Posing for Vogue on Shenandoah’s polished decks

This period of heightened fame saw Shenandoah become the location for a celebrated Vogue magazine shoot.

And then the following year Rod Stewart filmed the video for one of his biggest singles, ‘What Am I Gonna Do’, on board Shenandoah when she was resting in Cannes. You can still it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yfm9kS1mSY. It must be the first and only occasion she has sailed under the Scottish flag!

“…it must be the first and only time she has sailed under the Scottish flag!”

Then she reached another, and just as exotic, phase of her life – remaining an ever-present monument to the golden era of sailing,  but this time in the warm waters of Thailand and South East Asia where she was available for charter. Aside from some personal adventures through the Caribbean, it was here where industrialist and new owner Philip Bommer based her.

Fashions change, but Shenandoah’s style endures

Vogue recognised Shenandoah’s natural grace and elegance

Bommer, a collector of Impressionist art and rare automobiles, first saw Shenandoah when he was 13. Captivated, he spent the next 20 years dreaming of owning her and finally fulfilled that ambition in 1986, immediately organising an extensive refit. No expense was spared – the expansive teak decks were restored and scrubbed clean, the mahogany was brightened to its original hue and the brass gleamed as if it had been newly installed.