Spartan, a Nat Herreshoff New York 50 design and the only one of her kind, is visiting the Mediterranean this year and has started her campaign in earnest. Having sailed the first two days of the XXII Regata Iles Balears Classics (Classics at Club De Mar, Palma) in the vintage gaff class, and although it was all to play for with Spartan and the lovely 1898 gaff cutter Marigan on a win each, the competitive and highly trained American crew took on the two 15-Metre yachts, Hispania and The Lady Anne, to play with somebody their “own size”.
The sequence of photos below demonstrates how Spartan was just able to pull away embracing their superior pointing ability to eventually beat the 15’s convincingly on the third day of racing.
Watch out Rowdy and Chinook… Your big sister is about and means business!!
More photos below from the event courtesy of Club De Mar.
