roger penske yacht name

672 Wine Club

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Benchmark Wines
• Brian Fox Art
• Disneyland Resort
• Gateway Bronco
• Royal Salute
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Boat of the Week: This Speedy 153-Foot Superyacht Has Its Own Turbo Boost

Push a button and the turbine kicks in, which is yachting's equivalent of light speed., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

• These Charter Yachts Let You Tag Hammerhead Sharks and Count Spirit Bears for Research
• These Luxe Villas Are the Place to Stay in This Retro-Chic Enclave on the Tuscan Coast
• The 7 Most Exciting New Superyacht Marinas in the World
• Share This Article

What do you get if you have two friends with a passion for boats, high-profile automotive careers and cash to burn? The answer is the 153-foot superyacht Excellence , a vessel that oozes speed, has brand pedigree and captures the hearts of all who own it.

Built in 2001 by Formula One racing car driver and automobile entrepreneur Roger Penske, who named her  Detroit Eagle , the yacht combined Feadship ’s Dutch craftsmanship with Penske’s own brand of engine. (Disclosure: Roger Penske is the father of Jay Penske, who owns this publication, as well as its sister publications in the Penske Media portfolio.)

• This Chinese Autonomous Car Start-Up Is About to Go Public in the U.S.
• BMW Just Unveiled a New 717 HP Station Wagon for the U.S.
• This Mint Green Ferrari F40 Could Fetch $2.5 Million at Auction

“At the time [Roger] Penske owned a company called Detroit Diesel that made diesel engines for boats, and he was also involved with a company that built turbine engines,” current owner and Penske’s longtime friend, Herb Chambers, told Robb Report . “So, he went to Feadship and built a lightweight aluminum yacht with a shallow draft to demonstrate the capability of his engines.”

The Feadship was originally built and owned for years by Roger Penske, who wanted a very fast, very luxurious superyacht. Penske installed his own Detroit Diesel-branded engines and then added a 5,600-hp turbine to give the yacht a 10-knot pop at the top end.  Courtesy of Burgess Yachts

The immaculate, polished-chrome engine room, with the diesels painted in fire-engine red, has always been a symbolic indicator of the type of impressive speeds the yacht can reach. The engines are 16-cylinder 4000 series, which generate 3,650 horsepower each. Penske then added something the superyacht world had never seen before–a Lycoming TF-50 gas turbine for an additional 5,600 horsepower.

“The boat can cruise at about 23 knots on diesel engines,” Chambers says, “but if you really want it to go fast, you push a button and the turbine kicks in taking the boat from 23 knots up to around 33 knots. It really is a remarkable vessel.”

Serial boat builder Chambers grew up in the Boston area, spending long summers on the water at his grandmother’s cottage. “I always had the desire to have a boat,” he says, a goal he realized at 24 with a 30-foot Trojan flybridge motoryacht. The Trojan would be the first of five yachts called A-Copy , named after his successful copy-machine business.

“After I sold the copy company and had this windfall of money, I ordered a 127-foot Feadship. The name A-Copy wasn’t of any significance to me anymore so I tried to think of a name that I would like,” Chambers says. “I’m not an avid reader, but I read Tom Peters’s book In Search of Excellence and loved it. It’s about running a good business. I thought Excellence , that is a great name for a boat.”

Launched last summer, Chambers’s newest 262-foot Abeking & Rasmussen “Excellence” has a futuristic hull shape, with an eagle-beak bow and large glass panels on the exterior.  Courtesy Abeking & Rasmussen

To date, Chambers has owned more than 40 yachts of many sizes. Some were even sold before he took delivery. The name “Excellence” serves as a constant reminder to his 30-year-long captain for the need to maintain high standards on board, he says. It has also carried through to Chamber’s six most recent yachts. This includes his largest yacht to date, a striking 262-foot Abeking & Rasmussen launched in 2019, on which he enjoys cruising the European waters of Croatia, Greece, Italy and St Tropez. That Excellence won Robb Report ’s 2020 Best of the Best award for interiors.

With its “eagle” reverse bow and triple-height glass atrium, the Winch-designed yacht turns heads wherever it goes. But that’s hardly surprising considering Philip Starck’s opinion-dividing Motor Yacht A was the design inspiration this latest Excellence .

“When I first saw Motor Yacht A , I said, ‘That looks like a submarine. Who would ever want to have a boat like that?’ And the second time I saw it, I said, ‘That boat is pretty nice. I kinda like that bow.’ And the third time I saw it, I thought, ‘I absolutely love that.’ So, that’s where the idea for Excellence ’s bow came from.”

While he has recently listed the Feadship “Excellence,” Chambers plans to enjoy the yacht for while he still owns her. He has often owned two yachts—the newer one that is often under charter, and a smaller, faster one that is at his disposal for his “personal use.” 

While Chambers’s appreciation of Feadship has long endured after his first foray with the Dutch shipbuilder, it wasn’t until a 2018 visit to Fort Lauderdale Boat Show that Penske’s 153-foot yacht caught Chamber’s eye. Prized by Chambers for its flexible speed and six-foot Bahamas-friendly draft, it is one of the few yachts that he hasn’t put on the charter market.

“I view the Feadship as a very personal boat,” says Chambers. “It’s only a four-stateroom boat, but you can bring three other couples or family members with you. When I told Roger Penske that I had bought the boat, he said his family was mad at him when he sold it because they loved it so much.”

An extensive 2019 refit of the yacht includes a full paint job, an updated sound system and refurb of the original John Munford interior. Chambers bought the yacht for his own personal use. “Because my boats get chartered, I always love to have a boat that’s available just for me,” Chambers says. “I built a 94-foot Mangusta for that purpose and used it in America when my big yacht was on charter in the Mediterranean or Caribbean. The Feadship can do pretty much what the Mangusta did, but it’s a bigger, more comfortable boat, so I sold the Mangusta at the start of 2020.”

The 2001 build has undergone a complete refurbishment of the interior. 

Being a serial owner, Chambers also recently listed the updated Feadship. He plans to enjoy the yacht while she is still available. Will he miss this Excellence ?

“I really don’t know,” Chambers says, pausing. “I would maybe look to build a similar boat, around 150 feet, something that would be fast. But the Abeking & Rasmussen Excellence is still new to me. The time for me to sell a boat is when I still like it.”

That creates a great opportunity for a buyer who wants a piece of superyacht history–a very fast superyacht history.

Excellence is co-listed for sale with Burgess  and Merle Wood & Associates for $16,900,000. Here are more views.

Images Courtesy of Burgess Yachts

Read More On:

• Abeking & Rasmussen

More Marine

This New 116-Foot Pocket Explorer Will Make Larger Expedition Yachts Jealous

Meet Zephyr, a Giant 378-Foot Megayacht With Not One But Two Pools

This Gigantic 814-Foot Cruise Ship Will Double as a Floating Hotel During the Monaco Grand Prix

Forget Boring White. This New 123-Foot Superyacht Comes in a Sleek Custom Silver.

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

11 Fascinating Facts About Tankoa’s Library-Quiet 169-Foot Project Secret

Bee Explorer Yacht in Photos

More from our brands, gut health goes viral with colostrum, digestive enzymes and fiber on the rise, nfl to meet again on private equity on august 27th in minneapolis, alain delon, french star of ‘le samourai,’ dies at 88, over 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze on somerset house’s roof in london, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boat Giveaway

Roger Penske’s Feadship 153

• By Dudley Dawson
• Updated: October 4, 2007

I got my first hint of Roger Penske’s new 153-foot Feadship , Detroit Eagle , in mid-1998 when Penske’s captain, Marc Greichen, mentioned he was headed to Holland. He piqued my interest, but offered no details. Later that summer, as we cruised together toward Newport, Greichen acknowledged that Feadship was building a new boat for Penske. Again, he shared nothing further.

Industry rumors continued to whet my gearhead interest, but it was not until I visited Feadship’s De Vries yard in May 2000 that I got a full picture of this remarkable showcase of speed and power. Construction was well under way, with the metalwork largely completed, the propulsion package in place and systems installation proceeding quickly. The timing was fortuitous, for only in such an open condition can the incredible complexity of such a modern motoryacht be fully grasped.

Detroit Eagle is a mirror-perfect reflection of Penske’s life and career. He first found fame as a race driver, and later found fortune in business. Detroit Diesel Corporation, one of his many acquisitions, is now under the Daimler Chrysler corporate umbrella, but Penske is still involved with the company and its products. One is Detroit Eagle ‘s engines, which DDC developed with now-sister MTU.

Built entirely of aluminum, Detroit Eagle is powered by two of DDC/MTU’s largest marine diesels, the 16-cylinder 4000 series, which put out 3,650 hp each. The engines drive Lips fixed-pitch propellers partially recessed into tunnels. The tunnels have large fixed wedges at their after end to lift the stern and reduce running trim.

The diesels push the yacht to an easy, all-day cruise speed of 23 knots at 1850 rpm, but occasionally Penske wants a little more. That’s when the centerline surprise, a Lycoming TF-50 gas turbine, kicks in to contribute an additional 5,600 hp. For the combined diesel and gas turbine package, fuel burn at full power is nearly 750 gph. Long-range cruising at 14 knots consumes a much more reasonable 65 gph.

According to Greichen, turbine-boosted speed climbs to 32 knots when Detroit Eagle is fully loaded and approaches 35 knots in lighter conditions. That is not the 50-plus knots of some earlier turbine-powered pleasure craft, but Detroit Eagle is not a stripped-out speedboat masquerading as a yacht. Aluminum construction and cored joinery help reduce weight, but this is still a sizable yacht. She is fully outfitted with all the detail and quality for which Feadship is known, built for uncompromised cruising with an occasional burst of speed.

After Detroit Eagle ‘s completion, I visited her at New York’s Chelsea Piers and watched highly capable chief engineer Dave Wilder supervise refueling from a tank barge. The procedures for high-speed, high-volume fuel transfer at 50 psi rival those of a well-trained pit crew. Wilder connected and rechecked 2-inch Cam-Loc hose fittings and scupper plugs to ensure no diesel sheen would stain the decks or the water around Detroit Eagle .

Almost everything in the engineroom, other than the 16V4000 diesels and the TF-50 turbine, is behind removable white panels that sport a red-and-black racing stripe. The engines are bright red with a lot of polished stainless ducting, piping, railings and trim; the sole is jet black. Wilder keeps it all spotless, and the effect is just as intended: The engineroom is a breathtaking showcase for Penske’s DDC/MTU products and the company’s capabilities.

Greichen is an all-too-rare combination of expertise, personality and humility. I know firsthand how much of himself he put into Detroit Eagle ‘s design and construction, but his talk was of the contributions of Wilder and Dave Parry of Penske Power, who served as technical consultants for the machinery and its control and monitoring systems. Special mention also was made of supplier Cincinnati Gear, whose custom-built epicyclic gearbox, connecting the turbine to a Lips waterjet, has performed flawlessly.

It is not unusual for engines to be soft-mounted to limit noise and vibration transfer to the hull structure, but Detroit Eagle ‘s reduction gears are soft-mounted, as well. This is made possible by separate thrust bearings fitted abaft the gears. Hollow carbon-fiber shafting reduces weight forward of the tail shaft between the bearings, gears and engines. Resilient couplings at each point also help reduce vibration.

From the lathe-turned bulkhead panels on either side of the engineroom entrance to the details of the variable-geometry air intake on the turbine, there was just too much to absorb in the time allotted. There was a lot of dazzle, of course, but Detroit Eagle has one of the sweetest machinery packages I’ve seen in a long time.

Some features, including the cross-connected sea chests, are just good traditional design. Others are state-of-the-art, such as the infrared tank level sensors recessed above the tank top to prevent direct contact with fluid. Still other features are a blend of cutting-edge technology and common sense. Programmable logic circuits developed in cooperation with electronic giant Siemens monitor, but do not control, the engines. If the electronics crash, Detroit Eagle remains fully operational. With wry smiles, the crew shared that they had an opportunity to test the theory, with success.

Four blowers, two intake and two exhaust, are fitted to exchange the engineroom air. The exhaust blowers are reversible to supply the additional combustion air demanded when the gas turbine is operating. Two generators, powered by DDC 4-71 engines, are in a separate room abaft the main engineroom, allowing for extra sound and thermal insulation. Even the engineroom escape trunk to the side deck is innovative: Its ladder includes a “why didn’t I think of that? lift-and-slide mechanism so it can be stowed out of the way when loading machinery supplies.

Designer John Munford is perhaps best known for traditional interiors with lots of detailing, but Detroit Eagle gave him a chance to show the breadth of his talent with a look that is warm, but thoroughly clean and modern. After all, Penske’s collection of racing helmets and trophies would look a bit out of place in an Edwardian cabinet.

There was also the spatial challenge the machinery package posed. Large ducts penetrate the main and upper decks, bringing air in and exhausting gas from the engines through wings that support the radar arch. By angling the duct enclosures and fitting them with frosted glass doors, Munford divided the saloon from the dining room to create distinct spaces that can be combined or segregated.

The master stateroom is a full-beam space forward on the main deck that includes his-and-her baths and an arc of eight hanging lockers. Above it all, just forward of the pilothouse, is a tender garage with a hinged hatch that encloses the boat and davit.

Six guests are accommodated in three staterooms belowdecks. Twin staterooms are to port and starboard adjacent to the engineroom, and a VIP queen stateroom spans the hull’s full beam. Crew is forward, and the captain’s cabin is on the bridge deck.

Also on the bridge deck is Penske’s office. It is hard to imagine a more inviting and appropriate venue for a man whose life has revolved around speed and power. An array of Penske Racing Team helmets spreads across the after bulkhead. Trophies, photos and other racing memorabilia are displayed around the remainder of the room. If that’s not enough, consider the possibilities offered by the world beyond, which likely will include docking Detroit Eagle quayside in Monte Carlo, stepping onto the large open lounge area at the stern and watching Penske cars and drivers compete in the Grand Prix. Or maybe he’ll go up a deck and watch from the hot tub.

Contact: Feadship, (954) 761-1830; fax (954) 761-3412; [email protected] ; www.feadship.nl .

Click here to read more about Feadship yachts.

• More: Feadship , Motoryachts
• More Yachts

Meet the Emissions-Free Colombo 25 Super Indios E

Offshore Fishing Boats and Insurance Prices

Discover the Princess Yachts Y95

Aquila 47 Molokai Reviewed

A Pair of Custom Lines for Charter

For Sale: 2021 Ferretti Yachts 850

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Boat of the Week: This Speedy 153-Foot Superyacht Has Its Own Turbo Boost

Click here to read the full article.

What do you get if you have two friends with a passion for boats, high-profile automotive careers and cash to burn? The answer is the 153-foot superyacht Excellence , a vessel that oozes speed, has brand pedigree and captures the hearts of all who own it.

Built in 2001 by Formula One racing car driver and automobile entrepreneur Roger Penske, who named her Detroit Eagle , the yacht combined Feadship ’s Dutch craftsmanship with Penske’s own brand of engine. (Disclosure: Roger Penske is the father of Jay Penske, who owns this publication, as well as its sister publications in the Penske Media portfolio.)

More from Robb Report

Boat of the Week: This Former Soviet Spy Boat Is Now a World-Class Expedition Yacht

Why Virtual Tours Could Become the New Norm for Buying Superyachts

From Hybrid Engines to Sustainable Yards: How the Yachting Industry Is Becoming a Global Eco-Player

“At the time [Roger] Penske owned a company called Detroit Diesel that made diesel engines for boats, and he was also involved with a company that built turbine engines,” current owner and Penske’s longtime friend, Herb Chambers, told Robb Report . “So, he went to Feadship and built a lightweight aluminum yacht with a shallow draft to demonstrate the capability of his engines.”

The immaculate, polished-chrome engine room, with the diesels painted in fire-engine red, has always been a symbolic indicator of the type of impressive speeds the yacht can reach. The engines are 16-cylinder 4000 series, which generate 3,650 horsepower each. Penske then added something the superyacht world had never seen before–a Lycoming TF-50 gas turbine for an additional 5,600 horsepower.

“The boat can cruise at about 23 knots on diesel engines,” Chambers says, “but if you really want it to go fast, you push a button and the turbine kicks in taking the boat from 23 knots up to around 33 knots. It really is a remarkable vessel.”

Serial boat builder Chambers grew up in the Boston area, spending long summers on the water at his grandmother’s cottage. “I always had the desire to have a boat,” he says, a goal he realized at 24 with a 30-foot Trojan flybridge motoryacht. The Trojan would be the first of five yachts called A-Copy , named after his successful copy-machine business.

“After I sold the copy company and had this windfall of money, I ordered a 127-foot Feadship. The name A-Copy wasn’t of any significance to me anymore so I tried to think of a name that I would like,” Chambers says. “I’m not an avid reader, but I read Tom Peters’s book In Search of Excellence and loved it. It’s about running a good business. I thought Excellence , that is a great name for a boat.”

To date, Chambers has owned more than 40 yachts of many sizes. Some were even sold before he took delivery. The name “Excellence” serves as a constant reminder to his 30-year-long captain for the need to maintain high standards on board, he says. It has also carried through to Chamber’s six most recent yachts. This includes his largest yacht to date, a striking 262-foot Abeking & Rasmussen launched in 2019, on which he enjoys cruising the European waters of Croatia, Greece, Italy and St Tropez. That Excellence won Robb Report ’s 2020 Best of the Best award for interiors.

With its “eagle” reverse bow and triple-height glass atrium, the Winch-designed yacht turns heads wherever it goes. But that’s hardly surprising considering Philip Starck’s opinion-dividing Motor Yacht A was the design inspiration this latest Excellence .

“When I first saw Motor Yacht A , I said, ‘That looks like a submarine. Who would ever want to have a boat like that?’ And the second time I saw it, I said, ‘That boat is pretty nice. I kinda like that bow.’ And the third time I saw it, I thought, ‘I absolutely love that.’ So, that’s where the idea for Excellence ’s bow came from.”

While Chambers’s appreciation of Feadship has long endured after his first foray with the Dutch shipbuilder, it wasn’t until a 2018 visit to Fort Lauderdale Boat Show that Penske’s 153-foot yacht caught Chamber’s eye. Prized by Chambers for its flexible speed and six-foot Bahamas-friendly draft, it is one of the few yachts that he hasn’t put on the charter market.

“I view the Feadship as a very personal boat,” says Chambers. “It’s only a four-stateroom boat, but you can bring three other couples or family members with you. When I told Roger Penske that I had bought the boat, he said his family was mad at him when he sold it because they loved it so much.”

An extensive 2019 refit of the yacht includes a full paint job, an updated sound system and refurb of the original John Munford interior. Chambers bought the yacht for his own personal use. “Because my boats get chartered, I always love to have a boat that’s available just for me,” Chambers says. “I built a 94-foot Mangusta for that purpose and used it in America when my big yacht was on charter in the Mediterranean or Caribbean. The Feadship can do pretty much what the Mangusta did, but it’s a bigger, more comfortable boat, so I sold the Mangusta at the start of 2020.”

Being a serial owner, Chambers also recently listed the updated Feadship. He plans to enjoy the yacht while she is still available. Will he miss this Excellence ?

“I really don’t know,” Chambers says, pausing. “I would maybe look to build a similar boat, around 150 feet, something that would be fast. But the Abeking & Rasmussen Excellence is still new to me. The time for me to sell a boat is when I still like it.”

That creates a great opportunity for a buyer who wants a piece of superyacht history–a very fast superyacht history.

Excellence is co-listed for sale with Burgess and Merle Wood & Associates for $16,900,000. Here are more views.

Best of Robb Report

The World’s Best Superyacht Shipyards

The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht

9 Famous Collectible Airplanes You Should Have Bid On At Auction

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Recommended Stories

Falcons saw enough of michael penix jr. last week that he won't play again this preseason.

Michael Penix Jr. is done for the preseason, Raheem Morris said.

Russell Wilson makes his Steelers preseason debut, and the offense goes nowhere with him

Russell Wilson got his first preseason start after being held out last week.

These are the 10 longest-lasting vehicles on the road today

iSeeCars' latest analysis found that a handful of models have a much greater chance of lasting 250,000 miles than others.

Here’s how often you should actually be washing your hair, according to experts

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to washing your hair. It's time to set the record straight.

Robert Griffin III, Sam Ponder let go by ESPN in budget moves

Griffin had been with ESPN since 2021 and worked on their college football and NFL coverage.

Jonathan Taylor among the few NFL players to wear the 'guardian cap' on his helmet

Jonathan Taylor's helmet looked a bit odd during his first preseason game.

2025 Ford Mustang 60th Anniversary adds Brittany Blue to the palette

Brittany Blue is joining as one of the possible colors for the Mustang's 60th Anniversary Package.

Haason Reddick requests a trade; what are pass rusher's top potential landing spots?

Which teams might be interested in adding a top pass rusher?

Longtime dirt Late Model racer Scott Bloomquist killed in plane crash

Bloomquist was one of the most successful dirt Late Model drivers ever.

Paris Olympics: British marathoner reveals she finished race with a broken leg

"At the halfway mark, I knew that it was going to be incredibly painful."

Easy Branches allows you to share your guest post within our network in any countries of the world to reach Global customers start sharing your stories today!

Easy Branches

Call: 076 367 766

Roger Penske's 153' Superyacht "Excellence" by Feadship at PBIBS 2021

Share this page.

Sharing with friends or Social Media

• Billie Eilish
• Hall Pass Cash
• Kygo Tickets
• Day Out With Thomas
• Seize the Deal
• Street Team
• Tuesday's Child
• Wet Nose Wednesday
• Southcoast Health Community Spotlight

$120 Million Yacht Just Arrived in Newport & It’s Massive

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

You know it’s summertime when boats begin dropping anchor in the harbors around the SouthCoast and Rhode Island, and every so often, there is a vessel that turns heads.

Goat Island in Newport attracts some luxurious vessels every season, and on Tuesday, a massive yacht worth over $100 million was the one turning heads.

The $120 million Yacht Podium belongs to Roger Penske of Penske Corporation.

Who Is Roger Penske?

Roger Penske is a successful entrepreneur who got his start as a professional auto racing driver. His journey led him to become the founder and chairman of Penske Automotive, a global leader in transportation services with an extensive portfolio of automotive dealerships, used car centers, commercial truck dealerships, and collision centers.

As a testament to his beginnings, Penske also owns a racing team called Team Penske.

With an estimated net worth of $3 billion, a $120 million yacht is chump change.

READ MORE: Luxury Yacht Spotted in New Bedford Harbor

Penske's Yacht Spotted in Newport

What's Going On In Rhode Island shared stunning images of the yacht staking claim on Goat Island, and online users were excited to see the return of “The Captain.”

“Cool to see that he decided to come to our neck of the woods just days after they won the Indy 500,” said Ryan Jamal. “I’m sure him and (Jay) Leno have been kickin’ it.”

Whether the 236-foot luxury vessel is merely stopping by for a break or the Penske’s are spending their summer in Newport, the massive yacht has certainly got locals talking.

Look Inside Tom Brady's $6 Million Yacht

Gallery Credit: Maddie Levine

A Look Inside Jay Leno's Newport Mansion

30 things to do in newport any time of year.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

More From WFHN-FM/FUN 107

The Captain and The Cup: An interview with Roger Penske, New York Yacht Club American Magic Team Principal

Roger Penske © Amory Ross/American Magic

In the world of auto racing, Roger Penske is THE MAN. It’s just that simple. Team Penske’s success in the sport – in multiple series over more than half a century – is unequaled, and the 2018 season was perhaps the best in the organization’s history. Drivers racing for “The Captain” tallied 32 wins last year, including a 17th Indianapolis 500 victory (Go, Will!) and Team Penske’s 500th all-time victory (Go, Brad!), as well as titles in the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship (Go, Scott!) and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (Go, Joey!).

Penske’s road to success began as a teenager in Shaker Heights, OH, when he bought used sports cars, fixed them up and sold them from his parents’ driveway. Some of those cars found their way onto racetracks, with Penske at the wheel. In 1961, Sports Illustrated named him their Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year, and he competed in Formula 1 and NASCAR before retiring from driving in 1965 to focus on building his first Chevrolet dealership, in Philadelphia, PA. Today, the Penske Corporation is a transportation services company comprising retail automotive, truck leasing, logistics and professional motorsports and employing more than 63,000 people worldwide.

The Captain has now set his sights on winning the America’s Cup. The 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada will be sailed March 6 – 21, 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand, and Mr. Penske generously shared time with WindCheck to discuss New York Yacht Club American Magic’s plan to bring the “Auld Mug” back home.

Looking a bit like an IndyCar, New York Yacht Club American Magic’s test boat, The Mule, is essentially a half-scale model of the AC75 the team is constructing for the 36th America’s Cup.   © Amory Ross/American Magic

WindCheck: Congratulations to you and everyone at Team Penske for an amazing 2018 season, your induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and a great start to this season! Please describe the culture of winning that you’ve brought from auto racing to New York Yacht Club American Magic.

Roger Penske: I’ve always been drawn to competition, and I’ve always had a keen sense of national pride. The America’s Cup is an opportunity to engage both of those interests. From a culture standpoint, there is a great deal that translates from motorsports to sailing. Both reward strong project management, a focus on innovation, a commitment to safety, a team-first attitude and an absolute commitment to winning.

WC: Do you sail? If so, please tell us about the sailing you enjoy.

RP: I haven’t done much sailing, but I am a longtime boater and proud member of the New York Yacht Club. I can say that my knowledge of sailing is growing rapidly as we work to build American Magic into the best possible Cup Challenger.

WC: What inspired you to challenge for the America’s Cup, and how did you connect with the other Team Principals of New York Yacht Club American Magic, Hap Fauth and Doug DeVos?

RP: The America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in international sports, and I think it’s time that it returns to the U.S., and to the club that started it all. Hap, Doug and I formed a joint vision for an America’s Cup challenge over the course of several months after an introduction by a mutual friend at New York Yacht Club. I also attended the 35th America’s Cup match in Bermuda in 2017, and became interested in the technology involved with modern sailing.

In Bermuda, I was also introduced to Dean Barker, who has done five Cups as a sailor and is now our helmsman. Dean is also very interested in motorsports. We continued to exchange ideas after Bermuda, and to discuss ways in which Team Penske’s success could translate into the America’s Cup.

WC: What are you learning about sailing as an activity (and for most of your team, a life), sailors, and the intensity of the America’s Cup?

RP: The America’s Cup is one of the hardest trophies to win in the world, which for me is a big part of the attraction. This is not a fair fight, with the defending team being able to pick the boat, the racecourse, and the rules. The task in front of us is to win anyway, and we certainly have a team capable of doing just that. I have been impressed with the dedication and hard work of our team so far. Terry Hutchinson, our Skipper, has put together a group that will get the job done.

WC: Emirates Team New Zealand won the 35th America’s Cup handily and may be the most formidable defender in Cup history. What will it take to defeat them?

RP: It will take assembling the right people, managing time well, allowing innovation and the latest technology to make its way onboard the boat, and a cohesive team mindset. The defending team is very tough, there’s no doubt about it. But I also know that American Magic can win in 2021.

WC: In his superb 1975 book The Unfair Advantage , the late, great Mark Donohue defined that term as Penske Racing’s meticulous car preparation, ingenious engineering, and the unprecedented professionalism the team brought to the Trans-Am, Can-Am, and Champ Car series. Yacht racing is of course a very different game, and the America’s Cup’s changed in ways few could’ve imagined when the New York Yacht Club relinquished possession of the trophy in 1983, but will American Magic have a few surprises for the Kiwis?

RP: We have a lot of creative and experienced designers, builders and sailors working on building the fastest possible boat. Mystery and surprise are two of the best aspects of America’s Cup racing, and it should be interesting for everyone to follow the progress of American Magic over the next two years.

WC: Thank you very much, Mr. Penske. We’re looking forward to New York Yacht Club American Magic’s victory in Auckland almost as much as the 37th America’s Cup in Newport, Rhode Island!

The Mule at speed on Pensacola Bay   © Will Ricketson/American Magic

Special thanks to New York Yacht Club American Magic Communications Director Will Ricketson for facilitating this interview.

Share this:

Previous article, next article, leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Mega Yachts Visit Nantucket Waters

David Creed • Aug 04, 2022

The island is no stranger to some of the largest yachts in the world, and a pair of mega yachts visited the island this week including the 239-foot yacht "Podium," and the 187-foot yacht "Liberty."

"Podium" is worth $120 million and owned by Robert Penske, a former race car driver and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Penske Automotive Group. He has an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.

The "Podium" was built by Feadship in the Netherlands in 2020 and can accommodate 12 guests in six cabins, along with 14 crew in 7 cabins. It is one of 110 motor yachts in the world that sits in the size range of in the 70-80m.

“Podium” is listed as the 248 th largest yacht in the world. Podium’s top speed is around 18 knots, or just under 21 miles per hour and the vessel’s cruising speed is 14 knots, or just over 16 mile per hour.

The vessel is powered by Caterpillar engines and has an annual running cost between $5-$10 million.

"Liberty" was built in 2012 and features interior styling by British designer Evan K. Marshall. The yacht is currently available for charter for up to 12 guests in six cabins.

Liberty also has three double cabins and one cabin that can operate as a twin or double. There are 6 beds in total, including 5 kings, 1 queen and 1 convertible. The vessel is also capable of carrying up to 14 crew onboard.

Liberty comfortably cruises at 16 knots and reaches a maximum speed of 21 knots with a range of up to 4,360 nautical miles from her 86,677 litre fuel tanks at 10 knots.

The vessel has various toys and amenities for its guest to use such as two Yamaha VX WaveRunners, a waterski, a seabob, wakeboards, kayaks, fishing equipment, and inflatable water toys. Liberty also features three tenders including a 7.01m/23' Novurania Tender.

Current News

Alain Delon, French Star of ‘Le Samourai,’ Dies at 88

By Carmel Dagan

Carmel Dagan

Staff Writer

• Bob Newhart, Comedy Icon, Dies at 94 1 month ago
• Martin Mull, Comic Actor in ‘Fernwood 2 Night,’ ‘Clue,’ ‘Arrested Development,’ Dies at 80 2 months ago
• Anthea Sylbert, Costume Designer on ‘Chinatown,’ ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and ‘Shampoo,’ Dies at 84 2 months ago

Alain Delon , the French actor most famous for his roles in the films of New Wave director Jean-Pierre Melville, especially “Le Samourai,” has died. He was 88. 

“He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” according to a statement released to the AFP news agency by his family.

In addition to “Le Samourai,” Delon also appeared in Melville’s brilliant heist film “Le Cercle rouge” and “Un Flic.”

Some of his other significant films were Rene Clement’s “Purple Noon”; Visconti’s “Rocco and His Brothers” and “The Leopard”; Antonioni’s “L’Eclisse”; Jose Giovanni’s “Two Men in Town”; and Joseph Losey’s “Mr. Klein.”

Related Stories

Reality tv survived the ’07 writers strike. why is it hurting in 2024, ‘house of the dragon’ season 2 finale leaks on tiktok and twitter/x, hbo blames 'international third-party distributor'.

But the comparison to Dean was limited; while the American actor was given to emotional outbursts in his performances, Delon was far from effusive. What was taken for cool in “Le Samourai” could just seem cold in a lesser movie, such as Melville’s “Un Flic.”

Nevertheless it is hard for Americans to understand the extent of Delon’s fame during the 1960s and ’70s not just in France but in regions as diverse as Japan, Communist China (where a 1975 version of “Zorro” starring Delon as the popular hero was one of the first Western movies exhibited in the country after the Cultural Revolution) and Latin America.

Delon’s extraordinary appeal was crystallized in “Le Samourai.” Film scholar David Thomson described him as “the enigmatic angel of French film, only 32 in 1967, and nearly feminine. Yet so earnest and immaculate as to be thought lethal or potent. He was also close by then to the real French underworld.” Thomson added: “Delon is not so much a good actor as an astonishing presence — no wonder he was so thrilled to realize that the thing Melville most required was his willingness to be photographed.”

In “Le Samourai” Melville meticulously follows Delon’s assassin Jef Costello as he creates an alibi, knocks off the owner of a nightclub, makes it through a police lineup, finds that those who hired him have betrayed him and is hunted by the police. The plot is far, far less important than the style of the movie, the style of Delon’s portrayal of the killer.

Delon’s first major film was Rene Clement’s 1960 “Purple Noon,” an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” with Delon as the sociopath Tom Ripley, who murders his friend and takes his identity. The film made the actor a star. (It was restored in 2012 and screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 as part of a career retrospective feting the actor.)

In Visconti’s excellent, operatic “Rocco and His Brothers,” also made in 1960, Delon played the title character, part of a poor family who move north to Milan from Southern Italy in search of greater opportunities. His rather passive character reluctantly becomes a boxer to support the family. 

A few years later Delon worked for Visconti again, in the director’s 1963 masterpiece “The Leopard,” in which Burt Lancaster played a 19th century Sicilian prince trying to cope with revolution and what it will mean for his family and his social class. Delon played his dashing nephew, who joins the revolutionaries, then throws in with the king’s army; he had palpable chemistry in the film with the beautiful Claudia Cardinale.

In 1962 Delon starred with Monica Vitti in Antonioni’s “L’Eclisse,” the second entry in the director’s justly famous alienation trilogy. Delon was perfectly cast as a wheeler-dealer stockbroker who becomes involved with Vitti’s character but is unwilling and unable to satisfy her emotional needs.

In 1969 he starred with Romy Schneider and Maurice Ronet in the erotically charged thriller “La Piscine” (The Swimming Pool).

He starred with Richard Burton (who played the title character), Schneider and Valentina Cortese in Joseph Losey’s 1972 “The Assassination of Trotsky” and a few years later worked for Losey in the brilliant “Mr. Klein,” in which Del0n gave a tightly controlled performance as a Catholic art dealer in occupied Paris who takes advantage as rich Jews with art collections are carted away —  but begins to have problems of his own as he is increasingly mistaken for an elusive Jew who is using his name for secret operations. Delon served as one of the producers on the film.

Delon starred in three films with a French superstar of an earlier generation, Jean Gabin: crime dramas “Any Number Can Win” (1963), 1969’s “The Sicilian Clan” and “1973’s “Two Men in Town,” the last of which also sported, in a small role, a young Gerard Depardieu and thus bridged three generations.

Delon also had a supporting role as a photographer following Shirley MacLaine in the 1964 international production “The Yellow Rolls Royce,” starring Rex Harrison and Ingrid Bergman.

In 1971 Delon starred with Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Ursula Andress and Capucine in the Terence Young-directed international production “Red Sun”; the Western, shot in Spain, was not much liked in the U.S. but enjoyed success in Europe and Asia. (Delon, who developed an interest in Japan as a result of “Le Samourai,” long enjoyed a following in the country, where sunglasses branded with his name were a hit.)

In 1973 Delon reunited with his “The Leopard” co-star Burt Lancaster for the Michael Winner-directed thriller “Scorpio,” in which Delon played an assassin ordered to eliminate Lancaster’s weary spy, who wants out of the game. (Strangely, Winner’s previous film, “The Mechanic,” starring Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent, had almost exactly the same plot.)

Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was born in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine. His father was of French and Corsican Italian descent, his mother of French and German ancestry. His parents divorced early on, and Delon’s stormy childhood included frequent expulsions from school. After military service in French Indochina, he did odd jobs around Paris, where he encountered actor Jean Claude Brialy, who invited him to the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, where Delon made some professional contacts.

He made his film debut the next year with a small role in Yves Allegret’s “Send a Woman When the Devil Fails.”

While David O. Selznick was in Italy shooting “A Farewell to Arms” in Italy, or perhaps at Cannes, he met Delon and offered him a Hollywood contract provided that the nascent actor learn English, but Delon nixed any such notions, though he did do three American films over the years: 1964 crime drama “Once a Thief” with Ann-Margret and Van Heflin and 1966 Western “Four for Texas” with Dean Martin, plus “Airport ’79: The Concorde,” in which he played the captain of the troubled plane.

During the early 1980s there was a period in which Delon sought a career behind the camera, starting in 1981 with “Pour la peau d’un flic,” which he adapted from a novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette, directed and starred in opposite Anne Parillaud; followed the next year by “Le choc,” on which he and Robin Davis again adapted a Manchette novel and co-directed, though Delon went uncredited, and which starred Delon opposite Catherine Deneuve; and finally 1983’s “Le battant,” on which Delon was among those adapting a novel by André Caroff, directed with Davis (although Davis went uncredited this time) and starred. These films were all in the genre with which the actor was most comfortable and with which he was most associated, crime drama, but they were only adequate efforts.

He adapted several other novels into films during the 1980s and wrote a couple of original screenplays.

More significantly, Delon was a producer on 30 of his films.

He starred as the title character in the French TV crime drama “Frank Riva” in 2003-04  and as Julius Caesar in the 2008 film “Asterix at the Olympic Games.”

Delon’s love life was of keen interest to the French media. He had a relationship with German actress Romy Schneider from 1959-64, but he retained an emotional connection to her long thereafter. She ultimately died from a mixture of pain killers and alcohol in 1982. At the Césars in 2008, Delon took to the stage to receive on her behalf an award marking what would have been her 70th birthday and asked the audience to honor her with a standing ovation.

Yet during his relationship with Schneider, he had an affair with Nico (of the Velvet Underground), fathering a son, Ari Boulogne.

He married Nathalie Barthélemy in 1964 and had a son, Anthony. The couple divorced in 1969.

Delon subsequently had a 15-year relationship with French actress Mireille Darc and then one with Dutch model Rosalie van Breemen, with whom he had two children, but split in 2002. 

He was accorded an honorary Palme d’Or in 2019. 

His family placed him under conservatorship in 2024 after he had suffered a stroke in 2019. 

More from Variety

‘singles inferno’ renewed for fourth season as netflix expands unscripted korean slate, ‘existential threat’ of ai central to animation guild negotiations, argentina’s diego lerman reaches for the skies in ‘the man who loved ufos,’ vies for the golden shell at san sebastian (exclusive), ‘emily in paris’ season 4 trailer: emily is ready for french flings after double romances fizzle in part 1 on netflix, reality check: summer hot streak won’t dig u.s. box office out of deep hole in 2024, mark duplass-created coming-of-age series ‘penelope’ sets september netflix premiere, more from our brands, trump spends rally whining about biden’s exit, harris’ magazine cover, introducing, frédéric panaiotis – champagne’s renaissance man, nfl to meet again on private equity on august 27th in minneapolis, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, how to watch cnn without cable.

"Self Made" Roger Penske Casually Flexing $120 Million Worth Possession Sends Rhode Island in a Frenzy

Fans were stunned to see roger penske's yacht docked in their hometown.