Big Pimpin’
It was a bold move and it seems to be working. Leonardo Ferragamo and Enrico Chieffi’s big idea – to rekindle the Corinthian spirit and the intense, but gentlemanly competition between nations, of classic regattas such as the Admiral’s Cup and Sardinia Cup, in a carefully managed one-design format, propelled by the powerful brand values of Nautor’s Swan – is steadily gathering momentum. The inaugural edition of ClubSwan’s biennial tournament, The Nations Trophy, in Palma last autumn was, by all accounts, a very promising start, with close competition in all three one-design classes, ClubSwan 50, Swan 45 and ClubSwan 42, and a total of 28 yachts representing 11 nations.
This season’s follow-up series, The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League, has built on that success, enabling owners and crew, as Chieffi says, ‘to maintain the intensity of competition and friendly rivalry witnessed last October in Palma’. Read on.
