Boat International - July 2018

Members’

Logbook

Everymonth,youtellus

whereyouareonthesevenseas,

whatyoucanseefromyour

deckandyourtoptriptips

PHOTOGRAPHY: ADOBE STOCK; COURTESY OF OWNERS

Map – Jing Zhang

Boating has beenawayoflifeforour

family for about 50 years. We have

enjoyedatleastadozendiferent

vessels. We had a 23 metre Horizon

for14years,andweonlychoseto

move up to the 25 metre Horizon

becauseitis1.8metreslongerand0.3

metreswider–inboatingthatmakes

abigdiference.We’ve named ever y

boatStarrexcept for our 11 metre

Intrepid, which we callStarr Too.

Our home portsare Annapolis and

MiamiBeachandwecruiseupand

downtheeastcoastfromMainetothe

Bahamas. When we head north from

Miamiinthespring,wecruisefrom

restaurant to restaurant.The most

dangerous thing about boatingis

aschedule.Werendezvouswith

peoplealongtheway.Thereisa

wholesubcultureofboaters,and

we have developed some long-term

friendships.Ibelongtoaclub

calledtheRealBoatWivesofMiami,

agroupofwomenwhosepartners

orspousesare“boat-aholics”.Idon’t

thinkwewillevergetatelevision

show,butwedohaveagoodtime.

Wealsoenjoysingingandhave

performedattheHorizonrendezvous.

Weareveryfortunatethat

we both like the boating

life,notthatwedon’tget

seasick – but look, when

yougetahangoverdo

yougiveupdrinking?

This month

Starr Ezra

Owner ofStarr(25m)

My life in boats

Interview–GraceTrofa

David Ray

Yacht:Excel

Length: 31m

Year: 1997

Location: Newport

How’syourseasonshapingup?

We’llgodowntoMainefortheNewYorkYachtClubCruiseandthen

takeExceland our smaller Hinckley sailing boatNirvanato Nantucket

fortheOperaHouseCup,whichNirvanawonlastyear.Excelwill also

actasthecommitteeboatfortheNYYCQueen’sCupandCandy

Store Cup Superyacht Regatta

Have the boats had much work done?

Excelhad her topsides painted at Newport Shipyard this spring,

andNirvanaisabouttohaveherannualpaintandvarnish

beauty treatment

What are you most looking forward to?

AcoupleofyearsagoCharlieDanaandItookovertheNewport

Bucket and renamed it the Candy Store Cup Superyacht Regatta;

wewantedtobringbackthespiritandfunoftheoriginalNantucket

Bucket... and by all accounts we succeeded. That event is really the

highlightofmysummer–andtheonlysuperyachtregattainAmerica.

ThereisareasontheycallNewportAmerica’ssailingcapital.TheVolvo

Ocean Race fleet has just arrived on its only US stop. Next up in town

is the NYYC’s 164th annual regatta. Then comes the Newport Bermuda

Race and the Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. The J Class

issettoreturnin2019andAmericanMagic(theUS’sAmerica’sCup

challenge) just set up shop here. I could go on!