Three days to go! On Sunday, at 11 a.m., twelve sailing boats will set out from Douarnenez on the first leg of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012. The report of the starting gun will launch these classic thoroughbreds across the line and out into the tricky waters of the Raz de Sein. They will be accompanied for the first few nautical miles by the traditional sailing vessels taking part in the Douarnenez Boat Festival. The race is about to begin. Let’s take a look at the competitors.
The twelve crews taking part are motivated and determined. Hearing the starting gun will, for them, be a deliverance after weeks of preparation; for the hundred of spectators on the terraces of Port Rosmeur, it will be a joy to behold. After months of intense preparation, the waiting will finally be over. The first leg will take man and boat to Cascais, Portugal, the rallying point for the main event of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012. Later in the year the fleet from Douarnenez will be joined by a second fleet from the Mediterranean. Make no mistake these venerable sailboats, the oldest being nearly 70, will not be setting off on some cruise: this is a race. Their owners are ambitious and the racing pedigrees of some of them are truly impressive.
One of the most illustrious of the competitors is, of course, Pen Duick II, the famous black ketch that Eric Tabarly sailed to victory in the 1964 transatlantic race ahead of Sir Francis Chichester. Easily recognizable by the number 14 stamped on her hull, she was designed and built by Gilles Costantini to propel French yachting into the racing pantheon, and she did. Seeing Tabarly’s old warhorse in Douarnenez will surely be an emotional moment for many a yachting enthusiast. And the crew will be eager to test the mettle of their opponents and match the performance of her sister-ship, Pen Duick VI, which made the fastest crossing in real time in the Transat Classique 2008.
A duel in real time
A potentially interesting duel may well raise its it head in the shape of Cipango and Laetitia II, two examples of the famous Taillefer series designed by Franz Maas in the mid-1960s. Expect a veritable head to head, gentlemanly but intense. According to Maurice Benzaquen, her owner since 1991, Cipango is very well prepared. « A transatlantic crossing is the dream of every sailor, but you have to make meticulous preparations. Sailing in last year’s Atlantic Trophée (a race from Douarnenez to the Azores and back) really helped us. But it hasn’t stopped us from making never-ending lists of things to do. We’ll be knuckling down to get the best out of the boat, but we also want to savour every moment of the voyage. » The crew of Laetitia II better watch out.
France v. Italy
The life of a sailing ship is rarely one long peaceful cruise; on the contrary it can be full of extraordinary twists and turns and some of the vessels of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012 have had their fair share. Take for example this astonishing coincidence. Commissioned by a French racing enthusiast and designed by Flers in 1974, Emeraude now sails under the Italian flag; while Valteam, designed and built in Italy in 1965, currently flies the French tricolour! Both boats are formidable racers. In the late 1970s Emeraude made a fine reputation for herself in Channel regattas, especially in the select crewed event known as the Admiral’s Cup. At her helm in this period was one Dennis Conner, four time winner of the America’s Cup. Owned by the Italian Vittorio Cavazzana, she is a pretty sloop built for speed. Of her recent successes are wins in the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge in 2006 and 2007. As for Valteam, she started her life in the south under the name of Hermitage and made a notable impact on the Giraglia, coming second in 1966. Laurent Renouln, her current owner, is excited about sailing on the South Atlantic. « We are a crew of amateurs with a North Atlantic passage under our belts. We can’t wait to sail in the Trade Winds. And it’s going to be brilliant racing against sailors who share our philosophy of elegant and traditional sailing. It’s great! » A modest ambition for such a formidable pedigree.
The genius of Olin Stephens
One of the largest vessels of the fleet, Amazon, has had a tumultuous 40-year existence and was very nearly a write-off in the late 1970s. This superb yawl, an Olin Stephens design no less, reappeared a few years ago after a comprehensive rebuild. Her owner, Olivier Pécoux is a founding member of the Atlantic Yacht Club which, along with the Comet company, organizes the Panerai Transat Classique 2012. He is a fervent defender of offshore racing and classic yachts and doesn’t hesitate to back up his words with actions. He sailed in the Transat Classique 2008 aboard the magnificent gaff cutter Petite Lande, a 1927 Alden design; and in 2011 he crossed the Atlantic Trophée finishing line a winner on Amazon. A competitor to watch out for, especially when you know that Amazon was Stephens’s inspiration for his legendary Swan 65 design. One of these, Sayula II, built by the Nautor shipyard, took first place in the 1973–74 Whitbread, a crewed race around the world. Gwen Even is the property of a young businessman called Oren Nataf. Oren is new to the world of racing and to that of classic yachts. Novice he may be, but he is enthusiastic and ambitious. He took part in last year’s Atlantic Trophée and made a good impression on rest of the field .
A Tina in the running
With the Tina Persephone in the running, specialists in the know are convinced they’ve got a serious contender for the title on their hands. First of all, she was designed by the American Dick Carter for speed and optimum sea-keeping. When you add to that the crew assembled by Yves Lambert, including a sailor of unparalleled experience, Pierre Follenfant, you’ve got a potent cocktail for success. The list of Pierre’s achievements in the discipline of ocean racing is impressive as it is long: La Baule–Dakar, Lorient– Bermuda–Lorient, Transat en double, La Rochelle–New Orleans, and a series of record attempts and circumnavigations. And for those who might doubt the ability of such an illustrious sailor to adapt to « a little classic yacht », let them be reassured: Pierre Follenfant knows the Tina design like the back of his hand, after all he owns one, she’s called Doris. In 2008 Yves Lambert was on the quay when the first Transat Classique set off. He swore that he would take part in the next one. « We won’t be setting off with a race-empty boat but we intend to be a serious contender. » It looks like the race is going to be a real contest of wills. And let’s not forget the other competitors such as Mowgli, a 1964 Sergent design owned by the family of Jean-Louis Vélasque, which took part in the 2008 race. The Grand Schpountz Marie des Isles sailed over from her home waters in the West Indies to take up the challenge. Red Hackle, an Esprit de Tradition whose crew includes a 10 year old girl, impressed all comers in last year’s Atlantic Trophée. And finally Vagabundo II a magnificent ketch designed by German Frers in 1945 and thus the doyen of the fleet.