Castine Classic, Maine, 1-2 August 2018

https://castineclassic.com/

The nineteenth annual Castine Classic Yacht Race to Camden on 2 August 2018, kicking off three days of spectacular racing on Penobscot Bay. For Race Notice, Registration, pictorial History and other information, please refer to our website at www.CastineClassic.com.

On 1 August we will honor some of the world-class sailboat builders from our home waters, including Brooklin Boat Yard, Rockport Marine, Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, Artisan Boatworks and French & Webb, at an exhibition at the Town Dock and a symposium at Marine Maritime Academy. The symposium will be chaired by Gary Jobson.

2018 English Channel Classic Racing

The Plymouth – La Rochelle Revival Race – July 14 – 20.

This companion event to the Classic Channel Regatta is run biennially by the Yacht Club Classique based in La Rochelle in the alternate years to Classic Channel Regatta. It’s a great opportunity for classics to get into their stride in a proper offshore race, and this year the stop-over port on the way to La Rochelle will be Port Louis in the Rade de Lorient.

Every 2 years, this great race revived by Yacht Club Classique, brings together an exceptional fleet of classic yachts to race across the Channel and along the Atlantic coast of France. The first race in 2012 was a great success with 18 boats entered, and that success has continued with the 2014 and 2016 editions with 45 boats entered in the last race.

The start of the 4th edition will be on July 14, 2018 in Plymouth. One of the innovations for the 2018 race is the stopover which will be in Port Louis in the beautiful Rade de Lorient. Everything is planned to make this race unforgettable: an interesting offshore course allowing multiple options, a festive time in Port Louis as part of the celebration of the 400 years of its foundation and, of course ... many social events.

Twenty nine boats (including only five Brits so far – come on guys!) are already pre-registered for the race, which leaves just eleven places still available. So, if you don’t want to miss the boat, do pre-register without delay at http://www.yachtclubclassique.com/sur-l-eau/les-courses/plymouth-rochelle/summury-plr-2018/

Western Approaches - English Channel

Dartmouth Classics Weekend – Friday July 6 - Monday July 9.

In this non-Classic Channel Regatta year, this standalone weekend regatta is being organised by the Royal Dart Yacht Club. For more information and details of how to enter visit the RDYC website http://www.royaldart.co.uk/racing/detail/dartmouth-classics-2018

Falmouth Classics – Friday June 22 – Sunday June 24.

Two hundred and twelve boats entered this ever popular Cornish regatta last year. Full information is at http://www.falmouthclassics.org.uk

Sydney-Hobart race 2017

The race in 2016 had what many considered to be freak conditions of fair weather but this was surpassed in 2017 with a reaching race akin to the Transpac and with few problems caused by currents. In consequence it was a race that favoured the more extreme modern designs. Light winds on a close reach and a swell of only one metre a far cry from the usual extreme conditions encountered. Last year\'s line honours, already exceptional were beaten by a further 4 hours. The 73rd Rolex Sydney Hobart will be remembered primarily for a record breaking run by LDV Comanche and the overall win by one of the sport’s great stalwarts – Matt Allen, owner of Ichi Ban. It will also stay in the memory for the epic downwind conditions experienced on the second and third days, which enabled the planning boats to demonstrate their prowess. Comanche is a 100 Super Maxi.

http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/the-yachts/2017/kialoa-ii/

The two big S&S classic boats in the Race could not compete under these conditions. Kialoa II  23m aluminium crossed the line 68th but 23rd Corinthina placing whereas Dorade crossed 77th. There were two more S&S designs: Eve, a Swan 65 crossed 66th and second in the Corinthian category whereas the little S&S34 Komatsu Azurro crossed 92nd.

This small crew of six have notched up over 100 Hobarts. In last year’s race, they sailed Komatsu Azzurro, ‘the ‘little boat that could’, to 13th overall for second in Division 4; won ORCi Division 4 and was  third in the Corinthian Division in downhill conditions not suited to the S&S 34. The year before, almost snatched Sydney Hobart victory from Balance, but lack of breeze on rounding Tasman Island pushed them back to third overall (just six minutes shy of second place), second in Division 4, first in ORCi and Corinthian divisions. Kearns’ first Hobart with her was 2014, with a 33rd overall finish. Retired from the Cabbage Tree Island Race in November after a dust up off the start with the sizeable Eve left her with badly bent stanchions.

They won the 2015 and 2017 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast races and won Division 4 in 2016. This little miracle rocket, formerly known as Shenandoah II, was found by Kearns near sinking in 2014. Buying her cheaply on his credit card, restored her, adding a Code Zero and a new staysail. The boat was built for Ron White, a past SYC commodore who won Division H of the 50th Hobart (boat was renamed Commonwealth Bank Shenandoah II), with a faster finishing time than the winners of Divisions F and G.

The S&S34 is indeed a timeless design.

Summer Classic yacht racing, Newport and the S&S Mitch Gibbons Neff Cup

Fidelio

Chuck Townsend’s Fidelio won the Sparkman & Stephens Association award and Mitch Gibbons Neff Cup this year. Other participating S&S boats were Courageous, Odyssey and Sonny. Fidelio is design 1188. 13 yachts were built to this design worldwide but mainly at Matthiessen & Paulsen in Germany in 1956. The plans were again used later for Aventura #1198 and derive closely from Finesterre #1054. Fidelio had her keel replaced by Joel White in 2000 and has featured in Yachts and Yachting and Sail magazines as her owner keeps her in meticulous condition.

Summer Racing Results on the US East Coast

SANTANA

Sail Martha’s Vineyard Regatta, July 13 – 15, 2017

SANTANA and MAH JONG, fresh from stunning refits, mixed it up with seasoned classics SONNY and GENTIAN. Over the three days of competition S&S Designs proved stalwart and speedy through the extremely variable weather which saw waterspouts, gusty conditions, and even multiple dismastings!! When all was said and done, the omnipresent Wendy Schmidt came away victorious in SANTANA, and SONNY and GENTIAN filled out the podium.

Camden Classics Cup, July 27-29, 2017

S&S designs fared well at the Camden Classics Cup at the end of July. MERMAID placed 1st in the Classic Division, while ORIOLE placed 2nd the the Spirit of Tradition Division.

Eggemoggin Reach Regatta & Feeder Races, August 3-5, 2017

The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta was the culmination of the Maine Wooden Boat Series. The overall winner for the series was SIREN who out performed all of her S&S sisters over three events. Sailing on a characteristically foggy Saturday, the 2017 ERR boasted tight competition between over 100 boats of all designs and styles, and was capped off by a warm celebration at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, ME.

Nantucket Race Week & Opera House Cup, August 12 – 20, 2017

Nantucket Race Week was a barn burner for Sparkman & Stephens teams, with classic and modern designs showing their speed over 3 days of tight racing in Nantucket Sound. First up were two days of Windward Leeward racing in fresh to frightening conditions which saw S&S teams on top of the podium with 4 races completed. 12 Metre COLUMBIA won the 12 Metre/Classics A fleet while NY32 SIREN continued her winning ways after sweeping the Maine classic regatta series to take the win in this event for Classics B, while SONNY and SANTANA rounded out the podium. Sailed by a crew of 3, but flying her spinnaker unperturbed in gusts of 25 on Friday and 20 on Saturday, ORIOLE missed first in the PHRF class by 2 seconds in a winner-take-all match with her rival in the last race of the regatta.

Showing fine form going into the “big dance” for the Opera House Cup, S&S teams once again showed that they are the ones to beat. 12 Metre VALIANT was the big winner here, winning the Day Racers division of the Opera House Cup while other S&S designs BRILLIANT and SIREN showed the way home in the schooner and vintage Corinthian divisions.

Recognizing his hard work in winning his class in the Opera House Cup, Peter Cassidy and SIREN won the Overall Panerai Performance Award, while 12M COLUMBIA took home the newly inaugurated S&S Performance Award for the best combined overall performance by an S&S design over Nantucket Race Week and The Opera House Cup.

Panerai Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta & Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta, August 25-26, 2017

S&S designs were rewarded for a season of tight sailing capped off on Narragansett Bay in the 38th Annual Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta. Overall winners of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Official North American Challenge were SONNY (recently sold by the S&S brokerage team) who placed first in the Vintage Division, while the 12 Metre VALIANT took first place in the Grand Prix Division.

Inkeri Winner of the 2017 Sparkman & Stephens Global Challenge Cup

This year the challenge cup was awarded for an overnight race. The winner was the S&S 6.6 INKERI Skippered by Olli Martio.

2017 Classic Channel Regatta

The programme has just been announced. Smaller yachts will pay a reduced fee. S&S yachts are of course very welcome.

About the Classic Channel Regatta

The Classic Channel Regatta is a unique event with its own distinctive blend of racing, passage making and informal parties. Calling at three of the finest ports in the English Channel it brings together a great collection of classic yachts and their crews to share and celebrate the joy of classic sailing.

The regatta is biennial – the next one will be in 2017 and will run from Saturday July 8 to Saturday July 14. Because the times of high water during the regatta are later in the day than in past years, we are changing the format a bit in 2017 to allow for the later lock opening times at Paimpol. The main changes are that the Classic Channel Race will be in two legs, stopping over in Guernsey on the way to Paimpol; on Thursday night the fleet will be in Lezardrieux; and the regatta will finish in Paimpol on Friday evening.

The regatta will start with two days of racing at Dartmouth Classics Weekend as usual. Then the Classic Channel Race will start from Dartmouth on Monday afternoon with the first leg finishing at St Peter Port during Tuesday – where there will be a party in Guernsey Yacht Club in the evening. The second leg of the Classic Channel Race will set off from there on Wednesday morning and arrive in Paimpol in the evening.

Thursday will be, as usual, the day of the Round Île de Bréhat Race. Boats will lock out of Paimpol in the morning and the race will be followed by a late picnic lunch anchored off Île de Bréhat. Then follows the very popular Danse des Classiques (a new innovation introduced in 2015) in the afternoon before the fleet sails up the Trieux River to Lezardrieux for the night. The town is laying on a supper on the quay for as many crews as they can accommodate and there will be coaches for those wishing to go back to Paimpol (which is only 3km by road) for the evening.

On Friday morning the fleet will sail round to Paimpol where a Grand Parade-of-Sail will enter the harbour as a central part of the town’s July 14th Bastille Day celebrations. The fleet will remain in port during the afternoon and in the evening the regatta will finish with a prizegiving, crew supper and soirée in the town’s Salle des Fêtes followed by the town’s fireworks display.

Saturday will provide an opportunity for those crews not rushing away to wind down and enjoy the charms of Paimpol – and there will be various excursions laid on to nearby attractions.

Throughout the regatta, as well as the racing, there will be a full programme of suppers, parties and receptions in each port. The accent is very much on informality (you can definitely leave the No1 yachting kit at home!) and the regatta prides itself on its relaxed Westcountry and Breton ambiance.

We describe the racing as ‘gentleman’s racing’ and you can be as competitive or relaxed as you like. The handicap system used is the JCH Classic Handicap which is free and it is simple to get a handicap online. Full information on the handicap page.

Most yachts designed before the end of 1968, approved designs from 1969 to the end of 1974, and later designs in classic style are eligible to take part. Full information is on the eligibility page.

Most yachts do the whole regatta, but there are options to do just sectors if time is limited. The regatta is a truly international event with past regattas attracting entries from Britain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Holland and Germany – and we look forward to more countries joining the list for 2017.

The regatta is run by Classic Channel Regatta Ltd for The CRAB (Classic Regattas Anglo-Breton) Association whose members are the regatta entrants and crews – so it is truly democratic with the participants owning the regatta and deciding how they would like it run. Read more on the CRAB association.

The regatta is also part of the Challenge Classique Manche-Atlantique (CCMA) series of races run by the Yacht Club Classique in France.