Reclaiming the Twenty-Fifth Hour

VUE Hamptons, Summer 2026 — Sabrina Travosin — There are few summer rituals more familiar to Northeast travelers than the journey from Manhattan to the Hamptons. It is a route synonymous with anticipation—and often frustration. Hours spent inching along crowded highways have long been accepted as part of the experience. But what if the journey itself could become a luxury?

That question inspired The Twenty Five, an ambitious new coastal mobility company, founded by Neill Etheridge and Jamie Petty. More than a transportation service, The Twenty Five represents a reimagining of how people move between some of the East Coast’s most sought-after destinations, transforming lost travel time into something far more valuable.

The concept is rooted in a simple idea: time is our most precious asset. The company’s name refers to the “twenty-fifth hour”—the hidden hour often lost to inefficiency, traffic, and the friction of modern travel. Rather than accepting those lost hours as inevitable, Etheridge and Petty set out to create a better alternative.

Their solution centers around one of the most innovative transportation technologies currently in development: the all-electric REGENT Seaglider. Operating in three distinct modes, the vessel floats like a traditional boat in harbor, rises onto hydrofoils as it departs the coastline, and then transitions into wing-in-ground-effect flight, gliding just above the water’s surface at speeds of up to 180 miles per hour.

The experience promises something rarely associated with modern transportation—serenity. With floor-to-ceiling windows, minimal noise, zero emissions, and no airport terminals or security lines, passengers can travel from Manhattan to destinations such as Sag Harbor in under an hour while enjoying a journey that feels as luxurious as the destination itself.

For Etheridge and Petty, innovation is hardly new territory. Etheridge brings decades of experience across maritime finance, clean energy development, and private equity, while Petty’s background spans offshore yacht racing, international consulting, aviation, and luxury transportation ventures. Together, they recognized that the coastal travel industry was overdue for an overhaul.

Rather than simply investing in emerging technology, the founders built an entire ecosystem around it. The Twenty Five has partnered with REGENT, securing agreements for up to 60 Seagliders. The company has also aligned with Hornblower Group as its exclusive maritime operating partner and ELM MicroGrid to support clean-energy infrastructure across its growing coastal network.

Yet, what makes The Twenty Five particularly compelling is not the technology alone; it is the lifestyle vision behind it. Membership is being thoughtfully curated for individuals who value both efficiency and experience, creating a community centered around effortless coastal living. The focus is not simply getting somewhere faster; it is reclaiming the quality of the hours that surround the journey.

In an era where luxury is increasingly defined by access, convenience, and time, The Twenty Five arrives with a bold proposition: what if the most valuable amenity isn’t where you’re going, but the hour you get back along the way? For travelers who have spent countless summer Fridays staring at brake lights on the LIE, that future cannot come soon enough.