A PhD in Applied Mathematics, check; a CV that includes roles at IBM and NASA, check; a career spent expanding the realm of knowledge in geophysics and stem cell research, check; a fully, eco-friendly island in the Exumas, check. To say Dr. Ed Bosarge is a busy man with many talents would be an understatement.

As the man behind S/Y Marie, S/Y P2 and S/Y Tenacious, the presence of Ed Bosarge on the race circuit brings out many anecdotes among those who have spent a few years on the scene. From Bosarge’s love of firing Marie’s cannon when crossing the finishing line of a race, to his iconic beret, to the story of a pianist being employed on board to play throughout a race; Bosarge is one of our market’s most vibrant and colorful personalities. Taking part in these regattas, however, was not the driving force behind the build of the ketch Marie, rather a happy subsequent discovery. "Marie was not purchased for racing, but we decided to start off the first year by racing her in Antigua and in St Barths and really enjoyed that, so we formed ourselves a race crew and we raced her for five years,” recalls Bosarge.

The family quickly caught the regatta bug (“They became the highlights of Marie”) and the next few years saw him participate in around 25 regattas. Following a successful five years on the racing circuit and a refit, Marie is now for sale with Burgess Yachts and active on the charter market, where her svelte design, gorgeous lines and prowess in racing is a huge draw for charter clients. “When we were racing, she had very little time to do any charters in that period, maybe two or three a year. But now, after she’s moved into the charter market, she’s so famous that she is booked up pretty consistently in the Med and in the Caribbean. So, she’ll continue to charter until the right offer on the boat comes along,” adds Bosarge. He now races with the Briand-designed sloop, P2, a 38m launched by Perini Navi in 2008, which also has a proven regatta record.

What does he believe is the most crucial element when owning a vessel, racing her and then placing her on the market? “For me,” he offers, “I think the most important thing is to hire the best captain, with the highest integrity and the highest amount of experience, who has a history of running a yacht as beautiful as Marie.” For Bosarge, the quality of a captain is critical to enjoying the most out of a vessel, but also to maintain a yacht to the highest standard. “Marie was launched in 2011, and she still looks just like she came out of the showroom, so you have to have an extremely good captain and crew and make sure that your asset doesn’t depreciate.”

Bosarge has dedicated his life’s work to exploring the limits of business, science and technology. His areas of expertise have changed and developed over the years, but yachting has been a constant fix in his life because of his pure enjoyment of the lifestyle. “I’ve been in the yachting world for years,” he concludes. “P2 is the sixth one, Marie is number five and Tenacious was number four. Running a big sailing yacht is a large financial commitment but to me, it’s one of the most exciting passions there is.” Dr Bosarge, therefore, can add one more string to his bow: happy superyacht owner, check.

This interview appeared in full in issue 182 of The Superyacht Report. To see if you are eligible for a complimentary VIP subscription, please click here.

Photo courtesy of Captain Wes Cooper, S/Y Marie in Mo'orea

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