• The wind has blown this last day of the classification with a unique show performed in two parallel championship regattas for each of the races
  • Over 600 shipowners and sailors from 10 countries in Europe and America have competed for the two most relevant classic sailing trophies of this year
  • The awards ceremony has taken place this evening at the Real Club Náutico from Barcelona, where the winners of the various categories of both regattas have been given the awards

Samurai, vencedor en epoca clasica

Barcelona, 19th of July 2014..

This afternoon has ended the last day of both the 12mR Puig World Championship and the VII Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona, which have been performed since last Monday -12 meters- and Thursday -Classics- in Barcelona’s waters. Fifty sailboats and 600 sailors from ten countries competed these days to occupy the podium in two of the most important classic regattas of the year in Barcelona.

. The winners by categories of the VII Puig Vela Clàssica were Samurai (Classics), Moonbeam IV (Big Boats), Marigold (Gaff Yachts) and Peter (Marconi Yacths). These vessels have been given their awards by Marc Puig, the Puig President; Xavier Trias, the Mayor of Barcelona, Maite Fandos, the Deputy Mayor of Welfare, Equality and Sports of the Barcelona City Council; Gerard Figueras, the director of the Catalan Sports Council, Xavier Torres, vice president of the Catalan Sailing Federation; Enrique Corominas and Jordi Puig, President and Vice President of the RCNB, respectively. Besides, Luigi Lang, Vice President of the Southern Europe Fleet of the ITMA (International Twelve Metre Association) has also participated in the 12 meters World Championship award ceremony. This category has been won by the Italian Nyala of Patrizio Berteli.

Excitement and tension until the last moment

A complicated day for sailing on the Barcelona coastline, on a day that promised a lot with the 12-14 knots of easterly wind (60 º -70 º) when the boats came to the regatta course, but which has also suffered the heat syndrome. As the temperature increased, the wind was losing steam, with the easterly slight swell complicating things even more while sweeping the competition area.

In the longer vessels, the Big Boats category, the leader from today has been Mariquita, followed by Moonbeam IV and Moonbeam III, while Rosalind and Eleonora have exhausted their patience in the every time more becalmed waters, and have finally left the competition today. Adding the results from this afternoon to does from yesterday, Moonbeam IV has added 3 points and has been proclaimed the winner of the regatta. Behind him, and with 4 points, the Mariquita ranked second with 4 points, and the podium has been completed by the Moonbeam III.

The Marigold has confirmed her leadership in the Gaff Yachts, repeating a partial victory and accumulating 2 points in her partial classification. Malabar X and Kelpie have also repeated the same results today, achieving again a second and a third position, respectively, in their individual accounts, which allow them to occupy the second and third positions in the final classification.

The Vintage fleet with Marconi riggings has confirmed Peter as the winner of such category after repeating victory today. Behind him, the places exchange between the Sonata and the Samurai has also altered their order in the final classification. Drawn to 5 points, the Manitou breaks the tie in his favour thanks to obtaining a better partial result than her rival in the last round, since they were also drawn concerning to the greater number of second or third partial positions. Sonny ranked fourth Almaran New York was the fifth.

Yesterday’s victory has allowed Samurai winning the Classics category, after adding today a third to her individual account, while Emeraude, second yesterday, has repeated today the same position to sign up the same 4 points than the winner. The final third position went to Argos, while Galvana goes up to the fourth position after winning today’s regatta, and Yanira also went further thanks to fourth this afternoon.

The Italian World Champion Nyala 12 Meters

Today has been the fifth day of the Puig 12 Meters World Championship, with two new rounds. Nyala’s crew, led by Francesco Bruni, has confirmed the predictions, by winning the first race of the day and completing enviable partials (1-2-1-2-1-1-1), which ensured the victory without the need of completing the last round. Owned by Ernesto Bertelli, Nyala succeeded to the throne of the top competition in the 12 Meters Class to Danish Vanity V of Howaldt Patrick, winner of the previous World Championship in Flensfurg (Germany, 2011).

The first place had its own name before beginning the final day, whereas the swords were high for the two remaining podium places, to which aspired three boats. The German Trivia started sailing this morning to the regatta course with one point more than Vanity V and 2 points more than the British Wings. In the first round of the day Trivia increased her advantage when crossing the second finish line, just before Vanity V, while Wings was fifth and walked away from the podium as she finally did not participate in the last round.

The Champions history

GAFF YACHTS

Marigold, vencedor en epoca crangeja

Marigold, pure elegance

Marigold is a gaff rigging cutter beautifully renovated and maintained. She was one of the first designs of Charles Nicholson, launched in 1892 at the Camper and Nicholson shipyard, in Gosport. The sailboat shows authentic Victorian details, as her mahogany panelled salon and her central table with leather seats.

Primarily built as a regattas sailboat, the Marigold can also accommodate about 12 guests on board and three crew members. This boat catches the attention wherever she goes and has been awarded the “Concours D’Elegance”, the most precious prize to the elegance.

MARCONI YACHTS

Peter, vencedor epoca Marconi

Peter, a luxury Finnish

Designed by Jary Lindblom and built by Abo Batvarf, Peter is one of the fastest and lightest Marconi rigging cutters in her category in Finland. This boat got a stellar record in the CIM regattas, after winning the Championship of the Western Mediterranean and the Panerai Trophy in 2009. Besides being an excellent racing boat, she was built with enough space to accommodate from four to six people. She has recently incorporated sails and masts made of fine wood, which follow the original plans.

CLASSICS

Samurai, vencedor en epoca clasica

Samurai, a family boat

This Sloop Marconi from 1962 was designed by Cesare Sangermani and built by her owner, Secondo Pavese, an Italian sailor in love with the classical sailing. Since 1992, the three Pavese’s brothers have taken over her and still compete in regatta circuits of the Mediterranean. The original name of Samurai was chosen by Pavese because “she must win and if not, she does the harakiri”.

BIG BOATS

Moonbeam IV, vencedor en Big Boat

Moonbeam IV, an impressive centenary sailboat

This stunning yacht, designed by the renamed William Fife III, is one of the few fore-and-aft cutters that keep sailing today. She is one of the most beautiful boats in the world, not only for her exterior, but also for her luxurious details. Her construction began in 1914, but the First World War made it was not launched until 1929. The Moonbeam IV has the distinction of having been chosen by Rainiero of Monaco and Grace Kelly to spend their honeymoon in 1956.

This 2014, both the boat and Puig, the regatta organizer, are 100 years old this 2014. So, this afternoon this double centenary has been celebrated in the Real Club Náutico from Barcelona and Marc Puig, the president of Puig, has been commissioned to honour the legendary sailboat with a cake with the number eight, digit printed in the sail of a boat so loaded in history.

12 METRES

Nyala, vencedor de la classe 12M
Nyala, a mythical Copa America

The Nyala’s history dates back to 1938, when the American Frederick T. Bedford, president of Standard Oil Corporation, decided to give his daughter a yacht to celebrate her wedding with Briggs Cunningham, an important boat captain. It was the first 12 meters vessel designed by Olin Stephens and, from the very beginning, she was a very fast boat, who eventually won two regattas in the year of her birth and achieved great results in different competitions during the following years.

Throughout her career she has been involved in various misfortunes. In 1947, due to a sudden storm while competing in the Mackinak regatta, her aluminium mast had to be replaced by a Mouette wooden one. Years later, in 1960, she was wrecked on the rocks of City Island during the Hurricane Donna. After that, she had to be restored and suffered several structural changes: the stern was changed and the mast was transferred. Currently, she sails through the European seas with great vigour. Her latest achievement was winning the 2008 Classic Boats World Championship in Flensburg.

Final classification (trophies) of the VII Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona:

Gaff Yachts:

  • 1st – Marigold
  • 2nd – Kelpie of Falmouth
  • 3rd – Malabar X

 Marconi Yachts:

  • 1st – Peter
  • 2nd – Manitou
  • 3rd – Sonata

Classics

  • 1st – Samurai
  • 2nd – Emeraude
  • 3rd – Argos

Big Boat

  • 1st – Moonbeam IV
  • 2nd – Mariquita
  • 3rd – Moonbeam III

Enric Puig Trophy: Marigold and Mariquita, United Kingdom

Final clasification (trophies) of the Puig 12mR World Championship:

Vintage

  • 1st – Nyala
  • 2nd – Trivia
  • 3rd – Vanity V

Chandler Havey Memorial Trophy: Nyala

Memorial Robert Tiedmann: Nyala

Azzurra Trophy: Nyala

The complete list of the classifications in: