ANTIGUA CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

Press Release: April 13-19, 2016

Racing for the full fleet at Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by Panerai, starts Friday, April 15. However, the 17th edition of the Single Handed Race was held off the South coast of Antigua in a light southwesterly breeze on Thursday,  April 14. Starting off Windward Beach, outside Falmouth Harbour, the fleet enjoyed a reach to English Harbour followed by a reciprocal leg down to Rendezvous Beach with a finish back at Windward Beach. In the light breeze, eleven yachts completed the course: Bellona, Cora A, Free Spirit, Frolic, Guiding Light , Jade, Lazy Leg, Lorema, Paloma VI, Seefalke II and Sorca. All results for the Single Handed Race are provisional.

In the Spirit of Tradition Class,the 76ft schooner, Sorca was the winner. Built in 1978 by Murray Stephens, Nova Scotia, Sorca will be making her debut at 'Classics and will be sailed by the Welford family and friends. In the Large Classic Class Over 45ft, Alistair Jeffery's Spirit 56, Free Spirit was the winner. Displacing just 12 tonnes, Free Spirit has a deck layout designed for short or single-handed sailing. Free Spirit's is the second Spirit Yacht to win class for the race. Spirit Yachts designer, Sean McMillan, won class in the race in 2014 with Spirit 52, Flight of Ufford.

The majority of the fleet raced in the Small Classic Yacht Class and there was drama right from the start with three yachts called OCS (On Course Side); Frolic, Paloma VI and Seefalke II. The premature start was to prove extremely costly for two of the three yachts. Don Ward's 1967 Luders yawl was the first to finish, followed less than six minutes later by the 1936 Abeking and Rasmussen sloop Seefalke II, sailed by Griffith Williams. Juerg Zimmerman's William Tripp 40ft yawl, Lazy Leg, was third over the line. After CSA time correction, Leo Goolden's 1947 falkboat Lorema was the winner. Don Ward's Frolic was just a minute behind, and would have won had she not been penalised 5 minutes for being OCS. Juerg Zimmermann's Lazy Leg was third. Griffith Williams' Seefalke II was fourth, but would have beaten Lorema if she had not been OCS.

Chairman of Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Julian Gildersleeve, welcomed competitors to the Skippers' Briefing, held at the Presidente Beer Garden, Antigua Yacht Club, followed by the highly coveted awards for the Concours d'Elegance, sponsored by the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance.

Alan Hutchinson President of the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance spoke about this year's Concours d'Elegance. “Once again, the quality of the competition at Antigua Classics has been outstanding. We look at various factors in deciding the winners, especially presentation, authenticity, general condition and the judges can award points for specific aspects that have impressed them. Some of this year's winners have won before but it is worth baring in mind that, year on year, classic yachts need a lot of hard work and care to maintain such a high standard.”

Full results of the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance Concours d'Elegance can be viewed here. First place in each category were as follows:

Overall Winner & Vintage Class Professionally Maintained: Nordwind 86ft 1939 Bermudan yawl.

Classic Class Privately Maintained: Segue 32ft 1992 Venus ketch.

Spirit of Tradition Professionally Maintained: Dragonera 75ft 1994 ketch.

Vintage Class Privately Maintained: Bellona 43ft 1925 ketch.

Vintage Class Professionally Maintained: Nordwind 86ft 1939 Bermudan yawl.

Traditional Class: Genesis 42ft Carriacou sloop.

Special Mention: Adix 221ft three-masted schooner.

Arne Frizzel Trophy: Island Swift 35ft 1998 gaff cutter.

After the awards ceremony Antiguan reggae sensation, Foundation Band, played live to a buzzing crowd, who enjoyed 'bubbly” on the yacht club lawn courtesy of the ACYR committee. The main topic of conversation was the weather, which looks set to be light and shifty for the first day of racing at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by Panerai.

The 29th edition of Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by Panerai, from April 13-19, 2016. For more information: www.antiguaclassics.com