Officine Panerai

Marblehead, MA, August 15^th – Officine Panerai kicked off the title sponsorship of the 2011 Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge for its seventh consecutive season in North America, and its second season in Marblehead, which was added in 2010 in response to the sailors' and captains' wishes to have a complete regatta circuit in New England. Kicking off on August 12^th, 2011, the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta attracted 65 classic and vintage boats on registration day. Saturday's race brought plenty of sun and light winds, and Sunday's race was marked by cloud cover and drizzle with mixed winds. On Saturday evening, Captains and Crew enjoyed an elegant dinner sponsored by Officine Panerai, with the guest honoree and speaker being the legendary yachtsman, sail-maker, sailing yacht designer and America's Cup winner, Ted Hood. All guests were enraptured by Hood's tales of the early days of sail-making and discussions of his most memorable races, including his design and skippering of Courageous and its famous America's Cup win in 1974.

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Kicks Second Year of North American Circuit with the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta in Marblehead

Winning 1938 Vintage Yacht "BLACK WATCH" Awarded

Coveted Panerai Timepiece

Distinguished Yachtsman, Sail-Maker, Sailing Yacht Designer and America's Cup Winner Ted Hood Participated in the Challenge on his Sailing Yacht "ROBIN"

and Fielded Questions at Captain's Dinner

The event culminated with the celebrated Awards Party on Sunday evening, August 14^th, at the Corinthian Yacht Club where the 68' winning yacht Black Watch, co-owned and skippered by Trevor Fetter of Dallas, was awarded the overall prize: a Radiomir 8 Days GMT (PAM169), as well as receiving a Panerai Barometer for placing first in its vintage class.

The Corinthian Yacht Club was the organizing authority of the pursuit-style race, with the assistance of the Eastern and Boston Yacht Clubs, also located in Marblehead, MA.  Bruce Dyson and Walter Murphy were the regatta chairs with Corinthian's Vice Commodore Ken Adam serving as the principal race officer (PRO). In addition to Black Watch , the competition showcased an impressive range of beautiful vintage, classic and yachts – from the Antigua-based 1938 vintage yacht, Mariella , to international one designs such as Tango, to the Sparkman and Stephens 12-meter yacht Valiant , as well as the "Spirit of Tradition" yachts Vigor, White Wings and Wild Horses. 

First-place winners in other classes included Only Time for the Modern Classic division, owned by Rob Gorman; Sagacious , owned by Timmy Dittrich, won for the Classic International One Design Division, and Amazing Grace , owned by Hoff Stauffer won for the "Spirit of Tradition" division. Each winner of the respective classes was awarded a classically-designed Panerai Barometer.

The Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge sails next to Nantucket, MA for the Opera House Cup August 19th – 21^st, followed by Newport, RI for the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta on September 2^nd-4^th. The North American Circuit, comprised of the most revered regattas in the U.S. and Caribbean, kicked off this year in mid-April with the Antigua Classic Yachts Regatta. 

Nantucket's Opera House Cup will kick off this Thursday evening with a tribute to Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and their local affiliate Nantucket Cottage Hospital, with a private event co-hosted on the Nantucket Lightship with non-profit organization Sailing Heals , honoring doctors, patients, staff and caregivers. Sailing Heals provides days of sailing and respite on the sea for those afflicted by cancer and others who would enjoy a healing day of the water.

About the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge

Featuring over 500 of the world's most beautiful classic yachts in ten historical regattas, the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge is a major international event in the world of classic sailing, bringing together over 5,000 yacht owners, professional sailors and sailing enthusiasts from around the world.  The Challenge includes two circuits – Mediterranean and North American – as well as the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and Panerai British Classic Week in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.  It is through the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge that Officine Panerai continues to protect and promote the culture of classic yachting in the name of its own historical ties with the sea and the qualities of beauty, classic design, craftsmanship and excellence, which distinguish the uniqueness of a classic yacht as they do a luxury watch.

About Officine Panerai

Officine Panerai, a manufacturer of fine Italian-designed, Swiss-made watches, represents a unique combination of the brand's Florentine tradition as precision instrument and watch-makers for the Italian Royal Navy, elegant design, and the finest craftsmanship in the world. Each model expresses authenticity, creativity, passion and a specific DNA that always harkens back to the brand's Florentine roots and to the sea.

Panerai watches are sold exclusively through an international network of authorized retailers and in Panerai boutiques around the world. In North America, Panerai boutiques can be found in Manhattan and Beverly Hills. Officine Panerai is part of Richemont Group.

Press Release