Regata Royales –Trophee Prada

by Isabelle Andrieux on 23 Sep 2000 " The Régates Royales event means competitive racing without taking oneself
seriously !". It’s been twenty years now since Jean-Pierre Odéro started
organising the Régates Royales using all his skill. This year again, he will be
helming the Committee Boat, his well-known Corb.

The 2000 edition of the Régates-Royales – Trophée Prada welcomes over 180
yachts from 14 countries and some 1,500 crewmembers.

This genuine competition is open to three yacht classes : the Dragons, the
Metrics and the Vintage.

THE DRAGONS : on Sunday 24 and Friday 29 September, the elite will take
part in the France Championship. The 2000 edition already beats the entry
records - 78 yachts are expected to come with many Olympic, European and
World champions aboard.

THE METRIC CLASSES : this year, the 6 M JI, 8 MJI and 12 MJI take part
‘en masse’. As far as the 12 M JI are concerned, a few crews from the last
America’s Cup are also present, such as Marc Pajot, the skipper of Vanity V,
a 1936 Fife, or Luna Rossa Italian crew aboard – which sounds quite
paradoxical !- Kiwi Magic. Aboard the 8 M JI, Philippe Monnet, who broke the
around-the-world sailing single-handed record from East to West. This local
man, who is used to joining the " Royales " will be helming his own yacht,
Mykonos, the 8 M JI built in the thirties.

VINTAGE YACHTS : After Imperia and Monaco, around 70 vintage and
classic yachts, who sprang from legendary architects’ pens, have invaded the
old harbour of Cannes that is already full. From Tuesday 26 on and for a whole
week, these outstanding ships will race together offering a wonderful show.

With this leg of the " Prada Challenge for Classic Yachts ", the connoisseurs
and the public will discover or re-discover yachts, who exert great fascination.
Latifa, a new competitor, is a Fife 23 metre long Marconi yawl built in 1936
who won many regattas before and after the war. She also took part in spying
operations in the Irish waters seeking German submarines’ secret basis.

Tamara IX is a metric class yacht and a very rare 15.50-metre-long " 9 Metre
Crusing " by Christian Jensen, who was built in Norway in 1933. Luckily
enough, she was bought by Doug Peterson himself. Now that she was refitted
in 1999 at the Cantiere Navale dell’Argentario, the America’s Cup renowned
architect, will be helming her during the 2000 circuit.