Fifteen years ago, the Cannes Yachting Festival was a small, regional boat show in a city most widely known for hosting glamorous film festivals. Today, Cannes is the official kick-off of the international boating season and draws 50,000 yacht lovers from five continents. Flanked by the stunning waters of the Côte d’Azur and the city’s postcard-perfect waterfront, this year’s event showcased 570 yachts—including 166 new launches—lining Vieux Port.

The docks were buzzing with visitors, and many exhibitors excitedly claimed this was the best show they have seen in years…

Teased at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in a menacing matte black with neon-orange accents, the BMW M4 GTS is officially coming to the United States as a street-legal road car. The German marque announced yesterday that only 700 of the special-edition M4s will be made, 300 of which will be allocated for the United States. The M4 GTS is 200 pounds lighter than the stock M4, thanks to aluminum and carbon fiber throughout, and it showcases two industry firsts for a production road car: a water-inje…

Legend has it that Napoléon Bonaparte would open Champagne bottles with his saber, declaring, “Champagne: In victory, one deserves it; in defeat, one needs it.” A more dramatic way to uncork a bottle of Champagne, the art of sabering continues to be practiced around the globe at St. Regis hotels, where butlers saber bottles to celebrate guests’ milestones or christen new hotels. Eager to bring this spirit of celebration to a larger audience, St. Regis has partnered with historic Parisian silversmith Christofle…

Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Robb Report Collection as “Telling Secrets”

The Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, the governing system that controls the hierarchy of vineyards in Burgundy, may seem immutable. But in fact, it was only established in 1936, and in the region’s 1,600-year history of producing wine, there were other opinions on which plots of ground produce the finest juice. 

Last year, Charles Curtis published a deep historical exploration of the region in his…

For the Caribbean’s winter season, villa vacations are in high demand. These four island residences in St. Martin, St. Barts, St. James, and Anguilla deliver on location, design, service, and amenities. Each oceanfront property provides a slice of paradise in some of the most exclusive enclaves in the region. In the following slideshow, tour the stylish interiors and backyard aquatic playgrounds, letting winter’s dreams of sugarplum fairies be replaced by the wishes for warm white-sand be…

For the second year in a row, the Taste of St. Barts Gourmet Festival—a three-day food festival that brings together some of the world’s finest chefs—will unfold against the French territory’s scenic landscapes, on November 5 through November 8. This year, seven noteworthy French chefs (Yoann Conte, Laurent Jeannin, Jérôme Nutile, Stéphanie Le Quellec, David Toutain, Alexandre Mazzia, and Emmanuel Renaut) will work alongside local chefs to create gourmet French cuisine in a series of dinners. The four- to eigh…

As the former vice president of marketing for Sotheby’s, Lynn Raynault developed and implemented the marketing and branding strategies for all of the storied house’s auctions in North America. Now the vice president of global marketing for Wealth-X, a leading international research firm providing intelligence on ultrahigh-net-worth individuals, she brings her rich experience across multiple asset categories to bear in identifying trends in the fast-paced marketplace. She shares some of her most recent observat…

Originally published in the Fall 2015 issue of Robb Report Health & Wellness as “Intelligent Questions to Ask Your Doctor Fall 2015”

1.  Aspirin is regularly prescribed to prevent heart attacks in men. 

Q: Does it also have beneficial health effects for disease prevention in women?

A: We have guidelines for only primary prevention in women and men, so let me be clear on heart disease and aspirin. What we do know today is that if women have known heart disease and diabetes—if yo…

Vintage races are only a part of the spectacle at the annual Goodwood Revival, held in early autumn on the Earl of March’s sprawling estate in the English countryside. The attendees at this one-of-a-kind event—which pays homage to the cars and culture of the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s—are every bit as interesting. Ladies and gents are dressed to the nines in period-correct wardrobe, turning the bucolic raceway into a wondrous portal to the past. Here are a few highlights from this year’s event. (grrc.go…

After months of teasing, Tesla officially pulled the cover off of its first crossover, the Model X, this week at a special event near its assembly plant in Fremont, Calif. The all-electric SUV features three full-size rows of seating (unlike the Model S sedan with two rear jump seats) and can accommodate up to seven adults.

The Model X’s most eye-catching feature is its gullwing doors, which Tesla calls “falcon doors.” Tesla claims they are not just there for aesthetic reasons, but are more practical than t…