The final day’s racing in the Westward Cup Regatta took place at Cowes in the Solent yesterday, Saturday 10th July, with the four competing yachts getting the gun at 1100 to allow the breeze to build nicely and get these massive yachts off and running. As it turned out, all four put on an end of term show screaming towards the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) start line doing eight knots to the delight of the crowds amassed under the Castle battlements and along Princes’ Green in Cowes. Yacht Tuiga won The Westward Cup Regatta 2010 overall, with with luxury classic yacht Mariette comming second and yacht Mariquita being placed thrid.
Zbynek and Susanne Zak - The Westward Cup 2010 - and Linda and Michael Campbell Westward Cup Regatta Prizegiving photo credit RYS.
Classic sailing yacht Tuiga was built in 1909 for the Duke of Medinacelli, who was a friend to the King of Spain, and was designed identically to the King’s yacht, ‘Hispania’. This was so that they could then race on equal terms against each other. However, Tuiga collected a long line of second places allowing rumours to spread that indicated the Duke was ‘holding back’ so as not to beat the King and cause an embarrassing situation. She was the first 15-Metre to be restored at Fairlie Restorations and has been owned by Monaco Yacht Club since 1993.
Sailing Yacht MARIETTE - photo by Chris Boynton
The RYS Race Committee plotted a 30nm course that took the Westward Cup fleet up to the Needles for a rare photo opportunity for those lucky enough to be in the vicinity and then home to Cowes by mid-afternoon, setting an average speed around the course of 7.4 knots.
The 15m Fife-designed Tuiga took the final day’s line honours, also winning overall and therefore being the first beneficiary of the Westward Cup. Mariquita, the sole survivor of the 19m Class built in 1911, was second over the line, followed by Mariette, built in 1915 and 138ft and then the stunning Eleonora, the 160ft replica of Westward, launched in 2000.
A Glorious Prize Giving
In beautiful early evening sunshine, the RYS hosted the Regatta Prizegiving at their Pavilion, attended by Commodores and representatives from the participating yacht clubs and the competing yachts, the yacht captains, crews, sponsors and guests. Pride of place went to the exquisite Westward Cup sitting graciously in the centre of a display groaning with silverware, including some lovely Armada dishes presented on behalf of each of the participating yacht clubs, and Boat International trophies.
A distinguished group comprising the yacht owners or their representatives stood alongside the Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Michael Campbell and his wife Linda; Bob Towbin of the New York Yacht Club, and his wife Lisa; Captain Simon van der Byl, Rear Commodore Yachting RYS, and his wife Suzy; and Alice Widdows, Events Director of Boat International Media. Joining them all were Eleonora’s owners, Zbynek and Susanne Zak.
Sailing Yacht TUIGA - photo by Chris Boynton
Captain Simon van der Byl introduced the proceedings by thanking everyone who has been instrumental in making this very special Regatta come to fruition. The Westward Cup Regatta was organised by three of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) and two partner Clubs, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and in collaboration with Boat International Media.
MARIETTE Photo by Chris Boynton
However it was the dream of one man, Zbynek Zak, the owner of the largest of the four yachts, Eleonora, that ignited the passion behind bringing this Regatta to life and to Cowes in 2010. The Westward Cup was initiated to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the launch of the racing schooner Westward in 1910.
She was designed and built by one of the most successful yacht designers, Nathanael G. Herreshoff, in Bristol, RI, USA. She was one of the fastest and most famous of the Big Class racing yachts, regularly competing in Cowes and most successfully against King George V’s yacht Britannia, and other Big Class yachts.
Built in Holland at Van der Graaf Shipyard in steel, sailing yacht Eleonora was launched 90 years to the day of Westward’s launch, on 31 March 2000.
Tragically, yacht Eleonora suffered a major blow to her racing capability when she lost her two top masts last weekend when out practice racing before the start of the regatta on Tuesday.
The drastic outcome of losing around 45ft of mast and 50% of her sail plan put paid to this stunning Big Class yacht being able to race on an equal footing. However the owners maintained a full programme of competition and gave the thousands of spectators over the week plenty to cheer about as she elegantly manoeuvred around the Solent and was moored off Cowes for everyone to enjoy seeing each evening.
Westward Cup Photo by Kos Photographs
Mr Zak spoke with great charm and heartfelt emotion as he paid tribute to and thanked everyone involved in bringing his dream to life. He described the Regatta as being “a dream that has come true and produced an exceptional week of sailing, an exceptional week of organisation and an exceptional week of hospitality wherever we went in Cowes but especially from the host, the Royal Yacht Squadron.” Mr Zak went on to say how, despite their evident sadness and disappointment about the damage to their yacht, “when we come back it will definitely be with longer masts,” a lighter note that drew much applause.
Westward Cup Kos Photographs
The individual Yacht Club Race Day prizes were presented as follows:
The New York Yacht Club Race Day, Tuesday 6th July:
1st Tuiga, 2nd Mariette, 3rd Mariquita.
The Boat International Race Day, Wednesday 7th July:
1st Mariette, 2nd Tuiga, 3rd Mariquita.
Thursday 8th July was a Lay Day.
The Yacht Club de Monaco Race Day, Friday 9th July:
1st Tuiga, 2nd Mariquita, 3rd Mariette.
The Royal Yacht Squadron Race Day, Saturday 10th July:
1st Tuiga, 2nd Mariette, 3rd Mariquita.
All yachts received a set of Westward Cup engraved glass tumblers, as did the individual members of the large RYS Race Team in acknowledgement of their superb teamwork on and off the water throughout the week.
Classic yacht MARIQUITA at Westward Cup Regatta 2010 - photo by Chris Boynton
A special prize of a painting of Westward was presented to a representative from the winning schooner, Mariette, by its artist Marc Berthier.
The overall Regatta prizes were then presented as follows:
Overall winner of the Westward Cup was Tuiga. 2nd place overall went to Mariette and 3rd overall to Mariquita. The RYS Commodore then wrapped up proceedings by thanking everyone for taking part and saying that he was looking forward to welcoming everyone back for the next iteration of the Westward Cup in 2011.
Yacht ELEANORA in the Westward Cup 2010 photo by Chris Boynton
About the Westward Cup Yachts:
LOA 49.5m (160ft)
LWL 29.3m (96ft 1in)
Beam 8.2m (27ft 1in)
Draught 5.2m (17ft 1in)
Sail area 1,115m2 (12,000ft2)
Displacement 214 tons
Yacht MARIQUITA
Mariquita (Spanish for ‘ladybird’) is the sole survivor of the 19 Metre Class, whose racing career flourished for two brief seasons before the First World War. Designed and built by William Fife at his Fairlie yard in 1911, Mariquita along with Corona, Norada (Nicholson) and Octavia thrilled the racing public from Kiel to the Clyde, where they arrived having braved a North sea gale. After the collapse of the class, Mariquita went cruising and eventually, minus her keel and rig, became a houseboat at Pin Mill, Suffolk. She was rediscovered in 1991 by William Collier, and restored on the Hamble by Fairlie Restorations in 2004. A winner at Imperia she attended the Fife gathering on the Clyde in 2008.
LOA 38.1m (125ft)
LWL 20.1m (66ft)
Beam 5.3m (17ft 4in)
Draught 3.7m (12ft)
Sail area 585m2 (6,260ft2)
Displacement 79 tons
Yacht MARIETTE
Built in 1915, Mariette was designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff for J Frederick Brown of Boston, a successful wool merchant, who raced and cruised her along the North and Shore Shores of Boston from 1916 to 1927. Renamed Cleopatra’s Barge under Francis K Crowninshield’s ownership, she was requisitioned by the American Navy during the war and declined thereafter. She was brought over to Europe in 1975 and underwent various major refits in 1980 and again in 1995. Thomas Perkins of San Francisco is credited with restoring her to her glorious Gaff rigged specification. Mariette is a regular and successful competitor in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and European classic events.
LOA 42.06m (138ft)
LWL 24.38m (80ft)
Beam 7.19m (23ft 7in)
Draught 4.8m (15ft 9in)
Sail area 750m2 (8,060ft2)
Displacement 165 tons
Yacht TUIGA
Tuiga was built in 1909 for the Duke of Medinacelli, who was a friend to the King of Spain, and designed identically to the King’s yacht, Hispania. This was so that they could then race on equal terms against each other. However, Tuiga collected a long line of second places allowing rumours to spread that indicated the Duke was ‘holding back’ so as not to beat the King and cause an embarrassing situation. Yacht Tuiga was the first 15-Metre to be restored at Fairlie Restorations and has been owned by Monaco Yacht Club since 1993.
LOA 27.36m (92ft)
LWL 15.68m (48ft 11in)
Beam 4.15m (14ft 1in)
Draught 2.95m (9ft 10in)
Sail area 390m2 (4,014ft2)
Displacement 50 tons (original)
Day 4 | 9th July 2010 of the Westward Cup Regatta
There was all to play for today when the breeze finally kicked in and saw the four competing yachts in the inaugural Westward Cup Regatta jostling for line position and eventually getting the gun at 1130hrs. Meanwhile, the crowd of spectators in Cowes were treated to some wonderful close ups of these beauties as they were milling around awaiting their orders, right in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
The RYS Race Committee set a more taxing course for the boats and their crews today, sending them to WEST LEPE – SOUTH BRAMBLE – PRINCE CONSORT- HAMSTEAD LEDGE – SOLENT BANK – SOUTH BRAMBLE – PRINCE CONSORT – EAST LEPE – SOUTH BRAMBLE – PRINCE CONSORT- FINISH, a distance of approximately 32 miles.
After settling into their positions, it was Tuiga who was first over the line and she continued to lead the field throughout the day. She is the smallest and lightest of the four and the course certainly suited her as the wind increased up to Force 5, making the crews on all the yachts work harder than usual. The wind and the tide were responsible for requiring numerous tacks and gybes as the fleet made their way around the course. There was little time for any rest on board!
This is the third of four days’ racing for the competing yachts in this fabulous new series that concludes tomorrow.
The days results on corrected time were:
1. Tuiga 04h 48m16s
2. Mariquita 05h 13m 35s
3. Mariette 05h 30m 23s
4. Eleonora 06h 10m 57s
