Having grown up on New York’s famed Long Island, and with relatives in Sag Harbor and East Hampton, I’m delighted that more and more megayachts are discovering what I’ve known all along: There are plenty of quiet, quaint ports to drop the hook or tie up to a dock.
The teams at The Sacks Group and the high-end destination club Ultimate Escapes likely agree with me, considering they chose Sag Harbor as the place to celebrate their partnership kickoff. And they did it aboard a megayacht, of course.
Held August 15 aboard the 100-foot Seafarer, seen above, the event was attended by more than 50 guests, who were free to roam the yacht’s decks. And roam they did, checking out her saloon, four staterooms, and flying bridge, complete with a Jacuzzi and barbecue.
Why would a yacht-charter firm partner with a destination club–an organization specializing in giving its members access to more than 250 villas and other land-based properties worldwide? Simple, according to Jennifer Saia, president and charter specialist of The Sacks Group: They share similar client profiles. “Many of the clients will want to combine a luxury yacht vacation with a high-end private residence rental to make the ultimate vacation experience,” she explains.
Seafarer seems an ideal addition to both The Sacks Group’s and Ultimate Escape’s offerings. Though I haven’t seen the yacht myself, I’m quite familiar with many other launches from her builder, Hargrave Custom Yachts, which delivered her in the spring. Hargrave knows how to comfortably appoint staterooms for a handful of guests, and Seafarer in particular accommodates nine. A crew of four runs her, including husband-and-wife team Rick and Catherine Topel, both of whom are licensed captains. Given the hors d’oeuvres that her chef, Gabe Hanlen, prepared for the party in Sag Harbor, I think Sacks’ and Ultimate Escape’s clients will happily roll, not walk, down the stairs to their staterooms. Try reading this sampling without your mouth watering: Maine lobster medallions served on toast points with white truffle and chive tomato concassé, Thai peanut free-range chicken cakes with red curry coconut cream, and handmade Grand Marnier and Bailey’s chocolate truffles. Also knowing how everyone loves to gather in the galley aboard a yacht, Seafarer‘s country kitchen, pictured here, will no doubt be a popular spot.
To learn more about how the partnership works, or for details on chartering Seafarer, which will be in Florida and The Bahamas this winter at a weekly rate of $42,500 (plus expenses), contact The Sacks Group.
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