Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Les Voiles arm wrestle the Mistral

by Regatta News on 2 Oct 2008
Tightrope walker - Les Voiles de St. Tropez 2008 Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.net

Bright sun and fresh gusts welcomed the crews this morning in the bay of Saint-Tropez. Today the 300 participating yachts in this year's Voiles de Saint-Tropez were given the chance to truly test themselves for the first time this week.

No more twiddling thumbs while waiting for the wind; with the Mistral in full effect since sunrise, the crews of the Classic Yachts had to put real muscle into their work in order to keep control of their vessels' massive sails, which can often exceed 200 m2.

Today was a welcome change from yesterday, when the race committee was forced to shorten the racecourse due to capricious winds. In yesterday's conditions Agneta, winner of the Rolex Trophy in 2007, finished second in the Marconi division just behind Rowdy but in front of Oiseau de Feu who finished third. In the Schooner category Mariquita finished ahead of Lulworth, Moonbeam III, Moonbeam IV and Thendara.

For more than 100 years the products of the celebrated Camper & Nicholsons design house and shipyard have continued to shine in Mediterranean and European regattas. With Avel, Creole, Oiseau de Feu, Partridge and Sylvia, the Camper & Nicholsons fleet here in Saint-Tropez represents a beautiful collection of classic yachts.

The story behind the Camper & Nicholsons that we know today dates back to 1782 with a man named Frances Amos. Amos came from London to Gosport where he leased a plot of land as a boat builder. His business building small trading ships was fairly successful, and with no heir of his own, Amos passed the lease to his great nephew William Camper in 1824.

Working in close collaboration with Gosport sail maker James Lapthorn, Camper began to produce sailboats at the shipyard while continuing the production of trade ships. In 1836 Camper launched the cutter Breeze for James Lyon, and its success that same year at the King's Cup boosted the reputation and demand for Camper's sailing vessels.

In 1842 there was a new addition to the Camper shipyard: 14-year old Ben Nicholson who joined as an apprentice, but who quickly began to move up the ranks. It was in 1860 that Nicholson, who had become the chief designer at the yard, designed the successful and beautiful schooner Aline. When it came time for Camper to retire, Nicholson was the logical choice for his replacement. In 1863 Ben Nicholson took over the business, with continued support from the Camper and Lapthorn families, and changed the name of the shipyard to Camper & Nicholson.

The shipyard grew to almost double its previous size, bolstered by the success and durability of its schooners, and when Nicholson's three sons later joined the company the name was officially changed to its current Camper & Nicholsons.

Nicholson's eldest son, also named Ben, focused his talents on recruiting crews, a service the shipyard provided until 1939. The youngest of the three brothers, Arthur, was specialized in managing the yard's construction and maintenance facilities. It was the middle brother, Charles E. Nicholson, who took to design. When Charles' Dacia won fourteen races in 1892 the demand for Camper & Nicholsons sailing designs skyrocketed.

Interestingly, the shipyard has always produced more motorboats than sailing yachts, but this has not prevented a number of sailing innovations and great designs emanating from Camper & Nicholsons. In 1912 Istra was built with an incredibly lightweight, laminated wood construction, leading to the 1927 commission of Vira (later renamed Creole), a sailboat that some would say is one of Charles Nicholson's most beautiful creations.

Nicholson became known for his elegant, fast and reliable designs and when he was commissioned to build a yacht for Sir Thomas Lipton, the 1930 America's Cup Challenger Shamrock V was born. The designer produced three other J Class boats that raced in the America's Cup including the 1932 Challenger Velsheda, 1934 Challenger Endeavour I and 1936 Challenger Endeavour II. It is for these designs that Charles E. Nicholson is most often remembered in the sailing world. Two of his earlier designs, Astra and Candida, were later altered to conform as closely as possible to the J Class rule. It is a true tribute to the quality of Camper & Nicholsons construction to say that all of these, with the exception of Endeavour II, are still sailing today.

Charles E. Nicholson continued to play an active role in the company until his death in 1954 at age 86. Although many of his designs are still held in highest regard in the sailing community, racing yacht production was astonishingly less than ten percent of the company's output during Charles E. Nicholson's time in charge.

Nicholson was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1997.

Here in Saint-Tropez some of Charles E. Nicholson's designs can be seen in action: Avel, Creole, Oiseau de Feu, Partridge and Sylvia, all of which are competing for the 2008 Rolex Trophy with the exception of Partridge. Seeing these great classics go up against one another is like a trip back in time. One could almost, and willingly, get lost amongst the sails as they fill the horizon; a strong reminder of sailing's glorious past.




www.regattanews.com

Doyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY BOTTOMMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMC-Tech 2020 Tubes 728x90 BOTTOM

Related Articles

Middle Sea Race set to attract exceptional fleet
Royal Malta YC has 118 entries already At midnight on Friday, 19 September the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race had amassed a fleet of 118 yachts. The entrants represent 30 countries and territories: from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Norway, and from the United States to Romania.
Posted today at 6:27 pm
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 1
Solid Sled earn early lead in Sardinia Takashi Okura's Sled lead the 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta after the first two windward leeward races.
Posted today at 6:10 pm
Melges 24 Worlds 2025 at Trieste, Italy Day 1
No racing possible on the first day Good things are worth waiting for, and that was the adage at the opening day of the Melges 24 Worlds, which ended without any races in the scoreline. The weather in Trieste proved too unstable, with storms in the morning followed by a lack of wind.
Posted today at 5:41 pm
Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women
Posted today at 5:14 pm
SailGP, TOR Europe, Women's Match Racing Worlds
Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity. Such was the case for the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank squad when they notched their first-ever SailGP event win at last weekend's Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix.
Posted today at 5:00 pm
A Q&A about the 2025 Hobie 16 North Americans
Tom Pace, Hal Smith, and Michael McNeir discuss the 2025 Hobie 16 North American Championship Spoiler alert: The Hobie 16 is far from a new design. But that doesn't matter: When Hobie Alter's first 16-foot fiberglass catamaran hit the Southern California beach scene in 1970, the sailing world was forever changed
Posted today at 3:00 pm
The Philadelphia Cup Regatta preview
There's still time to register Sail on or spectate along the Delaware River this Saturday, at The Philadelphia Cup Regatta presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum.
Posted today at 10:43 am
Melges 15 Fittings Guide
A breakdown of the fittings based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat.
Posted today at 7:30 am
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior.
Posted today at 6:40 am
All set in Trieste for the Melges 24 Worlds
Racing set to begin at Yacht Club Adriaco The countdown is nearly over. In just a few hours, the Yacht Club Adriaco will oversee the start of one of the most eagerly awaited international sailing events of the season.
Posted today at 4:41 am