Douglas Rastello

Yacht: Preference 19 Length: 36.4m Year: 2011 Location: Loano

What’s happening with Preference 19 in the off season?

Preference 19 is currently out of the water getting spruced up for the Med season but will be back in the water soon. In July and August, we offer the boat for charter as we spend those months in Lake Tahoe, spending spring and autumn on board. We’re pleased if we can pick up six or seven charters a year

As a former America’s Cupper, will you be in Barcelona later this year?

We want to support the American Magic team, so the plan is to be in Barcelona during the races. I remember back in 2007 when the Cup was in Valencia there were hundreds of yachts in the marina that went out each day watching the races. The starting line area was quite a spectacle – I hope they can recreate that environment again this year. I do worry about the sailing conditions in Barcelona in October, but I am sure it will be an event not to miss and we will be there

Preference 19 is not your typical white boat. What drew you to her?

We prefer explorer-style motor yachts like Preference

19, with extensive exterior space and a clean, modern interior. She’s a little over 10 years old now and looks great. It’s perfect for families because of the deck space, where people can just hang out and take advantage of the multitude of water activities. On board, we have circuit training in the morning and have a basketball hoop for a game in the afternoon. Preference 19 is not about interior volume; for us it’s about life on the water and living outside

You’re a sailor at heart. Was it hard buying a motor yacht?

I don’t know how to answer that because Preference 19 was such an impulse buy! We weren’t looking for a motor yacht, she found us. It’s one of the best things we have ever done. In the future I can see transitioning to a large sailing yacht, but we’re not in a hurry. I am active in the J/70 racing scene in Europe and the States, and also participate in other regattas Have you made many changes to the yacht? We’ve changed some of the soft furnishings and furniture layouts, but we haven’t made any dramatic changes. Like many other yachts, we have added Starlink because you need to have reliable high-speed internet on board Do you get involved in the running of the boat? We work with our captain and our management company, Edmiston, weekly, especially in the off season to approve winter works and plan for the coming season. There are seven crew on board – four roles are steady and three tend to rotate a bit. The crew make the Preference 19 experience special, for us and for all our charter guests