Museum of Yachting Annual Classic Yacht Regatta overall

by Cynthia Goss on 6 Sep 2012 The Museum of Yachting (MoY) 33rd Annual Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by Officine Panerai, was held over the weekend of September 1st and 2nd in Newport, RI, with 55 classic sailing vessels participating in the final segment of the third annual North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Circuit.

The impressive turnout of classic yachts was recognized by all participants and sponsors as a phenomenal display of annual commitment by the skippers and crews of the many classic and vintage boats that participated in the three New England regattas. The North American Circuit of the PCYC is comprised of the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta (August 11th-12th, Marblehead, MA), the Opera House Cup (August 18th-19th, Nantucket, MA) and the MoY Classic Yacht Regatta (September 1st-2nd, Newport, RI).

On Sunday night, Captains and Crew joined in a festive Dinner and Prize-Giving Ceremony on the lawn in front of the Museum of Yachting and Panerai Hospitality Lounge. Winning in the 12-metre class was American Eagle, a 68’ red-hulled beauty built in 1964 by A.E. Luders Jr., and helmed by Rick Bready. Winning in the S-class was Osprey, a 1936 Herreshoff owned by Sheldon Whitehouse. Pleione, owned and helmed by Bruce Dyson, took first honors in the Spirit of Tradition class, and Gary Gregory’s Valiant, a 1970 Sparkman & Stephens 64.25’ 12-metre, took top honors in the Classic A Division, as well as bringing home the Panerai Trophy for top performance in the Overall Series. W-class 37’ sloop Race Horse, owned by Donald Tofias, won the Spirit of Tradition class award for the Series. Classic B Division Award for the MoY Regatta was won by the 8-metre Fife-designed Quest, owned by Diane Palm, who also walked away with First Place Overall in the MoY competition winning the coveted Panerai timepiece, a Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Automatic 45 MM (PAM 0287). Two weeks ago in Nantucket, Toronto-based Quest, a newcomer to the Series, also took home the Opera House Cup’s top honors.

Sail Newport, a respected and active sailing center in the region, served as the official Organizing Authority for the 33rd Annual Museum of Yachting Classic Regatta.

The much-anticipated regatta started off Saturday with crisp northerly breezes – typical of the seasonal change in the Bay – setting a course for an unusual downwind start. Southerly sea breezes kicked in later in the day, changing the playing field altogether as the trailing boats caught up with the lead contenders.

Sunday’s race did not disappoint the most competitive sailors. The day started out with light breezes that changed direction constantly, forcing the Race Committee to make a quick decision to alter the course as competitors circled in anticipation of the start. All classes were finally set on a course that took them south past Hammersmith Farm (childhood home of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) to the mouth of Narragansett Bay, then on a downwind leg back past historic Fort Adams State Park, completing with a race under the Newport Pell Bridge and around the leeward mark near the U.S. Naval War College.

As has become Newport tradition, many of the participating yachts proudly hoisted their yacht club pennants and Panerai battle flags while circling Newport’s inner harbor for the Annual Classic Yacht Parade on Sunday morning. On -shore spectators and other sailing enthusiasts watched as the beautiful vessels embarked upon their race course start with precision, style, grace and plenty of spirit.

Likewise, Panerai’s tradition for each regatta has become to dedicate at least one day of classic sailing, before or after the race, to hosting patient and caregiver sails for the community residents who so generously host each of the N.A. regattas. Under the pennant of their founding sponsorship of Sailing Heals, a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization whose mission is to take cancer patients and their caregivers out for healing days of respite on the water, Panerai and their Host Captains sponsored local ‘VIP guests’ on three separate sailing outings on the breathtaking Narragansett Bay on Monday, September 3rd.

Results:
Overall Prizes
33rd Annual Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta – Overall Winner
Quest, Diane Palm (Fife 8-metre, 1930) / winner of a Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Automatic 45 MM

2012 North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Circuit – Overall Winner
Valiant, Gary Gregory (Sparkman & Stephens 12-metre, 1970)

2012 North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Circuit – Spirit-of-Tradition Winner
Race Horse, Donald Tofias (W-Class/Stephens, Waring & White, 2010)

MoY Classic Yacht Regatta / Results by class
[Class: Boat Name, Skipper (Designer, Year Launched), Finishes, Points]

12-Metre Class: American Eagle, Richard Bready (AE Luders, Jr., 1964), 3-1, 4 points

6-Metre Class: Lucie, Jamie Hilton (Clinton Crane, 1931), 2-1, 3 points

S-Class: Osprey, Sheldon Whitehouse (Herreshoff, 1936), 1-1, 2 points

Classic Non-Spinnaker A: Valiant, Gary Gregory (S&S 12-metre, 1970), 1-2, 3 points

Classic Non-Spinnaker B: Quest, Diane Palm (Fife 8-metre, 1930), 1-1, 2 points

Classic Spinnaker: Thora, Vince Todd (Ted Hood, 1960), 1-2, 3 points

Spirit of Tradition – Non-Spinnaker: Pleione, Bruce Dyson (Jim Taylor 8-metre, 2004), 3-1, 4 points

Spirit of Tradition – Spinnaker: Equus, Wendy Schmidt (Robert Stephens, 2000), 1-1, 2 points

GRP Non-Spinnaker: Swansong, James Lawlor (S&S, 1969), 1-1, 2 points

GRP Spinnaker: Arion, Steve Frary (Sydney Herreshoff, 1951), 1-1, 2 points

MoY Classic Yacht Regatta / Special Prizes
Designer Awards – These awards honor the sailors and the legendary individuals who designed the boats they competed on in the regatta. According to race organizers, the following were most successful amongst the boats competing from their respective designers:
• Herreshoff: Osprey, Sheldon Whitehouse (Herreshoff, 1936)
• Alden: When and If, Seth Salzmann (J. Alden, 1939)
• S&S (Mitch Neff Award): Swansong, James Lawlor (S&S, 1969)

Atlantic Trophy - Best overall elapsed time by a Classic yacht:
Valiant, Gary Gregory (S&S 12-metre, 1970)

Sappho Trophy - Best overall corrected time by a Classic non-spinnaker yacht:
Quest, Diane Palm (Fife 8-metre,1930)

Leiter Cup - Best overall corrected time by a gaff-rigged, Classic, non-spinnaker yacht:
Cara Mia, Alfred Slanetz (Herreshoff, 1905)

Joel White Memorial Spirit-of- Tradition Award - The spirit-of-tradition yacht with the best corrected time overall:
Pleione, Bruce Dyson (Jim Taylor 8-metre, 2004)

Tom Benson Restoration Award – Best restored yacht; based on degree of originality and quality of restoration done within the past two years:
Bolero, Ed and Marty Kane (S&S yawl, 1949)

Clingstone Cannon – Awarded to the individual or individuals, according to the race organizers, displaying the best Corinthian Spirit:
Joe Loughborough, for donating his boat Carina as the Race Committee boat Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Museum of Yachting website