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William Fife designed yachts to attend The Fife Regatta 2013 this summer

April 19, 2013

To take place in the Firth of Clyde, situated in the enchanting yacht charter destination – Scotland, the 4th edition of The Fife Regatta will be once again attended by prominent William Fife designed classic yachts. The event will run from June 28 to July 5, 2013.

Luxury sailing yacht Moonbeam of Fife (ex Moonbeam III) designed by William Fife - Image courtesy of Fife Regatta

Luxury sailing yacht Moonbeam of Fife (ex Moonbeam III) designed by William Fife - Image courtesy of The Fife Regatta

The work of William Fife was acclaimed in his lifetime and continues to be so, celebrated this year by the The Fife Regatta 2013. During the golden age of the Victorian era through to 1938 when his yard at Fairlie, North Ayrshire built his last yacht Solway Maid, Wm. Fife was a master of his craft. Twenty of these Classic Yachts are set to return to the Clyde again.

The inaugural Fife Regatta was held in 1998, and thereafter in 2003 and 2008. A number of owners with a shared passion and enthusiasm for Fife yachts have made this pilgrimage back to their home waters. The Dragon and Wheatsheaf emblem engraved in the bow of Fife’s yachts is symbolic of the level of craftsmanship in each creation. Fife yachts continue to attract attention worldwide with exacting restoration projects and the sheer pleasure of sailing them.

Two fabulous boats, sailing yacht Kentra and Astor, celebrate their 90th birthdays this year. Kentra, a 100ft Gaff- Ketch has been in storage for nearly seven years, is being re-launched for the regatta. Astor, an 86ft Schooner, will be coming all the way from California for the occasion. Hatasoo, the 19ft Gaff sloop build in 1894 will be the oldest yacht. She will be the local Clyde entrant from McGruers yard, Clynder on the Gareloch. The larger yachts will include superyacht Moonbeam of Fife (ex Moonbeam III) (105ft), Aventuress (100ft) along with Kentra. Seabird and Oblio are more recent builds from William Fife drawings and confirm how these yachts have a place in modern times.

For some of their Owners and Crew this will be their first visit on the Clyde. For Mignon, it will be her fourth Fife Regatta and she will be the only yacht to have competed in all of these special events.

To be enchanted by these fine creations under sail keep your diary free from the end of June. The yachts will begin in Largs and will have passage races to Rothesay, Tighnabruaich and Portavadie before returning to Largs.

The itinerary of the event is as follows:

Day/Race details/Overnight destination

Friday 28 June No racing Largs Yacht Haven

Saturday 29 June Round Cumbraes Race Largs Yacht Haven

Sunday 30 June Largs to Rothesay Race Rothesay

Monday 01 July Cruise Rothesay to Tighnabruaich Tighnabruaich

Tuesday 02 July Portavadie/Inchmarnock Race Portavadie Marina

Wednesday 03 July Lay Day Portavadie Marina

Thursday 04 July Portavadie to Largs Race Largs Yacht Haven

Friday 05 July Kings Course Race & Prize giving Largs Yacht Haven

In conjunction with the Year of Natural Scotland this event embraces the Scottish natural environment through water, wind and scenic surroundings. It is a show case of Scotland’s heritage and the sport of Sailing. This will be a classic seven-day event and one to enjoyed from many of the beautiful vantage points on land or sea.

Oyster Caribbean Regatta 2013 hosted by C&N’s Port Louis Marina

April 19, 2013

Having concluded on April 13, the Oyster Caribbean Regatta has capped another successful season at Camper & Nicholsons’ Port Louis Marina, and confirmed the beautiful yacht charter location Grenada as one of the Caribbean’s prime destinations for its high quality sailing as well as its unprecedented welcome ashore.

The popular Caribbean yacht charter destination - Grenada Photo by Mike Jones

The popular Caribbean yacht charter destination - Grenada Photo by Mike Jones

The 19 Oyster yachts ranged in size from 45ft to 82ft and were treated to five days of spectacular racing in 15 to 20 knot trade winds, and five nights of lively entertainment in a selection of Grenada’s finest venues.

As the current high season starts to wind down, Port Louis Marina’s General Manager, Glynn Thomas, looked back on a season that also saw a visit from the World ARC fleet and the hosting of Grenada Sailing Week. “There’s no doubting the island’s popularity with cruisers and racers alike, and it’s been great to welcome back both the World ARC and the Oyster Regatta for return visits this year.”

David Tydeman, CEO of Oyster Marine, confirmed Grenada’s appeal: “This is the second time we’ve brought the Oyster regatta to Grenada and we’ll definitely come back again. The island makes us so welcome and the wonderful combination of superb marina facilities, great restaurants and perfect sailing conditions guarantees a top class and friendly event.“

Oyster Regatta 2013 hosted by Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina

Oyster Regatta 2013 hosted by Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina - Photo credit to Mike Jones

As the peak Caribbean season reaches its conclusion, Grenada and Port Louis Marina are gearing up for the annual arrival of boats seeking a safe home port for the hurricane season.

At 12°02′N the island is south of the main hurricane belt and is a popular location where yachts can stay on the water throughout the summer and autumn.

Luxury yachts by Oyster competing in the Oyster Caribbean Regatta 2013

Luxury yachts by Oyster competing in the Oyster Caribbean Regatta 2013 - Photo by Mike Jones

Port Louis Marina provides full service facilities for yachts from 10m to 90m (33ft to 300ft) and, at just 15 minutes from Grenada’s international airport, benefits from direct flights from London, Miami and New York, as well as easy connections via Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua.

Naples ACWS 2013: Early lead for Ben Ainslie

April 18, 2013

The first day of the Naples America’s Cup World Series 2013 saw a competitive fleet of nine AC45 catamaran yachts, skippered by some of the world’s best sailors, mix up with unsettled wind conditions.

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Race Day One

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Race Day One© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Ben Ainslie’s J.P. Morgan BAR crew hold the early lead in the series. They scored 21 points after placing 3-1 in the two fleet races and lead Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand crew by 1 point. The Kiwis finished 1-4.

J.P. Morgan BAR also scored a come-from-behind win in its quarterfinal race of the match racing championship in testing conditions that kept all 45 of the sailors piqued trying to decipher the tricky wind conditions.

“It was one of those days when you want to survive because it would have been easy to pick up some bad results,” said Ainslie, the four-time Olympic Gold medalist who had the British Ambassador to Italy, Christopher Prentice, aboard as a guest racer. “The wind was so shifty today coming over the headland. That was the biggest challenge.”

Reports from the race course on the Bay of Naples indicated that the wind was shifting from south/southwest to nearly west, an arc of some 35 degrees, and ranged in strength from 8 to 12 knots. Barker echoed Ainslie in finding the conditions challenging.

J.P. Morgan BAR and Luna Rossa

J.P. Morgan BAR and Luna Rossa© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

“There was no real rhythm to it today,” said Barker, an America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup champion. “At times there were big gains to be had on the right side, and other times you could sail yourself into no wind. There were big gains and losses, particularly at the top of the course. I think we managed the course as well as we could today.”

Holding third place with 18 points is Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa Piranha crew. Draper, a world champion in the 49er class, is looking to recapture the lightning in a bottle that saw him win last year’s AC World Series Naples in a thrilling debut performance.

“I would say we had a good day,” said Draper. “We missed a couple of opportunities in the fleet racing and wound up with a 4-2. We’ll work on that for tomorrow. I didn’t trust my instincts enough when I should have and then tried to make things happen that weren’t there. But it was a good day.”

While the conditions were challenging, so was the race course for some of the new helmsmen in the fleet. Both Tom Slingsby of ORACLE TEAM USA and Roman Hagara of HS Racing were penalized for exceeding the course boundary.

J.P. Morgan BAR

J.P. Morgan BAR© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

In Slingsby’s case, it meant the difference between winning the first fleet race and placing second.

“We were off to a nice lead in the first race, but being a bit of a rookie in the class I didn’t see one of the boundaries and apparently we just crossed over it,” said Slingsby, the Olympic Gold medalist in the Laser class. “After that race I told the boys to remind me about the boundaries.”

In today’s match racing action, newcomer HS Racing, led by co-skippers Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher, won the qualifier match in a “walkover” when opponent China Team was disqualified for failing to start properly.

Two of four quarterfinal matches were also held today. Luna Rossa Piranha defeated Artemis Racing White (Charlie Ekberg) in one match while J.P. Morgan BAR defeated Energy Team (Yann Guichard) in another.

The quarterfinals will conclude tomorrow with HS Racing squaring off against ORACLE TEAM USA SLINGSBY and Emirates Team New Zealand racing Luna Rossa Swordfish (Francesco Bruni).

“It’s really nice racing here in Napoli,” said Hagara, a double Olympic Gold medalist. “It’s really good sport and especially for the spectators. It’s unbelievable the amount of people who turned out. I’ve never seen so many people watching sailing.”

Emirates

Naples America's Cup World Series: Day 1 © ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Tomorrow’s racing will be streamed live on YouTube worldwide (subject to territorial rights agreements) beginning at 14:00 local time (CEST).

America’s Cup World Series Naples Championship Standings
(Provisional, after 2 of 7 scheduled races)
1. J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie) – 21 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker) – 20
3. Luna Rossa Piranha (Chris Draper) – 18
4. ORACLE TEAM USA (Tom Slingsby) – 16
5. Energy Team (Yann Guichard) – 14
6. Luna Rossa Swordfish (Francesco Bruni) – 14
7. Artemis Racing White (Charlie Ekberg) – 11
8. China Team (Mitch Booth) – 7
9. HS Racing (R. Hagara/H.S. Steinacher) – 7

The Inn Challenge Trophy 2013: The Challenger is Decided

April 18, 2013

The Inn Challenge Trophy was held yesterday, on Wednesday, April 17, with a competition to decide who will take up the Mariella Challenge, a match race against Carlo Falcone’s beautiful 79-foot ocean going classic yacht Mariella.

Pewter grey skies and squalls made conditions difficult during the race to decide who will compete against Mariella for The Inn Challenge Trophy taking place today in Antigua. Left to right: Vagabundo II, Dione and The Blue Peter Credit: Louay Habib/The Inn at English Harbour

Pewter grey skies and squalls made conditions difficult during the race to decide who will compete against Mariella for The Inn Challenge Trophy taking place today in Antigua. Left to right: Vagabundo II, Dione and The Blue Peter Credit: Louay Habib/The Inn at English Harbour

Yacht racing is never straight forward, maybe that is one of the really great attractions of the sport; one never really knows what is going to happen. Antigua is blessed with a superb sailing climate, warm trade winds and beautiful ocean, but when it rains in the tropics it can be torrential. However, even under difficult conditions, the race management team from Antigua Yacht Club Marina produced a first class race course for the windward leeward race, outside English Harbour with the finish line in full view of The Inn, one of Antigua’s most exclusive resorts. However, the luxury afforded to guests of The Inn was not evident on today’s racecourse.

Turning the sky pewter grey and the water black as ink, two vicious squalls had a major impact on the winner of the race. Three beautiful classic yachts braved strong winds and torrential rain. The crews were soaked to the skin and trying to maintain control on slippery wooden decks, hauling huge sails by hand, was backbreaking work.

Mathew Barker’s 1930′s British classic yacht The Blue Peter, helmed by Italian Mauro Pellaschier, helmsman for Azzurra in the historic 1983 America’s Cup, got away well to lead on the water, however having the highest handicap of the fleet, The Blue Peter needed to win the race by a considerable margin. Blue Peter extended on the fleet on the first upwind leg and even more so, after turning downwind outside English Harbour. By the time the leading yacht had reached the windward mark off Curtain Bluff, she was in a commanding position.

The beautiful German owned Fife superyacht Dione designed and built in 1912 was the oldest yacht in the race and had sailed over 5,000 miles from Buenos Aires to take part in Antigua Classic Regatta. Shortly after the start, Dione tried to change her headsail to a jibtop and it all went wrong, when gear failure took away the option. Under reduced sail, Dione was severely handicapped.

Luxury yacht Vagabundo II, the 1945 British owned ketch designed by German Frers Snr. was looking slow inshore, but the beautiful yacht was unable to tack out because Dione was covering her. However as Dione slowed down with their difficulties, Vagabundo II seized the opportunity to sail past their opponents. Dione fought back, catching up with Vagabundo II on the water, but was well behind on handicap.

The last leg of the Challenge Race was to prove decisive. Vagabundo II yacht knew they had to make up time on The Blue Peter and they were not going to do that by just following the leader. Before another almighty squall fresh filled in from the east, Antiguan tactician, Karl James sailing on board Vagabundo II called the move, tacking further offshore to get to the right of the bitter weather.

The Blue Peter continued on and just before the brutal squall hit, Blue Peter was becalmed. Then a massive shift in wind direction affected their progress to the finish.

The squall was the savior for Vagabundo II, as the violent breeze filled in, the yacht was lifted towards the finish, making up considerable time on their opponents and after time correction, Vagabundo II was declared the winner by just over 2 minutes, winning a complimentary weekend stay at The Inn at English Harbour.

Vagabundo II was lovingly restored by its owner in England and had a major refit and The Antigua Slipway, in preparation for the Caribbean season.

Today (Thursday, 18th April), sailing yacht Vagabundo II will race Mariella for The Inn Challenge Trophy in a winner-takes-all final. Antigua Yacht Club Marina will once again expertly manage the racecourse.

The winner of The Mariella Challenge will keep the magnificent Rene Lalique crystal Victoire and will also have the honour of being the first name to be engraved on The Inn Challenge Trophy.

Naples ACWS 2013: First racing to kick off today

April 18, 2013

Wednesday afternoon on the Bay of Naples saw nine teams participate in the official practice session, ahead of the first day of championship racing in the America’s Cup World Series, due to start this afternoon, on April 18, 2013.

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - The public meet the skippers

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - The public meet the skippers© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

This is the final event of the 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series. ORACLE TEAM USA is leading the standings and has tasked Tom Slingsby with protecting a lead built up in the first events by team skipper Jimmy Spithill. Slingsby jokes that Spithill has told him not to ‘stuff it up’, and although he considers himself an underdog in making his AC World Series debut as skipper, he’s confident his team can earn good results.

“I think we’ve got a good young team that could surprise some people,” he said. “Our boat handling looks pretty good so we just need to get our race experience up.”

Another team making their inaugural AC World Series appearance is HS Racing, led by double Olympic gold medalist Roman Hagara, who says he’s hoping to challenge some of the more experienced AC45 teams over the course of the week.

“I want to see us improve a little bit from race to race and hopefully get some finishes near the top,” he said. “The other teams have many more hours on the water than we do, but I think there’s a chance we could surprise some people.”

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Official Training Day

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Official Training Day© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Following today’s training session the nine skippers took to the stage to meet the public in the Race Village. A vocal and enthusiastic crowd was on hand to ask questions and celebrate the sailors. Fans have been lining the foreshore to watch the teams practicing since last weekend when the Race Village opened and the crowds are only expected to grow as the week progresses.

Racing from Thursday to Sunday will be streamed live on YouTube worldwide (subject to territorial rights agreements) beginning at 1400 local time (CEST) on Thursday.

Current 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series Championship leaderboard
(Teams participating in Naples – skipper – points)
ORACLE TEAM USA (Slingsby) – 165
Luna Rossa Piranha (Draper) – 121
Artemis Racing White (Ekberg) – 120
J.P. Morgan BAR – 116
Energy Team – 102
Emirates Team New Zealand – 100
Luna Rossa Swordfish – 71
China Team – 43
HS Racing – 0

America’s Cup sailors looking forward to racing in Naples, Italy

April 17, 2013

Tuesday morning in Naples, Italy, saw the nine skippers of the America’s Cup World Series meet with an enthusiastic and large pool of media at the skippers’ media opportunity.

The skippers with the ACWS trophy

The skippers with the ACWS trophy© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

All of the talk was on the excitement of getting back to racing following a long break after the last event in San Francisco.

“The big thing this week is for the team to practice going racing,” said Luna Rossa Piranha helmsman Chris Draper. “We’ve put a lot of work in over the last six months so we’re keen to see where we stack up.”

His comment was echoed by Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker who noted that with all the testing the team has been doing on for its AC72 program, this week would be a great opportunity for the crew to sharpen their race skills.

“It’s easy to get rusty,” he said. “We’re looking forward to getting race ready again.”

After meeting the media in the morning, most of the teams then took to the Bay of Naples in moderate wind conditions on a bright Tuesday afternoon to get more training in ahead of the first racing on Thursday.

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Free training Day 2

America's Cup World Series Naples 2013 - Free training Day 2© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Quotes from the skippers:

Charlie Ekberg, Artemis Racing: It’s the best possible way for us to prepare for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Getting used to the boats has been a challenge. It will be exciting to see if we can manage the boat as well as the others do. There are some great sailors out here. It might be a good thing I don’t know too much about all of them!

Ben Ainslie, J.P. Morgan BAR: The lighter air sailing is something that’s quite new for us. But we want to be up at the top of the fleet like we were last time. We’d like to be fighting it out with the leaders. We had a really good day of training yesterday and we’ll make the most of our time before racing starts to get ready.

Mitch Booth, China Team: We’ve had a few weeks of training in Sanya, China, sailing 28-foot catamarans. That doesn’t necessarily prepare you for racing an AC45 against the best sailors in the world, but it allows you to practice on your communication skills on board. Most of our guys haven’t raced at anything like this level. The loads are higher and the intensity is much greater, so it’s going to be a great learning experience.

Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand: We’ve spent the last 10 months focused on testing the AC72 and unless you get into racing the small boats again, it’s easy to get rusty. So we’re looking forward to getting race ready again.

Yann Guichard, Energy Team: Naples is a fantastic place for racing. It’s really a stadium racing arena, because you can sail so close to the shore. Last weekend we were sailing along the shoreline for the Coast Race and it was really, really nice.

Chris Draper, Luna Rossa Piranha: The match racing is something we’d like to do well in but obviously if you make just one mistake there you’re out. So the big thing this week is for the team to practice going racing. We’ve put a lot of work in the last six months so we’re keen to see where we stack up.

Francesco Bruni, Luna Rossa Swordfish: I’m really happy to be in Naples again. The public is warm and passionate and I’m sure that Luna Rossa will enjoy a lot of support. I think it will be tough but also a lot of fun.

Roman Hagara, HS Racing: We are looking for some good racing here. We need to work on our maneuvers as it’s a little bit different to the Extreme 40s we’ve been sailing on but our crew is good and we’ll be ready.

Tom Slingsby, ORACLE TEAM USA Slingsby: I think we’re a bit of the underdogs as it’s our first event and some of the other skippers didn’t do that great in their debuts. But I think we’ve got a good young team that could surprise some people. Our boat handling looks pretty good so we just need to get our race experience up.

Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race 2013, May 16 – 24

April 17, 2013

Set to run from May 16 to 24, this year’s Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race, marking the opening of Rolex’s Mediterranean yachting calendar, is expected to host an international fleet of Maxi yachts. Open exclusively to yachts over 18.29 metres or 60-feet in length, the race is organized by the International Maxi Association (IMA), in partnership with the Yacht Club Gaeta EVS as well as the Yacht Club Capri, and comprises three distinct segments, each with their own, individual characteristics.

Sailing yacht Jethou - Overall Winner of the 2012 Rolex Volcano Race - Photo by Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Sailing yacht Jethou - Overall Winner of the 2012 Rolex Volcano Race - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Competing yachts will be divided into different classes: Mini Maxis (from 18.29m-24.08m), Maxis (from 24.09m-30.5m) and Supermaxis (upwards of 30.5m). Proceedings on the water commence on 18 May when the fleet attacks a 100-nautical mile race from Gaeta on the Italian mainland to the island of Capri. Competitors will then have time to appreciate the captivating island during two days of tactical inshore racing on 20 and 21 May. The final segment, and the most challenging, lends its name to the title of the event: a 300-nm journey around the UNESCO-protected, volcanic, Aeolian Islands, commencing on 22 May at 13:00 CEST.

Dockside at the Marina Grande in Capri

Dockside at the Marina Grande in Capri - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Around twenty Maxis  – representing eight countries – are expected to take part. Among the entrants is last year’s overall winner sailing yacht Jethou, Sir Peter Ogden’s impressive, primarily British-crewed Mini Maxi. Jethou was the third fastest boat on the water in 2012, finishing behind line honours winner superyacht Nilaya and the 30.48m German Maxi charter yacht Kim (ex Y3K), owned by IMA President Claus-Peter Offen, which is another entrant scheduled to return for the 2013 event.

Superyacht Nilaya with Capri in the background - Photo by Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Superyacht Nilaya with Capri in the background - Photo by Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Also participating will be Andres Soriano’s brand new, Mills-designed Mini Maxi yacht Alegre, set to launch at the end of April with this event scheduled as her first competitive outing. The previous Alegre, with which Soriano secured line honours and the overall win at the inaugural Rolex Volcano Race in 2011, has been entered by current owner Alex Schärer under the name Caol Ila. Spanish Maxi yacht Plis Play, a Swan 80 that raced at the 2012 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Middle Sea Race, is another highlight of the entry list.

Luxury yacht Nilaya - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Luxury yacht Nilaya - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

The 2013 Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race promises an impressive programme of activities both on and off the water, upholding a decade-long tradition of Rolex’s involvement in Capri’s international yachting calendar.

Prize Table at La Canzone del Mare - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Prize Table at La Canzone del Mare - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Event Schedule

Thursday 16 May, Gaeta
12:00 – 18:00 Registration, Measurement and Inspection

Friday 17 May, Gaeta
09:00 – 18:00 Registration, Measurement and Inspection
18:30 Briefing

Saturday 18 May, Gaeta
11:00 Opening Ceremony
15:00 Race 1 (Gaeta – Capri)

Monday 20 May, Capri
12:00 Race 2 (Inshore Race)

Tuesday 21 May, Capri
12:00 Race 3 (Inshore Race)
20:00 Rolex Dinner and Prizegiving for Races 1, 2, 3 at La Canzone del Mare

Wednesday 22 May, Capri
13:00 Race 4 Volcano Race (Capri-Aeolian Islands-Capri)

Friday 24 May, Capri
18:00 Time limit for Volcano Race
19:00 Prizegiving for Race 4

International Sailing Summit 2013, August 18 – 21

April 17, 2013

This year’s 12th International Sailing Summit (ISS) will be held at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, from August 18 to 21, 2013. Organized by the trade association for the U.S. sailing industry Sail America, the event will provide sailing industry professionals from around the world with the opportunity to drive growth in the industry, network with like-minded professionals, as well as enjoy the thrills and spills of America’s Cup racing.

ISS


“The International Sailing Summit aims to bring the sport and industry together to promote sailing on a global scale,” Alistair Murray, ISS Founder, says. “The event brings together the best in the business and drives positive change through challenging times.”

The ISS brings leaders in the sport of sailing together with marine industry professionals to exchange ideas and close the loop between suppliers and consumers. This year’s summit will conveniently take place just before the Louis Vuitton Cup races and will include a number of educational seminars on various topics, including the state of the sailing industry and trends, how to find new markets, and perception marketing. Speakers include Thom Dammrich from NMMA, Iain Murray, Stan Honey, and Tom Ehman from America’s Cup Race Management, Frank Savage from Savage Holdings, LLC, and Efrem Zimbalist from Active Media Interest.

“We are excited to be a part of this event,” Peter Durant, Sail America Association Manager, states. “This event will contribute to the growth and success of our member businesses by providing best practice education, information, and networking opportunities for our membership.”

Oyster Yachts launches second Oyster World Rally starting in January 2016

April 16, 2013

The first Oyster World Rally kicked off in the breathtaking Caribbean yacht charter destination – Antigua on 6 January, 2013. The Oyster fleet is currently on their adventure in the Pacific Islands, having enjoyed the last three months in the Caribbean Sea, passing through the Panama Canal and visiting the Galapagos Islands.

First Oyster World Rally

First Oyster World Rally - Image credit to 2013 Oyster Yachts

In the next two months, Oyster is proud to say that the fleet has been so welcomed by parts of the Pacific Island community that hitherto ‘restricted areas’ are being specially and exclusively opened up for the Oyster fleet!

Responding to huge interest (and with more than 15 already on the preliminary entry list), Oyster has decided to launch a second World Rally starting in January 2016.

The second event will, as with the first event, be led in-house by Oyster’s management team and run by a dedicated project manager and technical support manager. Providing a service second to none, Oyster aims to facilitate one’s exclusive cruise in company around the world, offering a sense of comfort and support that only Oyster can provide.

Luxury yachts by Oyster - Image credit to 2013 Oyster Yachts

Luxury yachts by Oyster - Image credit to 2013 Oyster Yachts

Adding ‘Circumnavigator’ to sailing CV on completion of this great adventure, one will join a very exclusive group of Oyster Owners who hold the special award Oyster has proudly given out to nearly 50 Oyster owners thus far, and on completion of the first rally, this total will approach 75.

The Caribbean start will get the Oyster fleet through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific fairly quickly, maximizing the time visiting the Galapagos Islands and the beautiful Society Islands including Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea. From the Pacific the fleet will head to the Great Barrier Reef, round the top of Australia, partying in Bali and heading west for Cape Town for Christmas and on to Brazil for the carnival before joining up for a final grand party with the Oyster Caribbean Regatta in April 2017.

The first of three complimentary two-day seminars planned to help participants prepare for the rally, will take place in early 2014 and will include key speakers on meteorology, downwind sails, medical and first aid, insurance, communications and electronics. As for the first event, Oyster will retain specialist weather, safety and medical experts who will be on-call ‘twenty-four-seven’ to add to one’s experience and confidence.

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2013 to host strong international fleet of yachts

April 16, 2013

Cowes Week Limited (CWL) is pleased to announce that nearly 20% of the entries that have signed up for the 2013 Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week to date, are from overseas.

Australian sailing yacht Secret Mens Business - yacht with the longest journey to Cowes

Australian sailing yacht Secret Mens Business 3.5 - yacht with the longest journey to Cowes

It’s no coincidence that in “odd” years, when the Rolex Fastnet Race starts immediately after this historic regatta, international participation increases. However, this year boats have been much earlier submitting their entries and regatta organisers are pleased to be welcoming back familiar faces, as well as some exciting newcomers to the world’s best-known regatta.

The boat with the longest journey to Cowes is the Australian Secret Mens Business 3.5, which was winner of the 2010 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race. Owner and skipper, Geoff Boettcher has competed in a total of 23 Sydney to Hobart Races but has never raced in either Cowes Week or the Fastnet Race.

Commenting on their entry into the regatta, Geoff said: “The crew are ecstatic about taking part as both events have a reputation not only for great sailing but great onshore events too. The only time I have raced in Cowes was as crew on an Australian entry in the 1996 Etchells Worlds. I loved the place then and my ambition was to come back with my own yacht. I’m now fulfilling that ambition!”.

Geoff’s Australian crew consists of the team that have raced with him in the Sydney to Hobart and they’ll be joined by UK sailors Will Best & Andy Meiklejohn who Geoff believes will be great assets. For the last 17 years Geoff and his team have sailed most of the Australian regattas including Hamilton Island Race Week and Geelong Week and they’re now ready to venture out!

The Mini Maxi sailing yacht Bella Mente is travelling from the USA to take part in the special three-day Big Boat Series (Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 August), and will face the Slovenian entry, superyacht Esimit Europa 2 (both of whom are racing in UK waters for the first time), the Spanish X612 Hansa, as well as regular Cowes Week competitor Niklas Zennström with his British Mini Maxi yacht Rán.

The country to have best representation so far, outside the UK, is the Netherlands, and a contingent of familiar faces from the country have confirmed their attendance at this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week with regulars Harry Heijst (with Winsome), Peter Vroon (with Tonnerre De Breskens 3), and Wouter Hermsen (with Luctor et Emergo II) once again taking their places on the start line on Saturday 3 August.

Commenting on how entries are shaping up for this year’s event, CEO Stuart Quarrie said: “We’re delighted to report a strong entry for this year’s regatta so far, and are really looking forward to an exciting regatta. We’re particularly pleased to be welcoming such an international fleet and so many new faces, many of whom will be taking part in Cowes Week prior to the start of the Fastnet”.

This year’s event takes place over the traditional dates of 3 – 10 August. Those yet to enter are reminded to do so before midnight on Monday 27 May in order to benefit from the discounted Early Bird entry fee. Discounts also apply to bookings made with the main accommodation agencies in Cowes and for vehicle ferry bookings made with Red Funnel prior to the end of April.

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