2015 Panerai Transat Classique - A flurry of finishers

by Panerai Transat Classique on 25 Jan 2015 Today, 23 January, will forever remain in the memories of those taking part in the Panerai Transat Classique with six contenders for a place on the podium crossing the finishing line in Fort-de-France Bay in the space of thirteen hours. What a day it’s been!

Calm and concord. In the warm airs of the early morning, the graceful silhouette of Adventuress crossed the finishing line as the sun climbed slowly into the sky over Fort-de-France Bay. Oldest vessel in the Panerai Transat Classique 2015 (built 1924), the schooner designed by the great naval architect William Fife III was a picture of harmonious elegance as her sails glowed in the rays of the rising sun. Ashore, the early birds witnessing her arrival were transfixed by the timeless spectacle, taking in the moment in a state of calm and concord.

Aboard, Captain Seth Salzmann and his men wowed their audience with some impressive seamanship. Barely a word passed between commander and crew and yet every order was executed with alacrity. Sails were set, sheeted and furled in a flash, orders transmitted through a simple knowing look. Applause and admiration accompanied her as she glided to a standstill alongside the quay. No sooner was she tied up than the welcoming committee boarded her proffering presents from the race’s Martinique partners, such as flowers, local fruit and delicious AOC rum. Judging by the smiles worn by the ten man and one woman crew, their transoceanic crossing had been a paradigm of pleasure since they set out on 7 January from the island of Lanzarote in the Canaries.

No rest till the finishing line

A happy glow radiates from the numerous crews of the Panerai Transat Classique 2015 now treading the pontoons of Fort-de-France. After more than a fortnight at sea, no fewer than six classic yachts crossed the finishing line today between 3 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time (7 a.m. and 9 p.m. GMT). Such a flurry of finishers shows how intense the competition has been, fulfilling and exceeding the expectations of fans who have followed the race from the very start. First in on this day of plenty, arriving in the middle of the night, was Faïaoahé, the big Esprit de Tradition (a classic replica or yacht built using traditional methods) skippered by Rémy Gérin. Next up, still in the dark of night, was Corto. Under the confident command of Hacène Abbar and his right-hand man Bruno Joudren, the 1970 Carter design gave no quarter until the finishing line had been crossed. After sunrise Adventuress glided into Fort-de-France Bay to the delight of the journalists and photographers and, of course, family and friends aboard the many launches that set out to meet the transatlantic heroes of the classic racing world.

Elegance and performance

And then there was The Blue Peter, the splendid Mylne design from 1930 belonging to Mathew Barker and manned for the occasion by the crew of the Bel-Ami. Their participation was the brainchild of the friends of Nicolas Kenedi, with the help of Jacques Taglang, yachting historian and ‘paper sailor’ who is currently preparing an account of their adventure. In their wake came Gweneven, the pretty Swan 38 designed by the great Olin Stephens and owned by Oren Nataf. Under the able guidance of offshore racer Gildas Mahé, the smallest vessel in the race wasn’t going to let herself be impressed by her larger rivals, and her tenacity and performance drew widespread admiration from her fellow competitors. Vagabundo II sailed in next to round off a full day of arrivals. Designed by German Frers Sr in 1945, and owned by the young but experienced skipper Robbie Fabre—and manned by an even younger crew—the little ketch ran an exceptional race from start to finish. With a top speed of 18.2 knots, exceptional is the word!

More to come

The final results of the Panerai Transat Classique 2015, and thus the identity of the grand winner, won’t be known for a little while longer. Not until the crew of Desiderata, the powerful Alden design led by Stuart Armstrong and Julia Neustein, have punched their finishing ticket in Martiniuqe will we know the final and definitive positions in corrected times. However we can congratulate all who took part for the enthusiasm and skill they showed throughout the race. All the boats, including the tardy Desiderata, have managed a crossing that has been safe (no serious injuries or equipment failure) and fast, indeed faster than anyone expected. Impressive!

Seth Salzmann, Adventuress

'This Panerai Transat Classique was amazing! Despite the strong wind on the nose, we managed to keep up with Altair. We even managed to take the lead... for about 200 miles. Conditions at sea were so difficult we only used ‘Martin’ our automatic pilot for about 25 minutes during the entire race because he had trouble taming the helm, especially when surfing down the big swell. Early on we were holding our own because we piled everything on to her. I said to myself: ‘When the wind reaches 38 knots we’re going to bring in the upper sails.’ We clocked up a new record for the boat at 17.8 knots and often logged speeds of over 17 knots. We only ripped one sail, as we were furling it. During the last four days the wind died down and, for want of a spinnaker, the others sailed faster than us. A little earlier Altair slipped past a windless zone but we fell into it head first. Aboard Adventuress the crew has been fantastic, especially Jeremiah, our ship’s poet and message writer.'

Mathew Barker, The Blue Peter

'The first days were rough but we managed well. For my crew it was a veritable baptism of fire. The lively start put everyone through their paces and this allowed us, when the wind finally settled down and we could get out the big sails, to put our sailing skills into practice. The Blue Peter is a wonderful boat, very stable, easy to handle and just magnificent. After this edition of the Panerai Transat Classique, The Blue Peter will be taking part in various races in the Caribbean before setting a course for the USA and the seaboard of Connecticut, Maine… And then we’ll return to Antigua to celebrate my 50th birthday. After that, we’ll head for the Pacific, the Baltic, or somewhere else. The Blue Peter and I are nomads and I would be happy to take her around the world.'