Superyacht Cup, Antigua. Image copyright Norma Trease.
by Norma Trease
On a sailing island like Antigua, when the locals forecast winds up to 30 knots, you can count on a day of rock n’ rolling sailing, which is exactly what the small but highly expert fleet of yachts participating in the Superyacht Cup experienced on Day Two, January 28, 2010. When invited on the modern J-Boat Ranger, which numbers among her traditional themes no safety rails when racing, you can also count on some heart-in-the-throat moments of exhilaration – only tempered a bit by good, healthy, watch-what-you’re-doing fear. It truly doesn’t get much better than this, even in the rarified atmosphere of superyacht racing, than the thrill of racing on a gorgeous, and very competitive Super-J in one of the worlds most scenic racing venues.
Ranger, built by American yachtsman extraordinaire, John Williams is a unique racing-cruising program many years in the making.
Since the mid-1990s, when John first began chartering yachts to race on, he started what has become the hallmark of all of his racing history, gathering around him a team of top international racing crew, and molding them through the years into a family. John put the facts together, “here today, we have 10-12 of the most experienced sailors in the world.” After conferring with some of them, who include several racers who’ve been with him over 14 years, such as helmsman Erle Williams, team boss Godfrey “Goddy” Cray, “Admiral” Capt. Dan Jackson, and trimmer Owen “O.C.” Rutter (also owner of team outfitters Line 7), he figured that between them they possess a minimum of 17 around-the-world races, and over 30 America’s Cups campaigns. This impressive group gathers several times each year in locations including Saint Barths, Sardinia, and Palma de Mallorca, to share their common joy of sailing - extremely well – and most important of all, enjoying each others company both on and off the courses. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the amazing hospitality of the Ranger group, or that of her mother ship, motor yacht Vita.
Without a doubt, Ranger may be the most elegant race boat ever, with her classic lines, and amazing mahogany interior, but today, she proved that she’s still at heart a gazelle of the sea, powering through rough waters, taking on 30 knot winds, and seemingly easily achieving over 15 knots of boat speed. Despite the fact that the conditions required Ranger, for the first time ever during a race, to reef in her mainsail, we managed to also get up a staysail on the downwind runs, and the entire contingent of 35 crew and guests, scampered back and forth to the rails on seemingly endless tacks, never was there an incident more serious than a stubbed toe, and most amazing of all, never was a raised voice heard. Instead, the professional racers proved how they remain at the top of their game: with style, laughter, and intense concentration.
As for the lucky guests aboard today, Ranger’s skipper Alastair Tait, called the day’s racing “moist”, while long-time racing crewmember Paul Collen perhaps more accurately said “this is the wettest day we’ve ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, had.” Yet the full-time crew made sure that we all stayed dry in perfectly matching kit, and home-made cookies were served on a regular basis. Just goes to prove that Ranger, owned by a man who Goddy Cray calls “perhaps the best superyacht owner in the world” may well also be perhaps the best superyacht racing program afloat. Now there’s a challenge to be met by Ranger’s competition – so see you in Saint Barths soon!
Superyacht Cup Antigua
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