Empty palaces

摘要

TUCKED BEHIND a craggy peak on the Mediterranean coast, La Ciotat has served as a harbour for local fishermen since the 15th century. Today, the port is better known for a different sort of seafarer. One in seven of the world's super-yachts over 50 metres long-equivalent to the height of the Arc de Triomphe-passes through La Ciotat Shipyards at some point each year. With 300 berths in its dry dock, the yard carries out roughly a tenth of the refit and repair of all the big yachts in the world. At this time of year most are usually out at sea, or moored in Cannes, St Tropez and beyond. Today, as France emerges from lockdown, the yard is still full of gleaming yachts, among them a 115-metre floating palace once owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian tycoon.