Columbus Day Weekend means it time for New York Classic Week which inlcudes three great days of racing for classic sailing yachts from the 8th – 10th of October. Some beautiful classic sailing yachts were docked at Dennis Conner’s North Cove in New York During the event.
Sailing yacht Bernice won the Concurs d'Elegance 2011
Sailing yacht Bernice, pictured above, won the Concurs d’Elegance this year. This is the beauty contest for the yachts. The judges were members of the Yacht Club de Monaco who are visiting the Big Apple to race against Manhattan Sailing Club.
Sailing yacht Bernice was built in 1916 by Hodgdon Brothers in East Boothbay, Maine, and was designed by George Owen, a renowned naval architect and one of the early professors of naval architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Hodgden Brothers, a family-owned boatyard that is nearly 200 years old, built many of the yachts designed by Owen. Yacht Bernice measures 55 ft an was originally rigged as a gaff sloop. She is believed to be the last surviving P boat designed by Owen, who produced a large number of highly successful racing boats to Universal Rule and otherwise.
The Verrazano Bridge Race 2011 was won by sailing yacht Blackwatch
The Verrazano Bridge Race was won on Saturday by sailing yacht Blackwatch, pictured above. Sailing yacht Blackwatch (ex EDLU II) was built in 1938 in City Island at the Nevins Shipyard to the design of Sparkman and Stephens. This was the first design that S & S tank tested. In 1941 the Schaefer family loaned the boat to the US Navy. She performed coastal security patrols (Corsair Fleet) during WW II. She won a battle flag for scaring away German U boats off the coast of New England.
The Schaefer family donated the boat to Tabor Academy in 1947 and the boat was renamed TABOR BOY. Tabor Academy sold her in 1954 to Dr. George Brooks. Dr. Brooks owned her for 51 years and sailed her out of Larchmont Yacht Club. In the Fall of 2005 several New York Yacht Club members came together to buy and restore BLACK WATCH. She was at North Cove for the First New York Classic Week.
Sunday was be the Statue of Liberty Race and Monday will be the Round Governors Island Race. Sailing yacht Pride of Baltimore II is also pictured below and she offered tickets to the public to ride aboard and experience the race.
Sailing yacht Pride of Baltimore II
In addition to the yachts mentioned above, other sailing yachts competing for the trophies are sailing yacht America II, S/Y Salty, Adirondack and yacht America 2.0.
