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                                                            PRESS TALKSRESS TALKS








                                                                                                                                                                                                                 You are in the middle of nature, it’s beautiful and private,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 and you have all your belongings with you. And you go
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 to places you would not be able to get to any other way
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 [than by water]. It’s priceless.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The couple splits their time between Israel, London and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Athens (where the yacht is currently based), but they’ve
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 also lived in Hong Kong and New York. Liran grew up in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Israel, the son of an Israeli media mogul, and Maya hails
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 from Canada. The two met while she attended university
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 in Tel Aviv as part of an entrepreneurship program. Soon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 after getting married, they became partners in business
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 as well, starting a successful television channel aimed at
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 providing educational shows for babies and toddlers.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Aptly named BabyTV, the channel provided 24/7, adver-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 tisement-free programming for kids up to age four. At
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the time of its inception, in the early 2000s, there was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 nothing like it. “We wanted to make high-quality content
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 that would introduce colors, shapes and nursery rhymes.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 They  moved from Israel to London to set up the busi-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ness, which was initially launched in the UK and Europe
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 in 2005. The groundbreaking idea proved to be a success
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 and was soon snapped up by News Corporation’s Fox In-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ternational in a partnership deal that helped BabyTV go
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 international, appearing on screens in 100 countries and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 400 affiliate platforms in more than a dozen languages.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Years later, shortly after the couple purchased MyStar
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 in November 2017, BabyTV was sold to Disney. “MyStar
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 brought us good luck,” says Maya of the boat. “Liran was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 doing the deals to finalise the sale right after we started
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 out on our trip.” He bought the boat for Maya’s 40th
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 birthday present, telling her he wanted to sail off with her
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 into the sunset.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 At first, they had debated between power and sail. They
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 liked the luxury of a motor yacht but the far-reaching
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 range of a sailing boat – and then broker Roy Klajman
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 of the Sea-Alliance Group helped them define the char-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 acteristics of a yacht capable of doing such a worldwide
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 journey. MyStar was the perfect match. “When we found
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 MyStar, she was a combination of both. As soon as we
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 saw her for the first time in Saint-Tropez, we fell in love
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 instantly,” says Maya. “You walk in and it’s all light with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 360-degree panoramic views from the wraparound sa-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 loon windows. You have a view of everything in front of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 you and it draws you.






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