Racing with the Competition
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Racing with the competition: On board Chinook
This film is sponsored by Sandeman Yacht Company – Classic Yacht Brokers
The New York 40 class yacht 'Chinook' is seen here racing in Cannes at the Régates Royales - Trophée Panerai (2014). It was the team's penultimate day racing at a Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge for the 2014 season and they were potentially just one race away from winning 1st place overall!
Classic Yacht TV was granted a "visa" to race with the owner at the time, Graham Walker and his crew. Interested to see what racing was like on board and talk about the boat's recent restoration that was completed in 2012 in Tunisia, the entire race is captured on film including interviews with boat captain Jonathan Greenwood and Sandra Ugolini – Chinook's Trimmer.
Beginning the race in light airs, Chinook's captain "Jono" was running 'mast' and had been conversing with the helm in the dips and crossings of other boats at the start with his assertive Irish accent. Within 10 minutes into the race we’d pulled away, leaving everyone behind which matched her reputation. She is fast and they've got things so well organised.
Sandra Ugolini was calling trim, Andrew Bates was running the bow, Franco Zammorani on the mail sheet, Manu Fontane on the helm. Graham Walker was calling distance to the marks as their tactician along with Franco Zammorani. Beyond the jobs and on-going manoeuvres, Chinooks felt brand new, and indeed she was just two years on from a full restoration.
Designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff in 1915, Chinook was launched in 1916 along with 12 other boats built to this design. In 1926, two more boats were built to this 'roomy but fast design'.
Chinook was acquired by Graham Walker as he let his New York 40 class yacht 'Rowdy' go to her next owner. This film is a unique chance to see what it's like on the deck of the now very rare, New York 40 drawn originally to conform to the American adopted 'Universal Rule'.
Chinook proudly picked up 1st overall for the entire Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge season, a win which followed the team's great success on board Rowdy. As Classic Yacht TV releases this film, we're at the beginning of the 2015 classic yacht racing season - this film may inspire practising clean manoeuvres, ready for the racing circuit this year.
