Boat International – June 2017

http://www.boatinternational.com | June 2017 http://www.boatinternational.com | June 2017

CORINTHIAN

SPIRIT

Turning a superyacht into

a raceboat is a daunting

proposition. On top of

the inevitable equipment

servicing and replacement,

you’ve got to fly in the

manpower to handle that

huge expanse of spinnaker.

Now there’s an alternative,

developed to broaden

racing’s appeal to those

who may have felt it

beyond them. The

Corinthian Spirit Class

made its debut at St Barths

this year and is likely to

spread to other regattas. It

races without spinnakers,

significantly reducing the

number of race crew

needed – and the cost

of accommodating all

those sailors. There’s also

streamlined access to

a superyacht handicap.

“You can even change

handicap between races,”

says Peter Craig. “You’ve

got full tanks of fuel, grass

on the bottom – all of that

is taken into consideration

when handicapping. It’s

about having fun,

not optimising your boat

for racing.”

“Reflecting the

Bucket spirit will

always be our

mission. Relaxed

and friendly – fun

is the key word”

Find out about

the America’s Cup

Superyacht Regatta

boatinternational.com/

acsyr

Castle Hill Lighthouse

guards the entrance to

Newport habour. Right:

the Candy Store in the

Clarke Cooke House

The Amanzoe resort near

Kranidi in Greece provides

modern splendour to

compare with the ancient

wonders of the Peloponnese

USA

Candy Store Cup, Newport, RI

It may be new on the superyacht circuit

but there’s nothing new about yachting

in Newport. This is the storied capital

of sailing: where the New York Yacht

Club made its waterfront home, where

the Vanderbilts and Astors brought

their yachts in the 1800s, and where the

America’s Cup was contested for more

than 50 years in the 1900s.

The vision of two yacht owners,

David Warren Ray of Bannister’s Wharf

fame and Charlie Dana of the Newport

Shipyard, the event was born out of the

Newport Bucket regatta. It made its

debut last summer. “Reflecting the

Bucket spirit will always be our mission,”

says Ray. “Relaxed and friendly – fun is

the key word.”

Like Palma, the race committee has a

lot of freedom in setting marks to suit

each class. “Some of the marks are set

close to shore so you end up tacking right

in front of the Breakers,” says Donald

Tofias of the iconic Newport landmark.

Where to meet for a drink afterwards?

Why, the Candy Store in the Clarke

Cooke House, of course, the old haunt of

America’s Cup contenders Ted Turner

and Dennis Conner.

While modern superyacht racing is on the rise, the

picturesque Greek island of Spetses is doing its best to

celebrate classic sailing with its annual regatta highlighting

the art of wooden shipbuilding.

“I wanted to create something beautiful, to broaden the

appeal of sailing, to remind people here of the sailing

traditions,” says Stratis Andreadis, the regatta’s co-founder.

Now the largest classic regatta in Greece, last year saw a 20

per cent increase in participants, including a clutch of

superyachts such as the 1930 built, 36.5 metre Puritan and

modern classic 24 metre Eliana K IV.

The regatta’s attendees are as diverse as the fleet, with

a wide range of classic yacht enthusiasts drawn to the

spectacle. Last year Tara Getty sailed alongside the Rio

Olympic bronze medallists Takis Mantis and Pavlos

Kagialis. King Constantine says: “It’s a parade of beautiful

boats and a chance to meet new people and old sailors.”

Away from the regatta Spetses remains a charming

cruising spot, with its pretty bays and unpretentious white

town of red tiled roofs and narrow streets, buzzing with

lively restaurants. The surrounding Peloponnese peninsula,

or the “Greek Riviera”, is dotted with holiday mansions

belonging to many of Greece’s wealthiest families and has

recently become home to a handful of high class hotels,

including the exquisite Amanzoe (you can use the hotel’s

Wally One as a “taxi” to visit the regatta).

PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES; ONNE VAN DER WAL; BREED MEDIA

27 – 29 JULY 2017

22 – 25 JUNE 2017

GREECE

The Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta

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