Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Cowes 2011

Whether you are a boating enthusiast, luxury enthusiast or both there is every chance you would have heard of Panerai. Perhaps best known for their collection of classic luxury watches originally designed for the Italian Navy back in 1890, Panerai is now a brand respected across every continent and high sea for quality and classic opulence. A Panerai watch is something most sailors aspire to and for good reason, they are beautifully crafted and often fetch tens of thousands of pounds.

But possibly what Panerai have become most famous for in recent times is its global classic yacht regattas. Each year, 500 of the world`s most beautifully preserved classic yachts take part in challenges in ten locations that have made yachting history. It is the only race circuit of its kind and attracts over 5,000 international sailors and classic boat owners who religiously take part in regattas around the world each year.

We were recently invited to the Panerai British Classic Week, which took place in Cowes 17th – 23rd July. The event is renowned for attracting some of the UK`s most famous classic yachts, many dating back to late 1900. Yachts are typically put into classes according to build type, weight and age and then raced against each other. There are (as you would expect) a number of rules for entry boats to abide by which are in keeping with traditional sailing practices, which obviously help in retaining the heritage of the brand and most importantly, the global event circuit itself.

If you haven`t yet experienced Panerai in Cowes (or indeed anywhere else in the world) then you simply must. It`s a celebration of elegance and tradition that mainly attracts yachts from Northern Europe, a strong contingent from the UK obviously. Panerai sets up base at Cowes Yacht Haven in Cowes for a week, which sees not only classic yachts sail into, but this year also attracted a wide variety of classic cars from the Historic Rallying Endurance Organisation, which begin their summer reliability trial followed by a tour of the Isle of Wight.

What was so apparent from attending the Panarai Classic Yachts Challenge in Cowes was the sheer amount of restoration that these boats undertake each year (some actually taking 5 years or longer to restore), with costs running into hundreds of thousands of pounds – they are stunning to look at, but even more impressive to watch sail – as if time has stood still! We were lucky enough to be able to follow the spectacle in a the comfort of a large powerboat, which got us up and personal with the teams and their boats.

Possibly the most famous yacht in attendance in 2011 was Gypsy Moth, which received extensive TV and national press coverage having suffered extensive rig damage whilst participating in a recent race. She still made an appearance however.

We`ll certainly be attending next year!