Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous
Close racing decides the overall winners on the final day
It may have been the final day of racing at the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, but there was a palpable sense of expectation on the dock. Not only were owners of the 20 sailing superyachts, their guests and crews looking forward to another classic day on the water, but also there was all to play for with the victory up for grabs in all classes.
The courses on the first two days had given the yachts two very different challenges, and the third day – with a breeze of 10 to 12 knots – would prove the perfect balance. The race committee chose a long course clockwise around Virgin Gorda and outside all the Dog Islands, with the Division B yachts rounding inside Ginger Island and the Division A yachts heading outside Ginger.
With most of the yachts heading left up the first beat, the first real test was at the northeast corner of Virgin Gorda. Here the kites were hoisted and the yachts were set for an epic gybing battle all along the south side of the island.
By the time the Division B yachts reached Round Rock, 62m Athos was out in front with the 23.5m Wild Horsesjust three minutes behind. The 25.2m Sejaa was also having a good day, rounding third.
Meanwhile, the Division A yachts were fighting tooth and nail. By the time they got to the western end of Ginger Island, it was Indio that had made the best progress on the run, dropping her kite and hardening up for the reach to the Dogs a minute ahead of Salperton and Cape Arrow, who were separated by just 10 seconds. Hanuman,P2 and Rebecca were not far behind.
From the Dogs it was a final beat to the finish, and it was Indio who took the final line honours. But with so many close finishes there were some tense moments as the yachts headed back to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda marina while the race committee crunched the numbers to see who the victors would be.
When all was said and done, it was the 45m Fitzroy Salperton that took the lion’s share of the glory, nailing a bullet in the last race on corrected to secure the win in Division A overall, Division A’s cruising division, and the Boat International Media Trophy. In Division B, a strong third race – and a second bullet – meant that the classic 22.4m ketch Bolero took the series.
‘We did well today,’ said Ian Walker, double Olympic silver medallist and tactician aboard Salperton. ‘We were one of the most offshore yachts on the run and I think we had a bit more wind. It was a good course today – the first day was a reaching course, which was good for us, and the second day was a bit light. Today was a good mix. We just had to sail as clean as we could and we had great crew work. You could argue that it was yesterday that won it for us with a sixth place – it was all about keeping in touch.’
For Peter Corr, owner of the 25m Aiyana and a relative local – Corr lives in St Thomas – the week was all about enjoying the sailing. ‘It’s been fantastic,’ he said. ‘We’re really pleased. It’s fantastic to come up here and see the biggest and best yachts in the world. I think Loro Piana has taken the event to a whole new level, and the YCCS sister club here is pretty amazing.’
For Donald Tofias, owner of Wild Horses, this event was more than just a chance to enjoy racing. ‘In September I’d been nearly crippled in an accident, and this is my first race since then,’ he said. ‘I love pursuit races and staggered starts, and I love the venue here with the protected water and consistent winds.’
For Matt Goldsmith, owner of the 25.2m Sejaa, the event was all about fun. ‘The event was phenomenal,’ he enthused. ‘Having 20 boats of this calibre together was a great experience. The Loro Piana Owners’ Dinner was great for meeting other entrepreneurs and networking. We don’t sail with professional crew – that’s not our thing and I generally use the boat to cruise with my four kids. I learned about this regatta last summer at the Newport Bucket.’
‘This is our first Caribbean trip and our first superyacht regatta – period,’ smiled Lachie Paramor, captain of the 2012 Oyster 100 Sarafin, who scored a third overall in Division B. On collecting the prize for third, Sarafin’s surprised and pleased Australian owner said: ‘I guess we’ve had a sniff and now we’ll have to jump in!’
Ed and Marty Kane, owners of 63 year old Bolero – the oldest and smallest boat in the fleet at 22.4m – won Division B by scoring bullets in the final two days of racing after starting with a fourth. Bolero was designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built at Harry Nevins boatyard in New York. ‘We had a great event,’ they said. ‘The sailing was terrific and the wind was good, even on the longer course!’
Non-racing guests and sponsors jumped in tenders to enjoy a scavenger hunt around North Sound. Contestants first had to don bits of pirate attire and then, divided into teams, they were given a list of 19 tasks to perform or answers to find within the various islands of North Sound. Proof of the accomplishments was recorded on smart phones. From discovering the ingredients of a Dark and Stormy, to driving a golf cart, getting the owner of the Fat Virgin Restaurant to divulge the secret recipe of her Chicken Roti, to writing a performing a sea shanty for the judges, it was spirited competition all in good fun. The judges, perhaps fearing a pirate uprising, announced a tie between the teams Salty Dogs and The Ahoy Mateys.
Once all the yachts were safely back on the dock, their owners, guests and crews congregated on the YCCS lawn for the prizegiving ceremony and the final moments of what has been a spectacular event.
