Mariquita Book - mk2.5

PUIG VELA CLÀSSICA
17 – 19 JULY 2014
That damn bridge. It certainly provides a fishbowl for the
public to gaze in upon as we pass by, albeit very slowly.
Matty Oates
Since Altair’s landmark restoration in 1987,
the classic scene has developed at some pace.
“Yachts like Mariquita and Cambria have
been sparring for the last 10 years since
they both came onto
the scene in 2004”,
as Chris Barkham,
skipper of Cambria,
put it. “From a fleet of
maybe eight there are
now 12 to 14 in the
Big Boat Class. The
level of competition
is certainly increasing
as everyone hones
their yachts, year after year, to win these big
prestigious Mediterranean regattas.”
Nowhere is this more true than the Puig Vela
Clàssica in Barcelona. Dan Houston warms
to the theme, “The competition is certainly
more serious now because people have been
upping their game on the racing, getting
more serious on the rules. More accomplished
yachtsman are getting involved now. Sailors
like Harold Cudmore have been on Tuiga
and Mariquita calling
the tactics. These guys
are at the top of their
game. The legends
of the sport are now
sailing the classics.
The whole scene has
grown and whirring
away at the centre is
Mariquita being sailed
really as well as can be
imagined. The fascinating aspect though is
that she is the only Big Boat on the circuit
that is ‘owner driver’. All the others are
professionally helmed. On Mariquita, John
does the upwind work and Jamie does the
downwind legs. Amazing.”
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