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The 10th Annual Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Sets Sail in Antigua on April 17-22
APRIL 2014 – Panerai will host the first stage of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge (PCYC) 2014 on the Caribbean Island of Antigua between April 17th and April 22nd. This year will mark the 10th season of the international racing circuit for classic and vintage yachts. To celebrate this major milestone, the Italian luxury sports watch company will introduce the "10 Years of Passion" communications campaign.
PANERAI CLASSIC YACHTS CHALLENGE 2014:
10th SEASON STARTS FROM ANTIGUA
The legendary Caribbean classic boat regatta kicks off the racing
in the Officine Panerai's circuit's "10 Years of Passion" season
Officine Panerai remains the world's leading classic yachting regatta organizer, with 11 events scheduled for 2014 in the most maritime tradition-rich corners of the world. To celebrate this anniversary year and their ties to classic sailing, Panerai has introduced the new Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio, a chronograph designed to bring a revolutionary simplicity to start-time countdowns.
Approximately 50 yachts will be participating in the 27th edition of the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, which is one of the most important events in the world devoted to promoting classic sailing. The Regatta is completely independent of both the Mediterranean and North American PCYC Circuits. The fleet – which is divided into the Vintage, Classic, Traditional, Modern Classic, Spirit of Tradition and Tall Ships categories – will be gathering at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina in the lovely Falmouth Harbour.
Five races are planned for this year, including the 15th annual Single Handed Race. At the end of the third race on Sunday, April 20, the entire fleet will parade in the English Harbor. The award ceremony will be held at the Copper & Lumber Store on Tuesday, April 22.
Antigua will attract some of the most beautiful boats in yachting history, stunning examples of the genius of world-renowned designers of the likes of Sparkman & Stephens, Nathanael Herreshoff, John Alden and Frederick Shepherd.
Not least amongst them is the 15-meter yawl Dorade , which helped make Olin Stephens, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 100, one of the greatest yacht designers of all time. Also returning once again is the most assiduous competitor on the Panerai Circuit, The Blue Peter . This 1930 Bermudan cutter has taken part in almost all of the events since the very first edition, including the 2012 Panerai Transat Classique and, of course, the 2013 Antigua Classic, in which she honorably took third place in her category.
Making another return this year is the Stormvogel , the very fast 1961 22-meter ketch which won the Classic category on Mediterranean Circuit of the PCYC in 2008. Last year, Stormvogel also took a total of three prizes at Antigua including first place in her category. The 1957 19-meter ketch Lone Fox will be attempting to win back the Panerai Trophy she garnered in both 2011 and 2012 too.
The Big Boats will be providing a stunning spectacle of beautifully imposing craft with vast sail plans harking back to the golden age of sailing. That fleet includes the 40-meter J-Class Rainbow; Whitehawk (1978) and the 2012 schooner Atrevide , both 32-meters; the 1924 25-meter gaff schooner Adventuress; and the 2013 staysail ketch Chronos , a genuine seafaring giantess at 48 meters.
In the Spirit of Tradition category, which features yachts recently built to designs inspired by the past, the stars will be the beautiful wood laminate new classics of between 11 and 40 meters created by Spirit Yachts of England. Approximately 10 yachts have already entered, ranging in size from the little Spirit 52s Flight of Ufford and Chloe Racing , both of which are 15-meters, to the imposing 23-meter Spirit 76 Nazgul of Fordell .
Kenny Coombs, a genuine seafaring gentleman, founder and organizer of the Regatta, will be remembered at the 2014 edition of Antigua. Kenny, who passed away in London in October 2013, was Chairman of the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and enjoyed the deep affection and respect of the classic sailing world's skippers and crews.
OFFICINE PANERAI
Founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, shop and school of watch-making, for many decades Officine Panerai supplied the Italian Navy in general, and its specialist diving corps in particular, with precision instruments. The designs developed by Panerai in that time, including the Luminor and Radiomir, were covered by the Military Secrets Act for many years and were launched on the international market only after the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997. Today Officine Panerai develops and crafts its movements and watches at its Neuchâtel manufacture. The latter are a seamless melding of Italian design flair and history with Swiss horological expertise. Panerai watches are sold across the world through an exclusive network of distributors and Panerai boutiques.
PANERAI CLASSIC YACHTS CHALLENGE
In honour of its historic links to the sea, Officine Panerai has promoted classic sailing culture for many years through its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the leading international circuit for these vintage craft. In 2007, the company also acquired and restored the Bermudan ketch Eilean. Built in 1936 by the legendary Fife yard at Fairlie in Scotland, she is now the brand's ambassador at vintage and classic boat rallies and regattas.
