OFFICINE PANERAI ANNOUNCES 2015 CALENDAR

OFFICINE PANERAI ANNOUNCES THE 2015 CALENDAR FOR THE LEADING INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC YACHT CIRCUIT WHICH THE FLORENTINE LUXURY SPORTS WATCH-MAKER IS SPONSORING FOR THE 11TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

There remains one area of competitive sport in which beauty still prevails over performance, elegance trumps speed and passion counts more than investment. This is the world of classic sailing, in which the Florentine luxury sports watch-maker Officine Panerai is the undisputed protagonist through its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the leading international circuit of its kind.

A year on from the circuit’s 10th anniversary, celebrated via the “10 Years of Passion” campaign, Officine Panerai is pleased to announce the stages for the 2015 season during which enthusiasts will once again see these Grandes Dames of the Sea do battle on some of the world’s most beautiful and historic stretches of water for the coveted Panerai watches and other prizes.

As per tradition, the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge gets underway in April with the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (15 – 21 of the month). This year brings the 28th edition of the event which has been attracting dozens of boats to English Harbour to celebrate the end of the Caribbean season since 1967.

The Mediterranean Circuit commences on the Cote d’Azur in June with Les Voiles d’Antibes (3 – 7 June) and also encompasses such evocative and historic events as the Argentario Sailing Week in Italy (18 – 21 June), the Copa del Rey de Barcos d’Epoca on the island of Minorca, Spain (25 – 29 August) and, finally, Les Régates Royales de Cannes (22 – 26 September), which closes the competition and includes the final prize-giving ceremony. Also taking part in the Mediterranean Circuit will be Eilean, the 1936 Bermudan ketch Officine Panerai rescued from a state of advanced disrepair and restored with extraordinary meticulousness, returning what is one of William Fife III’s final designs to her original splendour.

Right at the heart of the American summer will be the three regattas comprising the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge North American Circuit: the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta at Marblehead (7 – 9 August), the Opera House Cup at Nantucket (12 – 16 August) and the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta at Newport (4 – 6 September).

In the month of July, the waters of the Solent around the Isle of Wight (United Kingdom) play host to the only European round of Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge taking place outside the Mediterranean: the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes (18 – 25 July).

“Every classic boat,” declared Officine Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati, “is entirely unique and different from the rest. Each one has its own authentic details and allure, the fruit of its history and the skill of the shipwrights that built it. The beauty, elegance and craftsmanship of a classic boat are an expression of deep-seated human and seafaring values that are an inextricable part of the Panerai brand’s identity and which we intend to continue promoting through the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge”.