Moonbeam IV (Big Boats), Chinook (Vintage Yachts), Il Moro di Venezia I (Classic Yachts) and Kookaburra III (Spirit of Tradition) emerged as the winners of the coveted Panerai watches at the 19th Veled’Epoca di Imperia, which finished on September 11 at Imperia (Italy). The fleet competing in the third Mediterranean round of the 2016 Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge raced over a mix of coastal and triangular courses in superbly sunny weather and winds of around 15 knots.
The extraordinarily spectacular sight afforded by the 70 participating boats attracted not just thousands of sailing professionals and enthusiasts but also one very special guest: New Zealand yachtsman Russell Coutts who was in Toulon for the America’s Cup World Series but made the trip to Imperia to compete aboard Eilean, Officine Panerai’s own 1936 yacht. Coutts, who won gold in the 1984 Olympics and is a five-time America’s Cup winner, is one of the living legends of international sailing. However, Imperia was the first time he had helmed a vintage craft in competition, something he did with great success as Eilean took one second and two firsts in her category in her three races.
