After four successful regattas, Perini Navi Group, one of the world's premium yacht builders, hosted the fifth event at Porto Cervo, a seaside resort located in northern Sardinia, Italy. The race exclusively features yachts made by Perini Navi. This gives participants and onlookers a chance to see some of the world's best yachts compete against each other in a four-day challenge.
The first day of the Perini Navi Cup 2013 gave owners and their crews time to mingle while administrators inspected ships to make sure they matched safety regulations. By 7:30, participants were at the YCCS Club House enjoying cocktails and flutes of champagne.
The next morning, some of the world's best sailing yachts added an even greater sense of beauty to the waters of Porto Cervo. Some of the 2013 participants included the 45-meter Helios, 53-meter Jasali II, and the brand-new 60-meter Seahawk. With 15 ships in all, every onlooker had something new and exciting to discover.
By the end of the first day's races, Silencio had proven itself as the yacht to beat. She came in first place after completing the course in a corrected time of one hour, 38 minutes, and 32 seconds. P2, the boat that came in second, fought hard to keep up with Silencio, finishing with a corrected time of one hour, 39 minutes, and four seconds. That was a race that had everyone wondering which would get the winning announcement.
Bad weather interrupted racing on the second day. While owners and their crews couldn't race against each other, they still had time to enjoy the scenery, meet like-minded people, and swap stories. Yacht owners rarely miss an opportunity to enjoy any situation, whether it's riding the waves or sipping a drink with a new friend.
By the third day, the bad weather had subsided, leaving a calm surface that would bring out the best in every yacht. Again, Silencio proved herself the fastest yacht of the group. This time, she completed the course with a corrected time of one hour 22 minutes, and five seconds. Second place went to Zenji with a corrected time of one hour 23 minutes and 45 seconds. P2 fell to fifth place with a corrected time of one hour 28 minutes and 56 seconds; still an excellent time for any sailing yacht competing against the world's best ships!
By the fourth day, all of the yachts were ranked according to their performance. Silencio, of course, took the first place. P2 narrowly took second while Parsifal II took third. All had worked hard to earn their positions, and now they had a chance to relax.
Perini Navi Cup 2013 finished with a spectacular fireworks display that brought explosions of light to the resort town. Despite the finality of the moment, many of the owners were undoubtedly thinking about races to come.