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RÉGATES ROYALES CANNES<br />
24 – 28 SEPTEMBER 2013<br />
The name Régates Royales dates back to 1929 and recalls the<br />
yacht racing between European royalty on the Côte d’Azur.<br />
The 2013 event was certainly a throw back<br />
to those sepia times with a remarkable 12<br />
classic yachts on the Big Boat start line. With<br />
skipper George Newman flying to England<br />
on the eve of the regatta<br />
to be at the birth of his<br />
first child the crew of<br />
<strong>Mariquita</strong> had it all to<br />
do on one of the most<br />
competitive weeks of<br />
the year. The pressure<br />
was on, as John Caulcutt<br />
recalled. “George wasn’t<br />
with us. He was busy at<br />
home with Suzy having<br />
babies. I was on the boat having kittens, so<br />
to speak!”<br />
With the seasons beginning to change, the<br />
racing was tough day after day. Despite a<br />
creditable start to the regatta, with a fourth<br />
and a fifth on the first two days, <strong>Mariquita</strong><br />
was disqualified from Race 3 after an<br />
incident with the 15-Metre Mariska and any<br />
thoughts of winning the regatta were over.<br />
The sense of frustration was compounded on<br />
the final day when an incident on the start<br />
line shocked all the crew. Navigator Chris<br />
Tibbs explains, “We were barrelling down<br />
the line on starboard<br />
tack with Moonbeam<br />
IV heading up the other<br />
way with a small boat<br />
called Nin sandwiched<br />
between us. Nin was<br />
like a startled rabbit<br />
in the headlights and<br />
our mainsail brushed<br />
down their masthead<br />
and unfortunately their<br />
mast came down.” Billy Butler climbed<br />
the mast and checked for any damage but<br />
thankfully <strong>Mariquita</strong>’s sail was unblemished.<br />
More importantly, no one was hurt and any<br />
disappointment soon disappeared with the<br />
announcement of Jessica Lark Newman’s<br />
birth and George’s return for the final regatta<br />
of the season. On the passage down to Saint-<br />
Tropez <strong>Mariquita</strong> was joined by two young<br />
crew members from Nin.<br />
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