LONDON, England -- In his autobiography, Eric Clapton admits that he enjoys nothing more than sitting in a deck chair on a white sandy beach watching his children playing in the sea.



Private getaway: Eric Clapton enjoys spending time relaxing on his superyacht Va Bene.



It's the perfect antidote to a punishing tour schedule, and with gigs in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Scandinavia and Europe so far this year, getting away from it all is an experience he values.



He found that he was particularly at ease aboard the 157 ft (47.8m) motor yacht Va Bene, which he chartered in 2005 and cruised with friends around the Mediterranean. The sheltered port of Bonifacio at the southern end of Corsica became one of his favorite haunts.



In fact, Clapton enjoyed Va Bene so much that he bought her. It was the first time he'd ever had to borrow money to buy something, but he had fallen for the yacht, despite her 13 years and slightly dated looks. Besides there was always the possibility of updating her to give her a new lease of life.



Va Bene came with an interesting pedigree. She had originally been commissioned by a Greek ship owner in 1992 to a design by Richard Hein (of Oceanco fame) and built by Kees Cornelissen in Holland. She was then purchased by F1 motor racing supremo Bernie Ecclestone before being sold to an American. A steel-hulled displacement yacht with a cruising speed of about 14 knots, Va Bene can accommodate 12 guests in six separate sleeping cabins and has a crew complement of 13.



Having lived with Va Bene for a couple of years, Eric Clapton finally felt the time was right for a refit. Clapton was particularly keen for the work to be carried out in the UK, partly because he wanted to buy British but also because he could keep a close eye on proceedings. Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall, was an obvious choice. Roger Taylor, the drummer with Queen has his yacht Tiger Lilly refitted regularly in Falmouth and Pete Townsend of the Who is another famous client.



Pendennis Shipyard representative Alastair Heane was first introduced to the yacht during the charter show in Antigua in December 2006. Eric Clapton has a house on the island and Va Bene is based here during the winter season. Heane quickly established a detailed proposal of work. The plan was to get Va Bene to Falmouth after Clapton had finished his 2007 summer holiday so that the work could be carried out during the winter.



The initial time frame was three months but like most complex refits this quickly extended to six as the work list grew. The target was to have Va Bene ready and waiting in Porto Cervo Sardinia on July 1 this year in time for Eric Clapton's month-long family holiday -- a date that was set in stone to fit around his tour schedule.



We caught up with Va Bene during a photo shoot at the end of June 2008 on the very day she was setting sail from Palma, Mallorca, to meet up with the boss in Sardinia. With the final last-minute touches still being applied and the crew busily unpacking everything from the owner's precious guitar to his children's cuddly toys, it was a close run thing but Pendennis had met the deadline in style.



The first thing that strikes you on boarding Va Bene is the calm, informal atmosphere of what is clearly a much-loved family yacht rather than a glitzy monument to success.



Eric Clapton may be one of the world's greatest living rock stars but he is also an unpretentious family man who wants a yacht that he can relax on. The saloon encapsulates this perfectly.



Rather than a single formal space with designer furniture that look so immaculate you hardly dare sit down, Va Bene's saloon is divided into four separate areas with clusters of contrasting chairs, sofas, tables and cabinets. One group of guests can be relaxing round the card table and matching leather chairs, while others stretch out on the big taupe corduroy sofa to watch a movie. That still leaves room for him to sneak off into another corner and perch on one of the special armless low
What year did Eric Clapton buy his 48 meter superyacht Va Bene? What does Clapton enjoy on the boat? What is the size of the yacht? What length is Eric Clapton's yacht? When did Bernie Ecclestone buy the vessel? Who owned the vessel prior to Clapton?
2005 spending time relaxing 157 ft (47.8m) 157 ft (47.8m) 2005 Bernie Ecclestone
question: What year did Eric Clapton buy his 48 meter superyacht Va Bene?, answer: 2005 | question: What does Clapton enjoy on the boat?, answer: spending time relaxing | question: What is the size of the yacht?, answer: 157 ft (47.8m) | question: What length is Eric Clapton's yacht?, answer: 157 ft (47.8m) | question: When did Bernie Ecclestone buy the vessel?, answer: 2005 | question: Who owned the vessel prior to Clapton?, answer: Bernie Ecclestone