“First there were summer house shares, then fractional jet ownership. Apparently, the next step in spreading the wealth is Synchrony, which offers syndicated yacht ownership.”

Indeed, owning a yacht is far from a practical proposition, with a high buy-in cost, increasing annual costs and a depreciating asset that remains unused for much of the year.

Synchrony, which is based in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, is said to differ from other fractional yacht companies as it offers full access to yachts for up to six weeks per year — with fewer responsibilities.