2023 Argentario Sailing Week at Yacht Club Santo Stefano - Overall
by Tessa Wiechmann 19 Jun 2023 10:53 BST
14-18 June 2023
The Vintage and Classic Yacht regatta Argentario Sailing Week - organized by the Yacht Club Santo Stefano with the support of the Region of Tuscany and Municipality of Monte Argentario - wrapped up in Maremma, Tuscany, after four days of fantastic racing, great weather and lots of fun on land.
So much so, that a school of dolphins came out to play on the finish line, perhaps to thank the Grandes Dames of the Sea and their crews from 26 nations for having made, at least for a while, the town of Porto Santo Stefano their "home away from home".
Argentario Sailing Week ASW2024 will take place from 13 to 16 June.
ASW2023 winners:
- Big Boats: Viveka (1929-Paine) owned by Keith Mills - (interview with former owner Robert Gray)
- Vintage Marconi: Comet (1946-Sparkman & Stephens) Woodward - Fisher - (interview with Iranian sailor Ahmad Ahmadi)
- Vintage Gaff Cutters: Spartan (1913-Herreshoff) NGH Restoration
- Classics: Crivizza (1966-Buchanan) Ariella Cattai & Luigi Rolandi
- Classics IOR: Vanessa (1974-Carcano) Patrizio Bertelli (interview with Torben Grael)
- Spirit of Tradition: Dream (1976-Sparkman & Stephens) Francesco Pennisi Persio (interview with owner Francesco Persio)
Robert Gray former owner of victorious Viveka, (1929-Paine) owned by Sir Keith Mills, shared his view on Argentario Sailing Week.
"I have sailed so many miles, you could say I have barnacles on my backside. This is my first Argentario Sailing Week and Vikeka is a debutante here as well. What a fabulous location and a proper real community to be welcomed in! This is a stunning expanse of sailing water with hills to the north, lowland to the east, and the islands of Giglio and Monte Cristo on the horizon. The changeable winds make it challenging to lay a course and quite interesting for us to position ourselves on the course, given thermal shifts of the Argentario Bay.. The location the atmosphere that people are one of the best I have ever encountered. As I said, it is a proper community; you pop into the marked and even get a haircut at the barbers. Everyone is totally charming, helpful, and kind. A revelation, for me. This event is one in a kind, the kind of regatta you would always want to return to. Bravo!"
In talking about the Grand Dame Vikeka, Gray added: "The current owner, Sir Keith Mills is a good friend of mine and has gracefully allowed me to sail her from time. She is blisteringly fast, and from my gut and heart, I can say that she is surprisingly quick as a schooner and enjoys all points of sail. Viveka is faster upwind then any schooner has any right to be."
Mr. Grey found Viveka tied up in San Francisco in restoration in 2011. The previous owner had had her for 56 years and Grey did not wish to take him off his home, so after posting the bond, he asked him to ring when he was ready to let go. At the age of 90, the gentleman called and said "Good to go". Restoration quickly morphed into a rebuild and Sir Keith Mills stepped in. The current skipper Gary Atkins and his now wife were instrumental in bringing Viveka back to life.
Iranian sailor Ahmad Ahmadi, on winning Comet, described his fist experience at Argentario Sailing Week. "To sum up four days of racing in one word each I would say: perfection, lessons learned, continuity and surviving. What makes Argentario Sailing Week so unique is how to access the venue from anywhere in the world, the warm welcome of the town, easy docking in and out, not to mention the wind from all the different directions. This regatta really keeps you on your toes! I have friends who race in classics and I will be encouraging them to come to Argentario Sailing Week 2024. I will be back, that's for sure!"
Olympic champion Torben Grael, on Classic IOR winner Vanessa (1974-Carcano) owned by Patrizio Bertelli, at the end of the day: "At Argentario Sailing Week, the different race courses allow every type of boat to shine, to find her soft spot and enjoy her preferred point of sail, at least for part of each regatta. Moreover, the race committee is truly impeccable in its decisions, and this, undoubtedly, makes a difference. Finally, there is a general desire to experience nature in all of its facets, which includes the breathtaking panorama and the warm hospitality on land. Hence, the word of mouth: at the end of the regattas all the crews are happy and they encourage other yachts to come and race at Argentario Sailing Week. Which explains the 25% increase of competitors compared to 2022 and the fact that 14 boats making their debut. As far as the new Classic IOR class goes, I think it was a great idea and hope that this will open the doors to many other boats. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what the boats are made of - be it wood, aluminum or fiberglass. What really matters are the water lines. I hope that going forward the class rule becomes increasingly clear to limit the possibility of subjective interpretations."
Spirit of Tradition winner Dream (1976-Sparkman & Stephens) was also at her debut at Argentario Sailing Week. Owner Francesco Pennisi Persio, had this to say: "This is our Argentario Sailing Week baptism both for the boat and for my team, made up mostly of family and young sailors. This is an event with a time-tested tradition joined with a perfectly put together organization. Argentario Sailing Week is of great importance and we knew about the regatta because of its great reputation. Now, we have seen and touched first-hand how great it is and the pivotal role it plays for all vintage and classic boats. What makes this regatta unique? An efficient and professional organization made up of industry experts who are also able to involve the entire. An unbeatable racecourse. And, of course, the true undisputed protagonists are these no longer young Queens of the Sea that we have a duty to care for and pamper. A legacy to preserve for the next generations. We will definitely be back next year and at the Sparkman & Stephens Rendezvous next week on the Island of Elba, I will invite other yacht owners to participate in ASW2024," concluded Persio.
In 2000, Francesco Persio bought the glorious Sparkman & Stephens, and a little later his wife Marialaura was racing at La Barcolana in Trieste 7-months pregnant. Following the ARC 2013 regatta, Dream moved to the Caribbean then sailing to Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama. She finally returned to the Mediterranean in 2015 where she also won a Rolex Swan Cup in the S&S division. In 2022, the decision was made to get back on track and with the help of Marco Borgia, fresh winds filled Dream's sails.
Day 4 - Breeze On - Breeze Off
At the start of the race, the breeze at 8 knots was from the southeast. A though race for tacticians, who had to choose whether to head for shore or look for clear air between the promontory of Argentario and the Island of Elba, the issue being how to minimize the impact of the wind blockage caused by the quasi-600 meter high Monte Argentario. The yachts just had make to the other side, where 12 knots from the southeast were ready to power the fleet toward the finish line in front of Porto Santo Stefano. With a family of 5 dolphins ready to play and escort them back to the docks.
Again, in the words of Comet's crew member Ahmadi "What a day! Seriously. The wind was shifting and I lost count of the number of sail changes we completed. I know for a fact that there were at least 8 drops and hoists. The only way out of it was to stay calm and focussed while just putting one foot in front of the other. Tactician Paul McKenzie and helmsman Oscari Mohan never lost waivered, not even for a second. It was like having a safety car on track during a Formula 1 Race - breeze on- breeze off, with the fleet reshuffling at every major change. What a great regatta". Ahmad Ahmadi started sailing in Iran, in the Persian Gulf and on the Caspian Sea, in 2007. Three years later, together with othe29 athletes, he took part in the2010 Asian Games in China as the first Iranian Sailing Team ever. When the team returned, they were asked to help develop the Iranian female sailing team, selecting 15 athletes. He now lives in Girona Spain where he trained under Luca Devoti in Finn, since then moving on to big boats and offshore sailing, as in the case of the Figaro 3. "My dream is to race in the Vendee Globe in 2030. Step by step, one foot in front of the other. I know I will get there. I want to race to win!, Ahmadi concluded.
United Nations of Sailing with participants from 26 nations competing on the crystal blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea: Antigua, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Latvia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, USA, United Kingdom, and Italy.