White Dolphin has won the Panerai Transat Classique 2012, the spectacular transatlantic race for classic and vintage yachts organised by the Atlantic Yacht Club and sponsored by Officine Panerai. As her prize, the 1967 Marconi ketch takes home the Luminor 1950 Rattrapante 8 Days Titanio – 47mm a Special Edition watch created by Panerai for the event and featuring the Transat Classique logo on its case-back. Having started from Cascais (in Portugal) at exactly midday on December 2nd, White Dolphin sailed into Barbados at 15.49 December 23rd ahead of Corto. The latter sloop herself passed out the oldest member of the fleet, The Blue Peter (1930), which finished third.

The Panerai Transat Classique Winner - White Dolphin

During the prize-giving ceremony, which was held in the superb setting of the Beach House decorated in the Panerai colours for the occasion, the atmosphere was particularly emotional. Those present were extremely touched by the very visible nervousness of Elizabeth and Matthew Kelman, 7 and 6 years old respectively, as they collected their special prize. The good-humoured competitiveness of the sailors was also on display, especially in the case of two crews who fought a veritable race-within-a-race. Gérald Ravache, the young proprietor of Gimcrack, presented Maurice Benzaquen, owner of Cipango, with a piece of… the spinnaker halyard and snap hook that gave way during the latter stages of the race to deprive them of any hope of crossing the line before their closest rival. This offering was also a symbol of how the crews pushed their steeds hard but always in full knowledge of their limits. Indeed, very little was broken on the boats and none of the sailors was injured.

For some of the competitors, a new voyage begins now as they set sail for the Grenadines, while others head for Martinique. For The Blue Peter the future is the Caribbean racing season which starts on 21 January with the Barbados Round the Island Race — Valteam is also entering — followed by the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, one of the main events of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge. The yachts will be keeping busy until the next edition of this wonderful race.

Final positions of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012

Source: Sparkle PR Solutions for Panerai