Three races.  Three bullets! What’s more, the gleaming watch on George’s wrist is none other than a new Panerai Luminor, and it comes with no shortage of people asking the time.  Yes, Argentario Sailing Week was a stellar success for the good ship Mariquita her owners, and her crew.  To boot, we had Classic Boat’s very own Dan Houston on board, jumping right into the midst of the middeck bustle and seeing how all the gears of Mariquita come together to form the whole.

 

 

Jutting out from the southwest corner of the Tuscan coast, Porto Santo Stefano has always been a favorite of the Classic fleet.  It’s quiet ambience sits in counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of Monaco, Cannes, and St. Tropez.  Yet, it entertains with all the energy of a big city as sailors pour off their passarelles and into the bars across the street.  At Il Grottino, the nibbles are never-ending and there’s more gin than tonic in the glasses.  The instruments come out and the crews jam into the night as locals and sailors alike watch, sing, and laugh, and carry on.

 

 

On the water, the Bay of Talamone offered conditions that had ‘Mariquita’ written all over it.  Lovely thermal breezes and flat water meant that we were in our element, and we made full use of it.   With both Cambria and Shamrock on the water, the latter keeping her cutter rig in salute to the former, the lightwind racing was close between the three boats.  On a course where the legs were primarily beats and reaches, all eyes were on the trim and the ever-present threat of a wind shift.  The beautiful Fife Halloween also gave us a run for our money, providing great boat-on-boat racing like in the photo to the left.  At one point, we put the kettle on so we could hand across a few cups of tea!

 

When all three yachts went to fetch south along the sandy coast, some of the best photos of the regatta were realised.   With the sun scattering off the water, and all three boats lined up with the light, people across the bay scrambled for their cameras.  It was here that some glimpsed the essence of classic racing; that the beauty of these boats is timeless, and so very necessary to remember where racing has come from.

With hawk-eyed tactics, we were able to work Mariquita through the many holes in the breeze, and each day we made sure that our bowsprit was the very first over the line.  We had our perfect conditions and we didn’t let them go unused.  A huge ‘well done’ to all in the fleet, and an equally big thanks to all of our superb race crew.  As always, we cannot get that boat across the course without you, you are just as much a part of this boat as anyone.

So off to the tent for prizegiving, smiles all around and a watch on George’s wrist!  Many thanks to the amazing town of Argentario, you always throw a great bash. We’ve had a great time in 2014 and we hope we’ll see you once again next year.  In the meantime we’re off to celebrate with a glass of prosecco (or two), and to bid farewell to Tuscany for now.  Ciao!