News Central

Newport, RI, September 8^th 2010 - The Museum of Yachting (MoY) Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by Officine Panerai, marks the final segment of the first-ever North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge circuit, which was met last weekend with a great deal of anticipation due to the arrival of Hurricane Earl. In advance of the regatta, Sail Newport, the organizing authority for the highly anticipated regatta, made the prudent decision to abandon Saturday's racing due to the high winds and rough waters expected in Newport with the hurricane. Racing at the Classic Yacht Regatta was instead held on Sunday. 

First-Ever North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Wraps up in Newport with the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta in Spite of Strong Weather Conditions

MoY Winning Yacht Sonny Awarded

the Panerai Radiomir Regatta 1/8^th Second Titanio – 47mm

Six-Meter Totem wins Overall Trophy for First-Ever N.A. Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge After Proving Both Master Skill and Sportsmanship in both Nantucket and Newport

Despite the heavy winds and rough waters expected for the event, the entry list saw 57 boats registered, 42 of which ended up participating in the Sunday MoY Classic Yacht regatta. All things considered, this turnout was recognized by all participants and sponsors to be an impressive display of commitment by the skippers and crews of the almost 60 classic and vintage boats that participated in nearly all of the three New England regattas – Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta (August 6^th – 8^th, Marblehead, MA), Opera House Cup (August 12^th-15^th, Nantucket, MA) and MoY Classic Yacht Regatta (September 3^rd-5^th, Newport, RI) .

Sunday morning brought blue skies, low humidity and heavy winds gusting up to 30 knots on Narragansett Bay — and much eagerness on behalf of the skippers and crews to get out on the water. Many of the participating yachts proudly hoisted their pennants and battle flags while circling the inner Harbor for the traditional "Parade of Classics," allowing the on-shore spectators to view these beautiful vessels sailing out to sea.

After a blustery opening to the day that saw several yachts returning to port with breakages and a postponed start, the race began on a shortened course. Once under the bridge and heading downwind there was an exciting man overboard maneuver with the 12-Meter Valiant losing one of their crewmembers overboard. The 6-Meter Totem came to their assistance as Valiant , helmed by owner Gary Gregory, did an excellent job of collecting the crewmember before completing the race with all crew onboard.  Totem continued their race and managed to finish the 12.4–nautical mile race, taking third place overall in the classic non-spinnaker class.

There was an impressive fleet of the 12-Meter yachts participating with the final class winner being Columbia , helmed by Alain and Don Hanover. The S-Boat class had four entries — including the oldest in the fleet, the 1919 Argument — which was overtaken by the 1926 Firefly helmed by Alan Silken. The 46' W-ClassEquus , owned by Wendy Schmidt, took the honors of winning the Spirit of Tradition class, giving the 12-Meter Valiant a close second and the 76' W-Class White Wings third place in the second-largest class of the event, with ten entries. 

After the exciting day of sailing, the skippers and crewmembers returned to the popular Panerai Hospitality Lounge to share stories and await the winners to be called at the evening's prize-giving ceremony and Awards Dinner. George Hinman, a past Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, thanked Panerai for their fifth year of sponsorship. Each boat that was first-in-class in the following categories received an heirloom-quality Panerai barometer. The class winners were: Equus , which won the Spirit of Tradition non-spinnaker fleet; Steve Frarys' Kestrel took the honors of the classic spinnaker class, as well as a Designers Award for best performance by a Herreshoff-designed yacht; Sonny took first place in the classic non-spinnaker class; the Luders 24 Belle , helmed by owner Joe Lougborough, won the 6-Meter division, Firefly captured the S-Boat class, and Columbia took first place in the 12-Meter class. The newly restored 1930 Bill Luders-designed Totem , the 6-Meter skippered by owner Jesse Smith that placed third in the classic non-spinnaker class, was awarded the best Corinthian Spirit of the regatta and received the trophy for the overall winner of the North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge , after single-handedly sailing to Nantucket to win the prestigious Panerai Regatta timepiece at the Opera House Cup two weeks ago. The highlight of the evening was the award for the Overall Classic Yacht Regatta winner with the presentation of the rare 2010 Panerai Radiomir Regatta 1/8^th second Titanio – 47 mm watch, which was won by Joseph Dockery, owner of the lovely 1937 custom Sparkman & Stevens-designed Sonny in the classic non-spinnaker class. 

Following the resounding success of the 31^st Annual MoY Classic Regatta, many classic yacht owners, skippers and crew look forward to next year's event when they will celebrate the 32^nd annual Classic Yacht Regatta.   

In addition to title sponsor Officine Panerai, the MoY Classic Yacht Regatta is presented by Land Rover and operated by the organizing authority Sail Newport.

About Officine Panerai

Officine Panerai, a manufacturer of fine Italian-designed, Swiss-made watches, represents a unique combination of the brand's Florentine tradition as precision instrument and watch-makers for the Italian Royal Navy, elegant design, and the finest craftsmanship in the world. Each model expresses authenticity, creativity, passion and a specific DNA that always harkens back to the brand's Florentine roots and to the sea.

Panerai watches are sold exclusively through an international network of authorized retailers and in Panerai boutiques around the world. In North America, Panerai boutiques can be found in Manhattan, Beverly Hills and later this month, Boca Raton. Officine Panerai is part of Richemont Group.

For more information, visit www.panerai.com or call 1-877-PANERAI.