Elevating the Coastal Travel Experience
- Brooks McKinney, APR
- Jun 29
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 29
The Twenty Five’s Neill Etheridge and Jamie Petty are defining a new category of premium, regional travel using electric hydrofoils to connect coastal getaways with major cities.
Key Takeaways:
• The Twenty Five plans to launch a luxury coastal transportation network in 2027 using all-electric,"ground-effect" Seaglider vessels capable of traveling up to 180 mph just above the water's surface. The new service will dramatically reduce travel times between major metropolitan areas and coastal destinations.
• Founded by private investor Neill Etheridge and entrepreneur Jamie Petty, The Twenty Five is combining maritime infrastructure, hospitality, chauffeured ground transportation, and next-generation mobility technology to create a new category of premium regional travel.
• The company has secured partnerships with REGENT, developer of the Seaglider, and the Hornblower Group, a major transportation operator, as it works toward regulatory approval, deployment of charging infrastructure, and the launch of service between New York–Hamptons, Boston–Nantucket, and Palm Beach–Miami.
In the early 2020s, Neill Etheridge, a Londoner and private capital investor, was living in New York City and commuting regularly to a family vacation home in the Hamptons, a series of seaside resort communities on Long Island. In 2022, he moved his family to Westport, Conn., but continued commuting to the Hamptons regularly.
Unfortunately, one thing about the trip never changed: its unpredictability. Between bumper-to-bumper traffic on busy weekends, transfers to ferries or the railroad, and other station delays, the trip that “should” have taken about two and a half hours had become a consistently miserable three-and-a-half-to-five-hour schlep. And alternative modes of travel, e.g. helicopters, were simply too expensive for regular use.
Recognizing Opportunity
“In late 2022, I began commiserating with one of my Connecticut neighbors, Jamie Petty, over the transportation environment we were suffering in,” explains Etheridge. “I mean, trying to get from Connecticut to Long Island by ferry was a disaster. It takes an hour and 15 minutes to go just a few miles. Yes, it’s reliable, but the experience is just not there. It’s like going to the DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles.)”
Against this backdrop, Etheridge and Petty began to see an opportunity to use the local natural waterways to link destinations such as the Hamptons or Nantucket to nearby metropolitan areas. They envisioned a faster, (environmentally) greener and far more luxurious travel experience for business professionals.
In September 2024, the neighbors and now partners founded and launched their shared vision as The Twenty Five, a luxury coastal travel and maritime membership club.
Building the Ecosystem
Today, the co-founders are busy securing the strategic partnerships, transportation infrastructure, operational technology and regulatory approvals required to launch The Twenty Five in 2027.
Central to their vision will be a fleet of all-electric SeagliderTM vessels designed and produced by Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport (REGENT).
A Seaglider operates as a hybrid between a boat and an airplane. It floats on its V-shaped hull to pick up and drop off passengers at conventional docks, uses underwater hydrofoil technology to lift the hull above the waves, then accelerates up to 180 mph flying just above the water’s surface on a cushion of air using an aerodynamic phenomenon called “ground effect.” Seagliders can operate, take off and provide a smooth ride for passengers in sea states up to five feet.
Etheridge and Petty have also secured an exclusive agreement with The Hornblower Group, a leader in maritime and terrestrial transportation services, to operate and maintain The Twenty Five’s fleet of up to 60 Seagliders. They expect the club’s initial routes will include New York City to the Hamptons, Boston to Nantucket, and Palm Beach, Fla. to Miami.
“We’re not just designing a traditional transportation company, we’re building a whole new category of luxury travel,” emphasizes Etheridge.
“We’ll be operating at the intersection of infrastructure, hospitality, mobility, sustainability and next-generation technology. Our guests will move comfortably from a chauffeured vehicle to a dockside lounge to a Seaglider to a destination transfer with minimal friction.”
Winning Back Time
And how did Etheridge and Petty arrive at the name “The Twenty Five” for their new enterprise?
“The thing that’s valuable to all of us is time,” Etheridge offers. “Our recurring thought was that our new transportation approach is winning back time. By giving members a faster, more luxurious travel experience, we’re winning back for each of them an extra—call it whimsical—hour in every day. I mean, what would you do with a 25th hour each day?”
Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Etheridge was born and raised in a 17th-century home in the small market town of Bishop’s Stortford about 30 miles northeast of Central London.
His dad, an entrepreneur, ran businesses in real estate and footwear, while his stay-at-home mom raised three children. Etheridge is the oldest of three, including two younger sisters.
As long as he can remember, Etheridge has been entrepreneurial in spirit. “I was always the person trying to do something, trying to emulate the incredible energy my father had,” he recalls. “I used to wash cars and mow lawns so I could buy my own steak every week because my parents wouldn’t pay for it.”
"The thing that's valuable to all of us is time."
-- Neill Etheridge, Co-founder, The Twenty Five
Etheridge attended boarding school until the age of 16, then switched to secondary (high) school. While attending Newcastle University, his father became quite ill, compelling him to move back to the London area to be close to his family. He also transferred to nearby University of Westminster, a public university, where he studied accounting and corporate finance.
Etheridge graduated from Westminster in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
Making America Home
After university, Etheridge went to work for Apple in the UK, an experience that helped cement his preference for corporate environments where jeans and T-shirts dominate the dress code.
In 2002, however, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the bursting of the dot-com bubble, the UK business climate began to falter. The slowdown inspired Etheridge to move to the U.S. where he began working in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space on a contract basis with a new business acquaintance.
“I felt very quickly that America was my home, that it just suited my personality,” Etheridge remembers. “I was able to assert myself, be engaged and be aggressive. I also found the business climate here to be much more merit-driven than in the UK, which really transformed my perspective about what was possible.”
Connecting Capital to Opportunity
From 2002 through the mid-2010’s, Etheridge focused primarily on the M&A space where he helped companies raise capital, buy businesses, sell businesses, and execute growth strategies. As his career progressed, he also moved beyond advising transactions and became more focused on creating and investing in businesses himself.
In 2019, he co-founded Octant Partners, an investment platform that brought together experienced executives, investors, and deal makers to acquire and grow companies.
Along the way, Etheridge learned several lessons that underpin his current determination to stand up The Twenty Five.
“For starters, learning discipline, process and understanding the professionalism required to get things done is massively important,” he offers. “After I’d been in the U.S. for a few years, I learned to embrace the entrepreneurial opportunities available here, and the importance of being myself and striving for a particular goal. Today, I truly believe that the world is my oyster.”
Preparing for Launch
Before Etheridge and Petty can launch a luxury travel service, however, they will need Seagliders.
To date, REGENT has developed and successfully flown a one-quarter scale prototype of its Seaglider concept. Those flights, conducted in August 2022, included a demonstration of the full “float/foil/fly” operating sequence of the vessel.
Since then, REGENT has developed and begun testing a full-scale, 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider prototype measuring approximately 55 feet long with a 65-foot wingspan. In June 2025, the company completed hydrofoil testing of the prototype. And in March 2026, REGENT began a more comprehensive test campaign that will lead eventually to certification and the start of production.
Another critical step in The Twenty Five’s 2027 launch plan will be U.S. Coast Guard certification of the Seaglider for commercial use.
“We’re trying to build a business around proven regulatory standards, including Wing-in-Ground (WIG) effect vehicles, fast boats, and an operator with a long-standing relationship with the Coast Guard,” explains Etheridge. “Having a partner (Hornblower Group) that operates at scale in multiple markets and Coast Guard sectors will make us a credible partner to the Coast Guard.”
Solving the Charging Problem
Fast, convenient charging of the electric Seagliders will also be foundational to The Twenty Five’s success, Etheridge advises. Some port areas of New York and Boston currently have fast charging infrastructure, but remote destinations such as Nantucket or the Hamptons typically do not. That’s where partnerships with microgrid specialists such as ELM MicroGrid, a developer of scalable battery electric storage systems, will be essential.
“Microgrids will enable us to unlock fast charging in remote areas, either by connecting to local renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, or by using batteries charged by local utilities,” he clarifies.
Another possibility, he suggests, will be to deploy floating microgrids, i.e., barges with batteries or other types of fast-charging infrastructure.
Prioritizing Hospitality
Hospitality, of course, drives The Twenty Five’s mission and user experience. That’s why Etheridge and Petty are busy lining up partnerships with hospitality vendors, private marinas and transportation vendors.
“In the beginning, we’re going to be very focused on private hospitality,” he emphasizes. “The Twenty Five is going to be an experience-driven platform, so we’re first going to focus on proving out the product, proving its safety, and proving its operational credentials. After that, we can scale. Over time, I think The Twenty Five could become a more accessible product for a wider use case, but scale will be required for that to happen.”
Scaling with Care
The partners are also busy managing expectations for the planned 2027 launch of The Twenty Five’s transportation operations.
“On day one, we’re not getting 20 Seagliders, we’re getting two,” Etheridge warns. “Those two will be heavily tested and cautiously rolled out. The next year, we’ll get another four or five, and in subsequent years, more and more. This will allow us to unlock the whole ecosystem in a deliberate way. We won’t have much time to get ready after our initial deliveries, but we’ll have a lot of time to make sure we do it right.”
Developing the Network
In Etheridge's life, there’s no such thing as a typical workday, but it’s usually heavy on operational planning involving legal structuring, partnership negotiations, infrastructure development, and financing discussions. Other days are focused on business development, strategy, hospitality relationships, or long-term ecosystem development.
“Jamie and I spend a lot of time these day in the field with partners, waterfront operators, hospitality groups, and infrastructure stakeholders,” he offers. “We’re at the stage where establishing relationships and making connections with physical locations are what matter most.”
To that end, Etheridge spends much of each month on the road, mostly in New England.
Positioning for Advantage
Etheridge is quite excited to be participating in the current electrification of the transportation industry. He knows he’s competing for attention with the nascent electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry. He’s confident, however, that The Twenty Five is well-positioned to be the first mover in this new EV world.
“We think about eVTOLs as taxis, which is a different transportation environment than the one we’re offering,” he observes. “And we don’t have to go 1000 feet in the air to operate, just 10 meters. Our vessels are also incredibly efficient, which means we can carry a large battery load and travel much longer distances.”
Shaping the Future
Etheridge and Petty still have a lot of work ahead of them to launch The Twenty Five, but they can’t wait to begin transporting their members in a faster, more luxurious, more time-efficient manner that promises to redefine regional travel.
“I’m driven every day by the excitement of building the ecosystem around The Twenty Five,” declares Etheridge. “Bringing operators, waterfront infrastructure, hospitality groups, technology partners, and future members together into one coherent vision is incredibly energizing. It feels less like building a company and more like building a platform that others will build upon for decades.”
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I hope you enjoyed reading this profile and that you will check out the other profiles I've published on this site. If you'd like to see a friend or colleague involved in modernizing the U.S. infrastructure profiled here, please send me their name, industry and contact details. Many thanks. brooks@personsoninfrastructure.com