Still no play

Mistral conditions continue for the Régates Royales - Trophée Panerai

In sharp contrast to the miserable weather on Thursday, the skies were clear and the sun was shining bright on Friday morning. Unfortunately, strong mistral conditions were howling over the Bay of Cannes, with winds gusting to 35 knots preventing the boats from leaving the dock for the day.

With no competition on Friday, the Dragon racing at the Régates Royales - Trophée Panerai has come to an early end after four races. The provisional results see Thomas Müller’s Sinewave (12, 11, 4, 4 – 31) winning the regatta over Yevgen Braslavets’ Bunker Queen (3, 7, 1, 24 – 35) and Klav Bruun Kristensen’s Justine (6, 3, 21, 7 – 37).

Dennis Conner and Cotton Blossom II

With the fleet ashore all day, there was an opportunity for locals and visitors to look at the stunning line-up of boats moored along the quay. One of the stand-out boats here this week is Cotton Blossom II, owned by America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner. It’s not the biggest or fastest boat here, but there are few boats whose brightwork sparkles in the sun so clearly.

“My experience with these kind of boats really started through my relationship with Prince Albert of Monaco when he came and sailed with us in 1987 in Fremantle at the America's Cup,” Conner said from the dock where he chatted with visitors. “I was fortunate enough to be invited to sail Tuiga with him and in those days, with the boats lined up stern-to in the harbour in the beautiful lights at night, it was something I'd never seen before and I just fell in love with the tradition of these beautiful boats.

“...Then, I was looking for a wooden boat to buy and I remembered that I had sailed the Cotton Blossom at the San Diego Yacht Club in the early 1960s. I found her in Seattle and bought her and restored her to the original condition. I got the plans from the Oslo Maritime Museum and re-did her just like she was in 1924. It's just a nice sailboat; it's nothing very special, but she's very well looked after.

“But the real story here I think is all of these 100 year old boats, like Tuiga or Mariquita or Moonbeam or Cambria that are just something you don't see at home in San Diego. You have to be here, and then you really feel the ambiance and the spirit and the feeling of what sailing must have been like 100 years ago.”

Saturday
Racing is scheduled to continue in the 12 Metre World Championships and the Classic and Spirit of Tradition classes. The weather forecast is much better for Saturday, when Southerly winds of 12 knots are expected. The clear, sunny skies should stick around as well.