The Panerai British Classic Week 2011 : results

July 2011: The 2011 edition of the Panerai British Classic Week, which took place from July 17 – 23 in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, saw a wide range of weather conditions which tested the skippers and crews of the 71 vintage and classic yachts to the full. During the week of racing competitors faced challenging 20 knot plus breezes as well as contrastingly light and capricious winds. Despite the changeable weather however, the spirit of friendly competition and warm camaraderie which has always typified this annual event was very much in evidence again this year.

In Class 1, with a win on the final fifth race of the series, R A Rankin’s 1985 12 Metre ‘Italia’ finally triumphed in the fierce week long match race battle with Richard Matthew’s 1985 12 Metre ‘Crusader’, to take the overall Class 1 prize. In Class 2 the third of the 12 Metres at the regatta, John Lister’s 1937 ‘Wings’, won Friday’s final race to also close out a class win.

Sir Michael Briggs aboard his 1904 ‘Mikado’ continued his dominance of Class 3, winning the final race to finish the regatta with a perfect unbeaten score, which earned him the overall regatta prize, a Luminor watch from the Italian watch-maker Panerai. David Myatt’s Class 4 performance on his 1948 ‘Marguerite’ had been similarly comprehensive, and he won the final race to secure a comfortable class series victory. The winners were presented with their prizes at the prize giving dinner at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club on Friday evening. The competitive action on the water was equally matched by the pace of the activities ashore the new Panerai lounge for the owners and their crews became the hub of on-shore activity and was full of lively debate in the hours following each days racing.

This year the grace of the regatta’s wonderful fleet of classic yachts were juxtaposed with the style and magnificence of 60 classic cars taking part in the Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation (HERO) Summer Trial. Additionally, on the penultimate day, Rob Thompson and Eileen Skinner, owners of Sir Francis Chichester’s legendary Gipsy Moth IV, announced the launch of their new charity, The Gipsy Moth Trust. Rob and Eileen have generously donated their iconic ‘Gipsy Moth IV’ to charity as a gift to ensure it is safeguarded for the nation.

The next regatta in the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge series is the Corinthian Classic Yacht regatta in Marblehead, USA from August 12th – 14th.