Claasen Shipyards was represented by no less than four of its fleet, while also being a ‘Silver Sponsor’ of the event.
The weather in the Bay of Palma was excellent, with a sea breeze of 15 to 19 knots on average and a wave height of only 1.5 metres. The calm conditions created a level playing field in which the tactics and teamwork onboard the yachts and their design & construction would ultimately make the difference.
The classic Claasen yachts that took part were all from the boards of Hoek Design and easily recognisable by their elegant and traditional lines, reminiscent of the stunning yachts built in the 1930s. This new generation of classic yachts also has modern underwater bodies that allow them to perform extremely well in the competition. The J-class Lionheart – the first J to be built in aluminium – was one of the participants in the Superyacht Cup.
With Hoek Design responsible for the naval architecture, Lionheart was built by Claasen based on original drawings from the 1930s. And she certainly roared in Palma, coming second to Hanuman in the overall J-Class results. Lionheart actually led on points at one stage and will look forward to taking on the mighty J Hanuman again very soon.
In Class 2 of the non-J superyachts, Claasen’s Truly Classic 78 Heartbeat won the overall cup thanks to a consistent performance over the days. The 27.50m Claasen sailyacht Atalante came in third in the same class to complete an impressive event for the yard.
We hope to compete in the Superyacht Cup in Palma de Mallorca again next year. The next event in which the yard will be participating is the Monaco Yachtshow, which takes place from 25 to 28 September.