Zwerver Takes Castine Classic

Zwerver, the 57-foot sloop designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built in 1954, led the fleet to victory in the 10th annual Castine Classic Yacht Race to Camden, organized by the Castine Yacht Club. The veteran classic remained competitive throughout the three-day series of classic boat events that culminated in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.

Zwerver was sailed by an experienced crew that included Robert Brooks and Ben Rogers, joined by Jeff Grey and A.J. Evans, both associated with Sparkman & Stephens. Her owner, Frans van Schaik of the Netherlands, was unable to attend the race but his yacht performed strongly under the assembled team.

The Castine Classic marked the opening of three consecutive days of classic yacht racing in the region. Zwerver carried form from the Camden Feeder Race to Brooklin — a race she also won, helmed there by S&S chief designer Bruce Johnson — and finished second in class in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, demonstrating consistent speed and handling in a variety of conditions.

Under clear skies, a fleet of 31 classic yachts departed the Castine harbor bell and set a 19.6-mile course that finished off Curtis Island in Camden. Light, variable winds at the start made for a tactical opening, and several boats sought the best pressure and shifts. A moderate southwest breeze eventually filled in across Penobscot Bay, allowing the fleet to pick up pace and settle into sustained runs and beats as the course unfolded.

Racing in Classic A, Zwerver edged Joyant by just 15 seconds on corrected time to claim the overall Castine Classic victory. Joyant, a 58-foot Herreshoff gaff-rigged sloop built in 1912 and skippered by Robert McNeil, was penalized three minutes for not towing a dinghy, a penalty that ultimately prevented her from topping the leaderboard. Siren, the 45-foot Sparkman & Stephens New York 32 skippered by Peter Cassidy, secured third place in the class, finishing less than two minutes behind Zwerver on corrected time.

This year’s Castine Classic celebration placed a spotlight on Maine’s boatbuilding traditions and craftsmanship. A symposium accompanying the regatta featured many of the state’s leading builders and yards, with representatives from Hodgdon Yachts, The Hinckley Company, John M. Williams Company, Brooklin Boat Yard, John’s Bay Boat Company, Lyman Morse Boatbuilders, Morris Yachts, Rockport Marine and Sabre Yachts sharing insights on restoration, construction and classic design preservation.

At the awards ceremony held at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin following the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, David Bicks, co-chair of the Castine events, presented the Ames Cup to Robert Brooks of Zwerver as the overall winner of the Castine Classic Yacht Race. Zwerver also received the Sparkman & Stephens trophy, presented to the S&S-designed boat with the lowest corrected time in the series.

Other trophies honored distinguished boats and skippers: the Phalarope Trophy was presented to Anne Ashton, skipper of the Concordia yacht Phalarope, in memory of her late husband, Castine sailor Thomas G. Ashton, Sr. The Mitch Gibbons-Neff Trophy, awarded in memory of the late head of Sparkman & Stephens, went to Peter Cassidy of Siren as the top New York 32 in the Penobscot Bay series. Siren beat out strong competition from Falcon and the newly restored Isla in a tight contest among well-sailed New York 32s.

Newport Bucket Sees Close Finishes

At the Newport Bucket Regatta, big-boat competition produced close results and spirited matchups. The Perini Navi performance sloop P2 claimed the overall win. Coming in behind P2 was Avalon, a 108-foot Ron Holland ketch, with the 147-foot Dubois/Vitters shipyard ketch Timoneer finishing third.

The recently reconstructed 100-foot Alden-design schooner Summerwind was an early starter and managed to hold a strong lead ahead of the 93-foot Taza Mas, finishing seven minutes clear to win her division for the day. Both owners—longtime yachtsmen from Texas—fielded well-prepared yachts that handled the day’s conditions effectively. Sea Diamond, a 1958 Rhodes motorsailer refitted in Newport, started well ahead of the fleet and posted a respectable third-place finish on the 22-mile course.

Racing in the performance division was tightly contested. The Alden 72-foot sloop Fearless broke away to win its class by three minutes over P2. Two minutes later, the W Class 76 Wild Horses finished third, followed closely by Selene, a Swan 80, which took fourth by a margin of just two seconds—an example of how even large yachts can have thrilling, photo-finish results.

This coverage originally appeared in the New England Home Waters section of the October 2009 issue and highlights the enduring appeal of classic and big-boat regattas in New England waters. The weekend’s series reinforced the region’s reputation for combining historic yacht preservation with competitive sailing and community celebration.