After a brutal campaign and a nail-biter of an election, the French president-elect, Nicolas Sarkozy, needed to get away from it all. And so — in pursuit of rest, privacy, and family time — he borrowed a boat from a friend. But of course, it wasn’t just any boat. It was a 190-foot yacht owned by one of the richest men in France, Vincent Ballore. The Sarkozy family took it out for a three-day cruise near Malta earlier this month, and in doing so set off a mini-scandal in France. Opposing politicians called the vacation “ostentatious” and several political cartoons mocked the luxurious holiday.

What made the vacation so objectionable? The controversy was somewhat out of character: The French famously love vacation. If Mr. Sarkozy had gone — as he had originally planned — for a three-day rest in a former monastery in Corsica, he would have surely avoided criticism.

Of all the leisure activities out there, boating is powerfully associated with luxury, wealth, and privilege. But at its root, it is just another way of spending time that emphasizes the chance to separate — fully and completely — from the everyday. The vessel can be a dingy or a luxury liner, but the activity is still essentially the same. The high-end of the spectrum appears over-the-top because like any luxury it takes a simple goal — recreation — into more exclusive territory. After all, sailing to Antigua on a Wally with a sleek, modernist interior is a more rare experience than motoring around a lake in a bass boat.

At the top of the spectrum are the sailboats, powerboats, and yachts that are made to order. The custom-yacht company Edmiston, based in London, has offices all over the world, including in Los Angeles, but president Jamie Edmiston opened up offices in New York just two weeks ago. Why New York now?

“People here know how to enjoy their success,” he said. “A custom yacht is the ultimate way of saying to the world ‘I made it.’ Even more so than a jet.”

His clients seek out his yachts to obtain something they can’t get anywhere else. “Being on a yacht is like being at a five-star hotel. But even at the best five-star hotel you have to share the pool,” he said. “A yacht gives you total privacy and total versatility.”

The versatility comes from the choice to spend a few days in a port, where you can entertain, shop, and socialize, then sail off to nowhere and relax (and celebrate your victory over French socialism).

But leisure is not the only attractive aspect of boating. Mr. Edmiston’s company occasionally partners with Louis Vuitton, which since 1983 has been the title sponsor of the sailboat races that determine the challenger in the America’s Cup race. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is taking place now in Valencia, Spain, will race the previous winner of the America’s Cup starting June 23.

Louis Vuitton’s support of the sport underscores the image of boating as connected to luxury, but it also taps into aspiration. Louis Vuitton’s president and CEO for North America, Daniel Lalonde, says of sailing in general: “It makes people dream. Sailing and discovery have global appeal.”

More specifically, it reflects Louis Vuitton’s history as a purveyor of travel gear and leather goods: “If you compare the world of sailing with the world of Vuitton, they’re similar. Boats are examples of beautiful design. There is an aspect of performance and attention to detail.”

The races attract people who are avid in the sailing world, but they also attract people who want to experience more of the world. “Louis Vuitton’s original DNA is about travel. Sailing attracts people who love travel, discovery, and passion. The linkage makes sense. We take it to heart.”

In America, demand for various categories of boats has been strong for decades. While Mr. Edmiston is seeing strong growth in Russia, India, and Europe, the American market remains key. “America was and still is the biggest market,” he said.

And the range of demand for boats here is broad. For one of the most recognized brands of American sporting boats, Boston Whaler, the strongest growth has been in demand for larger boats, according to the company’s director of marketing, Kimberly Hegel. “The overall market is pretty much staying the same, but people are moving into bigger boats,” she said. “The folks who are in it love the lifestyle. Gas prices are not influencing them.”

Boston Whaler recently entered the category of 34 foot-to-36 foot boats with the 345 Conquest, which can handle deep-sea fishing and is loaded with amenities like a full kitchen and flat-screen television. “People kept saying ‘I love it, can I get a bigger one?'” Ms. Hegel said.

While a 35-foot Boston Whaler looks small when compared to Mr. Ballore’s 190-foot yacht, the purpose is the same: time away. “The demographic of boaters who are purchasing for water sports are young people with families,” Ms. Hegel said. “It’s an opportunity for kids to have a parent’s undivided attention. You’re outdoors and it’s beautiful. Your dad is showing you how to fish.”

The Sarkozy family may not quite be in that demographic, but if perceived in those terms, their vacation looks positively wholesome. Their only sin was having a bigger boat.

pcatton@nysun.com