It started out as a swim and sail on a hot afternoon last summer. As we motored out of Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, my sailing buddy Todd Wickersham was itching to go for a swim sooner than later so we anchored off Sammy’s Beach right outside the harbor in Gardiner’s Bay. We both jumped into the soothing cool bay water, as my beagle Bo watched. Then almost at the same time we realized this huge yacht anchored a few hundred yards further out. Todd said, “Hey before we sail, I would love to get up close to that sailboat.” At that time we had no idea what we were looking at, but we do now.
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Zefira has one master cabin and three guest cabins with a recommended 10 guest maximum. (Photo: T.J. Clemente) |
It was the super yacht, “Zefira.” It was visiting the Hamptons. In 2011, Zefira was winner of the World Super Yacht awards for Best Sailing Yacht and Best Sailing Yacht 45+ meters, along with awards for best Nautical Design. The firms of Dubois, Fitzroy, and Tessier all had a hand in building this aluminum vessel. The overall Length is 163 ft., with the water line length being 146 ft. The main sail mast has 5 spreaders and I found out Zefira has a caterpillar diesel engine of 1400 horsepower and holds 9876 gallons of diesel fuel. When only under power its cruising speed is 13.5 knots with its maximum speed being 15 knots. In its two years competing in the great international yacht races it usually places in the top three. Zefira has one master cabin and three guest cabins with a recommended 10 guest maximum (L0L). It has a captain and three addition crew members.
Around October 10, 2012 the owners of Zefira, Salvatore Trifiro and his wife Poala, put Zefira up for “sail.” The asking price $38,400,000. Mrs. Trifiro’ is reported to have once said, “We have always had a passion for sailing,” but her husband, a leading Italian lawyer who has owned nine previous Fitzroy yachts, has decided to move on to something new. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand…They are different.”
To wrap up this story properly it must have been some sight for those on board Zefira when my 40 yr. old 22’ Catalina was circling it taking pictures. Luckily nobody shot at us.
