It’s “Monaco on the Hudson.”
North Cove, New York’s glamorous downtown marina, was flooded with mega-yachts this July Fourth weekend, as boldface names onboard partied like the global economy had never capsized.
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Many of the 27 super-yachts in the World Financial Center marina belong to European oligarchs and millionaires who docked to watch the Macy’s Independence Day fireworks show, which moved from the East River to the Hudson this year.
One firework-spotter was German shipping tycoon Bertram Rickmers, who viewed the display from the deck of his 131-foot yacht Clan VI.
“Clan VI was enjoying a peaceful voyage in the West Indies until Bertram decided he fancied seeing some fireworks on July Fourth,” a source told The Post. “So he got some friends down and threw a party in front of the fireworks.”
Other moneymen in the marina this weekend include car magnate John Rosatti, whose $28 million, 157-foot-long mega-yacht, Nice ‘n’ Easy, has an onboard elevator. Rosatti owns 15 vessels and is said to have encouraged other bigwigs to drop anchor in North Cove.
But not everyone is happy with the influx of big shots and their boats.
“Some of these tycoons are so antisocial and have zero respect for sailing,” a crew member in North Cove said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They just buy the boats to keep up with their rivals, and they mostly fill them with lunatics. They’d buy the sea if they could.”
“To have some of the rich guys running around looking fancy isn’t as exciting to me as taking people sailing,” says Tom Berton, owner of the 82-foot 1920s yacht Shearwater located in North Cove. Shearwater, which has daily $45 public sails, last night threw a $450-a-head July Fourth gourmet dinner cruise.
Additional reporting by Michael Blaustein