaulting on the payment obligations. US dollar is getting stronger again Trade weighted US dollar exchange rate* In times of growing uncertainty it is hardly surprising that investor increasingly demand the US dollar, as the US dollar is the world’s reserve currency. It is the very foundation upon which all other major currencies are being built: The world’s monetary system is de facto on a US-dollar-exchange-standard. 150 140 130 What is more, the US dollar is the most important finance and transaction currency, and US financial markets are the most liquid. For many investors around the world the US dollar is therefore a natural choice, especially in times of when two major currencies – the yen and the euro – are falling out of investor favor. 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 97 00 03 06 09 12 15 Source: Thomson Financial. *Indexed, March 1973 = 100. 57 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 30 Jahre Motivation Gebäudetechnikanlagen haben sich während der letzten Jahre und Jahrzehnte massgebend verändert. Anforderungen an Qualität, Ökologie und Ökonomie – wie auch den verantwortungsbewussten Ressourcenumgang – sind Anstoss für den steten Fortschritt. Seit nunmehr 30 Jahren sorgt die H+K Planungs AG dafür, dass in Haustechnikanlagen Qualität, Wohlbefinden und Sicherheit für die Nutzer der Massstab sind. Die Philosophie der Firma «alles aus einer Hand» liegt in der möglichst nahtlosen Team-Planung mit schnittstellenfreier Fachkoordination und Integration der Technik in die Gebäudestruktur. Das Firmenangebot umfasst deshalb auch die Planung von Heizungs-, Lüftungs- und Klimaanlagen, Wasserversorgung, Sanitärgebäudetechnik, Druckluft- und Spezialgasinstallationen sowie Brandschutzanlagen. Einen Schwerpunkt bilden auch Energieberatungen, Brandschutzplanung und wärmetechnische Gebäudesanierungen. Standort Thun Standort Bolligen Standort Wangen b. Olten H+K Planungs AG Kasernenstrasse 17 CH-3600 Thun Telefon 033 225 25 45 Telefax 033 225 25 46 [email protected] H+K Planungs AG Dorfmärit 9 CH-3065 Bolligen Telefon 031 924 25 35 Telefax 031 924 25 36 [email protected] H+K Planungs AG Blattacker 1 CH-4612 Wangen b. Olten Telefon 062 212 86 26 Telefax 062 212 26 04 [email protected] www.hkplanung.ch FINA NC E © designsoliman – fotolia.com For if monetary history tells us something about the management of fiat money, it is this: Printing ever greater amounts of money for fending off government and bank defaults is typically preferred over letting governments and banks default on their debt. In other words: Once the debt load has become too high, the deliberate policy of inflation will most likely be considered the policy of the least evil. While the flight into the US dollar may well continue, and even gain further momentum in the quarters ahead, investors should be a aware that holding US dollar won’t be the final solution to the problems from which they seek to escape. For the US dollar suffers from the same defects that trouble all other currencies in this world as well. All major currencies, including the US dollar, represent an unbacked paper money, or fiat money. The term fiat money denotes money that is created ‘out of thin air’ through bank credit expansion. This type of money brings economic problems on a grand scale. Most notably, it causes economic crises, speculative bubbles and the feared ‘boom-andbust-cycles’ and erodes the purchasing power of money. What is more, the issuance of fiat money makes, over time, the economy’s overall debt level grow faster than incomes increase. In other words, fiat money makes economies running into a situation of overindebtedness. Once such a situation has been reached, things tend to become ugly for those who have invested their wealth in fiat money denominated bank deposits and debentures. We couldn’t possibly know how long the international of fiat money system, which is built upon a fiat US dollar, will succeed in holding up. The observation, however, that investors are about to lose confidence in the Japanese yen and the euro and rush into the US dollar may be taken as an indication that mistrust in the world’s fiat money architecture is gaining momentum. It is in particular against this backdrop that savers and investors might be well advised to make peace with gold. For the yellow metal is money, in fact, it is the ultimate means of payment, with a track record of thousands of years. Fiat monies come and go. Gold stays, it never loses its purchasing power altogether. Gold, in fact, is the best currency man has ever had – and possibly the best money he will ever have. The former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, put this notion succinctly when he noted: “Gold is a currency. It is still, by all evidence, a premier currency. No fiat currency, including the dollar, can match it.” That said, rushing into the US dollar may provide you with a ‘safe haven’ against the demise of other fiat monies. However, even the fiat US dollar won’t escape from a ‘great debasement’. It makes therefore sense to hold at least some gold – as gold is a vaccination against the follies of the unleashed fiat money system and its inevitable fallout. Dr. Thorsten Polleit Chief Economist of Degussa and Honorary Professor of Economics at the University of Bayreuth. His personal website is: www.thorsten-polleit.com 59 Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 AR T Christie’s and the impressive development of the Middle Eastern art market The art world of the Middle East Abdulnasser Gharem (Saudi Arabian, b. 1973), Message/Messenger installation of wood and copper. Estimate: US$ 70,000-100,000 – Price Realized US$ 842,500 10 years ago the Middle Eastern art market was rather regional, with a handful of pioneering galleries active in the region. There was no art fair, no art publisher or other auction houses here but today Dubai offers an ever-expanding gallery scene, private art foundations, private museum initiatives, an internationally recognized art fair and a thriving auction business undertaken by national as well as international houses. 60 By Alexandra Kindermann Christie’s came to the region for the first time at the end of 2004, when accepting an invitation to conduct a charity auction. That was the changing point to the Middle Eastern art market as the management team saw the growing potential of the region and within a couple of months we opened a representative office in Dubai, as the first international auction house to do so. It took us another couple of months to hold our first sale which took place in Dubai in May 2006 and ever since we have been holding regular sale seasons in March and October. The following year we added a second sale of important jewels and watches to the sale calendar. AR T We believe the next generation of artists will be able to develop even faster given this newly established platform and it is very encouraging to see how many publications on Middle Eastern artists and art movements have been published in recent years. Also, the international interest in Middle Eastern art has matured, with gallery exhibitions and museums showing artists from the region, whether in New York, London, Paris, or Berlin to name a few. It is important to serve the community and making the art accessible to all. Therefore we hold public exhibitions a few days ahead of every auction where our specialists give tours during the viewing hours and we also regularly move works of art to different locations to raise awareness for Middle Eastern art. Photos: Christie’s Zurich Suleiman Mansour, Jamal Al Mahamel II, 2005 The established group of collectors are still dominating the market, are looking to complete their collection with a missing masterpiece, some are happy to part with their collection so that fresh exceptional works will enter the art market to satisfy the searching group of collectors. A younger group of collectors has emerged and the annual online-only sale for Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art was a perfect tool to attract the younger generation to look at art, to engage with art and to attend the auctions. The market needs to be sustainable. The online-only sale is live for 2 weeks, offers around 70 lots and is curated by our team of specialists using the same criteria and standards as in any other Christie’s sale. The only difference is that one can bid online from all over the world and take 2 weeks to consider if the selected work of art is the right one for your collection. 61 Poet And Cage by Parviz Tanavoli (Iranian, b. 1937), bronze. Estimate: US$ 300,000-400,000 – Price Realized US$ 1,022,500 The main interest from buyers from the region is still in Middle Eastern art, and we offer Middle Eastern art from all 17 countries exclusively, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, just to name a few – there is enough great quality works of art for us to curate sales for the next decade. At the same time we have witnessed an increase in buying from our Middle Eastern clients in our salerooms in New York and London, especially the major evening sales for Impressionist and Modern and Post War and Contemporary art sales. Auction sales for Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art are up by over 50% for 2014 with the category gaining more and more international awareness. 23% of the buyers transacting in our Dubai sales 2014 were new to Christie’s, co-inciding with consignments from several important Middle Eastern art collections. This demonstrates the enthusiasm for art in the region and from the region which has all happened in the past 10 years … the galleries, art fairs, art publications, art events including exhibitions and museum developments, are all encouraging signs for the future. Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 © Robert Kneschke – fotolia.com Adrenalin in seiner schärfsten Form. Der neue Audi TT Roadster. Hier trifft die Eleganz eines Roadsters auf die maskuline Ausstrahlung eines offenen Sportwagens. Der neue Audi TT Roadster mit visionärem Audi virtual cockpit. Ihr Vorteil: 10 Jahre kostenloser Service. Mehr Infos bei uns Audi Center AMAG Zürich, 8600 Dübendorf, Tel. 044 325 45 45, www.autowelt.amag.ch Audi Center Zürich Altstetten, 8048 Zürich, Tel. 044 405 68 68, www.altstetten.amag.ch AMAG Bülach, 8184 Bachenbülach, Tel. 044 864 86 40, www.buelach.amag.ch AMAG Horgen, 8810 Horgen Tel. 044 727 40 40, www.horgen.amag.ch AMAG Utoquai, 8008 Zürich, Tel. 044 269 51 51, www.utoquai.amag.ch AMAG Winterthur, 8406 Winterthur, Tel. 052 208 32 00, www.winterthur.amag.ch AR T Christie’s Dubai holds the world auction record for almost every leading Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern artist, including the highest price ever achieved for any Middle Eastern artist at auction. This was set when Parviz Tanavoli’s Oh Persepolis, sold for US$ 2.8m in 2008. Christie’s also holds the highest price achieved for a work by any Arab artist at auction – for Mahmoud Said’s Whirling Dervishes, which sold for US$ 2.5m in 2010 and has established a total of over 400 new world records for artists at auction in the past 10 years. The upcoming sale will offer Babel by Ayman Baalbaki painted in 2005 one of the most iconic Middle Eastern images ever produced – Jamal Al Mahamel II or Camel of Burdens II – by the Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour. This work is a second version, painted in 2005, of the original work which has been created by Mansour over 40 years ago in 1973 as a simple expression of his relationship to his hometown. Depicting an elderly Palestinian man carrying a large sack in the shape of an eye, painted with a view of Jerusalem around the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third holiest site, this image is reproduced in nearly all Palestinian households. It expresses and is closely linked with the notions of Palestinian identity and Jerusalem. The picture is estimated at US$ 200,000-300,000 and part of the proceeds will be benefitting initiatives that support artists in the region, when it will be offered on the night of 18th March. Further Christie’s will be offering 14 outstanding examples from artists such as Paul Guiragossian, Farid Aouad, Aref Al Rayess and Ayman Baalbaki from the Mokbel Art Collection, one of the most prestigious collections of Modern and Contemporary Lebanese art. The Mokbel Art Collection is a project dedicated to endorsing Lebanese art, showcasing the richness of Lebanese cultural heritage throughout the Middle East and beyond. To continue their efforts Johnny and Nadine have decided to part with 14 of their nearly 100 works of Lebanese art. A highlight is by Ayman Baalbaki, born 1975 in Odeisse, South Lebanon. As a child growing up during the Lebanese civil war and Israeli occupation, he was forced to leave his village and relocate to Beirut. His background and childhood have greatly influenced Baalbaki’s work as an artist over the past 10 years. As a result, many of his paintings feature aspects of his life as a refugee in Beirut or reconstruction efforts in the city in the post-war era. Babel was painted in 2005 and unlike the traditional portrayal of the Tower of Babel in the paintings of Hendrick Van Cleve (ca. 1525-1589) and Pieter Brueghel the Elder (ca. 1530- 63 The Whirling Dervishes by Mahmoud Said (Egyptian, 1897-1964) painted in 1929. Estimate: US$ 300,000-400,000 – Price Realized US$ 2,546,500 1569), which shows precise, classical architecture and an animated landscape, Baalbaki portrays the tower in a rather ghostlike landscape without any human activity and instead one is left with the angry aftermath of God’s curse. The viewer becomes part of the moment when God releases His anger on the people of Babel as punishment for their attempt to create a tower ‘whose top may reach unto heaven’. Depicted is the moment of the curse and with the sun illuminating the tower and the moonlight seeping through from between the dark clouds in the sky, it is as if God has stopped time to express his fury (estimate: US$ 150,000-200,000). On 18th of March a total of 158 Middle Eastern works of art will be offered alongside the Art Dubai Fair and Design Days Dubai, all galleries will have new and special shows on view and the entire marked will be flamboyant. A time to be in Dubai. Alexandra Kindermann is Senior Public Relations Associate Director at Christie’s Polo Luxur y & Countr y Life Magazine | Issue 01 | 2015 AR T Christie’s Shanghai and Hong Kong offices A show to commemorate the zodiac animal 2014 on view at Christie’s Shanghai and Hong Kong offices in late October and November. The Year of the Horse was also celebrated by the leading auction house Christie’s with a special curated exhibition which was on public view in London, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The exhibition of over 50 art pieces from a broad range of collecting categories, from painting, drawings and photographs to sculpture, jade and jewellery. By Alexandra Kindermann The art of the horse – Equestrian Art across the ages Photos: Christie’s Shanghai and Hong Kong The aim of the exhibition was to explore and portrayal the symbolism of the horse from diverse cultures across the ages. From Antiquity to Post War and Contemporary art the 50 exhibits, coming from four continents – Americas, Europe, Asia and Middle East – gave an interesting insight into how different cultures have engaged and connected with this beguiling creature though artistic expression. 64 AR T Equestrian art is a genre that transcends across all nations and age groups. From the great names of Stubbs, Géricault, Degas, Munnings and Marini in Europe, Remington, Botero and Prince in the Americas, to Xu Beihong and Ma Jin in China, the works on view provided a feast both for those who were horse lovers as well as for those who admire great works of art. The two exhibition locations attracted in a combined viewing length of 15 days over 50,000 visitors. The exhibition touched upon different roles of the horse such as a sporting inspiration, best illustrated by the British painter, Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959) in The Start an energetic and striking racing scene. The start of a race is for Munnings the moment of full power and beauty of the horse, it is capturing the moment of stillness before the race begins and the horses and jockeys erupt into a mass of energy and speed. Another work by Munnings in the show is one of the most prestigious polo paintings by the artist, showing the celebrated American Devereux Milburn on Gargantilla, on a polo field, which dates from 1924. Milburn (1881-1942) was one of what was known as the Big Four in international polo, winning the Westchester Cup six times. The Art of the Horse explores further the role of the horse in both Western and Eastern art, and showcased some exceptional and varied representations of the horse in Chinese culture. The highlight was Xu Beihong’s Horses Drinking, painted with Chinese ink and in his very recognizable way. Ma Jin’s Resting beside a Running Stream and a white horse jade group from the Qianlong Period were objects not to miss. GUSTAV Residence Exclusive living with inhouse care «City life starts at 70.» Enjoy the reassurance of having your needs well looked after. At the heart of downtown Zurich in an exclusive residence with 74 apartments for individuals in the prime of life. Featuring spectacular views, 24-hour concierge and standby care service, top-quality cuisine and a comprehensive range of à-la-carte services. Arrange an appointment to view. And remember: Be right at the heart of it. And not just anywhere. GUSTAV Residence, Gustav-Gull-Platz 5, 8004 Zurich, +41 (0)79 606 64 65, [email protected], www.gustav-zuerich.ch Terrassen zum Wohlfühlen Planung Ausführung Unterhalt Bacher Garten-Center AG, Spinnereistrasse 3 8135 Langnau am Albis, Tel. 044 714 70 70 www.bacher-gartencenter.ch, [email protected] www.terrassengestaltung.ch, www.gartenmoebel-trends.ch LIFE S TYLE Publireportage Bacher Garten-Center AG Bereits zeigen sich die ersten Frühlingsboten und mit ihnen erwacht auch die heimische Terrasse aus dem Winterschlaf. Nun ist der richtige Zeitpunkt, sie in eine grüne Oase und damit in einen Ort für Ruhe und Entspannung zu verwandeln, doch eine stilvolle, individuelle und moderne Terrassengestaltung gehört in die Hände erfahrener Experten. Die Terrasse als grüne Oase der Entspannung Spezialist auf diesem Gebiet ist die Bacher Garten-Center AG in Langnau am Albis. Das erfahrene Team stellt die Träume und Vorstellungen der Kunden in den Mittelpunkt und setzt deren Wünsche um. Zum Einsatz kommen dabei ausschliesslich hochwertige und langlebige Materialien, damit die Kunden lange Freude an ihrer Investition haben. Gepaart mit der langjährigen Erfahrung und dem Know-how unzähliger realisierten Projekte, entsteht so die individuelle Traumterrasse, die als Ort der Ruhe und Entspannung zum Verweilen einlädt. Ebenso wie die Gestaltung der Terrassenanlage bieten die Profis des Bacher GartenCenters auf Wunsch auch die regelmässige Pflege der neuen Anlage an. Auf mehr als 4500 Quadratmetern bietet das Bacher Garten-Center eine Vielzahl von inspirierenden Ideen für die Neugestaltung von Terrassen, Gärten, aber auch Wintergärten. Wer das Besondere sucht, wird begeistert sein von den einzigartigen Gartenbonsais, von denen das Bacher Garten-Center viele verschiedene Exemplare bereit hält. Ergänzend dazu lädt eine Ausstellung von trendigen Garten- und Loungemöbeln, aussergewöhnlichen Dekoartikeln für drinnen und draussen, eine riesige Auswahl an Indoor- und Outdoor-Gefässen zum Stöbern ein. Ein weiteres Highlight sind Auszugstische mit einer Granit- oder Keramikplatte «made in Switzerland». Diese sind in verschiedenen Standardgrössen und auch als Massanfertigungen erhältlich. Im Bacher Garten-Center finden Kunden das ganze Jahr ein grosses Sortiment an exklusiven Solitärpflanzen und eine erstklassige, umfangreiche Auswahl an ein- und mehrjährigen Pflanzen. Die meisten Pflanzen suchen die Experten des Bacher Garten Centers in den besten Betrieben Europas aus. Bacher trägt dem Wunsch nach Individualität Rechnung. So können etwa viele der ausgefallenen Pflanzgefässe nach den Massvorgaben der jeweiligen Kunden angefertigt werden. Selbstverständlich bietet das Bacher Garten-Center auch einen Bepflanzungsund Lieferservice an. Bacher Garten-Center AG Spinnereistrasse 3 8135 Langnau am Albis Telefon 044 714 70 70 www.bacher-gartencenter.ch www.terrassengestaltung.ch www.gartenmoebel-trends.ch 67 T R AVEL Even if you haven’t managed to make it into the Forbes list, the funds in your bank account may be sufficient to follow the latest trend in luxurious cruising. No matter if you are looking to invest at least 75,000 Euros per person for a trip around the world, expecting a personal butler, personalised stationary in your suite, a top-notch marble bathroom or a 2 week return trip to London for 2000 Euros per night, the offers are manifold and very appealing according to the Top Ten List of the cruising portal Dreamlines. Our pre-selection of the most attractive offers will most probably inspire you to ‘sea’ more of the world: Outside deck Seven Seas Voyager Photo credit : Regent Seven Seas Cruises By Christoph Hügli Nominated several times as one of the world’s best as well as most expensive cruise line is Silversea Cruises. Their 14-day cruise on the Baltic Sea aboard the ‘Silver Cloud’ in August 2015 from/to London leads the ranking list of the most expensive cruises. Included in the price of 28,480 Euros per person is an all-inclusive catering as well as a 24 hour room service. Marble bath Sea Cloud II Photo: Sea Cloud Cruises The most expensive cruises anywhere in the world Open-ocean cruising like Rockefeller Spa terrace Seabourn Odyssey Photo: Seabourn Cuise Line TRAV E L Photo: Silver Cloud/Silversea Cruises Around the world You have 103 days of leisure, want to see as much as you can of our beautiful world and at the same time enjoy the amenities of a cruise? Then the ‘Crystal Serenity’ will be your favourite. The cruise from/to San Francisco which takes you to Hawaii, Indonesia and Australia (just to name a few) starts in January 2016. The ‘Crystal Serenity’ is one of the biggest cruise liners and offers a wide variety of entertainment and sport facilities as well as a casino. The total costs for this adventure are 75,095 Euros per person. Meeting penguins the luxurious way The expedition ship ‘L’Austral’ owned by the French cruise line Ponant proves that the thirst for adventure doesn’t have to contend with abstinence from the highest comfort. Starting from 1370 Euros per night, the travellers have the chance to discover Antarctica for ten days in January 2016. Croatia and Montenegro For a 7-day early summer trip to Croatia and Montenegro, we can recommend the ‘Azamara Journey’ owned by the American cruise operator Azamara Club Cruises. The price of less than 900 Euros per suite per night can almost be considered a special rate. Focus of this cruise aboard the modern yet elegant luxury cruise ship in a casual club setting are the expert presentations on the travel region. 69 Under white sails Loads of luxury for little money can be expected from a summer sailing trip from Portsmouth to Hamburg on the ‘Sea Cloud II’ organised by Sea Cloud Cruises. The cruise in June 2015 only takes 4 nights and a suite can be booked from as little as 811 Euros. The most prominent assets of this large sailing ship might be its marble bathrooms and exquisite cooking. A month of food for the soul Norway and Spitzbergen are the areas visited and explored for a month by the passengers of the ‘Seven Seas Voyager’. The rate of 573 Euros per night includes a surprising level of luxury: All guests stay in suites with balconies, the ship offers four exquisite restaurants, a casino and training nets for golf lovers. The price of approximately 17,000 Euros includes the catering and all land excursions on the 30-day trip. Photo: L’Austral Ponant T R AVEL Jürg Beeli presents the colourful underwater world of the Maldives Schools of fish – living pieces of art under water 70 TRAV E L Photos: © Jürg Beeli SINNLICHE OFFENBARUNG +MODO Wir sehen uns Küchen nicht nur an, wir leben und erleben sie. Die Küche wird so zur Plattform für fortwährende Entdeckungsreisen. 1023 Crissier, Espace Wider SA · 1219 Le Lignon (Genève), C.G. Agencements SA · 1227 Les Acacias (Genève), Ébénisterie Luthi SA · 1227 Carouge (Genève), Espace Wider SA · 1815 Clarens (Montreux), Dimension Cuisine Sàrl · 3008 Bern, küchenakzente ag · 3250 Lyss, ROOS Küchen AG · 3800 Unterseen/Interlaken, grüneisen küchen ag · 3900 Brig-Glis, A. Schwestermann SA · 6003 Luzern, Poggenpohl Küchenstudio · 6343 Rotkreuz, linear küchen ag · 6900 Lugano, Selva Via Brentani · 7260 Dorf Davos, Küchen Studio Davos · 8048 Zürich, Poggenpohl Küchenstudio · 8370 Sirnach, Hans Eisenring AG · 8604 Volketswil, Hans Eisenring AG TRAV E L By Ruth Beeli There are some diving regions to which you just always have to come back. One such region is the Maldives. These islands have everything that a diver dreams of. Resorts of striking beauty with excellent infrastructure for diving and also any standard of liveaboards. One of Jürg Beeli’s secret tips is the southern atolls of the Maldives, a currently still fairly undeveloped and unknown but wonderful destination. Blue waters, impressive reefs and huge schools of fish that intrigue the diver by their dynamics and stunning colours. Diving in and around these schools is one of the most beautiful experiences in the sea, even for an experienced pro like Jürg Beeli. Why, becomes clear when looking at his breathtaking pictures. Sometimes the fish go past in seemingly endless formations, at other times they form almost maplike shapes or pose in front of the camera like models. It’s fascinating to observe how a group of fish teams up to form an organised school and swims away in perfect synchronisation like a single body. Even more surprising is to experience how such a school bursts apart almost like an explosion or changes direction when a predator or diver approaches. VOR SCH A U · P REVI E W On 20th March 2015 the new internet portal of Polo Luxury & Country Life Magazine goes live Up-to-date news from the international polo and luxury scene and much more www.polo-luxury.com Impressum • Imprint Verlag • Publisher: Media Professional GmbH, Rebenstrasse 8, CH-8442 Hettlingen, Phone: +41 (0) 52 316 38 86, [email protected], www.media-professional.ch, Herausgeberin & Inhaberin • Publisher & Owner: Birgit Herrmann, CEO: Christoph Hügli, Redaktion • Editorial: Birgit Herrmann (Leitung • Editor-in-Chief ), Ralph von Fellenberg, Christoph Hügli, Helena Kröber, Lillian Waltisberg, Mitwirkende Gastautoren an dieser Ausgabe • Guest authors in this issue: Ruth Beeli, Mike Dailey, Trish Heming, Evelina Jakovlevskaja, Alexandra Kindermann, Dr. Thorsten Polleit, Vertretung Südafrika und Vereinigte Arabische Emirate • Representative South Africa and United Arab Emirates: Christoph Hügli (CEO), 226 Penguin Close, Grotto Bay, ZA South Africa, Phone: +27 22 492 2001, Cell: +27 79 144 3179, [email protected], Anzeigen • Adverts: Lukas Haas, Head of Sales, Phone: +41 (0) 52 316 38 86, Mobile: +41 (0) 79 369 88 88, Maaike Maas, Sales Manager, Phone: +41 (0) 52 316 38 86, Mobile: +41 (0) 76 372 50 10, Übersetzungen Deutsch-Englisch • Translations German-English: Helge Mayer Translation Services, D-41849 Wassenberg, [email protected], Grafik und Lithos • Graphics and lithographs: André Gaille, Werbung I Grafik, CH-8200 Schaffhausen, Layout, Lektorat und Schlussredaktion • Layout, proofreading and final editing: Astrid Bachmann, sprachlich-visuelle Kommunikation, CH-8200 Schaffhausen, [email protected] 74 Nächstes Erscheinungsdatum des Polo Luxury & Country Life Magazine AUSGABE 02/2015 ist der 9. Juni 2015. Wiedergabe von Artikeln und Bildern aus dem Magazin oder der Internetplattform, auch auszugsweise oder in Ausschnitten, nur mit schriftlicher Genehmigung des Verlags gestattet. Für unverlangte Zusendungen wird jede Haftung abgelehnt. Date of next issue of the Polo Luxury & Country Life Magazine ISSUE 02/2015 is 9 June 2015. Articles and images from the magazine or the internet platform, including excerpts or in sections, may only be reproduced with the written permission of the publisher. No liability can be accepted for unsolicited submissions. Ihre Wünsche stehen im Mittelpunkt Ob Sie im Gesundheitswesen, im Sportbereich oder in der Industrie tätig sind, die Produkte der SEA Schliess-Systeme AG erfüllen Ihre Wünsche. Pinot Noir Blauburgunder Clevner Swiss wine. Whatever we call it, the only thing we agree on is its quality.