Of note…
The 7 schooners competing for the Rolex Trophy have been putting on a real show in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez since the start of the week. All of them have a rather unique history coloured by the imagination of over a century of architectural genius. Here’s a brief outline…

Aschanti IV of Vegesack (Gruber 1954). Marconi schooner. Previous names: Marie Pierre – Afaneti – Aschanti of Saba, 34.80 m, steel hull. Vegesack is a charming little whale fishing port to the north of Bremen, on the river Wesel
Elena of London (Herreshoff 2009) Gaff rig schooner. Built in 2009, Elena is a meticulous reconstruction of the 1928 transatlantic race record holder of the same name. 55 m. Steel hull.
Naema (Mylne 2013) gaff rig schooner, 41 m, steel hull. Previous name: Noelani
Orianda Schooner (Dahlstrom 1937). 26 m. Built in Denmark for the country’s royal family. Built of oak.
Puritan Gaff rig schooner (Alden 1930) 36 m. Steel hull, served as a patrol boat for the US coastguard during the war
Shenandoah of Sark Gaff rig schooner – three master (Ferris 1902). 54 m. Steel hull. Weight: 300 tonnes!
Viveka (Payne 1929) Marconi schooner with staysails. 25 m with no boom on the foremast. Cedar and mahogany hull on an oak frame.

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Impressions:
Georges Korhel, Principal Race Officer
“We switched today’s starts around so the Classic yachts were invited to set sail from 11:00 hours, whilst the Modern yachts were scheduled in from…