Ann's Blog
Falmouth Harbour, Antigua:
April 24, 2011
How the other half lives
Forget boat shows. To my mind, the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta offers the finest boat gawking a person can get. The entries in this year’s Classic, which ended last week, ranged from 26 ft. to 140 ft., from sloops to schooners, one more lovely than the next. Exquisite lines, varnish so deep it seems bottomless – and so perfect it inspires awe (especially the varnish jobs on the boats that are maintained by their owners, not by hired professionals). Clearly, they just don’t build ’em like they used to. I’ll be posting more of Steve’s photos of the regatta soon, but today I want to tell you about Stormy Weather.
I was salivating to get a close-up look at this storied 54 ft. yawl, designed in 1933 and launched in 1934, not just because she’s gorgeous, not just because she’s one of the most famous and most successful ocean racing yachts ever built, but also because I felt a special connection with her: She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens – just like our own beloved Receta.
most successful racing yachts.
The comparison, I’m afraid, stops there. Sure, we think Receta has beautiful lines and sails like a dream, but Stormy Weather makes the hairs on your arms stand up and your heart beat a little faster. In fact, Stormy Weather is said to have been one of Olin Stephens’ favourite designs. She placed first in her class in this year’s regatta, and third in the regatta’s singlehanded race, sailed by her captain, Tarquin Place, who’s from Tasmania.
Tarquin skippered her during the Antigua Classic Regatta's
singlehanded race, and took third.
Winning ways, classic lines, impeccable varnish: Awesome, but not enough for me: I wanted to see the galley. I was sure this gorgeous thoroughbred would have an amazing galley, completely different from Receta’s mingy little one-person-only space.
Wrong. The galley – also varnished within an inch of its life – is not much larger than mine. In fact, the stovetop (two-burner), oven, and sink are smaller than Receta’s. But it turns out that Captain Tarquin isn’t merely a first-class skipper and racer, he’s a kitchen magician.
turned out lunch for 20 in Stormy Weather's teensy galley
Even beyond the galley, the belowdecks space is modest. In fact, they don’t build ’em like they used to. Classic yachts lack the interior volume of similarly sized modern boats.
standards, but her seaworthiness,
speed, and classic good looks
are unbeatable
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This boat gawker’s humble opinion: Clear and definite family resemblance between STORMY WEATHER and RECETA. Unmistakable tiny transom, bootstripe curve and graceful sheer. Circumstantial evidence–both in Antigua at the same time. Coincidence? I think not!