Columbia win the Panerai Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta

2018 The Narragansett Bay Classic Yacht Rendezvous © www.nbcyr.com

The inaugural Narragansett Bay Classic Yacht Rendezvous started on Thursday afternoon with the Newport to Bristol Feeder Race Sponsored by Gowrie Group and PURE Insurance. A total of 28 Classic Yachts raced up Narragansett Bay in champagne sailing conditions before enjoying the Herreshoff Marine Museum's 'Living Boat Show and welcome cocktail party'.

The Panerai Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta concluded in Bristol today with the 12 Metre Columbia named as the overall winner. The points collected by the teams will add to the overall series standings in the five Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge regattas which concludes this weekend at the 39th Annual Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta.

The Panerai Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta is a two-day regatta of classic yachts that had 42 Classics competing against one another on upper Narragansett Bay. The course comprised of a middle distance bouy race. The 12 Metre Columbia was both first across the line and was first overall on corrected time.

Bill Lynn, President and Executive Director of the Herreshoff Marine Museum said "The Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge speaks to everything we do here at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. To be able to provide a world class classic yachting regatta here in a venue steeped in history is truly fantastic. The conditions here were perfect and it's great to see boats such as the 12 Metre Columbia both first across the line and taking the overall win in the Grand Prix Spinnaker Class. My thanks goes to Panerai and our many supporting sponsors."

Tomorrow sees the start of the second half of the Narragansett Bay Classic Yacht Rendezvous begin as the 39th Annual Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta begins with a distance race from Bristol to Newport. Jamie Hilton, Executive Chairman of the event said "We have so many exquisite classic yachts of all shapes and sizes in New England and along the Atlantic coast, where better to have them congregate every year than in the sailing capital of the USA, Newport Rhode Island!". The distance race is followed by the highly popular Classic Yacht Parade where members of the public have the opportunity to watch and learn about the numerous classic yachts competing at an event hosted at Gurney's Resort and Marina. After the parade competitors will race a bouy race in lower Narragansett Bay before the winner of the overall North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge is crowned in Newport, Rhode Island.

Results: Panerai Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta:

1st Grand Prix: Columbia
1st Vintage Corinthian Classic Spinnaker: Sonny
1st Vintage Day Racer Spinnaker: Leaf
1st Vintage Corinthian Classic Non Spinnaker: Neith
1st Vintage Grand Classic Spinnaker: Black Watch
1st Grand Prix Non Spinnaker: Wild Horses
1st Vintage Grand Classic Non Spinnaker: Eros

For more information visit www.nbcyr.com