30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta

by Cynthia Goss on 10 Sep 2009
Sun, brilliant blue skies, and northerly breezes that ranged from seven knots to a roiling 15 created a stunning backdrop to showcase the fleet racing the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta sponsored by Panerai and presented by Land Rover North America.

Hosted September 4-6 by the Museum of Yachting, this annual regatta drew sailors from North America, Europe and New Zealand and a fleet where each boat sailed into Newport with its own history—whether it is a part of America's Cup lore, or a class competitor with an international racing record nearly a century long.

Organizing Authority Sail Newport ran two days of racing for 12 Meters, S-Boats, and 6-Metres as well as handicap classes for Vintage and Modern spirit-of-tradition competitors. Prizes not only crowned the swiftest on the race course; they also honored the designers and individuals responsible for creating and restoring these historic classics.

'The weather systems produced a range of conditions for the fleet, and this year the event was enhanced by the 6-Metres that raced their North Americans at the regatta. With boats from the 1920s to more modern designs and recent restorations, this international class demonstrates the longevity a single class can sustain in the sport of sailing,' said regatta organizer Susan Daly of the International Yacht Restoration School.

All classes raced a single race on Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of the 31-boat 6-Metre class, which completed four races during the weekend. The regatta's special awards were presented at a ceremony held on the grounds of the Museum of Yachting on Saturday evening. Alexandra Zoller, president of Panerai North America, was on hand to present six accolades from the event's title sponsor.

Rogue—a 37-foot 1953 design based on a Herreshoff Newport 29 and owned by Seville Simonds of Guilford (Conn.)—captured overall honors as winner of the Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante DLC watch.

This prize is awarded to the most successful Vintage yacht, in spinnaker or non-spinnaker classes, according to its performance on the race course and the number of finishers in its class. The Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante DLC, created in a limited edition of 500 pieces, is a split-seconds chronograph to time the final five minutes preceding the start of a race. Colored black from an innovative Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coating, the watch is particularly hard and resistant to corrosion and a favorable property for yachtsmen in constant contact with seawater.

Panerai alarm clocks were awarded to the first in fleet in Modern and Vintage classes. Winners included: Donald Tofias's W-76 Wild Horses (Modern/spinnaker); Mark Treat's 40-foot Phil Rhodes yawl Windigo (Modern/non-spinnaker); Trevor Fetter's 68-foot S&S yawl Black Watch (Vintage/spinnaker); Jed Pearsall's 1913 Burgess-designed Chips, skippered by Mike Fletcher (Vintage/non-spinnaker-Classic Rating Formula 30 and over); and Seville Simonds' Rogue (Vintage/non-spinnaker-CRF 29.9 and under).

The Swedish 6-Metre Maybe XIV, owned by Christer Salen of Stockholm, captured the 6-Metre class win handily, logging finishes of 1-2-1-2 and an 11-point winning margin over the second-place boat. After the Classic Yacht Regatta, this international fleet sailed right into its 2009 6-Metre World Cup regatta in Newport.

Maritime artist John Mecray, who was instrumental in founding the Classic Yacht Regatta, and Clark Poston, program director at the International Yacht Restoration School, presented the Tom Benson Restoration Award on Saturday evening. This honor is given to the boat in the fleet determined to be the best restored yacht, based on degree of originality and quality of restoration, done within the past two years. Martha Coolidge of Camden (Maine) and her 1932 S&S-designed 6-Metre Jill were crowned the winner of the prize.

On Sunday morning, the racing fleet and classic powerboats traced a parade course around the Newport harbor front in the regatta's traditional Classic Yacht Parade, and Newport residents and visitors had an opportunity to view the fleet as they made their way to the parade's endpoint at the Museum of Yachting. Winners in several best-of categories were crowned at Sunday's award ceremony, including: Best Costume, 12 Meter American Eagle; Most Patriotic, race committee boat Carina sporting red-white-and-blue uniforms; Best Powerboat, the restored 42-foot J-Class tender Bystander; Best Sailboat, 38-foot cutter Yankee Girl; and Best Overall, W-76 Wild Horses.

For more information on the 30th Annual Classic Yacht Regatta sponsored by Panerai and presented by Land Rover North America, please visit www.moy.org.

RESULTS
[Class: Boat Name / Skipper / Hometown / Boat Type, Designer / Year Launched]

HANDICAP CLASSES
Saturday September 5 (1 race)
Modern Classic Spinnaker: Wild Horses / Donald Tofias / Newport, R.I. / W-76, Joel White / 1999

Modern Classic Non-Spinnaker: Windigo / Mark Treat / Barrington, R.I. / Phil Rhodes / 1956

Vintage Spinnaker: Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938

Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 30 and over): Chips / Jed Pearsall, skippered by Mike Fletcher / Newport, R.I. / Burgess / 1913

Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 29.9 and under): Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953

Sunday, September 6 (1 race)
Modern Classic Spinnaker: Equus / Wendy Schmidt / Nantucket, Mass. / W-46, S&S / 2000

Modern Classic Non-Spinnaker: Windigo / Mark Treat / Barrington, R.I. / Phil Rhodes / 1956

Vintage Spinnaker: Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938

Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 30 and over): Alera / Terry McClinch / Southport, Maine / NY 30, Herreshoff / 1905

Vintage Non-Spinnaker (CRF 29.9 and under): Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff /1953

ONE-DESIGN CLASSES
Saturday September 5 (1 race)
12 Meter Class (Traditional): Northern Light / Kip Curren / Newport, R.I. / Olin Stephens / 1938

12 Meter Class (Classic): American Eagle / Carol Swift / Newport, R.I. / A.E. Luders / 1964

S-Boat Class: Vindex / Paul Del Nero / Middletown, R.I. / S Boat, Herreshoff / 1919

6-Metre: Maybe XIV / Christer Salen / Stockholm, Sweden / Pelle Petterson

Sunday, September 6 (overall)
12 Meter Class (Traditional): Northern Light / Kip Curren / Newport, R.I. / Olin Stephens / 1938

12 Meter Class (Classic): American Eagle / Carol Swift / Newport, R.I. / A.E. Luders / 1964

S-Boat Class: Vindex / Paul Del Nero / Middletown, R.I. / S Boat, Herreshoff / 1919

6-Metre Class: Maybe XIV / Christer Salen / Stockholm, Sweden / Pelle Petterson

SPECIAL AWARDS

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: Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953
Rhodes: Golden-Eye / Michael Emmert / Glen Cove, N.Y. / Rhodes / 1937
Hunt: Easterner / Paul Callahan / Newport, R.I. / 12 Meter, L. Raymond Hunt / 1958
S&S (Mitch Neff Award): Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938

Cruising Yacht Award - The most successful cruising-designed yacht, according to race organizers:
Rogue / Seville Simonds / Guilford, Conn. / Newport 29, Herreshoff / 1953

Atlantic Trophy - Best overall elapsed time by a Vintage yacht (spinnaker or non-spinnaker):
Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938

Narragansett Bay Trophy - Best overall corrected time by a Vintage, spinnaker yacht:
Black Watch / Trevor Fetter / Dallas, Texas / S&S / 1938

Sappho Trophy - Best overall corrected time by a vintage, non-spi