MEDIA CONTACTS:
Cynthia Goss (203-453-2731 / media@iyrs.org)
Susan Daly (401-848-5777, ext 220 / sdaly@iyrs.org)
Winners Crowned at the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta Sponsored by Panerai and Presented by Land Rover North America
Newport Event Serves as Tribute to Sailors, Designers, and Restorers of Classic Boats
Newport (R.I.) September 9, 2009 — Sun, brilliant blue skies, and northerly breezes that ranged from 7 knots to a roiling 15 created a stunning backdrop to showcase the fleet racing the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta sponsored by Panerai and presented by Land Rover North America. Hosted September 4-6 by the Museum of Yachting, this annual regatta drew sailors from North America, Europe and New Zealand and a fleet where each boat sailed into Newport with its own history—whether it is a part of America's Cup lore, or a class competitor with an international racing record nearly a century long.
Organizing Authority Sail Newport ran two days of racing for 12 Meters, S-Boats, and 6-Metres as well as handicap classes for Vintage and Modern spirit-of-tradition competitors. Prizes not only crowned the swiftest on the race course; they also honored the designers and individuals responsible for creating and restoring these historic classics.
"The weather systems produced a range of conditions for the fleet, and this year the event was enhanced by the 6-Metres that raced their North Americans at the regatta. With boats from the 1920s to more modern designs and recent restorations, this international class demonstrates the longevity a single class can sustain in the sport of sailing," said regatta organizer Susan Daly of the International Yacht Restoration School.
All classes raced a single race on Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of the 31-boat 6-Metre class, which completed four races during the weekend. The regatta's special awards were presented at a ceremony held on the grounds of the Museum of Yachting on Saturday evening. Alexandra Zoller, president of Panerai North America, was on hand to present six accolades from the event's title sponsor.
Rogue—a 37-foot 1953 design based on a Herreshoff Newport 29 and owned by Seville Simonds of Guilford (Conn.)—captured overall honors as winner of the Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante DLC watch.
This prize is awarded to the most successful Vintage yacht, in spinnaker or non-spinnaker classes, according to its performance on the race course and the number of finishers in its class. The Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante DLC, created in a limited edition of 500 pieces, is a split-seconds chronograph to time the final five minutes preceding the start of a race. Colored black from an innovative Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coating, the watch is particularly hard and resistant to corrosion and a favorable property for yachtsmen in constant contact with seawater.
Panerai alarm clocks were awarded to the first in fleet in Modern and Vintage classes. Winners included: Donald Tofias's W-76 Wild Horses (Modern/spinnaker); Mark Treat's 40-foot Phil Rhodes yawl Windigo (Modern/non-spinnaker); Trevor Fetter's 68-foot S&S yawl Black Watch (Vintage/spinnaker); Jed Pearsall's 1913 Burgess-designed Chips, skippered by Mike Fletcher (Vintage/non-spinnaker-Classic Rating Formula 30 and over); and Seville Simonds' Rogue (Vintage/non-spinnaker-CRF 29.9 and under).
The Swedish 6-Metre Maybe XIV, owned by Christer Salen of Stockholm, captured the 6-Metre class win handily, logging finishes of 1-2-1-2 and an 11-point winning margin over the second-place boat. After the Classic Yacht Regatta, this international fleet sailed right into its 2009 6-Metre World Cup regatta in Newport.
Maritime artist John Mecray, who was instrumental in founding the Classic Yacht Regatta, and Clark Poston, program director at the International Yacht Restoration School, presented the Tom Benson Restoration Award on Saturday evening. This honor is given to the boat in the fleet determined to be the best restored yacht, based on degree of originality and quality of restoration, done within the past two years. Martha Coolidge of Camden (Maine) and her 1932 S&S-designed 6-Metre Jill were crowned the winner of the prize.
On Sunday morning, the racing fleet and classic powerboats traced a parade course around the Newport harbor front in the regatta's traditional Classic Yacht Parade, and Newport residents and visitors had an opportunity to view the fleet as they made their way to the parade's endpoint at the Museum of Yachting. Winners in several best-of categories were crowned at Sunday's award ceremony, including: Best Costume, 12 Meter American Eagle; Most Patriotic, race committee boat Carina sporting red-white-and-blue uniforms; Best Powerboat, the restored 42-foot J-Class tender Bystander; Best Sailboat, 38-foot cutter Yankee Girl; and Best Overall, W-76 Wild Horses.
For more information on the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta sponsored by Panerai and presented by Land Rover North America, please visit www.moy.org.
About Panerai
Founded in Florence in 1860 as a watchmaker’s shop, workshop, and school, Officine Panerai was for many years the official supplier of precision instruments for the Italian Navy, mostly for the underwater special corps. The projects developed by the company at the time—including the Luminor and Radiomir watch—were covered by military secret until 1997, when the brand was purchased by the Richemont Group and launched on the international market. Officine Panerai is today the only Italian fine watchmaking company developing and producing its own calibers and watches—a blend of Italian history and design with Swiss craftsmanship—in its own manufacture in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Panerai watches are distributed worldwide through an exclusive network and in the Panerai boutiques in Florence, Portofino, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Doha, Dubai, Madrid, and Buenos Aires. The limited edition Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante DLC (44mm) is a C.O.S.C. Certified split-seconds chronograph and specially engraved in honor of the Panerai Classic Yacht Regatta 2009; the watch is waterproof up to 100 meters, attributable to its patented crown locking device. The world of classic yachting is an ideal counterpart to Panerai's high-quality watchmaking—where the emphasis on tradition and quality are not the result of good fortune, but the outcome of persistence and longevity. For more information about Panerai, visit www.panerai.com.
About the Museum of Yachting
For more than 25 years, the Museum of Yachting has worked to preserve the culture and heritage of yachting. Situated in one of New England's most beautiful seaside locales, the Museum celebrates the traditions of yachting through the presentation of informative exhibits and educational programming. In 2007, the Museum converged with the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), located across Newport Harbor. Together, these two organizations are creating a rich educational living heritage experience by coordinating exhibits, events, and restoration projects.
About Sail Newport
Sail Newport is the Organizing Authority for the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta. The non-profit organization was founded in 1983 after the loss of the America’s Cup catalyzed the sailing community to attract more sailing events to Newport. Twenty-five years later, Sail Newport is a thriving sailing center located in Fort Adams State Park. Sail Newport has a wide variety of sailing programs including learn-to-sail programs, racing clinics, and advanced classes for youth and adults. In addition, Sail Newport has hosted many local, regional, national, and world-class sailing events. The facility has two hoists, dinghy and deep- water boat ramps, regatta dockage, ginpole, event center, and storage. Most recently Sail Newport hosted the largest one-design event of the year in the U.S. with the 2009 Optimist New England Championship. In 2007, Sail Newport managed the Olympic Trials. For more information, visit www.sailnewport.org.
RESULTS
[Class: Boat Name / Skipper / Hometown / Boat Type, Designer / Year Launched]
HANDICAP CLASSES
Saturday September 5 (1 race)
Modern Classic Spinnaker: Wild Horses / Donald Tofias / Newport, R.I. / W-76, Joel White / 1999
Modern Classic Non-Spinnaker: Windigo / Mark Treat / Barrington, R.I. / Phil Rhodes / 1956
Vintage Spinnaker: Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938
Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 30 and over): Chips / Jed Pearsall, skippered by Mike Fletcher / Newport, R.I. / Burgess / 1913
Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 29.9 and under): Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953
Sunday, September 6 (1 race)
Modern Classic Spinnaker: Equus / Wendy Schmidt / Nantucket, Mass. / W-46, S&S / 2000
Modern Classic Non-Spinnaker: Windigo / Mark Treat / Barrington, R.I. / Phil Rhodes / 1956
Vintage Spinnaker: Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938
Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 30 and over): Alera / Terry McClinch / Southport, Maine / NY 30, Herreshoff / 1905
Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 29.9 and under): Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff /1953
ONE-DESIGN CLASSES
Saturday September 5 (1 race)
12 Meter Class (Traditional): Northern Light / Kip Curren / Newport, R.I. / Olin Stephens / 1938
12 Meter Class (Classic): American Eagle / Carol Swift / Newport, R.I. / A.E. Luders / 1964
S-Boat Class: Vindex / Paul Del Nero / Middletown, R.I. / S Boat, Herreshoff / 1919
6-Metre: Maybe XIV / Christer Salen / Stockholm, Sweden / Pelle Petterson
Sunday, September 6 (overall)
12 Meter Class (Traditional): Northern Light / Kip Curren / Newport, R.I. / Olin Stephens / 1938
12 Meter Class (Classic): American Eagle / Carol Swift / Newport, R.I. / A.E. Luders / 1964
S-Boat Class: Vindex / Paul Del Nero / Middletown, R.I. / S Boat, Herreshoff / 1919
6-Metre Class: Maybe XIV / Christer Salen / Stockholm, Sweden / Pelle Petterson
SPECIAL AWARDS
Designer Awards – These awards honor the sailors and the legendary individuals who designed the boats they sailed in the regatta. According to race organizers, the following were most successful amongst the boats competing from their respective designers:
Herreshoff: Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953
Rhodes: Golden-Eye / Michael Emmert / Glen Cove, N.Y. / Rhodes / 1937
Hunt: Easterner / Paul Callahan / Newport, R.I. / 12 Meter, L. Raymond Hunt / 1958
S&S (Mitch Neff Award): Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938
Cruising Yacht Award - The most successful cruising-designed yacht, according to race organizers:
Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953
Atlantic Trophy - Best overall elapsed time by a Vintage yacht (spinnaker or non-spinnaker):
Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938
Narragansett Bay Trophy - Best overall corrected time by a Vintage, spinnaker yacht:
Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938
Sappho Trophy - Best overall corrected time by a vintage, non-spinnaker yacht:
Chips / Jed Pearsall, skippered by Mike Fletcher / Newport, R.I. / Burgess / 1913
Leiter Cup - Best overall corrected time by a gaff rigged, vintage, non-spinnaker yacht:
Marilee / Darrell Crate / Beverly Farms, Mass. / NY 50, Herreshoff / 1926
Joel White Memorial Spirit of Tradition Award - The modern yacht with the best corrected time overall:
Wild Horses / Donald Tofias / Newport, R.I. / W-76, Joel White / 1999
Tom Benson Restoration Award – Best restored yacht; based on degree of originality and quality of restoration done within the past two years:
Jill / Martha Coolidge / Camden, Maine / 6-Metre, S&S / 1932
Clingstone Cannon – Donated by the Wharton family to the individual(s) who demonstrates the best Corinthian spirit, according to race organizers:
Easterner / Paul Callahan / Newport, R.I. / 12 Meter, L. Raymond Hunt / 1958
-ends-