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The Classicist: Royal Ascot, Henley, Cowes & the English Summer Season

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Sports, The Classicist

The English summer season is in full swing with the year's most important and stylish sporting events on the horizon, maintaining the British traditions of horse racing, tennis, rowing, polo and sailing with elegance and ardor. Lord's Test Cricket has passed, but the Royal Ascot races, the Wimbledon tennis championships, Cartier International Polo, the Henley Royal Regatta and the yacht races at Cowes round out a full season's worth of sporting occasions that are as much fun to watch as to participate in. Herewith The Classicist's guide to the best in class (with a tip of the Panama to the London Telegraph); all you need is a pitcher of Pimm's:

Royal Ascot – June 15-19, Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire

Since it was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the annual Royal Ascot races have become the highlight of the English social season. Ostensibly a five-day sporting event, it's also evolved into something of an immense fashion show, marked by the arrival of the Royal Family in ceremonial horse-drawn carriages every day. It has become the style for ladies to sport increasingly outrageous hats, and lately the traditional rules about "formal day dress" in the coveted Royal Enclosure have been rather loosely interpreted.

Gallery: Royal Ascot & the English Summer Season

Tags: Ascot, Cartier, Cowes, England, equestrian, Henley Royal Regatta, horse racing, Isle of Wight, London, polo, Regatta, Royal Ascot, sailing, sailing yacht, sporting, summer, tennis, UK, Wimbledon, yacht, yachting, yachts

Continue reading “The Classicist: Royal Ascot, Henley, Cowes & the English Summer Season”

Superyacht Style: Loro Piana Launches Regatta Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Yachts & Sailing, Men's Style

Last month we told you about the Superyacht Regatta being staged this week by Loro Piana, the Italian luxury clothing company known for the world's finest cashmere, in the billionaire's haunt of Sardinia featuring some of the world's fastest sailing yachts. Now the brand has launched a complementary collection of nautical-inspired clothing and accessories in tribute to the event. The Regatta collection features a waterproof jacket, swim trunks, baseball cap, beach towel and cashmere blanket, in various colors and embellished with the name Loro Piana spelled out in nautical flags. The Regatta jacket for $1,425 is made using Loro Piana's signature Storm System-treated microfiber and features details such as visible stitching, elbow patches, protective straps, flaps and drawstrings, an external lunette bearing the Loro Piana logo, and comes in a waterproof bag. The Bay Regatta swim trunks for $345 are available in solid colors, stripes and seersucker. The plush Regatta beach towel for $750 features a sailcloth border. And for the ultimate in luxury, the Regatta 100% cashmere blanket with embroidered nautical flags costs $2,050.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Loro Piana Regatta Collection

Tags: clothing, Italian fashion, Loro Piana, nautical, regatta, sailing, superyacht, yacht, yachting, yachts

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta Set for Sardinia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Sports

On June 8 – 12 Loro Piana, the Italian luxury clothing company known for the world's finest cashmere, will stage its annual Superyacht Regatta in the billionaire's haunt of Sardinia featuring some of the world's fastest sailing yachts. Hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, sponsors include Perini Navi, builder of the famed Maltese Falcon, in partnership with Rolex and Audi. Last year's winner, Royal Huisman's 105-ft. Gliss, will defend her title against several sailing superyachts looking to pluck the prize from her grasp during five intense days of competition. Among the contenders will be Southern Ocean Marine's 105-ft. Liara; Wally's 100-ft. Y3K.; the Ed Dubois-designed, Fitzroy built 148-ft. Salperton IV; Perini Navi's 125-ft. P2; and more yachts measuring 80 feet and up. Apres-sailing there will be an owner's dinner at the yacht club and a beach party at the opulent Hotel Romazzino, part of the Luxury Collection.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta

Tags: Audi, cashmere, Ed Dubois, Hotel Romazzino, Italian fashion, Italy, Loro Piana, Luxury Collection, Maltese Falcon, Perini Navi, regatta, Rolex, Royal Huisman, sailboat, sailing, sailing yacht, Sardinia, superyacht, Wally, yachting

Regatta Revives Golden Age of Millionaire Yacht Races

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

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

Gianni Agnelli's Classic Yacht for Sale at $1.8 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Men's Style

Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli, who died in 2003 at the age of 81, was one of the most stylish men who ever walked the Earth. An avid playboy and racecar driver (Fiat of course owns Ferrari), Agnelli was also a keen yachtsman, and enjoyed many years of sailing his Knut Reimer-designed 82-ft. yawl Agneta with its distinctive port-wine colored sails and superb varnished hull, built in 1948. Now the stylish yacht with its restored Burmese teak deck has been listed for sale in France via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $1.8 million.

A regular on the on the Mediterranean Classic Yacht regatta racing circuit, the Agneta's spacious owner's stateroom features a marble fireplace and en-suite bath suitable for an elegant gentleman, while interiors are fitted with polished paneling and exotic inlays. We don't know for certain but can speculate that Agnelli, whose estate was worth $4.4 billion, entertained famed female companions like Anita Ekberg, Rita Hayworth and (rumored) Jackie Onassis aboard the beautiful boat.

Gallery: Gianni Agnelli's Agneta

Tags: classic yacht, Ferrari, Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, Italy, JamesList, Mediterranean, playboy, sailing, sailing yacht, wooden boat, yacht

Maltese Falcon Available for Charter at $500,000 / Week

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Last August we reported that he 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, had changed hands for around $100 million. Now the incredible craft's new owner, Elena Ambrosiadou, Greek-born founder of hedge fund Ikos Partners, has given her new toy a makeover and is offering it for charter in the Mediterranean this summer at $500,000 per week. Ambrosiadou, the UK's highest-paid woman and its wealthiest female entrepreneur, has replaced the previous owner's awful contemporary art and bejeweled Bugatti sculptures with slightly less awful artwork. Even so it doesn't detract from the spectacular atrium where the three decks are united by a circular stairway surrounding the main mast creating a spiraling effect, enhanced by natural light cascading through transparent floors. The main deck is a wide open space featuring a main saloon, an enormous aft cockpit, two separate studio areas and a majestic dining room. The Maltese also now comes equipped with a gymnasium, two Segway scooters, and a full time on-board sports therapist / masseuse.

Gallery: The New Maltese Falcon

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Maltese Falcon, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, yacht charter

Unleash Your Inner Peary with a Polar Safari

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

What do Norway, a Hamam, the Arctic, a hot tub, Zen, fish, and high-diving have in common? The Vulkana, that's what, a former fishing trawler turned haven for seaborne sybarites. The 75-foot vessel, dating from the fifties, is permanently based in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso but can be hired for polar excursions for up to 12 people.

In addition to the Hamam, hot tub, Zen lounge and 7-meter-high diving board, also on-board the Vulkana are a galley-restaurant, a sauna, three double-berth cabins and one six-berth cabin, women's and men's dressing rooms with separate showers and a make-up room for women, and a man said to be the best sushi chef in all of Scandinavia.

Taking full advantage of the ship is done with an Arctic cruise and deep-sea fishing, or a trip to the polar lands for off-piste skiing and mountain trekking. It's not a bad karmic twist for a former herring-getter, and the calm you'll feel during an evening of hot-tubbing under the Northern Lights while you snack on 5-star preparation of the day's catch might give your karma a little boost as well.

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Tags: arctic, fishing, luxury cruise, norway, polar safari, sailing, tromso, vulkana

Super Sailing at Panerai's Classic Yacht Regatta

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing, Sports

The results are in for the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (ACYC), the first regatta of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge season. The ACYC, one of the largest and most renowned classic yacht races in the world, attracts a collection of some of the world's most beautiful sailing vessels, including the Spirit of Tradition yachts, J Class yachts and tall ships. This year's regatta took place April 15th – 20th and attracted more than 52 vintage and classic boats of all sizes. During five days of rugged sailing in the Caribbean, Aschanti IV and Sumurun (above) won Panerai barometers in the Classic Class and Vintage Class respectively. A special edition Panerai Radiomir Regatta 1/8th Second Titanio – 47 mm watch, designed especially for this year's Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge season, was awarded to the overall winner, Sumurun, and its owner Robert Tobin. The North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge will begin in New England in August.

Gallery: Antigua Classic Yachts Challenge

Tags: Antigua, boat, Caribbean, classic yachts, Officine Panerai, Panerai, regatta, sailing, sailing yacht, watch, yacht

Talisker Bounty Boat Recreates Historic Journey

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Charity

More than 200 years ago one of the greatest open boat voyages in maritime history took place when Fletcher Christian cast William Bligh and 18 of his men adrift on the ocean in a 23ft open boat. The 19 men sailed more than 3700 miles over 7 weeks in a crowded boat and with no charts and little food or water. Now this year the adventure will take place again, as Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and three other men will attempt to recreate the "Mutiny on the Bounty" by sailing the same route under similar circumstances -- without enough food or water, no charts, and nothing but an 18th century timber whale boat between them and the sea.

The Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition is being sponsored by none other than Talisker single malt Scotch whisky, and despite their obvious hunger for adventure McIntyre and his crew are also hoping to raise more than $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease to build the world's first research Institute for Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Donate to the cause and follow the boat's progress at bountyboat.com.

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Tags: adventure, sailing, scotch, talisker, whisky

The Classicist: Barbour's British Sporting Style for Spring & Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

This season famed UK outerwear company Barbour has come out with a collection inspired by a classic British summer sporting escape to the country. Building on the brand's impressive heritage – the firm, founded in 1894, holds Royal Warrants from HM Queen Elizabeth II, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and HRH The Prince of Wales – the new designs are attractively updated with bright bursts of color, functional detailing and innovative fabrics and finishes. Lightweight outerwear is offered in multiple fabrications including 4 oz. waxed cotton, carbon coated, Duralinen, washed cotton and cotton twill. Fine knits, casual layers and shirts are inspired by polo, cricket and rugby, while other new styles draw from Barbour's long association with international motorcycling and fly-fishing. Distinctive contrast lining designs and reversible quilt and blouson styles round out the new offerings.

There are new additions to each of Barbour's collections: Heritage, Contemporary, Classic, and Sporting. Within the Heritage collection, styles based on Barbour's original motorcycle racing designs explore new lengths, detailing, and lightweight fabrics. A range of T-shirts celebrates the British motorcycle trials heritage. Fine, lightweight midlayers, casual polos and cotton knits add plenty of contrast pattern and color. A new Dry Fly multi pocket casual jacket style, offered in wax, carbon, Duralinen and cotton twill, is adapted from the firm's fishing archive complete with pockets and "D" rings, and its more functional counterpart is introduced into the active Sporting range. Barbour's iconic quilting fabric is reversed to provide shiny statement quilts and gilets such as the Fast Back reversible quilt inspired by 1960s styles, in a bright Atlantic blue.

The Contemporary Collection has evolved from the more classic Barbour garments to become a slightly edgier and more modern wardrobe in its own right. With a slimmer fit and the use of fresh modern fabrics alongside traditional waxes, the designs are perfect for those who wish to take their Barbour-inspired life beyond the country. Key new Contemporary designs include a cotton and linen Sapper jacket with a vintage-inspired Union Jack pattern liner; a short Harrington Blouson jacket in flyweight waxed cotton with a stowaway hood; and a Carbon Durham Kagoule hooded sailing jacket (above) with embroidered Barbour ensign flags on the sleeve, available in yellow, navy and red.

Gallery: Barbour S/S 2010

Tags: Barbour, fishing, motorcycle, outerwear, Royal Warrant, sailing, sporting, summer, UK, Union Jack

Continue reading “The Classicist: Barbour's British Sporting Style for Spring & Summer”

Panerai Relaunches Classic 1936 Sailing Yacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing

Swiss-owned Italian luxury watch brand Panerai has restored a classic 1936 sailing yacht which will now serve as the company's flagship at exclusive yachting events. Panerai CEO and avid yachtsman Angelo Bonati just spent the last two-and-a-half years overseeing a complete restoration of the Eilean (above), a beautiful two-masted 72-ft. Bermudian ketch originally designed and built in 1936 by the legendary Fife boatyard in Scotland. When Bonati acquired the stylish yacht, whose design was inspired by the J-Class America's Cup racers of the 1930s, in 2006 it was a mastless, rusting wreck. He hired Italian naval restoration specialist Enrico Zacagni to undertake the extremely costly and painstaking 40,000-hour task. In addition to its Burmese teak skin and decking and perfectly recreated period details, the yacht now features a bespoke set of Panerai sailing instruments. The beautiful boat will represent the brand at the upcoming Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge.

Gallery: Panerai Yacht Eilean

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Tags: Americas Cup, Angelo Bonati, Panerai, regatta, sailing, sailing yacht, yacht

The Classicist: Set Sail on a 100-Year-Old Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Yachts & Sailing, The Classicist

Among yachting historians the name Nathanael Herreshoff is spoken with awe. With a degree in mechanical engineering from M.I.T., Herreshoff - known as "Captain Nat" - revolutionized the world of yacht design and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup winners between 1893–1920. The elegant yachts he designed for those who could afford them were the largest, most expensive and most powerful ever built to defend the famed sailing trophy. Among the moguls who commissioned sailing superyachts from the Rhode Island-based naval architect were Jay Gould, William Randolph Hearst, J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, William Kissam Vanderbilt, Harry Payne Whitney and Morton F. Plant.

Plant, who liked to be known as "Commodore", was a financier, yachtsman and philanthropist who founded the Connecticut College for Women. These days however he is best remembered as the man who traded his opulent Fifth Avenue mansion to Parisian jeweler Cartier in 1917 for $100 and a pearl necklace. Plant owned several yachts during his lifetime, but one of the most famous was the "peerless schooner" (according to the New York Times) Elena which he commissioned from Herreshoff in 1910. His instructions to the great naval architect were simple: "Build me a schooner that can win!" The yacht claimed several victories before Plant's death in 1918, later passing into the hands of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Elena's crowning triumph came in 1928 when she won the 3,400 mile King's Cup Trans-Atlantic Race from New York to Santander, Spain.

All ancient history, you're probably thinking; but the Elena (above) has now been rebuilt and relaunched in all its original splendor, and what's more it is now listed for sale in the South of France via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $12 million. Spain's Factoria Naval de Marin tracked down 320 original hand-drawn plans, in the possession of Herreshoff's alma mater MIT, prior to beginning the restoration process. Historic images of the yacht were painstakingly studied to ensure that every detail was restored to perfection, from her towering masts and nearly 1,200 square meter sail plan to the wide teak deck and luxurious appointments. The Elena can accommodate 10 guests in Gilded Age luxury, with beautiful woodwork throughout and elegant, period correct fittings discreetly updated with modern technology. All guest cabins are exquisitely finished with mahogany panellng, while all interior ornamental details follow the original Herreshoff designs. Check out the gallery for glorious images.

Gallery: The Elena

Tags: Americas Cup, classic yacht, Nathanael Herreshoff, sailboat, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, Vanderbilt, wooden boat, yacht

Sailing Superyacht Meteor for Sale at $46 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

If you missed out on the Maltese Falcon, don't despair - you can still pick up one of the world's great sailing superyachts, Royal Huisman's 170-ft. Meteor (above). The stunning gaff rigged schooner has just been listed for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $46 million. Her classic lines married to 21st century sail and rig technology resulted in a number of World Superyacht Awards in 2008, including Sailing Yacht of the Year, and Best Sailing Yacht Exterior Styling. She's fitted with carbon fiber spars and rigging, high-performance sails and unusually wide teak deck planks. The interior has ample space for six guests in three stately cabins along with a crew of 12. There are acres of Swetania mahogany throughout the accommodations, and in the main salon a beautiful mahogany and delft tiled wood-burning fireplace sets the tone while a massive beveled glass skylight provides an abundance of natural light and air as needed. Two beautifully-varnished teak deckhouses are connected by a large, twin-tabled cockpit, with a wood-spoke wheel behind a glass-faceted binnacle. The main deckhouse is fitted with leather upholstered furniture as well as a cleverly concealed wet bar.

Tags: carbon fiber, CarbonFiber, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Meteor, Royal Huisman, RoyalHuisman, sailing, schooner, superyacht

Perini Navi Panthalassa Yacht by Foster + Partners

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Italian yachtbuilder Perini Navi, makers of the world's finest sailing yachts including the famous Maltese Falcon, have collaborated with superstar British architect Lord Norman Foster on its latest launch, the 184-ft. Panthalassa (above). Designed specifically for use as an ultra-luxe charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean with rates beginning at about $300,000 per week, the all-aluminum alloy ketch can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots and has accommodations for up to 12 guests and a crew of 10. Foster + Partners designed the yacht's spaces as a fusion of contemporary living and the finest nautical heritage.

Outside the decks features a variety of places for relaxing and outdoor dining . Flexible, open living areas are the hallmark of the craft's interiors characterized by a lounge, bar, library and boardroom all featuring glazed screens that can be opened to create a generous central saloon. The three decks are connected by an oval stair, which is surrounded by light-reflecting acrylic rods to mirror daylight back into the living areas. Materials include teak, saddle leather and granite table surfaces. Inside the cabins, leather wall paneling complements silk rugs and gold and black marble tiled baths.

[via JamesList]

Tags: architect, Foster Partners, Foster Partners, Italy, Lord Norman Foster, LordNormanFoster, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Norman Foster, NormanFoster, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, sailing, sailing yacht, SailingYacht, UK, yacht

Female UK Hedge Funder Revealed as Buyer of Maltese Falcon

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

The mystery buyer of the 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, has been revealed as Elena Ambrosiadou, Greek-born founder of hedge fund Ikos Partners. The UK's highest-paid woman and its wealthiest female entrepreneur, Ambrosiadou, pictured above after winning the Perini Navi Cup with her new toy (and collecting the Rolex prize), is said to have paid $120 million for the megayacht. Built by Perini Navi for venture capitalist Tom Perkins in 2006, it remains the ne plus ultra of sailing superyachts, a masterpiece of technology and design, and was recently featured on the cover of Luxury Toys: Top of the World. Her revolutionary sailing system - the DynaRig - set a new milestone in yachting history: three self-standing and rotating masts hosting 15 sails for a total sail area of 25,791 square feet for unrivaled, performance maneuverability and record-shattering speed; she can complete Atlantic crossings in ten days.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: The Maltese Falcon