Lust

Research suggests that the average man thinks about sex every eight seconds. I say this is just the kind of steroetypical crap that publications such as Cosmo print in order to sell magazines. It trivialises our most basic instinct, lust, by equating it to a sweaty act. Cosmo would have women believe we think about them every eight seconds and then no doubt publish a long article misleading women into looking for non-existent signs, in the vain attempt to determine whether they are the focus of our attention.

However, the truth is that women do not have a monopoly on our day dreaming. Oh sure, I bet that a lady with blonde hair, a perfect body, tiny bikini, sultry pose and just the right amount of humidity will get a rise out of most (heterosexual) men. Men may have lustful thoughts frequently during the day, but we are not simply thinking about sex...there are also cars and boats! On that note, here are some things which get me going.

The TP52

My new favourite boat, these amazing creatures are sleek, sexy and extremely fast. Three of them were racing in the Solent this spring and I got my first close up look at these boats in action. Not quite a maxi, but definitely not your average round the cans racer either. Two coffee grinders attest to the massive loads the sails generate. It's wide open cockpit just looks like a fun place to be, and with the wheel well forward of the transom, there is ample room at the back for the tactician, and presumably the mainsheet/traveller trimmer. And a fat rich man to pay the bills.

None of that matters when the boat is slicing through the water at 15+ knots with a big kite in the air. We had the good fortune to be on a port layline for a windward mark when RAN (pictured) came tearing past us on a reach to the next mark, nearly everyone on the rail hiking out and spray flying everywhere. Oh, the envy.

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The first rear-wheel drive Alfa for fifteen years, this car has gone down a storm...or it would, if they had made enough. In fact, only 500 of these beauties were made (along with another 500 of the soft-top version) and they were all pre-sold years ago, which means that, to get your hands on one, you will need to fork out a lot more than the list price of £111,000. But even that is a bargain, because it's not just an Alfa. It is the result of the ultimate collaboration of Italian supercar greatness: a Ferrari engine, Maserati platform and Alfa Romeo soul.

I have an Alfa on order (not this one, of course: a 159 sedan) and when I went to the dealer recently the 8C was on the forecourt. The pictures do not do it justice. Make no mistake, this is an impossibly pretty car (to borrow a phrase from Jeremy Clarkson). I can honestly say that no other car on the market today, be it Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lamborghini, TVR or Zonda, can match this one for pure sex appeal. I'd sooner spent an hour in this car than a night with Megan Fox (FHM's sexiest woman 2008). In fact, this is the whole FHM Top 20 rolled into one: it has a better voice than Rihanna, more impressive cleavage than Keeley, more grace and class than Keira and is rumoured to have the bisexuality and benevolence that made Angelina famous the world over. I am in love.

Lily Kozmian-Ledward (Oceans Watch)

I hope that Lily does not mind me using her as an example - I am not lusting after her specifically. Rather the type of person she is. Sure, there is no denying her sex appeal: cute face, great body, blue eyes and nice smile. But if all you want is a great body, you need look no further than your local tabloid. Lily is so much more.

She is a marine biologist (so she's smart), a diver, photographer and trustee of a charity called Oceans Watch (so she cares about the ocean). Most importantly, she is a sailor and in my rankings of most appealing women, sailors get more points than Page 3 girls. Best of all, she lives on a boat, a 38-foot cutter called AMADIS. From this paltform she runs a Project Amadis, a "voyage of coral coservation and education". Lord knows a lot of places in the world, including the Caribbean, could benefit from a little coral conservation and education. For more information on Lily's amazing endeavours, check out the following websites:
www.oceanswatch.com
http://tuskerfilms.co.uk/pages/the-amadis-project.php

So: a gorgeous, intelligent, multi-talented sailor, who lives on a boat and spends her life trying to save the oceans. Does it get any better?