Kim Vibe-Petersen

The path to yachting is wide and varied. Some discover the camaraderie of racing at their university sailing club. Others stumble upon the freedom of being at sea via a chance invite aboard a friend’s yacht. And then there are the serial owners who begin by dipping a toe into the charter waters only to find themselves hooked to the superyacht life for good. For Kim Vibe-Petersen, who grew up in the coastal city of Copenhagen, sailing found him. “I was the only one in my family with an interest in sailing, I’m not sure where it comes from,” says the CEO of coffee firm Scanomat. Whatever the source, he’s proven a lifelong enthusiast and at the age of 73 shows no signs of slowing down.

Vibe-Petersen made his millions by inventing the world’s first fully automatic cappuccino machine, before bolstering his achievements with the TopBrewer, a Nordic-style countertop tap that delivers barista-quality coffee via a smart phone app. For the man who drinks around three cups a day, coffee has been his route to success. But sailing has long been his passion.

He had his first boats aged seven, small Optimists and Laser dinghies that he learned to tack and jibe around the Danish coastline. He later upgraded to a small German sailing dinghy called a Pirate, before taking his first step into new construction, albeit on a small scale. Aged 16, he part-built himself a wooden Nordic Folkboat out of larch on oak with the help of real boatbuilders. “It was quite a big boat that slept four people, which was a lot of fun with my friends!” he reminisces. “We raced it around Shetland in Bergen in foggy weather and ran aground, but we still came second place and that gave me a taste for racing.” 

Copenhagen’s picturesque canals and island waters are intrinsic to the daily life of its inhabitants. From electric ferries and fast commuter tenders to adventurous cruising itineraries that venture into the nearby Norwegian fjords, the possibilities for exploration on the water captivated Vibe-Petersen early on. Today, he divides his time between Denmark, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. He cruises Turkey, Greece and his favourite island of St Bart’s aboard his two passions, the 54-metre Parsifal III and 52-metre Q (ex-Mondango).

With an exterior designed by Perini Navi with naval architecture by Ron Holland and an interior penned by Rémi Tessier, Parsifal III is a regatta regular. Out of the 16 St Barth’s Buckets Vibe-Petersen has competed in, he’s won five with Parsifal III. Ketch-rigged, she has a flying bridge to enjoy the racing action and includes a plunge pool on the upper deck. The performance sailer was the first boat Vibe-Petersen had a true hand in designing, and the curved, open-plan layout makes her ideal for charter, now boosted by a starring role on reality show Below Deck Sailing Yacht. The yacht is so popular, in fact, he bought Q to use for family adventures.

Built by Alloy Yachts, a shipyard that no longer exists, and designed by naval architect Ed Dubois who passed in 2016, Q is a true limited edition. “Alloy Yachts are so well built that they’re legendary on the sailing circuit,” says Vibe-Petersen. “I’ve been buying and refitting sailing boats for 30 years, but Q caught my eye with her low profile, sleek lines and the fact she’s really fast.”

Two major refits in 2016 and 2021 saw the instalment of large 3DI carbon sails that hoist in a matter of minutes. In flat water and 35 knots of wind, Q easily reaches 19 knots. Over the past 15 years the yacht has enjoyed active participation on the competitive regatta circuit, from Loro Piana to the St Barth’s Bucket, with the hands-on Vibe-Petersen at the heart of the action. “I like to be active when on board, both when racing and when resting with a good glass of wine in my hand,” he says. “I love to have my wife and two sons around me. I don’t read or listen to podcasts when on board. I rest in the moment and take in the wildlife. It’s an attractive existence with a crew of nine who take very good care of you.”

This summer the family saw humpback whales in St Bart’s and sailed the Grenadines, taking in Canouan, Tobago Cays and Mustique. They dived a lot, swam in the sea and spent time learning to master the Flite board. Q’s drop-down transom creates a large swim platform with a ladder for easy access to the water. It’s a great way to enjoy the selection of “healthy toys” on board, from kayaks and Seabobs to a BIC sailing dinghy and diving gear. 

For Vibe-Petersen himself, nothing beats relaxing on the aft deck, which has a projector installed on the mizzen boom for a home-cinema feel – another detail that was added during refit to give the yacht a personalised touch. It also exemplifies how yachts can be all things to all people – one minute a high-performance custom-built ketch with world champion sailor Kenny Reid as race captain, the next a family bluewater cruiser with nothing but the stars and the deep blue sea all around. And now that Q is also proving irresistible with charter guests, a third sailing yacht acquisition looks like it might be on the horizon – and with her, perhaps, the next chapter to Vibe-Petersen’s superyacht life is set to be written.