Peachy Ahoy: Excitement builds ahead of the start of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta in Bermuda
“Cuore forte rompe cattiva sorte” (Nothing is impossible to the willing heart) is the proverb inscribed on the Boat International America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta Trophy. The historic sterling silver two handed cup, which dates back to 1872, was first presented to the winner of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta in San Francisco in 2013.
On Sunday 11th June in the America’s Cup Village in Bermuda the beautiful trophy took centre stage at the official press conference to launch the 2017 America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta which has drawn a diverse fleet of 20 superyachts, including six J Class yachts. Racing Tuesday through to Thursday takes place on coastal courses off the north and east coast of Bermuda.
Boat International Media’s Darrell McLennan Fordyce, chief marketing and events officer, opened the press conference which took place in the Media Centre for the 35th America’s Cup, “We are excited to be welcoming 20 yachts to our fleet. We have boats from the 88m Maltese Falcon to the J Class with the brand new 46m Svea and they are all competing for the fantastic trophy,” he said.
“On behalf of Boat International I want to thank our friends at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for their support. Thank you to the America’s Cup Event Authority for their support in helping make this happen and to the people of Bermuda for helping to bring this regatta together.”
Principal Race Officer Peter Craig explained some of the challenges in delivering close, equable racing for a varied fleet of Superyachts and J Class Yachts which will race in four different classes. “ Even if you start with the fact that you have a six yacht J Class here then you have to start with the word ‘fantastic’, beyond that there are 14 superyachts which range in size from 24 metres right up to the massive Maltese Falcon," he said. "As you might imagine that creates a few challenges for the race management team.
“We have split the fleet into four classes including the J Class. It is very important with these hugely disparate sailing characteristics. Not only is there a size difference there is a speed differences which is as much as six minutes a mile between the fastest and slowest boats.”
Leopard 3 will be one of three contenders in Class A
Class A is three strong and contains the fastest rated superyachts, the well travelled Farr designed 30.5m Leopard 3, Highland Fling 15, the Frers designed Nautor 35.5m and Visione, the 44.5m Reichel Pugh design. Visione finished second in her class in Saint Barths.
Class B features Action, the 37m Dykstra design which finished runners up at the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta in March. Action has double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winner Ian Walker and double Olympic gold winner Shirley Robertson sharing the roles as strategist and tactician. Action races in Class B along with Rebecca, the 42m Frers ketch, Sojana the Farr designed 35m ketch which has French sailing legend, round the world record breaking skipper Loick Peyron on the crew list. Rebecca and Sojana both finished second in their respective classes in Saint Barths in the Spring. Sojana won Antigua Week overall this year.
Class C with seven entries is the biggest and most diverse division, ranging from the three masted 88m Perini Navi Maltese Falcon to the smaller, elegant 23.3m Wild Horses. Four times America’s Cup winner Brad Butterworth is scheduled to sail on Meteor, the 47.7m Dykstra design.
Six J Class yachts will race, representing the most competitive fleet of J Class yachts ever assembled. While the Superyacht fleets race from a staggered start, each crossing the line at a fixed time interval, the J Class contest fleet races. The line up of crews include dozens of past America’s Cup winners. Ranger, skippered and steered by Erle Williams, has 15 America’s Cup wins shared between seven key sailors, including Matty Mitchell with three wins and Tony Rae, Jared Henderson and Jeremy Scantlebury with two wins apiece. On Svea tactician Tom Whidden’s won three America’s Cups with Stars & Stripes in 1980, 1987 and 1988 along with Peter Isler, also on Svea in 1987 and 1988. Legendary grinder Andrew Taylor is crew boss on Svea and has won the America’s Cup three times, in 1995 and 2000 with Team New Zealand and in 2010 with Oracle. And Hanuman’s trimmer Warwick Fleury has four America’s Cup wins also, twice with Team New Zealand and twice with Alinghi.
Among the Superyacht and J Class crews who are set to compete for the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta Trophy, many of them past America’s Cup winners, hearts are indeed willing but from tomorrow it will also be down to minds and bodies as well as measures of design and technology – maybe even a little luck – to see who follows 2013 San Francisco winner Adela as trophy winners.
