The scale of Steve Hudson’s waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the amenities inside and out—a private cinema, a billiard room, a well-stocked wine cellar, an expansive pool with swim-up bar and 240 feet of private bulkhead—are indicative of a guy who’s experienced considerable success in life. Most reach that threshold later on, in their 40s or 50s. But Hudson, now 37, found it early by throwing the full force of his talents and energies behind growing his father’s carting business, sharing in the management of their video rental franchises, making real estate deals in South Florida, and expanding the full-service yacht brokerage, charter and management company International Yacht Collection into an industry player.

Closer inspection of Hudson’s home and its environs, though, suggests some shifting priorities in his life. Removable mesh panels enclose the pool. A collection of plastic farm machinery and construction equipment is scattered about the small but well-kept lawn. There’s a brand new Lazzara LSX Quad 75 tied to the bulkhead—equipped with custom baby gates. (Click image to enlarge)

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Hudson’s lifestyle is in transition from that of a driven bachelor businessman to one where his young family plays a central role. The Lazzara, the first big boat he’s owned, plays a fundamental role in that transition.

"Business-wise, I’ve accomplished a lot of things," Hudson says. "Now it’s family time."

Boats and boating have figured into Hudson’s life from childhood. Born in Fort Lauderdale, he was always a water rat. His parents bought him his first boat, a 13-foot Boston Whaler, at age eight. Like many kids growing up in Florida, he was a surfer, and he still indulges in a lifelong passion for scuba diving.

Growing up, his family owned a succession of Hatterasses and eventually a 122-foot motor yacht. Summers, he, his mother and his sister would stay on the family yacht in the Bahamas and his father would fly over on weekends. As he got older, he became more involved in running the boats, one summer helping move the Hatteras up the coast to Nantucket. The family boating experience and all it entails is what Hudson is chasing today with the Lazzara.

Top: The galley and dining area. Bottom: A family portrait. (Click images to enlarge)

"I’ve always been around business leaders—my father, my uncle—all my business career," he says. "I’ve concluded you can’t stand still. You’ve got to continue to build. Either you go out and acquire or somebody comes in and acquires you."

The sale of IYC to Trinity was unplanned and unexpected, but fortuitous, Hudson says. Had the sale not happened, the next logical expansion of the business would have been to get into yachtbuilding. A deeper commitment, though, would have put him on the road more than he would have liked, away from his wife and young children.

"They were looking to vertically integrate downward, and I was looking to vertically integrate upward," he says of Trinity Yachts.

The Trinity deal will allow him to focus on building other businesses—an activity he loves. Towering above all else, though, is a commitment to his family, both immediate and extended. His marriage and fatherhood and the hunting accident helped him sort out his priorities. Prior to the Trinity sale, Hudson had been roughly splitting his time between IYC and the family real estate holding company, Hudson Capital Group. His plan had been to dial back a bit and smell the roses on the Lazzara with his wife of three-and-a-half years, Jeannie, and his children, ages one and two.

As a bachelor he owned a number of small, fast boats including several center-console runabouts, but those boats weren’t appropriate for the kind of boating experience he wants his family to share. He loves to go fast, but he needed something with more amenities.He started looking at express-style boats in the 45- to 55-foot range, but generally wasn’t impressed with what he saw. Then he had a conversation with Dick Lazzara about a boat the company was developing: the LSX Quad 75. At first, the boat was a bit larger than he wanted. But he found Lazzara’s business and personal ethics to be in line with his own and he warmed up to the idea. He was also intrigued by the promise of the new Volvo Penta IPS drives the boat was designed around.

Top: The aft deck of the LSX Quad 75 is perfect for intimate dining or world-class sun worshipping. Bottom: The full-beam master is spacious and well-appointed. (Click images to enlarge)

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Lazzara Yachts at 813-835-5300. www.lazzara.com