The Perini Navi Group has produced some of the most magnificent sailing, racing and charter yachts currently on the water. The Maltese Falcon, Antara, Heritage and Andromeda La Dea are a few examples of stunning launches from the Italian shipyard in Viareggio, a yard that remains prolific despite uncertain economic times.
154 ft. Andromeda La Dea
Keeping their balance on the cutting edge, The Perini Navi Group has launched a new series of 60 meter sailing yachts and already has two sales contracts that total more than 70 million Euros. The two yachts, a ketch and a sloop, will be delivered in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The new line, created and designed in house, represents an evolution of the successful 56 meter series that includes the spectacular charter yacht Rosehearty.
150 ft. Heritage
In the year 2010, the yard delivered three sailing yachts and one motor yacht; Panthalassa and Melek, 56 meter ketches, Fivea, a 45 meter sloop, and Exuma, a 50 meter Picchiotti, distinguished as the first motor yacht produced by the Perini Navi Group. The Perini Navi Group closed the 2010 fiscal year with an order portfolio of 126 million Euros. This year, thanks to the sales of the two new yachts, the volume is currently at 140 million with seven yachts in the works that range from 45 to 73 meters.
The Rolex Fastnet Race is the next thrilling event in the AORS series. The registered fleet is comprised of 350 spectacular entrants possessing individual quality and diversity that is no less than breathtaking. With an impressive fleet of inspiring and exhilarating yachts, the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race is destined to maintain the event’s prestigious tradition.
RAMBLER and ICAP LEOPARD, sailing around the Fastnet Rock: Photo credit Rolex Carlo Borlenghi
The Rolex Fastnet Race commences from Cowes on Sunday 14 August. Ambitious crews hope to finish after only one or two nights at sea, but many are likely to spend closer to a week in potentially punishing conditions. In 2007, Mike Slade`s Farr-designed 100ft Maxi, ICAP Leopard (GBR) crossed the Rolex Fastnet Race finish line in an incredible elapsed time of 1 day 20 hours 18 minutes.
RAN rounding Fastnet Rock
This year the fastest boat on the water will be the 100-foot trimaran, Banque Populaire (FRA), which just broke the round the Britain Isles record by almost a day and a half. However, the much anticipated battle for monohull line honors will between ICAP Leopard, first elapsed-time finisher in the past two editions, and arch-rivals George David’s Rambler 100, which eased to line honors in the 2011 Transatlantic Race after ICAP Leopard lost her bowsprit.
BEAU GESTE rounding Fastnet Rock
No less than six Volvo 70s will be competing, including Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Groupama IV (FRA). The Mini Maxi class includes defending Rolex Fastnet handicap winner, the 72 ft. Rán (GBR), 68 ft. Alegre (GBR), a fantastic campaigner in the Mediterranean in recent seasons. American challengers include the STP65 Vanquish, and the Reichel-Pugh 66 Zaraffa, who like ICAP Leopard and Rambler 100 competed in the Transatlantic Race.
The main trophy for overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet is the Fastnet Challenge Cup. In addition, there are more than 30 additional trophies that will be awarded at the prize giving on Friday, 19 August at the historic Royal Citadel, home of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, overlooking Plymouth Sound and Sutton Harbour, where the majority of the fleet will berth.
ICAP Leopard’s captain, Chris Sherlock, has announced that their bowsprit broke at 20.20 UT on Monday 04 July, just over a day after leaving Newport, R.I. The damage happened in flat water after passing the George’s Bank with a fractional sail flying off the sprit. No one was hurt in the incident and both the sail and the sprit were recovered safely.
The unfortunate mishap has not threatened the integrity of the hull or the strength of the bow so that sails can still be flown from the stem. This has meant that Leopard’s performance on the long beam reach of the first three days from Newport has not been much compromised except that the yacht has had to sail slightly higher than optimum, which is why it is to the south side of its main competition. However, as the high pressure system is approached, there are very few options for sailing downwind without the sprit.
The Maxi Yachts that started on July 3 from Newport, R.I. to The Lizard in southeast England have been making fantastic progress. The yachts are all opting for the direct route and maximizing speed. Rambler 100, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed 100’ canting keel maxi, is averaging close to 20 knots and predicted to finish on the 10th of July. This will set an exceptional benchmark for a transatlantic crossing.
Rambler 100 is closely competing with PUMA’s Mar Mostro. PUMA has taken up a slightly more northerly position however, the Point Alpha ice gate is looming and the Volvo 70 may need to alter course towards the east to leave the mark of the course to port. Nearly one hundred miles behind Rambler 100, ICAP Leopard is south of the rhumb line and enjoying better breeze than the two rivals in front.
The young Oakcliff All American Offshore Team, racing aboard the Reichel Pugh-designed Vanquish, are thrilled with the experience, and opportunity and are managing to hold their own rather well despite the fiercely sophisticated competition.
In IRC Class Two, Jazz, is the frontrunner and the Cookson 50 has altered course north, aiming for a low-pressure system. This move north also avoids an area of little wind to the south that the German Rogers 46s, Shakti and Varuna, have been unable to take.
Second Start, June 29 – ?? Amory Ross
The IRC Class Three lead is maintained by Zaraffa. Ambersail’s move south saw the Lithuanian crew make up some ground but ahead lies an area of little wind and they will need to move sideways to the northto get into pressure.
In IRC Class Four, Carina has given a remarkable performance but their competition has most definitely caught up some miles. Carina chose a southerly route, while the Army Sailing Association’s British Soldier, among others, stayed to the north. British Soldier has advanced 30 miles on Carina, but the American team is still over 170 miles ahead.
Ned Collier-Wakefield’s (Oxford, U.K.) Concise 2 is currently 60 miles ahead of Dragon, skippered by Mike Hennessy (Mystic, Conn.). The two Class 40s have been enjoying some fast-reaching conditions and are now fully offshore many miles from land.
“Dragon passed the longitude of Point Alpha and now the next mark of the course is Lizard Point, a mere 1800 miles down the road,” reported Hennessy in a message revealing his thoughts as they head out into the Atlantic. “Funny enough, our entire race thus far has been within about 100 miles of land. Now we are heading off into that big open space in between, the wild blue yonder. See you on the other side.”
Today, Wednesday, June 29, the largest group of 14 yachts departed on the Transatlantic Race 2011, a 2,975 nautical mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, England, featuring 30 boats ranging from 40 to 289 feet in length.
The sight of the Open Class, which is
Maltese Falcon-Photo Credit: Roddy Grimes Graeme
comprised of just two, albeit show stopping yachts heading off into the Atlantic Ocean was a spectator spectacular. The 289’ head turning Perini Navi, Maltese Falcon, is racing against the only multihull entered in the race, the Lamborghini orange catamaran Phaedo.
Jazz-Photo Credit: Rolex, Carlo Borlenghi
In IRC Class Two, Jazz, a Cookson 50, with a star-studded crew challenges two German teams on nearly identical yachts competing in the class. Given the racing records of these top yachts, Jazz, Shakti and Varuna should virtually match race across the North Atlantic.
IRC Class Three will
Ambersail-Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth
feature six yachts, including Snow Lion, a winner that should prove highly competitive on corrected time. Zaraffa, the Reichel Pugh 65, will undoubtedly be a fierce competitor boasting a crew that includes several veterans of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo 60 Ambersail has logged over 100,000 miles since being purchased in 2008 in tribute to a thousand years of Lithuanian history. Ambersail took part in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, winning class honors and placing second overall.
Concise 2
The two smallest yachts are the Class 40s, Dragon and Concise 2. Team Concise will be a force to be reckoned with, having won the 2009 Class 40 World Championship, set a world record for the Round Britain and Ireland course, and taken class honors at the RORC Caribbean 600 for the last three years. Dragon is the only boat racing across the Atlantic double-handed. Owner Michael Hennessy started to focus on short-handed distance racing in 2002. Since then he has competed in four Newport Bermuda Races, as well as dozens of other races across New England. In 2008 he took delivery of Dragon, an Owen Clarke-design, which will be co-skippered by Rob Windsor.
The Transatlantic Race 2011 is the centerpiece of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS), which includes the Pineapple Cup – Montego Bay Race, RORC Caribbean 600, the Annapolis to Newport Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Biscay Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Of the seven races in the AORS, three races, including the TR 2011 must be completed to qualify for a series victory.
