Yachting World - July 2018

42

screen and we didn’t ask. At sea, the layout would provide

a social focus where people would feel secure as their

yacht blasted through the night at 12 knots. Surely this is

the definition of a fine saloon. It carried the day in style.

At 127ft, the Hoek-designed Atalante won with no

contest in the Spirit of Tradition class. She did have all the

bells and whistles, including an internal companionway

that morphed into a bulkhead at the touch of a button,

but she was so well thought-out and her brightwork was

so peerless that we forgave her these indulgences.

The Arne Frizzell trophy is awarded in memory of a

long-term Antigua Classics sailor who specially admired

seaworthy craft. The gutsy 60ft Russamee won this hands

down and in doing so encapsulated the spirit of the

classics. She wasn’t in with a starter’s chance for

professional turnout or fancy sennit work. In fact, her

crew hadn’t intended to enter her for the concours at all.

Still salty from the ocean, she had never been built to

compete with gold-platers. Her decks were rough and

ready, her awnings were bleached by the sun and her

topsides carried an occasional rust streak, the badge of

thousands of ocean miles, but when we were shown her

judging them on various criteria with brightwork and

gleaming paint only forming one set of squares on our

clipboards. Keeping faith with the boat’s original ethos is

equally important, while a mysterious box headed ‘overall

impression’, which could mean whatever we wanted it to,

offered the chance for a little subjective indulgence. The

only missing tick-box was for ‘soul’.

Considering that all these boats had sailed long and

hard to be in Antigua, the general standard of sparkle was

remarkably high, so digging deeper to make judgments

came naturally. Most of the larger yachts I’ve been aboard

recently have been modern craft with accommodation

like top-end London residences. Inside these enormous

yachts, crew and guests scrabble for a grip when the vessel

goes to sea and falls off a wave.

Clambering down the 73ft Ticonderoga’s companionway

into the saloon delivered a contrast. Surprisingly small,

flawlessly proportioned, beautifully maintained and

fitted out in ageless good taste, the settees were

comfortable and placed so that a sailor could eat and drink

in harbour without having to use intercom to share a yarn

with a chap on the other side. We didn’t see a pop-up TV

Stiff breezes and
sparkling waters
are all part the
attraction at the
Antigua Classics

ANTIGUA CLASSICS