For fans of the America’s Cup and the competition’s rich history, this week in Barcelona has been a feast for the eyes. The Puig Vela Clàssica regatta, run by the outstanding Real Club Náutico Barcelona, has brought some of the world’s finest classic yachts together alongside a magnificent fleet of 12 Metre Class yachts that competed in the America’s Cup from 1958 through to 1987.
For many, the 12 Metre Class era was iconic, especially with the Cup changing hands after 132 years of total dominance by the New York Yacht Club when Australia II defeated Liberty in 1983. The class survived one more America’s Cup, down in the big winds and waves of Fremantle, Perth in 1987, and that regatta remains ingrained in many Cup watchers’ memories as a stand-out spectacle.
Several of the boats from that 1987 regatta competed in Barcelona, including the revered Kookaburra II, French Kiss, Crusader, South Australia and Kiwi Magic who duked it out for the honours in Division A of the Puig Vela Clàssica. Furthermore, in Division D, there were some super-classic 12 Metres, with the likes of Northern Light, Vim and Jenetta enjoying incredibly close racing and rolling back the years to a bygone era.
An interesting aside in the modern 12 Metres is the number of original crew that came back to compete here in Barcelona, still racing at the highest level. Onboard French Kiss, the Phillipe Briand-designed French Challenger that underwent radical stern-surgery during the 1987 regatta but has thankfully been restored to its original flowing lines, the legendary Olympic silver medallist skipper Marc Pajot was on the wheel for the regatta.
Speaking about what it means to be back, Pajot commented: “It’s a very nice memory for me. I was an Olympic sailor, switched to ocean sailing competing around the world, and finally ended up in the America’s Cup with French Kiss in Fremantle in 1987. Five of those crew members are now competing in Barcelona – 37 years later! It’s an excellent regatta with a very large fleet, and this year, a unique opportunity to enjoy the America’s Cup in Barcelona.”
For Torben Grael, one of the world’s top sailors and a tactician for the Italian Luna Rossa campaigns in the 2000, 2003 and 2007 America’s Cups, the chance to sail Kookaburra II, the current 12 Metre World Champion owned by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team Principal Patrizio Bertelli, is all consuming:
“In the recent World Championship (Porquerolles, France), we debuted a reconfiguration of the boat because when it was purchased, it still had the setup from Fremantle 1987. Our program is Mediterranean and sometimes in Newport, where the wind is much lighter. We have changed the keel and other things, and we are getting to know the boat. The 12 Metres are beautiful boats, requiring a good and trained crew for manoeuvres. The races are very close and beautiful.”
As the regatta concluded, it was the beautiful ‘Kookaburra II’ that secured the win scoring just seven points, to close out the series ahead of Johan Blanch’s ‘Kiwi Magic’, whilst Marc Pajot’s ‘French Kiss’ completed the podium in third overall.
In the vintage 12 Metre fleet – grouped in Division D – Hans Eliasson’s ‘Northern Light’ won the final race and secured the title with just six points, whilst James Patrick’s Vim confirm their second place, with Thomas Muller’s ‘Jenetta’ completing the podium.
The Real Club Náutico Barcelona brought down the curtain on the XVII Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona Regatta, the XVII (27th) running of this international event that is part of the official RFEV calendar and counts towards the II International CIM Championship (International Mediterranean Committee), as well as the XIII Mare Nostrum Trophy – Spanish Cup of Classic Boats.
The awards ceremony was held in the presence of Marc Puig, Executive Chairman of Puig, Jordi Puig, President of the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, Josep Mª Isern, President of the Catalan Sailing Federation, Xavier Torres, Vice President of the Spanish Sailing Federation, Javier Moreno, Naval Commander of Barcelona, Leonardo García de Vicentis, President of AEBEC, Andrés de León, Vice President of CIM, and Pablo Garriga, Commodore of RCNB.
A glittering end to a fabulous regatta with the perfect venue and hosts for an extraordinary festival of sailing.
For more information: www.puigvelaclassica.com
