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• Superyachts

ATLANTE Yacht – Impeccable $40M Superyacht

The masculine yacht features exterior design from Nuvolari Lenard and naval architecture from CRN Engineering.

The magnificent yacht features a luxurious interior design from Gilles & Boissier. ATLANTE was delivered in 2015 from CRN’s Italian shipyard. She is cutting-edge and impressive for all to see on the water.

ATLANTE yacht interior

The interior of the ATLANTE yacht was designed by Dorothée Boissier and Patrick Gilles from Gilles & Boissier . The design team collaborated with CRN’s in-house design team.

She has accommodation for 12 guests in 5 suites which are configured as one master suite and 4 VIP suites.

The master suite is a full-beam accommodation with a contemporary design and a masculine style.

The room features a full-beam ensuite. The four guest cabins are found on the lower deck and share a similar style to the master with smoked oak, brushed silver fir tones, and white Calcutta Vagli marble.

The ATLANTE yacht has crew accommodation for 13 on the lower deck, ensuring guests have the most luxurious superyacht experience.

While the yacht’s exterior features bold and aggressive lines, the interior is meant for pleasure, comfort, style, safety, and fun onboard.

The vessel has a touch-and-go helicopter pad for a helicopter of up to three tonnes. The main deck can be used for many purposes: as storage for tenders, an alfresco dining area, a cinema, or a private saloon.

There is a formal dining area that is located forward the wheelhouse. ATLANTE has an outstanding wellness feature: a gym, a spa with a massage table, a Turkish bath, and a pool.

The beach club makes for an excellent indoor/outdoor area to enjoy the sea views and surrounding areas. The elevator makes it easy for guests to move throughout the five decks of the yacht.

She features a wide selection of water toys for guests to be entertained by. The superyacht’s interior is impressive and luxurious with its gentleman-styled interiors and matching artwork.

The ATLANTE yacht has a stunning exterior that is a match for her lavish interior. She features exterior design from Nuvolari Lenard that penned cool, striking, and stylish lines of ATLANTE. CRN designed the naval architecture.

She was built by the Italian shipyard CRN, which is known for its luxurious builds and quality.

She was delivered in 2015 and has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure that are eye-catching and imposing on the water.

The decks are teak throughout the yacht. The dark tones of ATLANTE’s exterior add to the military-like features of the vessel’s visage on the water.

Specifications

The ATLANTE yacht is 55m with a 10.2m beam and a 3.1m draft. She has a cruising speed of 14 knots and a top speed of 15 knots with her two Caterpillar engines .

ATLANTE has a cruising range of 4200 nautical miles at 12 knots and has a displacement of 1024 gross tons.

She has a Lloyd’s Register classification and is MCA compliant. The $40 million superyacht has an annual $2 – $4 million running cost.

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• Atlante Yacht
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• Gilles & Boissier
• Nuvolari Lenard
• Remo Ruffini

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The History of Moncler

How did Remo Ruffini turn the humble down jacket into a multibillion-dollar empire?

Remo Ruffini, with his yacht the Atlante and crew, in Capri.

Remo and Francesca Ruffini, at a friend’s wedding

The couple, with their dog Ulisse, in Saint-Moritz.

Ruffini and sons Pietro (right) and Romeo, in Saint-Moritz, 2014.

Pietro and Romeo, with the Atlante, in Capri.

Pietro, in Saint-Moritz, 2015.

The family, on the Atlante.

At the Lake Como house, a corridor with potted palms.

Francesca and Ulisse, by the pool

Classical touches abound.

An 
exterior view.

A sitting area.

A Moncler promotional poster, 1952.

The French National Ski Team wearing Moncler, 1966.

Jacqueline Kennedy in Moncler, late 1950s.

A catalog cover, 1960.

An advertisement from the mid-’80s.

Moncler Gamme Rouge, spring 2016.

Moncler Gamme Rouge, spring 2011.

Moncler Grenoble, fall 2016.

Moncler Grenoble, fall 2011.

Moncler Gamme Bleu, spring 2012, with Ruffini and Thom Browne.

Moncler Gamme Bleu, fall 2015.

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Parent item expand the sub menu, dvf, oprah winfrey on venice, the american dream, kamala harris, the rise of boutique communication agencies offering ‘in-house’ solutions, france’s top design fair maison&objet gets a makeover, moncler’s remo ruffini provides superyacht for the heart fund’s benefit in cannes.

Peter Lindbergh photographed model Inna Zobova, a heart surgery survivor, for The Heart Fund's new awareness campaign.

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ON DECK IN CANNES : For its fifth annual benefit, The Heart Fund will be counting on some generous people for this week’s fund-raiser in Cannes with Moncler chairman and chief executive officer Remo Ruffini being first in line.

The billionaire titan will be providing the location — his 180-foot motor superyacht “Atlante” — for Wednesday’s Generous People gala “The Big Blue” benefit, which is expected to attract 100 supporters. Leonardo DiCaprio , Inna Zobova, her filmmaker husband Bruno Aveillan and Eva Cavalli are among the 100 guests who have been invited to help children suffering from heart disease. Having had heart surgery as a child due to the fact that she was born with a hole in her heart, Zobova said she can relate to the ordeal that many youngsters around the world are dealing with. To share her success story, her husband made a short film for the nonprofit and photographer Peter Lindbergh shot Zobova with her scar clearly exposed for an awareness campaign for The Heart Fund. She said via e-mail Monday, “I wish with my example to spread an awareness in the world that someone who went through all this is not a handicap. I wish to see more people living happier, fuller lives to see them in faith and in a strong mind-set, because they know my story. They know that it is possible.”

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Cate blanchett goes strapless in armani privé and suits up in moschino polka dots at 2024 venice film festival, louis vuitton sails into barcelona for a high-tech america's cup.

This week’s dinner party will be the first time the benefit will be held on the water during Cannes . (The Heart Fund’s south of France fund-raiser is one of two held annually with the other being in St. Bart’s over the holidays.) Many at Wednesday’s gathering may have questions for Aveillan about his next project — directing “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 2″ for Paramount. In addition to The Heart Fund, the filmmaker has worked with luxury companies such as Cartier , Louis Vuitton and Swarovski for short films.

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Supporters recently returned from a two-week trip to Haiti where 100 people were helped by health officials, said Dr. David Luu, a cardiac surgeon who founded The Heart Fund. Model Alina Baikova and actor Jimmy Jean-Louis were a few of the high-profile travelers who participated in the trip. The nonprofit has a mobile medical clinic and is equipping a jet with cardiological diagnosis technologies to broaden its reach. The group also offers telemedicine services.

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The Superyacht Owners Leading the Coronavirus Relief Effort

Some of the world’s most successful businesspeople are making pledges and donations in the global relief effort against the COVID-19 pandemic...

Roman Abramovich , who owns Chelsea Football Club and the 162 metre superyacht Eclipse , has offered NHS staff working in London free accommodation at his Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge over the next two months. The gesture will help shorten the commutes of hospital workers and relieve some of the pressure on the NHS.

Remo Ruffini , chairman and CEO of luxury retailer Moncler and owner of the CRN Atlante , has announced the company will donate €10 million to authorities for the construction of a new hospital in the Lombardy region of Italy, one of the hardest hit areas in the country. The funds will go towards 400 new intensive care beds as part of a 270,000-square-foot facility being constructed in the former Fiera Milano exhibition area.

US scientist and superyacht owner  Jonathan Rothberg  is developing an at-home COVID-19 test kit that can tell if someone has the virus within 30 minutes. From the science lab on board his 55 metre Amels motor yacht  Gene Machine , he came up with the idea to manufacture a low cost COVID-19 home testing kit where results could be read on a smartphone. He put a call out on Twitter for experts who have experience launching apps online and is working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop the test.

Italian fashion designer  Giorgio Armani , owner of 65 metre Codecasa  Main , has donated €1.25 million to three hospitals in Milan, the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Disease in Rome and to the Italian civil protection agency.

LVMH director  Bernard Arnault , owner of 101m Feadship Symphony , announced that the luxury goods conglomerate will begin to manufacture hand sanitiser in three of its makeup and fragrance production facilities to keep up with demand. The product will be distributed for free to French authorities and a network of hospitals in France.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe , superyacht owner and backer of Britain's America's Cup bid, has announced that his chemical engineering company INEOS will build new sites in both the UK and Germany that will each produce one million bottles of hand sanitiser a month. Supplies will be delivered free of charge to NHS hospitals and hospitals in Germany during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Arthur Blank , owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team, has pledged $5.4 million from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation towards recovery assistance during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The funds will be given to the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund and used to tackle issues such as food insecurity, housing stability and medical support.

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REDD' N UP Boat for Sale

29' gorbon | 2004 | $169,995.

• Yachts for sale

Redd' N Up

Last updated Jan 16, 2024

Redd' N Up Boat | 29' Gorbon 2004

A high-quality, Turkish built picnic boat at less than half the price of a Hinckley 29 Talaria.

She is in "Turn Key" condition. Motor serviced in February 2023 and full detail in May 2023. Open checkbook policy owner and extensively refurbished over the last 3 years including all new Awlgrip hull paint, all exterior brightwork sanded to bare wood and 5 coats of varnish and clear coat applied, new engine turbo charger, new Sidewinder stern thruster, new Clarion Bluetooth enabled stereo, new Horizon VHF, new ProMariner battery charger.

Economical 240 hp Yanmar (5 gph @ 21 kts) inboard)

Very smooth riding day cruiser that turns heads wherever she goes.  She is one of the most aesthetically pleasing pocket yachts on the market.

Reason for selling is owner is moving home to Pittsburg from Florida to be with his family. 

**Elegance Meets Performance: 2004 Gorbon 295 Hinckley Style Picnic 29 - Yanmar 4LHA-STP - Only 605 Hours**

Cruise in timeless style and experience outstanding performance with the 2004 Gorbon 295 Hinckley Style Picnic 29. Powered by the reliable Yanmar 4LHA-STP engine with just 605 hours, this meticulously maintained vessel seamlessly combines classic design with modern efficiency.

**Key Features:**

1. **Yanmar 4LHA-STP Engine:** Command the water with the robust and fuel-efficient Yanmar 4LHA-STP engine. Known for its reliability and smooth operation, this engine ensures a pleasurable and efficient cruising experience.

2. **Hinckley Style Design:** The Gorbon 295 embraces the classic elegance of Hinckley-style design. Crafted with attention to detail, this vessel is sure to turn heads wherever you go, offering a timeless and sophisticated look on the water.

3. **Spacious Deck Layout:** The deck layout is designed for comfort and socializing. Ample seating and a thoughtfully arranged cockpit create an inviting space for picnics, sunset cruises, and leisurely journeys.

4. **Meticulously Maintained:** With only 605 hours on the Yanmar engine, this Gorbon 295 has been meticulously maintained, ensuring reliability and performance. The vessel is ready to provide many more hours of enjoyable cruising.

5. **Classic Aesthetics:** The Gorbon 295 captures the essence of classic yacht design, combining aesthetics with functionality. Wood accents, clean lines, and quality craftsmanship define the vessel's exterior and interior spaces.

**Additional Information:**

- **Year:** 2004- **Make:** Gorbon- **Model:** 295 Hinckley Style Picnic 29- **Engine:** Yanmar 4LHA-STP (605 Hours)- **Length:** 29 feet- **Condition:** Meticulously Maintained, Classic Design

For those seeking a yacht that embodies timeless elegance and reliable performance, the 2004 Gorbon 295 Hinckley Style Picnic 29 with a Yanmar 4LHA-STP engine is an exceptional choice. Contact us today to schedule a private viewing and immerse yourself in the sophistication and charm that this Gorbon vessel offers. Elevate your on-water experience with a boat that marries classic aesthetics with modern convenience.

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by WORLDWIDE YACHT SALES INC..

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

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Redd' N Up HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 29' Gorbon 2004
• Location: Saint Petersburg, FL
• Engines: Yanmar
• Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024
• Asking Price: $169,995

Redd' N Up additional information

• Cruising Speed: 19 kn
• Beam: 9' 11''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Displacement: 7,275 lb
• Fuel Tank: 1 x 40|gallon
• Fresh Water: 1 x 13|gallon
• Holding: 1 x 25|gallon
• Double Berths: 1
• Hydraulic steering
• Side power bow thruster and Sidewinder Stern Thruster
• Jabsco manual head W/macerator, holding tank, Y-valve, overboard
• (2) Electric bilge pumps
• Manual bilge pump 
• Bilge blower
• Fume detector 
• Lenco Trim Tabs
• Toast color dodger canvas w/zip-out side panels
• Isinglass side panel inserts
• Full aft mooring/cockpit cover
• Hinckley style cockpit cushions in excellent condition
• New outside h/c shower
• Terry colored fenders
• Fiberglass hull w/Kevlar skin
• (2) opening ports and deck hatch
• Helm & companion seats reupholstered
• Teak decking throughout cockpit
• Large teak grate swim platform w/retractable swim ladder
• Transom bench seat
• Mahogony windshield
• Mahogony toe rail
• Teak cockpit
• Deck anchor locker
• Recently installed Standard Horizon VHF radio
• Raymarine Hybrid touch plotter sounder
• Ritchie compass
• Recently installed Clarion AM/FM stereo with Bluetooth
• Bose speakers
• Underwater lights
• Bow and stern thrusters
• (2) 140 amp hour batteries
• 40 amp battery charger
• 12V/110V systems
• Cozy weekender sleeps 2 in forward V-berth
• 5" high density memory foam cushions covered in blue ultra suede
• Galley aft to port
• Enclosed head w/shower to starboard
• Solid teak & holly cabin sole
• Varnished mahogany interior
• Stainless steel sink
• Isotherm 42 12V refrigerator
• Corian countertops
• Hot & cold water
• Dockside pressure water
• Water heater

Gorbon Yachts was a builder of custom and semi-custom sail and powerboats based in Istanbul, Turkey. Gorbon Yachts combines modern technology with the unique and traditional boat building skills that Turkey has to offer. Over the years, Gorbon Yachts has designed and built a range of boats including custom sail and power boats from 20 to 70 ft. using various construction methods: wood-epoxy laminating techniques, full composite and vacuum bagging methods using hi-tech materials, and traditional wooden boat construction for those who love classics.

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice. Hours on motors and generators cannot be guaranteed and what is listed may change.

A minimum of $495.00 closing fee will be added to the final total price of the vessel. Please ask your selling agent for a complete closing statement as they can change with every sale. Coast Guard Documentation, State Registration, and other fees are not included in the price of the vessel.  

Schedule a Tour of REDD' N UP

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Captained and Bareboat Yacht Charter St Petersburg FL

The wildlife and nightlife of florida’s gulf coast.

Waypoints Florida offers elevated charter experiences in St. Petersburg, FL aboard new model yachts outfitted for comfort and performance. From our charter specialists to our captains, we know the best marinas, local hotspots, and more to help you maximize your cruise on the Tampa Bay.

During your charter vacation, you will enjoy beautiful seaside towns, secluded anchorages and fine marinas, white sandy beaches, sparkling blue waters, gentle winds, dolphins, and an array of wildlife. Bring your camera to capture the unforgettable Skyway Bridge and the multitude of seabirds, including ospreys, herons, egrets, and pelicans.

This Waypoints base also offers sunset cruises and corporate team building events.

Charter St. Petersburg with Waypoints ® to Experience:

• Daily, Weekend, and Week-Long Charters 
• Skippered, Bareboat, and ASA Certification Charters
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• Yachts Equipped with Air-Conditioning and Ice Makers* 
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An Insider’s Viewpoint

“This is our second charter with Waypoints and we could not be more satisfied. Availability and pricing were clear, communication was prompt, and the staff was knowledgeable and nice. The Vinoy Marina is very convenient to a couple of airports so the crew had no problem coming in from all over the country. We think Waypoints is the best charter company available and already have another trip booked for January in St. Thomas!” Jim K.

“The entire team from the Waypoint dock manager, office staff, and dock hands as well as mechanics went above and beyond to make us have a great experience. Sailing Sereia changed me… it was such an incredible trip . With tears in my eyes, I left the boat and I have been counting the days until I can go back and sail her again. We loved all the crew we came in contact with – thank you again!” Constance M.

“We had a great experience with Waypoints Florida Yacht Charters! We spent four days in Florida on Leap of Faith and had a great time. It was our first sailing adventure. We explored Tampa Bay, Anna Maria, Egmont, Bradenton and Palma Sola. It was a great escape! “ Mark L.

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• AROUND THE SAILING WORLD
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St. Pete To Shine Again

• By Dave Reed
• February 14, 2024

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the western shore of Florida’s Tampa Bay will be the epicenter of sailboat racing this weekend when more than 240 teams across 13 one-design classes and five handicap-racing fleets get races started for the first event of the national Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in St. Petersburg . Now well into its third decade, the regatta will also mark 10 years with its title sponsor.

The Sunshine City’s motto is that St. Pete is “Always in Season,” and that is certainly the enticement for many teams traveling in from colder climes with the promise of warm breezes, stiff competition and a nightlife that’s never been more vibrant.

One such northerner is David Mierzwa, of Lake Placid, New York, who on Tuesday was behind the wheel and racing to get south of a big storm burying the mid-Atlantic and Northeast in snow and ice. Behind him was bitter cold, but ahead of him was warmth and the anticipation of his first Melges 24 Midwinter Championship at the regatta.

As a newbie to the demanding Melges 24, Mierzwa says his primary goal is to “stay out of everybody’s way,” but ultimately, he and his teammates are on a mission to learn the nuances of this high-performance keelboat from his peers.

“We’re going so we can hunt for tips, tricks and whatever makes us better,” Mierzwa says. “It’s about having the opportunity to do an event of this caliber with likeminded people, because while sailing is the goal, being surrounded by others that do the same sport is sometimes better than the sport itself.”

As the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in St. Petersburg will be his team’s first major event, he recognizes they don’t have a high enough racing pedigree to vie for the Midwinter Championship title—yet. “The only way we can get to that point is to go out there and race,” he says.

And race they will, from early Friday morning through late Sunday, alongside several other one-design classes that are the regulars of this February classic, including the S2 7.9s and the Hobie 33s , both of which will also be vying for their midwinter championship titles. 

The S2s have the returning champions of Tom and Mary Bryant’s “Team Matros” from Holland, Michigan, which won seven of eight races in 2023 to earn their berth at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Caribbean Championship last October. At each of the series’ five events one team is selected to compete in the British Virgin Islands for the overall season title.

The Hobie 33s also have their champions returning to defend— Craig and Deborah Wilusz’s “Hoof Hearted”—but this year there’s a new and unknown challenger from Waxhaw, North Carolina, and it’s a boat with a nefarious name: “Bad Bunny.” Its new owner, Sean Rhone, says he’s looking forward to meeting and racing with other Hobie 33 owners for the first time and “taking a peek under their hoods.”

Rhone has been primarily racing his Hobie 33 in singlehanded events and low-key races on North Carolina’s Lake Norman, and like Mierzwa, he’s not sure how well he’ll fare, especially with a five-person team that’s been assembled by way of social media message boards, and whom he’s never met.

“It’s cold in Charlotte,” Rhone says, “and I’m getting tired of the cold weather, so when I saw that the fleet was having its midwinters in St. Petersburg, I thought it would be nice to go and race against some other Hobie 33s for once.”

Mierzwa and Rhone may pass each other on an interstate somewhere on the way to St. Pete, along with a sizable Canadian contingent of Contender dinghy sailors making their annual pilgrimage from across the northern border. The 16-foot Contender, which its loyalists claim to be “The Sexiest Singlehander in the World ” was introduced in 1969 and continues to be popular internationally, as well as in Tampa thanks to local sailmaker Ethan Bixby. Bixby, a champion of many classes, continues to rally the troops to the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta and the fleet has doubled for this year’s gathering. Bixby, who won all races last year, will of course be among the 11 trapezing sailors.

Sharing the same racecourse will be eight teams racing the doublehanded Windmill class, which is new to the regatta lineup, but another cult classic sparked in the 1950s. Class measurer Pat Huntley, of Erie, Pennsylvania, is now a decade into Windmill racing, and says he’s eager to enjoy some fast sailing in St. Pete and good times with his fellow Windmillers. “It’s such a fun and cool group,” Huntley says. “And the Windmill is such a bad-ass skinny and fast boat. It can handle the chop easily and is really fast.” 

Five teams racing in the 20-foot Flying Dutchman class (first built in 1951) will hail from California to Tennessee and hosted by local FD ace, Lin Robson, the 2023 class winner. The doublehanded bonanza, however, will be the Melges 15 class, which will feature an impressive 31 teams, nearly double from 2023. The new one-design class has exploded in popularity across the country since its introduction three years ago, and midwinter regattas elsewhere in Florida have maxed out at nearly 100 boats.

Among the Melges 15 ranks in St. Petersburg will be New York’s Iris Vogel, who has traditionally raced the regatta with her larger one-design keelboats over the years (a Soverel 33 and a J/88, both named “Deviation”). Vogel is now enjoying the challenge of big-fleet racing and exhilarating downwind sailing.

Racing with her partner, Tim Longo, Vogel helms and Longo handles the front of the boat, and over the past year they’ve been working their way up the scoreboard, but have a long way to go to the top. “This is a totally new thing to sail in such a big fleet,” Vogel says. “J/88 events typically get a dozen boats at best, and the racing is much slower paced. The tactics are completely different and boats are fast downwind so it’s a ton of fun, but we are still learning a different style of racing. Having the smaller fleet [at the Helly Hansen Regatta] will give us a chance to work on our boatspeed.”

While the out-of-town armada is significant, local sailors look forward to the regatta every year, especially Tampa Bay’s PHRF sailors who’ve made the event a key fixture in their Suncoast Boat of the Year Series. For these fleets, which now comprise the regatta’s largest group with 38 entries across four divisions (Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Racer-Cruiser and Cruising) organizers have added two days of long-course racing over the weekend. Depending on the wind strength and direction of the day, the race committee will plot a daylong course to test each team’s navigational and sailing skills, as well as their perseverance and desire to be first to the dock and first to the yacht club bar.

Local sailor Tim Landt, who has been an active sailor on the Tampa Bay waterfront for decades, is a registered competitor in the Cruising division in his new-to-him Nightwind 35, “Charisma.” He’s excited to see the regatta’s blossoming distance-race fleet and says the local growth and interest in racing older-generation yachts is good for the sport and for the Tampa Bay racing scene.

But it’s not all classic plastics in the distance fleet. In the Racer-Cruiser division will be the sparkling new Neo 43, owned by Ken Mungan of nearby Isles Yacht Club in Punta Gorda, Florida. Mungan purchased his sleek Italian-built 43-footer in 2022 with big plans to take on a few of the sport’s marque distance races, and local events like the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta offer he and his team an opportunity to learn the boat in a racing environment.

“When I turned 40 I needed a hobby and took up sailing,” Munger says. “I’m always trying new things and got into racing 2019. I did the Melges 24 for a while, but the Neo, because it’s a shallow-draft boat, allows me to do more local long-distance racing and we’re learning a lot.”

For this weekend’s regatta, Munger has more crew lined up than there are roles on the boat, but that’s fine with him. “We’re going to be overloaded, and I am anticipating a level of skill and organization that we don’t quite have yet,” he admits. “We’ll have two coaches and a new set of racing jibs that will be used for the first time, so it will be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”

While the long-course racers are making their way around the bay, closer to shore, will be the multihulls: the high-tech A Class Catamarans , which have two divisions (Classic and Foiling) totaling 33 competitors, and the Weta Trimarans , with a smaller contingent from years past, return with nine boats, and among them is two-time defending champion and local Pete Merrifield looking for a three-peat.

         The iconic Lightning Class is one of the regatta’s largest one-design fleets, with 25 boats, five of which will be raced by members of the Starck family with a few world champions among them. Hall of Famer, Augie Diaz, of Miami, and Ched Proctor, of Southport, Connecticut, both world champions as well, always add to the high level of racing and camaradarie Lightning sailors enjoy all winter. The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in St. Petersburg is a key warm-up event for the Lightning class’s hotly-contested two-regatta Southern Circuit with March events in St. Pete and Miami.

Sharing one racing circle immediately off the city front will be the 29-boat J/70 fleet and a reemergent J/24 fleet, both of which will no doubt provide quality racing for both professional and amateur sailors. The same will be true for the ever-competitive ORC fleet, with 11 entries, which will be racing further south. Bill and Jackie Baxter’s J/111 “Fireball,” from Stamford, Connecticut, which has won all of its events this winter will return to defend its 2023 ORC title, which it earned with ease, winning seven of eight races.

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