Last week my colleagues Kim, Matt, Rob and I attended a sailing event in New York hosted by Lufthansa. We sailed New York Harbor aboard the Shearwater, a Newport-style schooner yacht. The vessel was docked at North Cove Marina in Lower Manhattan, not far from the 9/11 Memorial. My colleagues and I arrived early for the pre-trip reception to chat with the Lufthansa team. They informed us Lufthansa flew the German soccer team back to Germany following their recent World Cup win. The boat ride felt like a celebratory occasion

The yacht sailed down towards the Statue of Liberty. We all enjoyed light refreshments and drinks while taking in the spectacular view. Before docking we had a chance to explore the vessel. Built in 1929, the Shearwater has a rich history as a Coast Guard patrol boat during World War II, a research laboratory for living and working underwater and finally as a charter yacht. Below the deck, we saw how crew members experienced life on the Shearwater.

Following the sail we decided to have dinner at nearby restaurant El Vez. The newly opened restaurant has a location in Philadelphia, so we were interested to compare the two. We ordered guacamole for the table and blood orange margaritas to start, then each sampled different main plates. As we were eating we noticed a familiar man sitting at an adjacent table — it was Stephen Starr, owner of El Vez and restaurateur famous for his numerous Philadelphia eateries. Overall it was a perfect New York night with a little taste of Philadelphia. — Katie Skrzek, digital media manager