King George V

Regatta Revives Golden Age of Millionaire Yacht Races

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Wealth

A new classic yacht regatta launching this summer aims to revive the "Big Class" races of the 1900s when millionaires and royalty pitted their massive sailboats against one another. The invitation-only Westward Cup Regatta, set to take place July 5 – 11 in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, is named in honor of the 100th anniversary of the launch of the famed Westward racing yacht, the fastest schooner in the world at the time. Staged by the Royal Yacht Squadron (Cowes), the famed New York Yacht Club, and the Yacht Club de Monaco (Monte Carlo), the Westward Regatta will feature large classic yachts competing for a prestigious prize. Among the contenders will be the 162-ft. Westward replica the Eleonora (above); the Brittania, a replica of King George V's royal yacht of the same name; the perfectly-restored Mariquita, built in 1911; and the Mariette designed in 1915 by the famous Nathaniel Herreshoff. In addition to the regatta itself several posh events are planned including an owner's dinner at the Royal Yacht Squadron and a banquet at Queen Victoria's Isle of Wight estate, Osborne House.

Tags: classic yacht, classic yachts, Cowes, Isle of Wight, King George V, Monaco, New York Yacht Club, Queen Victoria, regatta, sailboat, sailing, sailing yacht, schooner, westward cup regatta, yacht