Naviculatio

Caphiric yachting (Caphiric Latin: naviculatio) is a Caphiric luxury recreational boating activity using medium/large-sized yachts for social leisures such as cruising, fishing trips, or racing. Characterized as a symbol "of great wealth and excessive consumption", it is considered "probatus actio", an activity reserved for the patrician class and aristocracy. Naviculatio originated in the late-18th century when pleasure boats for the elite classes began to rise in popularity. This contrasted against other monarchs, who used naval ships for transportation.

In 1812, Imperator Aldorino commissioned several experimental catamarans specifically designed for leisure and entertainment. These catamarans, luxuriously adorned and technologically advanced for their time, were a departure from traditional naval vessels, emphasizing comfort and elegance over utility and warfare. Naviculatio quickly became a coveted symbol of status among the Caphirian elite, leading to the establishment of exclusive clubs and societies. By the mid-19th century, naviculatio had evolved into a refined social event, with annual regattas and galas becoming key fixtures in the Caphirian social calendar. By the mid-20th century, naviculatio had transcended its origins as a leisure activity to become a pivotal arena for discreet political discourse and covert business negotiations. These luxurious maritime settings facilitated off-the-record meetings, subtly influencing the political and economic landscape of Caphiria. As naviculatio became ingrained in the fabric of high society, it also captivated the imagination of Caphirians. The allure of the open sea and the prestige of yacht ownership and political intrigue has heavily influenced Caphirian culture and inspired a wave of maritime-themed art, literature, and film.

To participate in naviculatio, one must be a member of a navarchia, a distinguished yacht club officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture and granted the privilege to display a unique navarchia burgee. The variety of navarchia caters to diverse interests within the elite yachting community, including royal yacht clubs, reserved for the highest echelons of society; merchant clubs, frequented by affluent traders and business magnates; sporting clubs, focusing on competitive sailing and racing; and exploratory clubs, dedicated to seafaring adventures and nautical expeditions.

History

The roots of the yacht culture date back to the 17th century when wealthy merchants and aristocrats began buying luxurious boats, known as yachts, for leisure and sailing races. In 1661, Hanequin I, emperor of the Holy Levantine Empire, commissioned a pleasure yacht. In 1674, Corquinov II, the princeps juventatis (heir apparent) of the Third Imperium also commissioned a pleasure yacht but was less into simply sailing his yacht but focused on racing around Ecesia Bay generally causing a commotion. He and his friends created the first navarchia, or yacht club, called the Royal Sailing Society of Venceia in 1676, where they constructed large yachting vessels and were often seen racing around and tearing up and down the coast. This sparked a pleasure yachting boom in Caphiria with many young nobles at court taking to the littoral waters of Venceia which lasted until the 1720s. As Corquinov II ascended to become Imperator, he gave up yachting as it was seen as a juvenile activity. However, the yacht remained on the rolls of the Imperial Naval Fleet for the entirety of his reign, and Corquinov II would often spend days away at sea without his guard noticing.

The first organized naviculatio race was in 1815 when, after a night of heavy drinking and general debauchery, a collection of wealthy merchants built scaled replicas of their fastest ships for their sons to race, so that they could bet on the outcome. The race took place on July 14, 1815 and the scene drew 800 onlookers. The sons ranged in age from 12 to 23 and were of a variety of skill levels in their knowledge of sailing. A news article at the time read, "The spice merchant NAME's son, a boy of 16, won the day in a 1/4 sized sloop, resembling that of the ship his father sails for the coast of Zaclaria, that he handled with a deft hand and a brave face in the midst of a field of novices and drunks. He was greeted on the shore by a gay band of merrymakers who celebrated his victory throughout the afternoon and into the night."

6 months later the same merchants wagered on a race between their best sailors sailing the same small boats. From there the merchants offered to revitalize the "Royal Sailing Society", Imperator NAME had no interest in yachting and sold them the assets of the club. The Society was renamed as the Yachting Club of Venceia in 1818 as a private members club, the first of its kind. The upper crust of Venceia who were of the maritime bent, joined in droves. An industry of private pleasure yachts was once again built around these men. In 1823, the Yachting Club of Parita opened its doors on the same model. By the end of the 19th century there were also yacht clubs in Castra Osanavio, Sabon, Baco, Castra Jansoro, and Pasiche. These 7 clubs are the oldest and most prestigious clubs in Caphiria, they are collectively referred to as the Septegentes, or the 7 families (from whom all other yacht clubs descended).

Interwar period and the Second Great War

After the First Great War, many returning sailors were looking to maintain their sailing skills, this led to a boom in small sailing clubs all across Caphiria. Some of these clubs have risen to yacht club status throughout the 20th century. These sailors also looked to teach these skills to others and many yacht clubs and sailing clubs began to offer classes as lessons. Most of the Septegentes did not adopt this trend with the exception of Baco, which established a sailing school. By the outbreak of the Second Great War, there were 85 registered yacht clubs across Caphiria. In the lead up to the war and in its initial years many yacht clubs served as both recruitment and training centers for young officer candidates. Sailing was a requirement for all Imperial Naval Fleet officers until 1984.

Modern times

In the aftermath of the Second Great War a number of things came together elevate Naviculatio to its current status. Firstly, maritime gas combustion engines became widely available to the consumer market allowed for the construction of private motor yachts. Secondly, many veteran officers of the Imperial Naval Fleet returned home and wanted to keep sailing. Thirdly, many of the returning enlisted sailors were able to leverage their veterans benefits to elevate their standing in society and join the middle or upper middle class, which allowed them to buy into the "yachting class". And finally, many shipyards who had been building ships for the war were more than happy to retool their manufacturing to mass produce modest motor yachts to meet the new market demand.

The popular yachting boom tapered off in the 1980s but it was replaced by an exclusive yacht life culture around the same time. The reflected a general increasing income gap increase in Caphiria around the same time. From the mid-80s until today yachting and yacht culture (Naviculatio) is primarily enjoyed by the very wealthy.

Septegentes Yacht Clubs

Name	Burgee	Year founded	City
Yachting Club of Venceia		"1676" 1818	Venceia
Yachting Club of Parita		1823	Parita
Castra Osanavio Yacht Club		1824	Castra Osanavio
Sabon Sailing Society		1834	Sabon
Yachting Club of Baco		1857	Baco
Castra Jansoro Yacht Club		1866	Castra Jansoro
Pasiche Yachting Society		1884	Pasiche

Season

The Naviculatio season is built around particular regattas, ocean races, galas, and scenes. No one attends all of them, typically people pick those that are closest to them or in places that would like to visit that year. Some are limited in the size and number of yachts they can accommodate so slip rental prices skyrocket in each scene as the season focuses on them. The season kicks off on January 18th with the Devča Circuit on Sacard Beach. The Devča Circuit is a week-long set of races, beginning with inshore races and climaxing with the primary race - a 243 nautical mile (450 km) circuit. Because it is the start of the season, there is a welcome gala called the "Castra Osanavio Yacht Club Amuse-Bouche" and a parade of the new yachts called "the Debutante". The Sacard Beach scene continues throughout January and ends on the first weekend of February with the "Off To the Races" ball. From there the yachts race across the straits to Venceia in the "Homage Run". After the Homage Run there are a series of regattas over the next three weeks for the various sizes and classes of boats (Venceia 20 meter-sail, Veneceia 20 meter-motor, Veneceia 30 meter-sail, etc.). This is punctuated with the "Royal Reception", wherein one of the royal family hosts a gala for the Naviculatio-set. At the end of the regattas there is "Windlass Ball" to end the season in Veneceia and indicated that things are winding up. Then follows the Crown Prince's Cup an professional open ocean race from Veneceia to the island of Coribus. The Coribus scene starts with the of the Crown Prince's Cup Gala celebrating the winner of the cup. There are a series of regattas for the local smaller yachts and dinghy races for the dinghies of the mega yachts that make the trip. The scene in Coribus is much more relaxed than that on the mainland and some people will fly to Coribus for the scene without their boats. In April, typically synching up with the "Spring Break" in many Caphirian schools, colleges, and universities, the season continues in Parita for the "Family Regatta" were families crew their yachts in a series of competitions both on the water and parties designed around competitive activities. The Family Regatta runs for three weeks to capture all of the schedules with a gala each Friday night to crown the winners of the various races and competitions of the week, as well as the overall winning family of the week. In May the season moves to Sabon with the "Race to Summer" from Parita to Sabon. Due to Sabon's smaller size it has become one of the more exclusive scenes in the season and its galas are even more extravagant as a result. Only the ultra-rich attend and the Sabon Regatta features some of the most customized and highly engineered sailing yachts in the world. There is also the "Whirlybird Gala" named as such because most people who arrive to it come by helicopter from their superyachts.

In June the season moves to Pasiche for the Summer Solstice circuit. Since it is the start of summer break from school, the Pasiche is geared more towards families. There are regattas for smaller craft, the Cionnaith Lagans Yacht Rock Music Festival, celebrating the work of the Fanerian yacht rocker Cionnaith Lagans. In late July the scene moves to Baco for the Caphirian Cup, a race around THE BIG ISLAND IN THE NORTH. While the race is on-going the Baco Regatta is occuring locally as well as the Yachting Club of Baco's Gala and Ball. Due to the heat at this part of the summer, most of the events are hosted on the water. Baco is known for its floating bars and party rafts that meander through the mooring fields picking up partygoers, who never know when they might return to their own yacht. Because of this Baco's scene is known to be particularly social and there are many unorganized races between people who have only recently met. The Baco scene concludes with the "Big Sweat Ball". The season pauses in August and September due to the high occurrence of tropical cyclones and also because its the start of the fiscal year and many people have to focus on getting their companies set on the new fiscal year's strategy. In October season picks back up again in Castra Jansoro. The Castra Jansoro Regatta is a very technical race that is known for attracting the base sailors in the world to compete. The Castra Jansoro is known for being particularly international. It is also more open than the others, with the focus being on yacht racing fans instead of yacht owners. As such the Castra Jansoro scene is based mostly on land and is much more "pedestrian" compared to the other locales. It coincides with the Castra Jansoro Boat Show and often times the yacht owners will allow small numbers of people come onboard and see their yachts. In November, the season concludes back in Veneceia with a series of regattas and each of the yacht clubs in the city hosting each other in a "thanksgiving" for a good season.

Cultural impact

Naviculatio significantly influenced Caphirian culture, particularly in the arts. It inspired a genre of literature and film that romanticized the sea and the luxurious lifestyle associated with yachting, and often reflect themes of opulence, adventure, and intrigue. Directors and playwrights have utilized the setting of the open sea and the extravagant lifestyle of yacht club members to tell stories of passion, power, and betrayal. These narratives typically revolve around influential figures within the navarchia community, showcasing a world where political power plays and personal dramas unfold against a backdrop of luxury yachts and scenic seascapes.

This genre became a staple in Caphirian cinema, as films often depict the luxurious world of naviculatio, focusing on themes of power, ambition, and romance set against the backdrop of the sea. Classic films like Mare Aureum (On The Golden Sea) and Ventis Secretis (Secret Winds) combine elements of drama and intrigue with stunning visuals of yachting life. These films often feature influential characters from Caphirian society, drawing audiences into a world where opulence meets the untamed nature of the sea. One of the most iconic films in this genre is Ultimum Tangum Capera (Last Tango in Capera), a cinematic masterpiece that explores a complex love story set in the world of Caphirian high society and naviculatio. The film's narrative weaves through the intricacies of forbidden romance and societal expectations, set against the backdrop of majestic yachts and the iconic Caperane coastline. It's renowned for its breathtaking cinematography, capturing the essence of the sea's beauty and the allure of the yachting lifestyle.The Last Tango in Capera has not only been a critical success but also a cultural phenomenon, influencing fashion trends and sparking a renewed interest in naviculatio among the younger generations.

The artistic fascination with naviculatio extends to the stage as well, where plays like Noctes Nauticae (Nautical Nights) explore the complex interplay of human emotions and the allure of the sea. These theatrical productions often feature elaborate sets mimicking the interiors of luxurious yachts and marinas, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in the extravagant world of the Caphirian elite. The characters, often drawn from the upper echelons of society, navigate a world of affluence and influence, where personal ambitions and desires clash with societal expectations and norms. This genre of art delves into the nuances of Caphiria's elite, portraying their struggles, triumphs, and dilemmas. The plays, rich in dialogue and symbolism, reflect the deeper currents of Caphirian society, where the tranquility of the sea often contrasts with the storms of high-stakes social politics. These theatrical pieces have become a significant part of Caphiria's cultural landscape, celebrated for their ability to mirror the complexities of life within the sphere of luxury and power, making them relatable across all social echelons.

Organized crime

Further information: Savatu Brotherhood

The Savatu Brotherhood have used Naviculatio both as a sign of their rising status but also as a way to launder some of their money. Newly made men typically demonstrate their newfound wealth and status by buying a yacht and joining Naviculatio society. The "old money" Naviculatiors have pushed back hard against this influs since the early 2000s and there are almost two parallel Naviculatio societies in the 2030s, but there is a lot of cross over. While the Savatu Brotherhood may not be members of the Septegentes yachting clubs, they have joined other clubs and become valued members investing heavily in the clubs they joined or founded. These clubs have the most modern amenities, highest staffing numbers, best and most lavish events, and the most premium maritime safety equipment. So, while they are not part of the stodgy Septegentes many people praise their investments in the clubs that they have joined. This does however incur the scrutiny of the authorities and these clubs are often under surveillance and their financials are constantly under review, but the Savatu Brotherhood leadership know that they have a good thing going so they are very careful to keep their criminal enterprises, their ill gotten gains, and their yacht clubs separate.