POLE POSITION

Stepping off the plane onto the deck of Viveka this late May, everything seemed new. At Voiles d’Antibes there was a sensation of waking from a bad dream, with bare feet on teak, sunny skies, hard shadow lines, laughter, cold beer and groups of friends hugging each other for maybe the first time in two or three years. The sky was washed pure blue and it seemed the planet had rebooted for Antibes, back in its rightful early summer slot as the opener of the classic yacht-racing season in the Mediterranean.

Also new was the staysail schooner , winner of our 2022 award for the best restored sailing vessel over 40ft. Actually, she’s 92 years old, but her near-complete rebuild at Rutherford’s Boatshop in California, her unusual staysail schooner rig, and the fact she’s never raced on the Med circuit before, made her the boat to watch. On deck, skipper Gery Atkins is giving a quick briefing. “New boat, new crew” he says at one point, making it clear he expects neither breakages nor miracles. Despite a low-key showing at the Palma Vela in October 2021, this is really a boat still shaking down for a new chapter of her life, and nobody would expect a good result right now. Amid the heady summer holiday scent of sun cream, we head out for a day of sail-changes before the big race, the