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Treasures Aboard

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ANY PORT, USA — What is 228 feet long, weighs in at 3,200 tons, requires a draft of only 6½ feet, and has 28 individual galleries filled with art treasures? There is only one answer: the three-deck megayacht Grand Luxe, a floating antiques fair that is the brainchild of David and Lee Ann Lester. A bit behind the date for the original christening, this yacht, the fourth largest privately owned yacht in America, docked in Greenwich harbor at the exclusive Delamar on September 27 for a one-week stay. This location was picked because the Delamar has the only dock, 600 feet long, that can handle a vessel of this size.

The Lesters are the founders of the Palm Beach International Fine Art & Antiques Fair and Art Palm Beach and have organized international fairs in Miami, New York, Hong Kong, Chicago, Dallas and Beverly Hills over the past 17 years. In 2001 they sold their fairs to the Daily Mail Group from London for a reported $18 million. From February 2003 and for the next 15 months, the couple toured the East Coast of the United States aboard their 94-foot Ferretti Custom Line motor yacht, Fortunata. Meeting clients from their antiques fair days at many of the ports they visited gave them the idea to establish SeaFair, a company to launch yachts designed to be floating antiques shows. The first, Grand Luxe, is now making its way from port to port, bringing works of art to antiques enthusiasts.

Three decks of this yacht are devoted to galleries to accommodate 28 dealers in spaces ranging from 200 square feet to 700 square feet and booth rents range between $10,000 to $30,000 per week. Deck one has ten galleries totaling 4,777 square feet, deck two has 12 galleries with 5,261 square feet, while deck three has six galleries of 2,147 square feet. The sky deck has a cocktail reception area, a champagne/caviar lounge, the main deck bar and the sky deck open air restaurant that can accommodate 110 people. The formal signature restaurant, with seating for 120 people, is on the third deck, while the galley, engine room and offices are on the lower deck.

The Grand Luxe, designed by Luiz De Basto, is a new type of shallow draft ship and can navigate the entire intracoastal waterway. “It takes a staff of 50 to run this project,” David Lester said. “However, while traveling from port to port only seven are aboard the Grand Luxe. The rest of the crew follows in the yacht that is docked behind us.” Dealers make their own way from port to port and are responsible for their own sleeping quarters at each location. Food of some type is available on each deck, prepared by a resident chef and a crew of 16 in the galley.

“We have tried to bring to our clients a variety of works of art, including fine paintings, sculpture, carpets, silver, glass and jewelry,” David Lester said. And on this inaugural launch he has accomplished just that. Alexander Gallery of New York City is showing a selection of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American and European master paintings in two galleries.

“I signed up for space on the second deck, which I am using, and when a large space on the restaurant deck became available, I took that also,” Alexander Acevedo said. “This is an interesting concept and we will see how it works. It is worth a try,” he said.

Contemporary designer jewelry is displayed by David Morris of Palm Beach, and A.B. Levy, also of Palm Beach, is offering Nineteenth Century French and Continental furniture, paintings and lighting, while Imperial Fine Books of New York City has shelves filled with first editions, children’s books and manuscripts.

James Berry Hill of Berry Hill, New York City, said, “This is an exciting project and we are pleased to take part in the inaugural trip. Our selections cover a wide range of collecting.” Hanging in his gallery was an 1877 work by Thomas Cole., oil on panel, “Mountain Sunrise, Catskill,” measuring 18¼ by 243/8  inches sight. Winslow Homer was represented by a watercolor on paper, “Rocks,” 1863, 15 by 21¾ inches sight, and a vivid work by Jackson Pollock, “Man, Bull, Bird,” oil on canvas measuring 24¼ by 36¼ inches sight, 1938–41, was at the center of the back wall.

A red-painted sculpture by Alexander Calder was at the front of the booth of Hall Galleries, Dallas; Nineteenth and Twentieth Century glass filled the lighted cases in the display of Levy Glass of Palm Beach, Fla.; and Mallett of New York City and London had a gallery filled with furniture with a fireplace surround centered on the back wall. Designer and estate jewelry sparkled in the booth of Gioia, New York City, and a selection of Georg Jensen silver was perfectly lit in the booth of the Silver Fund, London.

“While we are in various ports we will be running benefits for some of the area museums and other organizations as part of our stay,” David Lester said. During the Greenwich visit, The Bruce Museum benefited from a five-course dinner on Tuesday, September 25, catered by guest chef Walter Scheib III, the former White House chef who worked for both the Clintons and the Bush family. It was attended by 110 guests who paid between $1,000 and $5,000 per ticket. On the following night 500 people were expected for a cocktail party at $250 per head.

The Grand Luxe journeyed from Greenwich to Port Washington, N.Y. (October 4–7), and is docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City at the present (October 10–14). It will then complete the last leg of the fall tour at Norwalk/Westport (Conn.) Veterans Memorial Park, October 18–21. While in Norwalk the yacht will host a benefit event for The Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk.

Daily admission is by confirmed invitation only and complimentary and the yacht has a capacity of 600 people. Tickets are available on line at www.expoships.com or by phone at 239-908-2544. When David Lester was asked how confirmation is determined, he merely replied “It’s a deep, dark secret.”

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Heads and cutlines for treasures aboard

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Treasures Aboard

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Floating Galleries Go Port-To-Port On The ‘Grand Luxe’

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David And Lee Ann Lester Launch The SeaFair Concept

In Greenwich, Conn.

CUTLINES

David Lester

 

The bar area on the top deck of the yacht

 

Alexander Acevedo hanging works of art with his son Wiley.

 

Imperial Fine Books, New York City

 

Cohen & Cohen, UK

 

Silver Fund, London

 

William Siegel, Santa Fe, N.M.

 

The yacht that carries the staff from port to port.

 

Alexander Gallery, New York City

 

Iliad Antiques, New York City

 

Mallett, New York City & London

 

Spacious galleries on both sides of the yacht.

 

One of the refreshment areas.

 

Lee Ann Lester, in the galley with guest chef Walter Scheib III, left, and Jeffrey C. Harriman, the Grand Luxe’s executive chef.

 

A portion of the galley where a staff of 16 prepares meals for the bistro and the main dining room.

 

The Grand Luxe docked in Greenwich Harbor.

 

James Berry Hill with his painting by Jackson Pollock.