“Modern Tradition” starting group is the largest class at the regatta (as of June 4), with 17 yachts enrolled. Photo Credit: Alison Langley
Together, this enthusiastic team has produced the only premier Big-Tent regatta event of its kind. By combining CRF and PHRF fleets, we have participants enjoying a unique sailing competition with over 100 boats spanning 12 decades of design – classic, vintage, custom, and production boats all in one venue.
MARILEE, a Herreshoff New York 40, built in 1926. Photo Credit: Alison Langley.
As of June 6, the event has an impressive 74 yachts enrolled with dozens more expected to join before the starting gun is fired.
The “Modern Tradition” starting group is the largest class at the regatta (as of June 4), with 17 yachts enrolled. “Modern Tradition is a grouping of the CRF Modern Classic, CRF Contemporary and CRF Spirit of Tradition Divisions. The three divisions will sail together with an award given for top performance in the over-arching class and also trophies given for each CRF division.
In Modern Tradition, we find four Modern Classics, three Contemporaries, and ten Spirit of Tradition boats, showing that each of these divisions is prospering.
Modern Classics are yachts designed prior to 1980, with fin keels and separate rudders. The Contemporary division includes yachts whose hulls are built of wood, with fin keels and contemporary style. Spirit of Tradition yachts are modern designs whose hull shape and aesthetic cues connect with traditional yacht or workboat style.
Our own 46-ft Spirit of Tradition, ZINGARA. Photo Credit: Alison Langley
The next largest class is PHRF Racing, ensuring great competition and providing a chance for a wide swathe of mainstream sailors to enjoy the experience of sailing with some remarkable classics from a century ago.
Notable among these classics are MARILEE, a Herreshoff New York 40, built in 1926 and lovingly restored in recent years by French and Webb of Belfast; GLEAM, a 1937 12-meter, designed by Clinton Crane and built by the legendary Nevins yard on City Island, NY; three (so far) iconic Concordia yawls sailing in their own class; the majestic Alden schooner LIONS WHELP; and a diverse collection of classic daysailers including for the first time the Islesboro fleet of Dark Harbor 20’s, smart S&S designs from the 1930’s. Sparkman and Stephens is far and away the most-represented design firm on the scratch sheet, testifying to the prolific nature of the venerable firm’s output over nearly a century.
Several Stephens Waring projects are found in the scratch sheet, including our own company yacht, the 45-foot SoT sloop, ZINGARA, re-rigged last year with higher-performance square-top sloop rig
The venerable flagship is ANNA, our award-winning 65-foot sloop built in 2018 by Lyman-Morse. We’re expecting its newly-launched cousin 39-ft WISP to be sailing and ready to view dockside as well. The Center Harbor 31 SENSHIN will be racing in PHRF, sporting its Stephens-Waring-redesigned keel and rudder that transformed its sailing ability a few years ago. And POLLY, the Vintage Davis/Nevins classic, will be sporting its towering wooden mast with a section designed by Stephens Waring a decade ago.
There’s still room to flesh out the scratch sheet for the July 25-27 event—so come and join the action. And, of course, we would love you to stop by ZINGARA to say hi to Bob and Paul.