SYDNEY STYLE
STAR OF SYDNEY
With her distinctive stepped sheer, canoe stern and racing pedigree, the Aussie yacht Caress is a star in Sydney Harbour. Now, after a full restoration, she’s racing again
Summer of Sail
French Summertime
WORDS AND PHOTOS INGRID ABERY
Les Voiles D’Antibes launched the Mediterranean circuit for Classic Yachts. Regulars Tuiga, Hallowe’en and Mariella were joined by Black Swan and 60 or more classics. Stretching down the race village at Port Vauban, centuries of sailing history were on display. Here the public could wander admiring beautifully varnished wood and polished brass and muse over the elegant lines. The fleet looked achingly beautiful in the summer sun. And the walkway along the 16th-century sea wall served as a bird’s eye view for visitors to soak up the racing. Focusing my lens, I felt like a kid in a sweet shop. Spectator vessels included the classic 1930s motor-sailer Atlantide, back after a two-year Royal Huisman rebuild, and the 300ft (90m) Nero, newly built in the manner of a grand 1930s motor yacht. The Alfred Mylne-designed, 1936-built Thendara was on display and preparing to be sold. After a light-airs opening day, the weather picked up pace. By day three, negotiating the start area was spicy and with the threat of 10ft (3m) waves, racing was called o . For the final day, champagne sailing conditions in Caribbean-coloured seas took the fleet up to Cap D’Antibes before a downwind tussle towards Biot, providing a spectacle for those sunning themselves on the beach. Tuiga scored three bullets to take the class silverware ahead of Hallowe’en and Mariella Black Swan pulled out after the first race and Mariska stepped down. British teams peppered most classes with Comet claiming first in class. The shoreside aspect was a draw too; this seemed to be a regatta for sailors. Teams stepped o their boats, mingled and chewed the fat of the day’s race. The place buzzed. Bars and cafes were there on the dock. After racing, most crews remained in the race village for hours before spilling out into the old town for dinner and evening concerts on the Esplanade Pré aux Pêcheurs. Live bands helped the cold beers and rosé slip down in good company. The public could rub shoulders with salty sea dogs. Nautical artists works acted as a backdrop. Yann Joannon and team ran the event, sorted most things out and always with a smile. The overall feel was of how other regattas probably once were.
DOUBLE ACT
Tanera Mor luggers St Vincent and Clan Gordon were restored simultaneously, at nearby yards, both to be authentic and engineless WORDS: MIKE SMYLIE
PHOTO: MIKE SMYLIE
MONUMENT TO JOY
The 1930s Dunkirk little ship Breda played a pivotal part in the war, and now she’s making the most of peacetime with a new life based around cocktails and cruising
WORDS: STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES
TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Hunter’s Yard, near Ludham, was the perfect choice for traditional, gaff rig-sailing rookies – Sue Pelling and her husband Julio – to embrace the delights of sailing on the Norfolk Broads
WORDS: SUE PELLING