Sail Optimisation 2019

Skylark is currently undergoing a Sail Optimisation programme in conjunction with leading technicians from North Sails, with input from Hood Sails senior representatives in America. Data based on the performance of Skylark’s near sister ship Santana, combined with video and photography analysis collated during the winter 2018/19, which included the use of drones, has led to further developments in Skylark’s sail programme ahead of the 2019 events which commence early this May.

Advanced CFD analysis in Holland and Spain on another classic racing yacht design has led to new conclusions about the performance expectation of these craft. This new data has been built into both the boat set up and sail development programme for Skylark, consolidating performance prediction analysis with polar data collected during over 100 races, rolled into one set of optimised data. The analysis focuses primarily on upwind performance in light to medium airs of 8-14 knots and downwind VMG running in breeze of over 8 knots true.

Welcome 2019!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! from all the Skylark crew

Merry Christmas 2018!

From all the Skylark crew

Blue Bird Cup 2018

It was billed as the Revenge Match of the BlueBird Cup, Sir Charles Dunstone’s opportunity to level the score with her near sister ship Skylark after she beat Blitzen convincingly in the BlueBird Cup 2016.

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Due to the size and speed difference in the boats, Skylark was permitted to leave 92 seconds before Blitzen. However, on the first upwind leg, Skylark battled poor wind conditions for several minutes which allowed Blitzen to immediately catch up. By the first windward mark Blitzen had halved her lead. And then, for Skylark, it all went wrong …

The call to bear away set the spinnaker at the windward mark was a wrong one. With the wind in a right phase close to the tower, Blitzen gybe-set inside Skylark and quickly overhauled her on the first downwind run. With the breeze quickly building, both boats converged quickly on Talitha and BlueBird, the downwind mark.

As the boats headed back upwind, with Blitzen now 18 seconds in the lead, Skylark made her 2nd mistake. She headed too far into Canoubieres trying to get leverage on Blitzen to windward. However the breeze died inshore. It transpired, once the breeze returned, that Skylark, having changed down her headsail to a much smaller one, was significantly faster than the over pressed Blitzen who was still flying her largest genoa. Having lost further distance inshore, Skylark closed the gap with Blitzen quickly en route to the tower, but Blitzen sailed well and rounded ahead, maintaining her lead of around 15 seconds all the way to the finish.

Aboard Talitha, the 7 crews celebrated with 100 year old Hennessy Paradis Imperial presented to the owners by HRH King Juan Carlos of Spain and Anthony Davoigniot of Moet Hennessy. The BlueBird Cup was then presented to Sir Charles Dunstone, owner of Blitzen, the trophy winner for 2018.

In the Qualification Race, Stormy Weather owned by Christopher Spray was victorious over Griff Rhys Jones on Argyll and Hamish Easton’s larger Manitou, once sailed by American president JK Kennedy and his close friend Marilyn Monroe.

Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2018

Pendennis 30th Anniversay

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Skylark’s motherships BlueBird and Talitha accompanied a fleet of large boats from Cannes to Saint-Tropez to celebrate the 30 Year Anniversary of the Pendennis Shipyard. The fleet included Haida a near sister ship to Talitha.

Onboard Talitha were ‘The General’ Nick Edmiston, the revolutionary naval architect Andre Hoek, rock guitarist John Hiscocks and famous restauranteur Mogens Thulstrop.

Monaco Yacht Show 2018

Following racing during Regates Royales in Cannes the Skylark crew visited the Monaco Yacht Show to view some of the most glamorous yachts on display

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Regates Royales 2018

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Corsica Classic 2018

14 yachts lined up against Skylark in the annual Corsica Classic regatta, in which traditionally Skylark participates every other year. Lighter, faster, contemporary boats were mixed with the classic fleet, which gave everyone the rare chance to compete directly against each other.

The race course over several hundred miles took the fleet in 10 days almost all the way round the island of Corsica, between a number of beautiful bays and beaches and idyllic fishing ports. The first race from Ajaccio to Bonifacio ended under spinnaker in 30 knots of wind. The participating yachts thundering across the finish near the port. Skylark started well and pursued the faster Mr Fips all the way to the finish, eventually beating her on corrected time.

From startline to finish, from port to headland, from beach to bay – no matter what course configuration was put before Skylark she managed to win every race on corrected time. The greater test was line honours against the more modern boats which she managed to achieve on several races.

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Sadly, several race days were lost due to Mistral winds cancelling racing. Unfortunately, this detracts from Skylark’s intention of winning the over classic yacht rankings for the 2018 season organised by AFYT.

At the final prizegiving Skylark was awarded a myriad of trophies including the Dorade winch which she has won each time she has competed.

For some of the event, the crew of Skylark were joined by Sandy Oxley (Argyll), Doris Sangeorzan from National Geographic and Michael ‘Papou Never Loses’ Kakinis.

“I’ve never lost…!”

Argentario Race Week 2018

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