Tucked among acres of fiberglass yachts, the 63-foot, wood-hulled motoryacht Elegante will be at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this week, not for sale, but for auction Saturday at B-dock at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
The historic one-off yacht, built in 1964 at Whiticar Boat Works in Stuart, Fla., was commissioned by John Hay "Jock" Whitney, a multimillionaire sportsman and the founder of J.H. Whitney & Co., the oldest venture capital investment company in the United States.
Powered by twin Detroit 60 series turbocharged engines, Naples, Fla.-based Elegante has been chartering 5,500 miles a year, cruising the East and West coasts north to Alaska and Nova Scotia, according to auctioneer Mecum Auctions of Marengo, Ill., which recently auctioned the F. Todd Warner wooden-boat collection - 127 boats, plus classic engines and parts.
The yacht can sleep two couples and entertain 25 guests.
The auction is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at slip 223 on Bahia Mar's B-dock. Information is available at www.mecum.com or by calling 815-568-8888.