Nightlife: Sean Evans

An Elite Adventure: Jaguar Driving School

September 08, 2011

 
Drifting sideways around a racetrack at 110 miles per hour in a 2011 Jaguar XKR coupe—piloted by an Andretti racecar driver—is enough to make you wonder if the designers of the English supercar ever intended for it to drive in a straight line. It is the sunny end of a tremendously rainy track day at the Monticello Racetrack in upstate New York, and I am ensconsed in one of these glistening rides for Jaguar’s R-Academy. The program, built into the sticker price of any R-type Jaguar, treats owners to a full day of hands-on driving instruction courtesy of some of the world’s preeminent racecar drivers such as Chris Munro, Mike Finch, Roberto Guerrero and Davy Jones. (You can also buy a spot in the school for a little more than $1,000.)

The lessons—which occur in one of Jaguar’s cars, not your own—include mastering the figure eight, cornering and the proper techniques for navigating a bona fide race track at speed. You will also get an in-depth explanation and demonstration of the luxury car manufacturer’s stability control systems, demystifying those buttons emblazoned with race flags and skidding cars that most drivers avoid. “Most car companies still allow their computer to control the car even with the stability control disengaged,” Munro, the lead instructor, explained. “If it thinks you’re going to crash, it’ll kick in at the last minute and save you. Jaguar doesn’t do that. Once it’s off, you’re in complete control.” Which effectively turns this V8, 510-horsepower beast into a rocket.

The Full-Speed Experience
The coaches, who sit shotgun, give the following warning before you roar off: “I’ve seen it all, so don’t try to impress me. You won’t.” With those words ringing in your ears and the car’s computer shut down, you are instructed to “floor it” after coming out of a sharp curve. The six-figure coupe screams forward, 461 pounds of torque throwing you into the bucket seats right before the back end sways out as the car skids around.

“Exhilarating, isn’t it?” coach Adam Andretti (yes, of those Andrettis) asks as the car jerks to a stop after one particularly long slide. While he immediately offers a jubilent fist bump, it takes me a bit longer than normal to pry my shaking hand from the wheel to meet his his. It is exhilarating, but it’s also nerve-wracking—particularly when you are later left alone in a car and told to follow one of the instructors around the track in single file groups of five.

The drivers are not even slightly fazed by the sheets of rain pounding the cars and the track. The speedometer climbs past 80 and then 90 as you weave through slick s-curves, and you start to wonder why the instructor isn’t hitting the brake as often as you’d like. Then you remember that this man knows what he's doing, and the earlier words of Munro: “These cars handle remarkably under any circumstances, but especially in the rain.”  

Getting the Hang of It
After the tenth lap around the track, everything starts to fall into place. You’ve learned the XKR’s physical limits, and the practical information disseminated in an earlier classroom session becomes clear and executable. Everything happens more instinctively, like picking your head up and looking to the end of a turn instead of the apex. Or minding the "string theory": envision a piece of string tied from the bottom of the steering wheel to your right foot, and keep the "string" taught so if you’re turning hard you shouldn’t brake or accelerate.

It all just clicks. The sun even came out, drying up the track considerably, and it was time for the “hot lap,” where the racecar drivers show you why they’ve earned their titles—not to mention how the Jaguar R-type doubles as a jet. With a helmet secured, you’re given one last instruction for the day: “No matter what, don’t touch the driver. At all.” So you hop in the passenger seat and buckle up. Tires howl and smoke as the powerful machines barrel around the track at double the speeds we were driving minutes earlier.  

In our car, Andretti turned the passenger window into the windshield, casually flipping the wheel around and leaning past this flailing (yet laughing) writer to see where the car was really heading. There were several moments when the urge to grab him was hard to overcome, but nail marks were left on the handles of the door and dash instead. As he topped 120 on a straightaway, elbow casually dangling on his open window, he grinned. “Why are you sweating, man? I’m the one drivin’!” Right. 

A Fitting Finale

September 07, 2011

Nas performs at Axe Lounge

The final weekend of summer had New Yorkers on a mad dash to try to squeeze in all the fun they had missed the weekend before thanks to the hurricane. There was no shortage of events for the weekend warriors to attend, particularly at Gilt City’s house in Bridgehampton, where Gilt’s Nate Richardson and Lee Brian Schrager hosted a number of private bashes.

First up was Shake Shack's Wet Hot Hamptons Summer Cookout presented by Milagro and Sailor Jerry, which drew chef and cookbook author Katie Lee—who has the best burger recipe known to man—and TV personality Nate Berkus. Berkus was spotted happily munching the delicious fare. Later in the weekend Vanessa Hudgens stopped by the Gilt City house for a meal prepared by Atlanta chef Linton Hopkins. The actress, clad in a teal maxi dress, sipped Stoli cocktails with her friends while devouring fried chicken, creamed corn, she crab soup and peach cobbler.  

Over in East Hampton, Hamptons Rocks for Charity happened after being rained out the week before. Guests including Howard and Beth Ostrosky Stern, Donny Deutsch and Hoda Kotb were treated to a concert by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and a large portion of the proceeds went to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. At Georgica, Kelly Bensimon and amNewYork threw a benefit for Food Bank of NYC. The housewife was joined by cast mates Cindy Barshop and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and her beau Jacques Azoulay, Hamptons own Samantha Yanks and Georgica owner Seth Levine. The room really got rocking with a little help from crooner Constantine Maroulis, who performed some of his hits from Rock of Ages.  

Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned up at the 2011 Hampton Classic Hats event by Philip Treacy, Stephen Jones, Siggi and others in Bridgehampton, but sadly Hizzoner was sans headwear. Thankfully every woman in attendance had gotten into the theme and donned some spectacular designs by the best milliners.

In the Hamptons clubs, Nas dropped by to host the final night of the season at Axe Lounge in Southampton. Wearing a black T-shirt and jeans and toting a cigar, the rapper got into his performance, gold bling jangling as he jumped around with the microphone. South Pointe, also in Southampton, drew electronica maven Erick Morillo to the turntables. (A treat since the DJ rarely plays a venue that intimate.) Out in Montauk at Gurney’s, the Koch brothers and their Day & Night Brunch was barely underway when the magnums of bubbly started flying out to the tables. The bacchanal bash lasted well into the afternoon.

And there was The Hole's Wet 'N' Wild Party hosted by Fabiola Beracasa out in Montauk, which was summed up best by an onlooker: “It’s just a bunch of hot women here jumping up and down.” In this man’s defense, model May Anderson was having a blast in a bouncy castle behind him, tossing around inflatable beach balls. Which prompted another onlooker to reply, “A very fitting end to summer, indeed.”  

Rocking Out on the East End

August 22, 2011

Jamie Foxx and Ronald Perelman

Ronald Perelman’s words were prophetic Friday night as he took to the stage behind his sprawling East Hampton estate to kick off the Apollo in the Hamptons charity concert. “I promise you’ll see a great rock show tonight—one of the best of your life,” he told the well-heeled crowd, which included the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Colin Powell and Richard Gere and Carey Lowell. How right he was. The night, which benefited the refurbishment of the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem, had so many boldfacers on stage it was nearly hard to keep count.

After a quick birthday shout-out to Perelman’s father—courtesy of Perelman, Dick Parsons and Jimmy Buffett—Ben E. King took the stage. Bettye LaVette followed. Then Jon Bon Jovi appeared, joking that “Nobody gets to come for meals for free here. I’m going to sing for my supper,” before performing “Dancing in the Street” and his infectious rendition of “Twist and Shout.” Jamie Foxx took over next, both as himself and as Ray Charles. His hit “Gold Digger” was among the first he played, and the introduction left the rich room laughing. “Anytime I get to the Hamptons, you know what I do,” he quipped. “C’mon Colin Powell. Sing with me,” he continued as Powell chuckled at the shoutout.

Bon Jovi came back to croon with LaVette on “A Change is Gonna Come,” a duet they first performed at President Obama’s inauguration. Soon it was Alicia Keys’ turn at the keys for “Empire State of Mind,” which had the whole place swaying. The night concluded with LaVette leading nearly all the performers in an ovation-worthy version of “Stand By Me.” Given its $2,500-per-plate or $50,000-per-table ticket prices, the event looked on track to surpass its prior year’s gross of $1 million.

Play Ball
Earlier that day Alec Baldwin and actor Josh Charles donned hats and jerseys for the 63rd annual Hamptons’ Artists and Writers Softball Game in Herrick Park in East Hampton. Baldwin showed off his batting chops by getting a few hits and barreling to first base, while Charles' arm proved to be a force to be reckoned with. In Amagansett Jillian Demling and Karen Mulligan of Pret-a-Surf held a VIP event at Banzai Burger, where guests got down to sushi, burgers and beers and tunes by DJ PJ Monte. There was even a special performance by The Kin that kept revelers grooving into the night.

Back in Southampton, Keszler Gallery enjoyed the opening of an exhibit of works by the artist Banksy, whose pieces had been flown in from Palestine and other locales. The infamous images of two London bobbies kissing or a little girl frisking a solider had milling guests chatting and pointing for hours.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTYIMAGES.COM

A Man About Town

August 18, 2011

Ruth Appelhoff, Alec Baldwin and Martha Stewart

Claire Danes may be the hottest spy ever. The actress was on hand for the Showtime and Cinema Society screening of Homeland, the new series on which she plays a CIA operative. The festivities took place at Jerry and Judy Della Femina’s house, oceanside in East Hampton, and drew fellow castmates Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin and Mandy Patinkin. But the real treat was seeing Sir Paul McCartney wandering the bash. Also reveling was Kiefer Sutherland, Dane’s beau Hugh Dancy, Matthew Broderick, Stephen Gaghan, Brett Ratner, Mary-Kate Olsen, Melissa George and Giada De Laurentiis.

In East Hampton Alec Baldwin attended Guild Hall’s Summer Gala. Baldwin strolled in for his hosting duties arm-in-arm with Ruth Appelhof and Martha Stewart. The gala was in honor of artist Richard Prince’s new exhibit “Covering Pollock,” which utilizes infamous brands to detail our society’s fascination with famous labels.

The next night Baldwin was back in action at the East Hampton 7th Annual Authors Night. Carrying a stack of books wrapped in his jacket, Baldwin chatted with Senator Chuck Schumer while more than 160 authors signed and sold their tomes raising an impressive $200,000 for the East Hampton Library.

Sunday Supper with the Scottos and the Nobu porch-side party hosted by Nate Richardson and Lee Brian Schrager of Gilt Groupe in Bridgehampton brought out James Lipton and NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly for some fabulous fare. Anchor Rosanna Scotto flitted from table to table, making sure to greet each guest with a warm smile. Another news personality was celebrating in Bridgehampton. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and Brad Raymond Inaugural Fundraiser for “New Orleans in the Hamptons” was in full swing. Most of the guests wore pink, including O’Brien, Pharrell Williams and Star Jones, making the tented festivities a colorful one. Musician Irvin Mayfield channeled the spirit of Nawlins and belted out some rousing jazz on the trumpet, while guests toyed with their own trumpets which acted as centerpieces for the flowers on their tables. Some guests really got into the spirit of the vibrant city by donning elaborate Mardi Gras masks.

Out and About All Weekend Long

August 09, 2011

Susan Sarandon

The rich and powerful descended on pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr’s palatial Burnt Point estate in Wainscott last weekend. Rahr’s close pals Bill Clinton and Donald Trump got the VIP treatment and sat front-row while the likes of Alicia Keys, Katharine McPhee and Andrea Bocelli performed. Also spotted milling about the annual, over-the-top bash were Mark Wahlberg and his wife Rhea, Ray Kelly and songwriter David Foster.
 
Over at the Shinnecock Reservation, the Escape2NY festival had drawn a decidedly different crowd. The two-day music show transformed the grounds into a tented city chock full of weirdness. From the panda pit filled with stuffed panda bears and humans petting them, to the scores of festival goers clad in everything from genie outfits and onesies to bunny heads, the energy and atmosphere was eclectic to say the least. On stage Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros brought down the house, as did Patti Smith. Among the revelers were Ruschmeyers’ Ben Pundole and girlfriend DJ Chelsea Leyland, C2’s Cole Miller and actor/jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia, who had embraced the spirit of the jamboree by donning some teal and gold eyeshadow.
 
Table Tennis, Brunching and Polo
In East Hampton the SPiN with the Pros Blue Door Series Tennis Table Tournament was underway. SPiN founder Susan Sarandon expertly manned a paddle during a stint at the table. Guests were competing for tickets to the 2011 US Tennis Open Championships, so stakes ran high. Bonus points should have been awarded to creative outfits, particularly to Kazuyuki Yokoyama who competed in only a top hat, boa, bow tie and a pair of sparkly, short shorts.
 
At Gurney’s in Montauk, the Day and Night Brunch celebrating St-Tropez was in full swing, complete with popping magnums of Champagne and rosé, models in the skimpiest of swimwear and bare-chested fellas sporting askew captains hats. Kirill Bichutsky, shooting for his site kirillwashere.com, had no shortage of subjects and the party raged well into late afternoon.
 
Rounding out the weekend, Hamptons editor in chief Samantha Yanks, Beth Ostrosky Stern, Shamin Abas and Kelly Klein all turned up for week three of the 15th Annual Bridgehampton Polo Challenge at Two Trees Farm in Bridgehampton, while Julie Macklowe and Nisa Amoilis toasted designer Yigal Azrouel at a private residence in Bridgehampton.