The document summarizes a classic yacht regatta called the Pendennis Cup held in Falmouth, UK in August. Several large classic yachts ranging in size from 19 meters to 39.5 meters participated in the regatta over 5 days of competitive racing. Strong winds caused damage to some of the yachts but overall it was an exciting event. The 39.5 meter yacht Altair came out as the overall winner, taking the Pendennis Cup trophy. The regatta had a collegial atmosphere among the experienced crews.

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ugust marked the first ever Pendennis Cup regatta in Falmouth.
Struggling with damp conditions, our hosts buoyed up spirits with a
marvellous welcoming barbecue at The Royal Cornwall Yacht Club,
where crew enjoyed their burgers along with far-reaching views of the bay. This
was a gang of sailors with ebullient spirits and a tough edge, many of whom
were old racing hands from the Maxi circuit. Several of the yachts in the fleet
had just competed in the Fife Regatta in Scotland and were in fine fettle. The
usual suspects were there, including Adix, Altair, Mariette of 1915, Mariquita and
The Lady Anne. Additionally, the smaller Lutine and Kelpie were poised to give
the bigger yachts a run for their money.
All five days saw competitive racing, although on both Tuesday and Saturday
the fleet was diminished due to strong winds gusting as much as a Force eight.
Throughout the regatta the dominant yachts were Altair, Mariette and Mariquita
but considering their IRC ratings Lutine and Kelpie held their own against the
big girls. The Lady Anne and Adix had a less successful week but contributed to
an inspiring fleet.
The windy conditions made for a dramatic regatta with its fair share of
breakages. On Tuesday Adix damaged her foretopsail and Mariette broke her
foremast gaff, forcing her to retire. Her run of bad luck continued on Thursday
when one of her trimmers lost a finger, giving crew a sharp reminder of the
power of sheet loads. On Saturday, to add to Mariette’s woes, she damaged her
fore mainsail leaving her underpowered.
This month The Crew Report sent Crew Correspondent
Jude Benning down to Cornwall to experience the
Pendennis Cup, a classic yacht regatta that was neither
short of drama nor excitement despite the best efforts of
the British summer weather to intervene!
On Tuesday I hitched a lift with the obliging crew
of the 39.5-m Altair to join the action from the front
line. Suddenly I was plunged into a very different
world to the small sailing boats I am used to.
These large classic yachts require a unique and
complex vocabulary (I mean both literally and
metaphorically). Each function has a designated
team of committed crew that runs the yacht like
an efficient and well-oiled sailing machine; add
the brains of Captain Stephane Benfield, tactician
Mark Kennedy and navigator Russell Whitworth
and you have a winning combination. Altair’s crew
refined their performance from day one with better
communication and timing to come out as the
overall victor and take home the Pendennis Cup.
I felt privileged to be aboard a vessel where the true
skill of high-performance sailing was showcased.
Classic yacht regattas definitely have a different
feel to them. The crews are old friends, with rock-
solid bonds forged by mutual extreme experiences;
once you get to know them you’ll find loyal
friends for life. This was reflected in the après-sail
atmosphere where crew mucked in to scrub decks
and polish wood interiors, later enjoying a cold
beer lounging on sail bags. The reluctance of the
crew to leave their yachts illustrated the fondness
they have for these “old ladies” and the team spirit
fostered amongst the crew. The bowman of Altair,
Cappa, told me that crew on the Classics treat
the yachts with great respect whereas they can
be rougher with plastic boats, which can be more
easily repaired.
It will be a while until we see so many great classic
yachts in British waters as the Fife Regatta is
only every five years and the next Pendennis Cup
will be in 2010. In the meantime, the Classics will
be sailing back to the Med for the imminent Les
Voiles de Saint Tropez Regatta where the sailors
celebrate the end of the season with a huge party
before settling on which crew will be delivering
which yachts across the Pond.
Images courtesy of J. Ratcliffe
Ladies Who Launch
The Pendennis Cup
Yacht IRC Rating Total Points Nett Overall
Rank
Altair 1.181 12 6 1
Mariette of 1915 1.225 15 10 2
Lutine 0.988 14 10 3
Mariquita 1.25 23 15 4
Kelpie 0.978 28 20 5
Adix 1.444 29 21 6
The Lady Anne 1.164 30 22 7
The winning Altair team
The Lady Anne, 28-m gaff cutter, jostling for position on the start line on port with Adix
This sailing malarkey is not for the faint-
hearted! One of Mariette’s trimmers was
unlucky to lose a finger
A casualty of the high winds: Mariette’s gaff
From the back of the fleet going forward: Kelpie, The Lady Anne, Altair,
Mariette and Mariquita in the lead.
Mariquita, 19-m classic gaff cutter, on the downwind leg of
the regatta
Adix, a 64-m gaff rigged, fully powered up in 25+ knots of wind
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