THE 2011 PANERAI BRITISH CLASSIC WEEK
The 2011 edition of the Panerai British Classic Week, which took place from July 17th – 23rd 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 in 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. David Myatt’s Class 4 performance on his 1948 ‘Marguerite’ was 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 matched by the pace of the events 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.
