Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous starts March 20
By Jill Campbell From Sail World
The Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous continues to go from strength to strength with twenty sailing superyachts signed up for the four day event. Organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) and Boat International Media (BIM) from 19th to 22nd March in Virgin Gorda, the event is sponsored by the Italian luxury brand Loro Piana and plays host to three days of coastal racing for a fleet of sailing titans. The combination of spectacular racing yachts, the turquoise sailing waters of the British Virgin Islands and the renowned hospitality of the organizers and sponsor looks set to make this fourth edition of the event the most memorable yet.
A diverse fleet will participate with yachts ranging from the 24.6 metre Aiyana, launched in 2010 and racing under the New York yacht Club burgee, to the 67 metre Hetairos, launched in 2011 and a previous winner of the Transatlantic Superyacht Regatta in Virgin Gorda. As always, competition will be fierce across all three competing divisions (A, B and C – divided according to the International Superyacht Rule) with a selection of rock star tacticians adding their expertise to the mix. Veteran of six Volvo Ocean Race campaigns Bouwe Bekking will be lending his considerable experience to the 34-metre high performance cruiser Nilaya while Italian America’s Cup pro Francesco De Angelis will be calling tactics aboard the 40 metre J-Class Rainbow, chartered for the occasion by Mr. Pier Luigi Loro Piana. Launched just last year and a newcomer to the event, the J-Class inspired 27.5-metre Tempus Fugit combines a classic sloop design with the latest technological innovations and boasts British match racing champion Andy Green on tactics.
The event entry list reads like a veritable who’s-who of superyacht design and construction with boats from top international shipyards including Fitzroy, Nautor’s Swan, Perini, Royal Huisman and Southern Wind, and design by the cream of modern naval architecture: Dubois, Dykstra, Frers, Hoek, Holland and Pugh, to name but a few.
Action-packed racing on the water will be observed by the motor yachts participating in the rendezvous and will be perfectly complemented by a busy social programme for all of the attending owners, guests and crew. From the welcome barbecue at the elegant YCCS Clubhouse overlooking the North Sound to the exclusive Loro Piana Owners’ Dinner and a Beach Party at the nearby Oil Nut Bay luxury resort, entertainment is assured both at sea and ashore.
For further information on the regatta please click here or contact the Press Office. Live Tracking will be available on YCCS.
PHOTO: ‘YCCS Clubhouse & Marina, North Sound, Virgin Gorda’ Jeff Brown / Superyacht Media
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