ANTIGUANICE YACHTING INSIDER NEWSLETTER

ICAP Leopard is back in Antigua once again in time for the 49th Annual Antigua Charter Yacht Show.  Leopard represents an interesting concept in the superyacht arena – she is designed as a luxurious corporate and racing charter yacht, a record-breaking ocean passage yacht and a successful racing super maxi.  Designed by Farr Yacht Design with interior design by Ken Freivokh Designs, owner Mike Slade’s business, Ocean Marine, has been responsible for all other aspects of the design concept.

In addition to having an exceptionally powerful and unusually wide carbon fibre hull, Leopard features a canting keel operated by two hydraulic cylinders, twin lifting canards and a single centerline rudder.  The canting keel is comparable to having 200 extra crew sitting on the rail!!  With a 47-metre high mast, Leopard has up to 15,000 square feet of sail area.

Leopard, however, is not only a fast racing machine!  She has a light and airy modern interior with a spacious saloon and dining area that seats 12 and, while exceptionally comfortable, the entire interior can be removed for racing.  She hosts corporate charters for up to 20 guests as well as a limited number of racing charter spots for various high-profile race events.

On next year’s calendar of events in which Leopard hopes to participate are the RORC Caribbean 600 starting from Antigua on February 21, the Saint Barths Bucket Regatta in late March, Les Voiles de Saint Barths in early April, and Antigua Sailing Week from the 24th to the 29th of April.  Also in the line-up are the Rolex Transatlantic Race in June and Cowes Week in early August.

Leopard races with a crew of approximately 25 and can obtain speeds of up to 35 knots in perfect conditions, making her ideally-suited to offshore yacht racing!!  Among the course records held by Leopard are the RORC Caribbean 600 in which she took line honours in 2009 with a time of 44 hours, 5 minutes and 14 seconds.  Also to her credit are, among others, line honours in the Heineken Cape to Bahia Race in 2009, the Cowes-Dinard-St. Malo race in 2008, the JP Morgan Round the Island Race (around the Isle of Wight) in 2008, the BMW Round Ireland Race in 2008 and the Transatlantic Speed Sailing Race from New York to Lizard, also in 2008.

Antigua has been host to Mike Slade’s various sailing yachts for many years.  The first in his series of yachts to visit Antigua was Ocean Leopard, an Ocean 80 that spent considerable time in the Caribbean.  Slade was then owner of a Farr 80 known as Longobarda and soon after that the Reichel Pugh-designed Leopard of London, which graced Antigua’s shores prior to the arrival of the current Leopard 3.  We welcome Mike and his team back to Antigua and wish you a successful Charter Yacht Show and many more records in to come – perhaps the Yachting World Round the Island Race as part of the Antigua Sailing Week Ocean Series in April?