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The Places That Inspire Us Are the Places We Have a Responsibility to Protect

For Olympic champion and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team Strategist Hannah Mills OBE, a lifetime spent on the water has shaped more than a sporting career

To travel widely is often to collect memories of places. For Hannah Mills OBE , those places happen to be viewed largely from the water. With more than two decades of international competition, she has experienced some of the world's most celebrated coastlines not as a visitor but as an athlete, reading their winds, currents and conditions with remarkable precision. In doing so, she has come to appreciate a simple truth: the places that give us extraordinary experiences deserve our care in return.

Today, as Strategist for Emirates GBR SailGP Team, Mills spends her days making split-second decisions aboard some of the fastest racing boats on the planet. When an F50 catamaran rises onto its hydrofoils and approaches speeds in excess of 100 km/h, she describes the sensation as being "like flying across the water". Yet behind the spectacle lies a world of constant communication and instinctive decision-making. Success depends on an athlete's ability to understand and respond to the environment around them.  

 

 

That relationship with the natural world has been forged across some of sailing's most iconic venues. Among the memories that remain closest to her are the London 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth and Portland, where she won silver in front of a passionate home crowd, and Rio 2016, where she achieved her ambition to become Olympic champion. Together, those moments were defining milestones in a career built on excellence, resilience, and a lasting connection to the sea. 

Years spent travelling the world have also shaped her understanding of hospitality. Living out of a suitcase for much of the year has taught her that the most memorable destinations offer more than luxury amenities. What makes somewhere feel genuinely welcoming, she believes, is a sense of calm, authenticity and seamless support, allowing people to focus fully on the purpose of their journey, whether they are competing, exploring or simply reconnecting with their surroundings. 

It is a philosophy that resonates strongly with Jumeirah. Across the brand’s portfolio, hospitality is viewed not simply as a service but as a way of helping guests form a meaningful connection with places. The experience of a destination extends beyond the walls of a hotel to encompass its coastline, culture, community, and natural environment. Such a connection inevitably raises a question: what responsibility comes with enjoying these places?
For Mills, the answer emerged gradually over years spent on the water. During Olympic campaigns and training programmes across Europe, Asia and beyond, she witnessed growing volumes of single-use plastics and waste in marine environments - something she encountered across multiple coastlines and continents. 

 

 

The experience marked a turning point. The ocean had always been both playground and sanctuary, but seeing evidence of human impact changed her relationship with it. What had once been a connection rooted in competition evolved into one of stewardship, inspiring the launch of the ‘Big Plastic Pledge’ which resulted in over 3000 people joining the initiative, and her advocacy for reducing single-use plastics across global sport. 

That belief in stewardship is also reflected in SailGP itself. Unlike traditional offshore sailing, the championship brings racing into the heart of major coastal cities, from Sydney Harbour and San Francisco Bay to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Each venue serves as both racecourse and destination, creating a powerful connection between sport, people and place. 

It is also what makes Jumeirah's partnership with the Emirates GBR SailGP Team especially compelling. Both organisations share a longstanding relationship with the ocean. One welcomes guests to some of the world's most celebrated coastal destinations; the other showcases the skill, innovation and teamwork required to navigate those waters at the highest level. Together, they reflect a belief that exceptional experiences and responsible stewardship should go hand in hand. 

 

 

Mills believes that everyone who benefits from a place carries a duty of care towards it. Whether through reducing waste, embracing cleaner energy, or supporting restoration projects, meaningful progress is often the result of hundreds of small actions. The principle is not unlike elite sport, where marginal gains accumulated over time ultimately determine success. Businesses, she argues, can apply the same discipline to understanding and reducing their environmental impact through transparency, accountability, and continual improvement.  

Looking ahead, Mills hopes future generations will continue to experience thriving coastlines, healthy oceans and vibrant marine ecosystems. Achieving that future will require a collective shift in how society values nature, recognising it not simply as a resource but as something intrinsically worthy of protection.

For someone whose career has been defined by reading the subtle signals of wind and water, the lesson is clear. The health of the places we treasure cannot be taken for granted. Whether through sport, travel or hospitality, our role is not simply to enjoy extraordinary destinations, but to ensure they continue to inspire those who come after us.

 

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The Places That Inspire Us Are the Places We Have a Responsibility to Protect

For Olympic champion and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team Strategist Hannah Mills OBE, a lifetime spent on the water has shaped more than a sporting career

Across southern Italy and the Balearic islands, where the Mediterranean feels most alive, food is inseparable from daily life. Mornings begin with fishermen hauling in the day’s catch, and a walk to the local market reveals stalls heavy with sun-ripened produce. Meals are unhurried. Often shared. Always shaped by the season.

 

This is the essence of the Mediterranean diet: intuitive rather than prescriptive. Rooted in fresh fish, legumes, herbs, vegetables, fruit, and good olive oil, it follows the cycles of nature. What grows well is eaten often. What’s in season is celebrated. 

 

But it’s not only what is eaten - it’s the life that gathers around it. This is a slower way of living, where movement happens naturally: walking, swimming, tending the land - all under an open sky and the sun’s daily dose of vitamin D.  Rest is valued, and meals are a time to pause and connect with loved ones.

 

This way of eating and living supports long-term health - sharper minds, stronger hearts, and energy that lasts.  At Jumeirah Capri Palace and Jumeirah Mallorca, that spirit is alive in every detail, from market-led menus and locally sourced produce to days centred around the table, the sea, and the sun.

 

What follows is our curated selection of dishes from each destination - four courses that embody the Mediterranean diet in its most natural and honest form.

 

 

Mediterranean Eating in Mallorca

 

Breakfast - Cap Roig Brasserie

Set high above the bay of Port de Sóller, Cap Roig Brasserie offers panoramic views of the sea and surrounding cliffs - a calm, open setting to begin the day. Here, a bowl of house‑made granola arrives layered with local almonds, Campanyet honey, and Sóller lemon zest. It’s a breakfast that feels effortless - simple, seasonal, and drawn from the island’s orchards and hives.

 

Lunch - Cap Roig Brasserie

As the sea breeze drifts in from the bay, lunch is served on the open terrace. Wild sea bass arrives resting on a clay tile - cooked in a salt crust with herbs from the Tramuntana mountains, served alongside pil pil sauce and charred seasonal vegetables. The salt, hand-harvested from Es Trenc’s untouched coastline, echoes the island’s centuries-old methods of preserving the day’s catch. For Executive Chef Javier López, this dish is both a personal favourite and a reflection of Mallorca itself - lean, clean, and rooted in tradition.

 

 

Dinner - Sunset Lounge

As the sun begins to lower behind the Tramuntana peaks, the Sunset Lounge offers a relaxed setting for the evening meal, with far-reaching views across the water. Grilled octopus, slow-cooked until tender, is served on a causita - a smooth purée of potato, avocado, lime and chilli - finished with a bright, togarashi-spiced sauce. With healthy fats, light proteins, and gentle spice, the dish is unmistakably Mediterranean: generous without excess, nourishing without heaviness.

 

Dessert - Es Fanals

The meal ends with citrus - Mallorca’s unmistakable signature. Grown in the Sóller valley, the island’s oranges are prized for their depth of flavour and fragrant peel. At Es Fanals, the orange flaó is reimagined as saffron ice cream with orange blossom bubbles, a honey biscuit, and a refreshing Sóller orange granita - a nod to one of the region’s most cherished palate cleansers. 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Eating in Capri

 

Breakfast - L’Olivo

Morning in Anacapri begins with stillness and sun. At L’Olivo, Capri’s only two‑Michelin‑starred restaurant, breakfast is a spread of island generosity - fresh fruit, soft cheeses, handmade marmalades, zabaglione, Caprese cake, and Neapolitan pastries. It’s a celebration of local produce and simple pleasures. No single ingredient overwhelms; each is offered at its best, a reflection of the Mediterranean belief that balance starts early.

 

Lunch - At a-Ma-Re Capri

Perched above the Blue Grotto with dazzling views of the sea, a-Ma-Re Capri offers a sunlit setting for lunch just steps from the water’s edge. Spaghetti is served simply, with anchovies from nearby waters, Capri lemon, olives, and toasted hazelnuts and walnuts - five ingredients that echo the island’s landscape and larder. Rich in healthy oils and minerals, the dish is light yet sustaining, made for long afternoons by the sea.

 

 

Dinner – L’Olivo

As evening settles over the island, L’Olivo offers a calm, elegant setting for dinner. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, the lemon-scented tagliolini, arrives warm and silken, layered with red prawns, burrata, sea asparagus and oyster leaf. Inspired by local ingredients, the dish is both simple and satisfying - which is, at heart, what the Mediterranean diet does best.

 

 

Dessert – Il Riccio

Tucked just off Il Riccio’s sun-drenched terrace, the hotel’s pieds dans l’eau restaurant, the Temptation Room is a vibrant homage to the traditional Caprese kitchen. Decorated with local ornaments, it glows with Capri-blue shelves, sun-yellow tiles and sea-facing light. But the real temptation lies in the display: an overflowing counter of handmade sweets crafted overnight by local bakers. Traditional Neapolitan and Caprese treats take centre stage - Sfogliatelle with their delicate, layered shells; cream-filled Cannoli; and the rich, flourless Torta Caprese. A sweet close, and a reminder that even indulgence, here, is part of a balanced life.

 

 

You taste it in the lemons and just-caught fish, feel it in the sea air, and see it in the way meals unfold slowly, surrounded by sun and conversation. This is the Mediterranean diet: instinctive, generous, and brought to life through the vibrant restaurants of Jumeirah Capri Palace and Jumeirah Mallorca.