7 January saw the start of the Transat Classique 2015, an international transoceanic regatta reserved exclusively for classic and vintage yachts, sponsored for the second consecutive edition by Officine Panerai. A marvellous fleet of classic sailing yachts has set off from the island of Lanzarote and will engage in a challenge over 2,800 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Fort-de- France, Martinique, the port of arrival for the 2015 Panerai Transat Classique. Three years on from the success of the Bermudian ketch White Dolphin, which in 2012 was the first to reach the island of Barbados where the previous edition ended, a new fleet of ladies of the sea will compete under the banner of courage, passion and heroism, but also of the timeless elegance that makes every vintage sailing boat unique. Also for the 2015 edition, in addition to the honour of victory, the owner of the winning boat will win an exclusive watch from the Officine Panerai collections. "Competition develops the adrenaline rush that only those who push themselves to the limits can know. When you combine the discipline of sailing with the cohesion of a crew working in harmony in pursuit of a common goal, the ocean becomes the most marvellous of playing fields," said Olivier Pécoux, President of the Atlantic Yacht Club, the yacht club that organised the 2008 and 2012 editions of the race, with the technical and organisational support of Comet Organisation. The Atlantic Yacht Club's partnership with Officine Panerai began in 2012 and was a natural extension of the Florentine haute horlogerie sports maison's commitment to classic sailing. Officine Panerai is in fact already an undisputed protagonist in this world thanks to its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the main international regatta circuit reserved for vintage sailing yachts. "Elegance, history, craftsmanship, uniqueness. The allure of vintage sailing stems from its eternal values, which are the same as those of haute horlogerie sport. The Panerai Transat Classique 2015 is an event that not only expresses all these values, but also brings with it the great passion for the sea, the sense of challenge, the audacity of facing the ocean," said Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai. The fleet of boats that will compete along the transatlantic route includes yachts of different sizes and from various eras of yachting history. The oldest is the extraordinary auric schooner Adventuress, built in 1924 by the legendary Scottish naval designer William Fife III. At 31 metres long, it is second in size only to the other Fife-designed schooner in the race, Altair of 1931, which measures over 40 metres. Another brilliant hull designer will be competing with two of his jewels: New Yorker Olin Stephens, creator of the 1971 yawl Amazon and the 1975 sloop Gweneven. Among the other boats in the regatta is another hull that is well known in the Panerai regatta circuit: The Blue Peter, a 1930 Cutter Marconi with very elegant lines. Classic sailing enthusiasts can follow the progress of the competition at all times on the website www.paneraitransatclassique.comcontinuously updated and full of information on the race, all participants and the start and finish locations. The boats are scheduled to arrive in Martinique by the end of January 2015.
