Panerai British Classic Week comes to a spectacular conclusion

by Panerai British Classic Week on 25 Jul 2016 Panerai British Classic Week came to a spectacular conclusion with one final round the cans race for all classes in glorious sunshine and a perfect Solent sea breeze. Royal Yacht Squadron Racing set courses that took the fleet west down Cowes Green and then brought them back together off Beaulieu for a thrilling massed reach into the finish.

The only class winner still to be decided was Class four where John Mulcahy’s 1961 Kim Holman Stella Estrella held a narrow three-point lead over Jonathan and Scilla Dyke’s 1938 Robert Clark Bermudan sloop Cereste. Estrella got the best start, but it was neck and neck between the two boats on corrected time until the final reach home when Estrella was forced out into the tide by two larger boats, allowing Cereste to claim victory by 97 seconds. With both boats now on seven points it was only on countback that Cereste was declared the class winner with Estrella second and Mark and Liz Rushall’s 1965 Honeybee Ragdoll third.

Speaking after racing Jonathan Dyke said, “It was so close that we didn’t know we’d won until we got ashore. We’re a crew of old friends from the East Coast who’ve sailed together for years. We’ve taken part in all bar the first of the Panerai British Classic Weeks. It’s fantastically well organised, a first class event, we love the eclectic nature of the boats and their owners, and of course this year the weather has been amazing.”

With the sailing complete it was time for the crews to don their finery and enjoy the last big party of the regatta, the Panerai British Classic Week Gala Prize Giving Dinner in Cowes Yacht Haven events centre. Admiral and founder of the British Classic Yacht Club Tim Blackman took the role of Master of Ceremonies and invited Philppe de Saint Lager of Panerai to present the main prizes.

Each of the winning yachts received a Panerai Plate in addition to their class trophy. The Lutine Cup for Class one went to Sean McMillan’s Spirit 52 Flight of Ufford. Giovanni Belgrano’s Whooper won the Corinthian Cup for Class two and Michael Brigg’s 1904 Clyde Fife Linear 30 Mikado was all conquering in Class three, receiving the Commodore’s Cup.

Jonathan and Scilla Dyke’s with with Cereste in Class four earned them the Cereste Trophy. Robin Richardson’s Howlett designed St Kitts won the Event Trophy for the Six Metre Class and Murdoch McKillop’s 1931 Fife designed Saskia was presented with the Universal Eight Cup for the Eight Metre Class. Saskia also won the International Metre Trophy for the highest placed Metre boat at the regatta, while Mark Tyndall’s 1904 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Mascotte received the Brian Keelan Memorial Trophy for the highest placed Gaffer.

The regatta has attracted entrants from as mainland Europe, Scandinavia and the USA, plus two crews from The Classic Yacht Club of Australia and one from The Classic Yacht Club of New Zealand, who raced in three chartered 1959 Morgan Giles 42’ Bermudan Sloops – Gryphis, Leopard and Pegasus. As well as racing in Class three the boats also competed amongst themselves for The Classic Sail Match Race Challenge Trophy which was won by Leopard skippered by Doug Shields and his crew from Australia.

In addition to the racing prizes a number of special trophies were presented including the Cetewayo Trophy for the yacht with that certain Je Ne Sais Quoi, which was won by Martin Thomas’ Archie designed Eight Metre Cruiser Racer Charm of Rhu.

The Stiff Drink Trophy is a silver hip flask donated by Spirit Yachts and went to Martin Ryan’s Pegasus for her spectacular effort in blowing out a spinnaker, parts of which had to be retrieved from the Solent by the media boat.

The Seamanship Award presented by Classic Boat went to James Kelman’s 1947 Dervin cutter Croix des Gardes for sailing the Long Inshore Race only three up and with her lady helm wearing a very elegant dress!

Finally came the most prestigious prize of the event. The British Classic Yacht Club Racing Trophy and a Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 Three Days Automatic Acciaio – 44mm watch for the Overall Winner of Panerai British Classic Week 2016 was presented to Giovanni Belgrano of the 1939 Laurent Giles 39’ one-off Whooper, who had a clean sweep in Class two and was the top scoring yacht in the combined fleet races.

This is the second time that Giovanni and his team have won the week overall and he was effusive in his praise for the organisers and his fellow competitors.
“The conditions have been outstanding, the organisation has been outstanding and the competition has been outstanding. Outstanding truly is the word for this regatta. From a technical point of view we were very lucky, we had the perfect conditions for the boat to win. The event offers a unique combination. It’s different to anything else, it’s stylish, it’s attractive. It’s a chain reaction, it keeps attracting better boats because it’s stylish and it looks more stylish because it attracts better boats. The people who own them are lovely people and hopefully the event will just continue on this upwards spiral. There is no other regatta where we can have such an experience.”