Set to run in the lovely England yacht holiday location – the Solent from July 25 to 31, the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary Regatta is expected to be an amazing spectacle. Mike Slade’s 100ft charter yacht Leopard 3, one of the world’s most recognised yachts, will be one of the participants of this eagerly awaited race.
Sailing yacht Leopard 3 will participate in the regatta alongside such beautiful vessels as the 88ft superyacht Rambler, making her UK debut this summer. “The Bicentenary gives us the challenge of top level racing in the Solent on our home patch,” comments Mike Slade. “We would love to be on the podium!”
The inclusion of so many large yachts has resulted in the amendments that have been made to the crew classification requirements in the IRC event. “We wanted our fellow clubs to bring their members along to help us mark this great occasion and initially set the crew classification limits with that in mind,” comments Jonathan Peel, Chairman of the Regatta Committee. “However, it has become apparent that our original limits on Group 3 sailors in some of the larger yachts were unrealistic, not least on safety grounds and, as a result we have made some changes.”
Celebrating the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 200th Anniversary, the regatta will also host such majestic classic yachts, some more than 100 years old, as the William Fife-designed sailing yacht Mariquita, launched in 1911. The largest yacht in the fleet, the 162-foot charter yacht Eleonora represents an exact replica of the famous schooner Westward, designed and constructed in 1910 by N.G. Herreshoff, designer of America’s Cup defenders, which turned back all six challenges from 1893 to 1920. She was the fastest schooner in the world in 1910 and in the following years. The owner said that he has a “passion for racing Big Class classic yachts and is looking forward to enjoying the RYS Bicentenary and racing safely.”
