Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, here’s who won

The 18th edition of the Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, which saw eighty “ladies of the sea” compete in the Ligurian capital, ended on Sunday. Here are all the winners, category by category:

BIG BOAT – Moonbeam IV (Loug Rives)
CLASSICS 1 – Namib (Peter Bianchi
CLASSICS 2 – Naif (Ivan Gardini)
CLASSICS 3 – Huna II (Sandro Cepollina)
EPOCA AURICI – Olympian (Philippe Oddo)
EPOCA MARCONI – Sirius (Paul Zannoni)
IOR – Miss K (Piermarco Babando)
SPIRIT OF TRADITION – Kis (Theo Danel)
SUPER BIG BOAT – Elena (Steve McLaren)

THE MOST ELEGANT OF ALL
It is Olympian, a 16.76-meter hull from the 1913 design of William Gardner, winner in the Aurici class, that won the Elegance Award of the 18th edition of the Vele d’Epoca di Imperia – Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge. The boat flies the French flag and the owner and skipper is named Philippe Oddo. Absolute debutante, participating in a gathering of historic sailing ships for the first time. The rating was virtually unanimous, reporting a score of 178.5 out of 180 points.

These are the requirements for winning the elegance award:

-divided in order and equal for all
-arrangement of the crew in ascending order
-clean boat in perfect condition
-flag of pappa lowered at salute
-flag hoisted immediately after the salute
-respect for evolution in the waters of the harbor.
-greeting the jury

Racing starts today for the 18th edition of Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, the event reserved for Italy’s busiest vintage hulls, valid as the fifth stage of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge circuit. There are 80 boats at the start in this edition, which also celebrates 10 years of partnership with Officine Panerai.

THE KENNEDY BOAT
Among the many participating boats, divided into the categories Vintage, Classic, Big Boats and Super Big Boats (over 30 meters), the Manitou deserves special mention. It measures 62 feet overall, 44 at waterline, 13 at maximum beam and 9 in draft. She would be a ‘queen of the sea’ like any other except that the yacht in question belongs to the Kennedy family. The ‘Manitou’ served as a ‘floating White House’ during the time of John F. Kennedy. A super luxury yacht that James Lowe, Kennedy’s grandson decided to undergo a lengthy restoration. And then Chinook, Syrius, Namib, Bufeo Blanco, the Moor of Venice, Eilean, Mariquita, Halloween, and many others to make the Anselmi cove docks a unique spectacle.

THE VINTAGE SAILS
Created in 1986, the Imperia Vintage Sails Gathering soon became a key event on the calendar of events dedicated to historic boats. In early September, it brings together many of the leading protagonists of racing and yachting in the first half of the last century. Starting with the eighth edition, the Imperia Gathering has taken place every two years – it is then held only in even-numbered years, alternating with Le Vele d’Epoca in Porto Rotondo – and is now certainly, of its kind, one of the most important events in the Mediterranean in terms of participation and strong seafaring tradition.

(Photo: imperiapost.co.uk)