Cambria’s final showdown in Cannes for back-to-back wins

by Rob Mundle on 27 Sep 2003 The 35-metre long Australian yacht Cambria, owned by Sydney’s John David, goes into today’s final race of the Prada Challenge for Classic Yachts poised to score back-to-back venue wins in the four regatta series.

The previous round of racing in Monaco proved to be a perfect series for the magnificent 79-year-old cutter. She claimed the line honours and corrected time double in all three races then outclassed the competition in a similar fashion in the abbreviated feeder race to Cannes. And she also went within an ace of claiming every local prize available to her by tying for first place for the prestigious Concourse d’Elegance trophy that was awarded to the best-prepared yacht at the regatta. The trophy went to the 25-metre long gaff cutter Moonbeam on a count back.

Despite her heavily weighted handicap due to the carbon fibre tip on her towering 35-metre high mast Cambria made it six wins in a row when she won her division in Race One in Cannes. That winning streak came to an end today when she was unable to make her time on the opposition in what was essentially a reaching race.

However the weight of disappointment for the crew was lightened by having as a guest for the race Australian boxing legend Tony Madigan, who represented Australia in three Olympics. In his last Olympics, in Rome in 1960, Madigan won the bronze medal in a closely contested bout. The man who beat him and went on to win the Gold was Cassius Clay, known today as Muhammad Ali. Today the still fit-looking 73-year-old Madigan, who is a sailing enthusiast, spends the European summer living in a small villa overlooking the Mediterranean.

The Cambria crew is hoping for light weather and plenty of upwind sailing for today’s final race, conditions that will suit the yacht’s powerful rig. Light winds will allow the jib topsail to be set, a third headsail that is hoisted above the jib and staysail that makes a significant improvement to speed.

The Cannes regatta has been marred by serious collisions between competing yachts that have resulted in four crew being admitted to hospital. The worst was when Moonbeam ploughed into the French 8-metre Gauloise. A quick-thinking crewman on Moonbeam dived overboard to rescue a Gauloise crewman who had been knocked into the water semi conscious. He had suffered a broken shoulder, broken leg and head injuries.

Tomorrow the Classic fleet does a 40-mile feeder race to St. Tropez for the final week of racing. It is expected that that this will be Cambria’s final series in the Mediterranean for some time. The plan is to have her cross the Atlantic in a few weeks and be prepared for similar classic yacht regattas in Antigua and Newport, Rhode Island, next year.