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The 11th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua has attracted ten magnificent superyachts, all set to race in the fantastic waters around Antigua. Ideal conditions are forecast for the regatta with blue skies, trade winds and Caribbean swell. As always, the Superyacht Challenge Antigua is designed to be solely for the pleasure of superyacht owners, their guests and crew. The magnificent fleet take part in five days of spectacular racing under the ORC Superyacht Rule. All of the boats and sailors racing at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua come from North America, Europe, Australasia, and the Caribbean Islands. Winners at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua receive barrels of rum, suitably filled. The Gosnell Trophy is the only trophy awarded and goes to the yacht, who in the opinion of the competitors and race committee, has competed in the Spirit of the Regatta, both afloat and ashore.

The 121ft Dyksra sloop Action, will be skippered by Josh Gilchrist. Returning after their debut in 2020. Action was built at the Royal Huisman Shipyard in the Netherlands. Action features naval design by Dykstra Naval Architects with an interior created by Rhoades Young. Farfalla

The 102ft Southern Wind sloop Farfalla, with Sam Laidlaw at the helm, will be skippered by Richard Chadburn. This will be Farfalla’s debut at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua. Built by the South African shipyard, Southern Wind and from the drawing board of Farr Yacht Design. Freya

The German Frers Designed Swan 90 Freya will be skippered by Joph Carter. This will be Freya’s third regatta having made the podium in 2014 and 2016. Built by Nautor’s Swan in Finland, Freya is familiar sight on the East Coast of the USA and in the Caribbean. Hetairos

The 218ft Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch Hetairos, is skippered by Graham Newton, and will be making their debut this year. Despite her classic looks with a plumb stem and sweeping counter, she is a thoroughly modern high-performance yacht built in carbon composite by Baltic Yachts. Hanuman

The J-Class Hanuman is a 138ft sloop designed by Charles E. Nicholson, skippered by Josh Luckhurst, and will be making their debut this year. Hanuman is a regular on the regatta circuit and is one of the most successful winning J-Class yachts on the water. Built by Royal Huisman shipyard in the Netherlands. Kamaxitha

The 180ft Dykstra ketch Kamaxitha, is skippered by Tim Urwin and making their debut this year. The Spirit Of Tradition ketch was built at the Royal Huisman Shipyard in the Netherlands. Designed by Dykstra Naval Architects, with a beautiful interior by Rhoades Young. Kawil

The 112ft Sparkman & Stephens sloop Kawil, is skippered by Robert Lloyd and taking part in their fourth regatta this year. Kawil’s debut was in 2015 and was a class winner in 2017 and 2019. Kawil was built by Derecktor Shipyards, South Florida USA. Nilaya

The 112ft Baltic Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, is skippered by Rom Loopik. This will be Nilaya’s fifth regatta having won class in 2016 and 2019, as well as class runner up 2017 and 2020. Nilaya has been one of the most successful high-performance sailing boats launched by Baltic Yachts, particularly on the race course. Nilaya is designed by Reichel/Pugh and an interior from Nauta Yacht Design. Rebecca

The 140ft German Frers ketch Rebecca, is skippered by Rob Foxell with Grant ‘Fuzz’ Spanhake at the helm. This will be Rebecca’s sixth regatta including winning class at the 2012 edition and The Gosnell Trophy in 2019. Built at the Pendennis Shipyard, Cornwall, UK. Her eye-catching looks were designed by German Frers with an interior from Robin Black. A unique feature is the sole, made from antique Heart Pine salvaged from a North American mill built in 1711.

John McMonigall’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag, is skippered by Carl Raynes. This will be Zig Zag’s sixth regatta in a row, including winning The Gosnell Trophy at the last regatta 2020. From the drawing board of Humphreys Yacht Design. Zig Zag is the smallest yacht at the regatta but renowned for racing as hard as any of the largest

• Superyacht Challenge Antigua

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Published on March 10th, 2022 | by Editor

Full on at Superyacht Challenge Antigua

Published on March 10th, 2022 by Editor -->

Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua (March 10, 2022) – The 11th Superyacht Challenge Antigua got underway in full trade winds producing spectacular sailing for the magnificent fleet. It was a bumpy rollercoaster ride on the South Coast of Antigua with the nine superyachts reefed for high-octane, uber-action.

Class winners for Race One were John McMonigall’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag, Don Macpherson’s Swan 90 Freya, skippered by Joph Carter, and 140ft German Frers ketch Rebecca.

The north easterly breeze was gusting over 20 knots and combined with a swell of over two metres, conditions were ballistic and full on. The Race Committee led by PRO Hank Stuart, chose a race area along the South Coast of Antigua with a deep-water mark four and a half miles offshore.

The Buccaneers Class raced on a course of approximately 18nm with upwind, reaching, and downwind legs. The Corsairs and Privateers enjoyed a similar course, with the added thrill of a technical windward leeward component, giving a race length of approximately 23nm.

Racing at the 2022 Superyacht Yacht Challenge Antigua on March 10-13 is open to superyachts in excess of 30 metres. The Gosnell Trophy is the overall award and it goes to the yacht, who in the opinion of the competitors and race committee, has competed in the Spirit of the Regatta, both afloat and ashore.

Details: http://superyachtchallengeantigua.com/

Buccaneers Class (Cruising Sloops) John McMonigall’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag (above) is competing at the sixth regatta in a row, including winning the Gosnell Trophy in the last event. This year John’s team come from Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia and the team is made up of young Corinthian sailors under the new skipper, Carl Raynes. Zig Zag won today’s race, after ORCsy time correction, from the 121ft Dyksra sloop Action, which has double Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson, and Double Olympic Silver Medallist Ian Walker in the crew.

“That’s not too shabby a result!” smiled John McMonigall who was driving for the whole race. “It was a great, great day. I was a bit worried about the strength of the wind at the beginning, so we didn’t go for the hero tacks, but we did get a really good start. The downwind leg was great, and the big beat back was about sticking to it and concentrating. This crew is absolutely amazing, a lot of the young sailors come from an Antiguan boat called Liquid. Half the crew are ladies, including Laura Dillon our tactician, who I have known for at least 15 years.”

“It is great to be racing in amazing conditions, and we are very pleased to have no injuries on board,” commented Zig Zag’s Laura Dillon. “We did touch a mark in the race, and we decided it was the right thing to take a penalty. The course was good and a nice length for the first day with big breeze. I have sailed with John on Zig Zag at many other regattas, and it is really nice to be back racing after two years with the pandemic.”

Corsairs Class (High Performance Sloops) Three high-performance sloops had a full-on foam up of epic proportions. Race One went to Don Macpherson’s Swan 90 Freya, skippered by Joph Carter but only just. The 112ft Baltic Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, was just 64 seconds behind after ORCsy time correction. The J-Class Hanuman was an extraordinary sight, right at the top end of the J-Class limits, Hanuman is back racing after a refit and was third, having sustained some sail damage.

“It was a great day for a Swan,” commented Freya’s skipper Joph Carter. “Freya is built for heavy weather, and the short course was also to our advantage against the higher rated boats. To be honest, I am a little surprised at the race win, because we were probably under canvassed downwind today.”

Nilaya’s tactician Bouwe Bekking commented: “I don’t think we left much out there, I think Hanuman had a pole breakage today, and Freya sailed really well. The atmosphere on board Nilaya is one of the best I have experienced on any boat. The team has been together since Nilaya was launched, Filip (Balcaen) has many friends racing who are fully part of the team, they are as good as the pros, and probably smarter than us!”

Privateers Class (Ketch-Rigged) After yesterday’s record run around Antigua, the 218ft Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch Hetairos took line honours in the first race of the series, smoking around the 23-mile course in less than two hours. Hetairos was quite a sight, heavily reefed, powering the surf at over 20 knots of boat speed. However, today’s victor in the Privateers Class was the 140ft German Frers ketch Rebecca, skippered by Rob Foxell with Grant ‘Fuzz’ Spanhake on the helm, Rebecca was absolutely flying. The 180ft Dykstra ketch Kamaxitha missed Race One with gear failure but is expected to be racing tomorrow Friday 11th March. Round one to Rebecca but the big ketches look set for a titanic battle.

Source: Louay Habib

Tags: superyacht , Superyacht Challenge Antigua

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Superyacht Challenge Antigua wraps up in Nelson’s Dockyard

After four days of exciting racing, the 11 th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua concluded with the Prize Giving held at the Admiral’s Inn Nelson’s Dockyard. The Round Antigua Race and Superyacht Challenge Series were held in strong winds for all but the last race of the regatta. Competing Superyacht owners, Captains and crew have paid tribute to the SYCA Committee and Race Team, which provided superb racing and enjoyable social gatherings ashore. SYCA’s Stan Pearson made a special mention for the mark layers led by Archie, which provided fantastic work in very difficult conditions. For the SYCA Prize Giving, PRO Hank Stuart was Master of Ceremonies, assisted by Paul Deeth and Faheema Akaloo Mohammed, who welcomed all of the winners to the stage.

Class winners for the 2022 Superyacht Challenge Antigua were: The 112ft Baltic Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm. The 218ft Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch Hetairos, skippered by Graham Newton, and the 121ft Dyksra sloop Action, skippered by Josh Gilchrist. John McMonigall’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag, is skippered by Carl Raynes, was awarded the Pendennis Trophy. Class Winners and other categories receive Rum Barrels – suitably filled.

The Gosnell Trophy went to The 140ft German Frers ketch Rebecca skippered by Rob Foxell.

“Winning the Gosnell Trophy really means a lot, the spirit of the regatta is an important thing for Rebecca’s owner and all of the crew,” commented Rob Foxell. “To have our competitors vote for us makes the award so special. Covid put a dampener on things this year, but I am sure there will be many more superyachts taking part in 2023. This is a great regatta.”

Corsairs Class

The 112ft Baltic Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, was the class winner. Runner-up was Don Macpherson’s Swan 90 Freya and in third was the J-Class Hanuman. Nilaya’s Boat Captain Rom Loopik commented: “The core of the Nilaya team consists of the Filip’s friend complemented by a group of seasoned professionals that have been racing, and winning together, on Nilaya for years. The respect and camaraderie are something really special. Mr Balcaen’s fanatical enthusiasm, the love for the sport and his boat, and his focus, is inspirational to all the crew.”

Buccaneers Class

The 121ft Dyksra sloop Action, skippered by Josh Gilchrist was the class winner. Runner-up by a single point was 112ft Sparkman & Stephens sloop Kawil, is skippered by Robert Lloyd. In third place was John McMonigall’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag, skippered by Carl Raynes.

“I want to thank everybody here especially the race organisers, and most especially my crew who did a great job” commented Action’s owner, who was the helmswoman for every race. “It was a bit tough out there, and the first time we have raced for a long time. It is so great to be back racing! Thank you to all the Action crew, I am really proud of you.”

Privateers Class

The 218ft Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch Hetairos, skippered by Graham Newton, was the class winner. The 140ft German Frers ketch Rebecca, skippered by Rob Foxell, was runner-up. Third was the 180ft Dykstra ketch Kamaxitha, skippered by Tim Urwin. Hetairos was also the winner of the stan-alone Round Antigua Race, setting a new record of 03 hrs 46 mins 08 seconds for the 48.6nm course.

Setting a new record for the Round Antigua was a great way to start the regatta, and we hope that next year, many more boats will take part in that race, but I hope that no one will beat our time for years to come!” commented Hetairos’ Captain Graham Newton. “A big thank you to the organising committee for the regatta. Everyone has enjoyed the event tremendously and a massive thank you to our permanent crew and the Hetairos race crew and most of all for our owners for inviting us here and allowing us to thrash Hetairos around the race course – it is always an honour, and we look forward to the next one.”

Shoreside enjoyment is very much a part of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua. This year with pandemic restrictions, gatherings were smaller but still went ahead. The famous Cook Off was an opportunity to taste the outstanding cuisine and admire the artistic tablescape of Superyacht Chefs. The Prize for the best Caribbean Dish, cooked on a coal pot was awarded to Isabella from Hetairos. The Caribbean Lobster was beautifully cooked in a light curry sauce and accompanied by rice and plantain. Winning a barrel of rum for the best meal according to the theme of Japanese Samurai was the crew of Don Macpherson’s Swan 90 Freya.

For the Caribbean Night the prize for the loudest Caribbean lady’s Shirt went to Alanna Morrison from Rebecca. The prize for the loudest Caribbean men’s shirt went to SYCA International Judge Gordon Stredwick, now known affectionally as Flash Gordon! There was also a special prize of a gift basket to Brian & Maggie Aldous for exemplary service for many years assisting the SYCA Committee. The 12 th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua will take place in the second week of March 2023.

NILAYA wins the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta 2016

Filip Balcaen’s NILAYA, the Reichel/Pugh and Nauta designed Baltic 34m, beat out rival Inoui to become the overall Class A winner, despite a a most spectacular spinnaker blow-out at the end of the first downwind leg in the final race.

Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. (March 12th, 2016) – Filip Balcaen’s NILAYA, the Reichel/Pugh and Nauta designed Baltic 34m, beat out rival Inoui to become the overall Class A winner, despite a a most spectacular spinnaker blow-out at the end of the first downwind leg in the final race. She also took home the Boat International Media Trophy 2016 for the top scored superyacht overall at the 2016 Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta in Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. Reichel/Pugh-designed and Baltic-built 67m ketch Hetairos finished second overall in Class B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WMD0yGpE0A&feature=youtu.be

See all racing photos at the  Boat International Media Flickr page

Title Image © Boat International Media

Event Website loropianacaribbeansuperyachtregatta.com

2016 Results About Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous

The Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous brings together sail and motor yachts during a four-day event for owners, their families and friends organized by Boat International Media and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS).

In addition to the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, a motor yacht rendezvous program, sponsored by Westport, was created to watch the spectacular racing and enjoy the beautiful islands of the British Virgin Islands.

The 2017 event is planned for 10 - 13 March.

Media courtesy of Boat International Media

2012 Rolex Volcano Race: Awards for Jethou yacht and Nilaya superyacht

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Written by Zuzana Bednarova

The Rolex party as well as prizegiving at La Canzone del Mare on Friday 25 May saw the second edition of the Rolex Volcano Race end up in real Caprese style as fifteen international crews toasted a week’s fascinating competing.  A mixture of amazing views of Capri ’s Faraglioni rock formations and a popular venue once owned by Anglo-Italian singer Gracie Fields, and treasured over the years by glitterati and thespians alike, offered a fitting finale to a spectacular week.

112ft superyacht Nilaya sails towards her line honours win - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

During the ceremony, the crew of Sir Peter Ogden’s Mini Maxi yacht Jethou (GBR) received the week’s most coveted prize – the Rolex Trophy and timepiece – awarded to the overall winner of Leg Two of the 400-nautical mile offshore race which started and finished in Capri and comprised a pulsating journey through the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea .

The fastest boat on the water over Leg Two – Filip Balcaen’s 112-foot Supermaxi yacht Nilaya ¬ was awarded a Rolex timepiece after claiming line honours in a time of one day, two hours and five minutes.

The two celebrating crews have much in common: both are formed by an enthusiastic owner and a group of friends who have sailed together for a number of years, comprising mainly amateurs in addition to handpicked and highly-skilled professional sailors. Their respective paths to victory are the result of hard work and perseverance.

60ft Jethou yacht races upwind to the finish in Capri - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Jethou Dominates Ogden’s 60-ft sailing yacht Jethou has frequently been the bridesmaid at Rolex yachting events, missing out on the prizes with luck deserting her at key junctures, from crew members falling overboard to split-second defeats. It seems this team of predominantly Corinthian sailors may have finally found the winning formula. Ogden commissioned an upgrade to his Mini Maxi over the winter, drawing on the advice of professional tactician Brad Butterworth. Jethou is now more powerful following a slight lengthening and the development of a new mast and sail plan. While the yacht’s enhanced prowess has rendered her faster and more responsive in light airs, the crew’s obvious bond and unity is an equally key component in this long overdue success.

The bulk of the Jethou crew is made up of Ogden’s friends and family, the professionals onboard playing a key role in helping develop the team’s confidence and skills. America’s Cup legend Butterworth brings a wealth of experience. “I’ve sailed with other famous sailors and he is one of the guys,” reveals Ogden. “He encourages the crew, shouts at them, but they love him. It is great to have someone who really knows what he is doing. He sees things in 3D that nobody else sees.” Ogden also pointed to the contribution of professional navigator Mike Broughton; “he got us round very safely and was excellent on weather predictions.”

The sailing was a riveting affair. Jethou yacht reached consistent speeds of 26 knots around the Aeolian Islands, the crew knee deep in water as the Mini Maxi flew past these ancient geological wonders almost like an aeroplane. At one stage, incredibly, she was ahead of two titans in Nilaya and Claus-Peter Offen’s 100-ft Wally luxury yacht Y3K (GER). Eventually, on the home stretch and as the wind speed picked up, these two larger yachts gained a narrow advantage over Jethou by virtue of their superior waterline length.

However, Ogden’s Mini Maxi finished an impressive 41 minutes behind the first boat home, enough to help her triumph on handicap, marking an impressive week which saw the crew claim the windward/leeward race in Gaeta and second place overall in Leg One of the offshore race, which ran 100-nm from Gaeta to Capri. In the combined scoring for the three events of the week, Jethou also came out on top. An emphatic winner.

For Ogden victory crowned a memorable week, which he concluded by celebrating his 65th birthday: “It is not a professional crew. I sail for sixty days a year, and they can’t all commit to this, so we have a roster and rotate, although they’ve all been with me a long time.” According to Broughton, who steps down as navigator for the forthcoming Giraglia Rolex Cup : “They are a great bunch to sail with, there’s lots of banter and they’re very happy as we’ve now won our last two races.” With her recent success, Jethou has thrown down the gauntlet to her Maxi rivals ahead of a competitive summer.

Line-honours winner superyacht Nilaya - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Terrific team spirit Onboard the largest, heaviest and arguably most complicated yacht – the 112-ft superyacht Nilaya – the workings of the 16-man team are down to a tee. Cajoled by Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking, who calls the shots and acts as the team’s commander-in-chief, the crew of predominantly Belgian and Dutch sailors are on an upward learning curve.

Owner Filip Balcaen is proud of the progress his largely amateur crew of friends have made over the past 15 years, having started out with little or no sailing experience. “Everything we have learnt and do today comes from the professional sailors,” admits Balcaen. The crew now almost function on autopilot. “A good crew should not talk a lot when something is happening as it is used to working together and in the case of an unexpected event should know what to do. This is the advantage we have of sailing a long time.”

Balcaen and Bekking’s relationship began back in 2003 during a successful Swan European regatta in Cowes. Ever since, Bekking has been the sounding board and inspiration for the crew, which includes four other professional sailors, all Volvo Ocean Race veterans. “The crew has progressed from a 56-ft yacht to an 80-ft yacht, and now this 112-ft yacht, and we know how to communicate,” adds Bekking. “Furthermore, it is a different relationship than that often found on other boats; we call each other up in between races and talk about a lot of things aside from sailing. We have a lot of respect for each other. If people make a mistake, we speak about it calmly and nine out of ten times it doesn’t happen again. It is about giving everyone self-confidence.”

The crew’s approach to sailing the luxury yacht Nilaya has been marked by a gradual evolution and a lack of fear at sailing such a large yacht. Bekking concludes: “A lot of people are impressed by size but the good thing about these guys is that they still approach their sailing as if on a small boat – that way they get the most fun out of it.” In a thrilling tussle during Leg Two of the offshore race, Nilaya pulled clear of the superyacht Y3K and Jethou yacht to claim a hard-fought and deserved line honours title. The entire crew stayed awake for the 26-hour journey, tired eyes and warm smiles greeted the sunset finish in Capri. Enjoyment clearly breeds success. And vice versa.

Luxury yacht Jethou sails towards the finish line in Capri - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Eclectic international fleet The galaxy of international crews comprised yachts from ten countries. Some entrants are perhaps more surprising than others. The 60-ft Mini Maxi yacht Wild Joe from Hungary, on the face of it, is an unlikely entrant. After all, Hungary is a landlocked country and hardly conducive to developing sailors capable of attacking the great offshore classics. However, that has not deterred the ambition of skipper Márton Józsa who acquired the 2002-built yacht back in 2009.

“We don’t have seas in Hungary, therefore we don’t have sailors with great ocean experience,” explains Józsa, “we have to build slowly with what we have. Most of the guys we have on the boat have come from small boats such as dinghies. They are learning to sail a big boat and for this reason we include some professional sailors to bring in more experience. This is the third season with this crew, and we are getting better and better.” Unfortunately for Wild Joe, the race ended in disappointment at the Aeolian Islands where an electronics failure forced the crew to withdraw from the race. Wild Joe will hope for better luck in the forthcoming Giraglia Rolex Cup.

Sailing yacht Nilaya with Capri in the background - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Márton Józsa, owner Wild Joe Crews from Austria , France , Germany , Russia , Spain , the USA and six Italian yachts completed the fleet. The German crew of Y3K owned and skippered by Claus-Peter Offen, President of the International Maxi Association (IMA) may consider themselves unlucky to have missed out on the major prizes, having pushed Jethou and Nilaya close and been the fastest yacht in both the inshore race and Leg One of the offshore race. The best performing Italian crew was Marco Rodolfi’s Swan 80 Berenice Bis, the overall winner of Leg One of the offshore race and expertly guided by tactician Tiziano Nava.

This second Rolex Volcano Race will be fondly remembered by all who took part, from the dramatic and absorbing sailing conditions during Leg Two of the offshore race, to the intense and hard-fought three-way chase for line honours, to the stunning sunset that greeted the first arrivals in Capri. The week’s most penetrating theme is that of friendship and how two crews with great camaraderie and longevity earned their moment in the sun.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "2012 Rolex Volcano Race: Awards for Jethou yacht and Nilaya superyacht".

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Topinvesteerder Filip Balcaen: 'Alles is zeer duur. 't Is het moment om te verkopen'

De West-Vlaming Filip Balcaen vervelt van textielondernemer naar vastgoedbaron. Maar de nuchtere zakenman let op voor zotte investeringen. ‘Als iets niet lukt, stoppen we ermee. Afschrijven en wegwezen!’

Aan Flanders Expo in Gent is het een drukte van jewelste. Langs alle kanten stromen gepensioneerden toe om hun coronaprik te laten zetten. Iets verderop maakt zakenman Filip Balcaen (60) zich weinig zorgen over de coronacrisis. ‘Covid-19 verandert niet veel, maar versnelt vooral’, zegt Balcaen in het stijlvolle hoofdkwartier van zijn investeringsmaatschappij Baltisse. ‘Digitalisering, e-commerce, duurzaamheid: die tendensen waren voordien al aanwezig en zijn nu versneld. Maar fundamenteel is de wereld niet veranderd. Er zijn goede en er zijn slechte bedrijven.’

Balcaen heeft een neus voor goede bedrijven. De West-Vlaming bouwde Balta, het tapijtenbedrijf dat zijn vader Paul in 1964 oprichtte, uit tot een reus die hij voor 600 miljoen euro verkocht. Tien jaar later legde de Amerikaanse vloerbekledingsreus Mohawk - de eigenaar van het Belgische Quick-Step - een miljard euro op tafel voor Balcaens vinylfirma IVC.

Zoon van Paul Balcaen, die in 1964 het tapijtbedrijf Balta (Balcaen Tapijten) oprichtte. Verkocht in 2004 het familiale tapijtbedrijf Balta (Balcaen Tapijten) aan het Britse investeringsfonds Doughty Hanson. Verkocht in 2015 de vinyltak IVC aan het Amerikaanse Mohawk (Unilin), waarvan hij meer dan 3 procent bezit. Investeert met zijn investeringsmaatschappij Baltisse in private equity (House of Talents,...) en vastgoed (de helft in de VS, de helft in Europa). Aandeelhouder van de investeringsmaatschappij Pentahold, samen met de Belgische ondernemers Paul Thiers (ex-Unilin), Philippe Vlerick (UCO), Edmond Müller (Les Moulins de Kleinbettingen) en Theo Roussis (Ravago, KBC).

Dankzij die jackpot mag Balcaen zich miljardair noemen, al blijft de West-Vlaming de nuchterheid zelve. Naar vragen luistert hij gefocust en met toegeknepen ogen. Als Balcaen zijn DNA moet omschrijven, gebruikt hij begrippen als: no-nonsense, zeer discreet, hard werken. De suggestie dat hij in de coronacrisis meer tijd had om te zeilen met zijn zonen Louis en Simon, die allebei voor Baltisse werken, veegt hij meteen van tafel. ‘In de week wordt er niet gezeild!’, zegt hij streng. Op de vraag of hij nog een grote droom koestert, weet de zakenman niet meteen wat antwoorden. ‘Dromen doe ik feitelijk niet veel’, zegt hij droog. ‘Ik lig ook nooit wakker.’

Nochtans had Balcaen de voorbije weken redenen om wakker te liggen. De zakenman stapte totaal onverwacht op uit de raad van bestuur van Mohawk, waarvan hij nog altijd aandeelhouder is. Balcaen nam de beslissing uit onvrede met het ontslag van zijn vertrouweling Jan Vergote, die een promotie was beloofd. De ondernemer wil er niet veel woorden aan vuilmaken. ‘Ik handelde zoals het hoort. Als er zaken gebeuren die ik niet begrijp, ben ik consequent.’

Alle respect voor wat Bart Verhaeghe met Uplace doet, maar ik had het niet gedaan. Ik zou sneller de handdoek in de ring gooien. Voor mij moet het vooruitgaan.

Balcaens aandacht verschuift al langer van textiel naar andere sectoren. Hoewel het belang van 3 procent in Mohawk nog altijd zijn belangrijkste participatie is, richt zijn ‘family office’ Baltisse, dat hij in 2007 oprichtte, zich meer en meer op durfkapitaal (private equity) en vastgoed. Alleen al zijn vastgoedportefeuille is vandaag 1,3 miljard euro waard.

Een rusthuis in Zottegem, een woonwijk in Florida, torens in de Brusselse Noordwijk, een hotel in Namen en een herontwikkeling in Roemenië: de portfolio van Baltisse lijkt een onsamenhangend lappendeken. Wat is uw strategie?

Filip Balcaen: ‘Het verschil tussen Baltisse en andere investeringsmaatschappijen is dat we een stukje meer opportunisten zijn. We beleggen alleen onze eigen centen. We moeten geen verantwoording afleggen aan onze investeerders. Een zuivere ontwikkelaar belegt volgens de afgesproken regels met zijn aandeelhouder, wat veel beperkingen oplevert. Als we een grote opportuniteit in Londen, Frankfurt of Roemenië zien, springen we daar direct op.’

Alex De Witte (verantwoordelijk voor vastgoed bij Baltisse): ‘We hebben in zeven segmenten ervaring: kantoren, winkels, woningen, studentenhuisvesting, rusthuizen, hotels en logistiek. We doen van alles iets. Maar het zijn altijd complexe binnenstedelijke projecten op grote schaal.’

Balcaen : ‘Onze projecten kosten 20 à 100 miljoen euro. Dat zijn de bedragen waar grotere spelers naar kijken. Het verschil is dat we sneller kunnen reageren en beslissen. Kijk naar Seven (kantoorgebouw in de Brusselse Noordwijk, red.). De eigenaars wilden dat gebouw voor het einde van 2017 verkopen. Eind november begonnen we te praten en op 15 december stond het geld op hun rekening.’

Baltisse begon tien jaar geleden braaf met de ontwikkeling van winkelpanden en studentenkoten in Vlaanderen. Vandaag doet u vooral grote ontwikkelingen. Hoe brengt u die moeilijke megaprojecten snel ten einde?

We luisteren naar de overheid. voor onze site in namen wilden we alleen kantoren, maar de burgemeester wilde ook studentenkoten en een hotel. dat project loopt nu heel vlot..

De Witte : ‘We luisteren naar de overheid. In Namen hebben we een vervuilde site naast het station gekocht, waar we enkel kantoren wilden bouwen. Maar dan hebben we gepraat met de burgemeester, een sterke figuur (cdH-voorzitter Maxime Prévot, red.). Hij wilde ook studentenkoten en een hotel, maar geen winkels. Dat project loopt nu heel vlot. De koten hebben we al verkocht aan Xior, er komt een trendy hotel van de keten B&B en de Waalse overheid en het Rode Kruis zullen kantoren huren.’

Een project dat jarenlang aansleept, zoals Uplace, is dus niets voor u?

Balcaen : ‘Alle respect voor wat Bart Verhaeghe met Uplace doet, maar ik had het niet gedaan. Ik zou sneller de handdoek in de ring gooien. Voor mij moet het vooruitgaan. Ik heb soms bedrijfjes overgenomen die weinig of niet rendabel bleken. Als het niet lukte, stopten we ermee. Tja, afschrijven en wegwezen. Dat hoort erbij.’

U blijft ook kantoren ontwikkelen. Hebben die nog toekomst nu iedereen thuiswerkt?

De Witte : ‘Bij kantoren leggen we meer voorzichtigheid aan de dag. We bewaken de locatie streng. Al onze kantoorprojecten in België liggen dicht bij een treinstation. En Seven en Victoria (net als Seven een toren in de Brusselse Noordwijk, red.) zijn al volledig verhuurd. Maar in de Noordwijk blijft het opletten.’

Balcaen : ‘In het algemeen blijft het opletten! Covid-19 heeft de kantoormarkt aangetast. We denken dat die 20 à 30 procent kan krimpen. Naar nieuwe kantoren op goede locaties is er nog altijd vraag, maar andere kantoren worden moeilijk. Door corona zijn we veel voorzichtiger geworden met kantoren. Onze winkels hebben we vijf jaar geleden al afgebouwd omdat retail geen groeimarkt is, net als kantoren nu.’

Door de moeilijke kantoormarkt bouwt elke ontwikkelaar tegenwoordig woningen. Is daar nog veel ruimte?

Balcaen : ‘It’s getting crowded. Grote en kleine spelers zijn geïnteresseerd. De instapdrempel voor woonprojecten ligt lager. Dat maakt het voor mensen die vroeger niet in vastgoed zaten mogelijk om een appartementsgebouwtje te zetten. Daarom zoeken we net complexe, grootschalige projecten. Er zijn steeds meer institutionele beleggers (pensioenfondsen en verzekeringsmaatschappijen, red.) die grote pakketten woningen willen kopen. Dat kan niet iedereen aanbieden.’

In de VS ontwikkelt u enorme logistieke projecten rond Atlanta, de hoofdstad van Georgia. Hoe bent u daar beland?

Balcaen : ‘Ik hou van Amerika. De Verenigde Staten zijn een zeer ondernemersgezind land. Ik investeer zeer graag in België, maar als ondernemer is het toch veel eenvoudiger in de VS. Ik ben tientallen keren in Atlanta geweest omdat ik er met IVC een fabriek heb gebouwd en in de raad van bestuur zat van Mohawk (dat zijn hoofdkantoor vlak bij Atlanta heeft, red.). Waarom dan geen vastgoed? Atlanta is een van de sterkst groeiende steden van het land en een logistieke hub met de grootste luchthaven van de VS.’

Alles is zeer duur. Het is het moment om te verkopen.

Moet u nog naar atlanta reizen nu u ontslag nam uit de raad van bestuur van mohawk u noemde ceo en grootaandeelhouder jeff lorberbaum ooit een goede vriend..

Balcaen : ‘Mijn relatie met Jeff blijft goed. Hij heeft me al uitgenodigd om langs te komen bij mijn volgende bezoek.’

Uw belang in Mohawk is bijna een half miljard dollar waard, maar u beslist er voortaan niet meer mee. Zult u die aandelen verkopen?

Balcaen : ‘Mohawk is onze belangrijkste participatie. Op korte termijn verkopen is zeker niet de bedoeling, maar op langere termijn willen we wel een stukje afbouwen. Ik ken de vloerbekleding zeer goed, maar ik weet niet of mijn opvolger die ervaring ook zal hebben. Op termijn zal onze focus verschuiven naar private equity. Daarin willen we verder groeien.’

Baltisse heeft tientallen participaties, van het hr-bedrijf House of Talents over een Poolse glasproducent tot een Italiaanse diepvriesbakker. Is dat niet te veel?

Balcaen : ‘We hebben nu 35 dossiers. We zijn investeerders op lange termijn. Maar als een opportuniteit zich voordoet en de juiste prijs op tafel ligt, zijn we met niemand getrouwd. Mijn ideale scenario is dat we twee à drie grote bedrijven in handen krijgen. Ik wil niet alle eieren in één mand leggen, zoals met Balta en IVC vroeger. De grote private-equityhuizen zetten teams op die de bedrijven in hun portefeuille opvolgen. Dat wil ik ook, maar dat heeft alleen zin als je grote participaties hebt. We hebben dat twee keer geprobeerd met Desotec (West-Vlaams milieutechnologiebedrijf, red.), maar dat is niet gelukt.’

Desotec wordt na de recente overname door de Amerikaanse investeerder Blackstone gewaardeerd op 800 miljoen euro. Kunt u vandaag nog koopjes doen?

Balcaen : ‘Alles is zeer duur. ’t Is het moment om te verkopen! We vinden het verstandig om klaar te staan voor opportuniteiten. Maar als je ziet aan welke prijs Desotec verkocht is... We willen groeien, maar we gaan geen domme dingen doen.’

Is Balta terugkopen een optie? U kent het bedrijf uitstekend.

Balcaen : ‘Dat is niet aan de orde. Ik heb het bedrijf verkocht. De tapijtsector heeft zijn beste tijd gekend in de jaren 80, hé. Balta is nog altijd een van de beste vloerbedekkingsbedrijven van Europa. Maar de firma was beter ondergebracht in een groter geheel dat alle segmenten van de vloerbekledingsmarkt afdekt. Met enkel tapijten heeft Balta te weinig groeimogelijkheden.’

Veel ondernemers kopen tegenwoordig een voetbalploeg. Is dat iets voor u?

Balcaen : ‘(beslist) Nee. Filantropie vind ik wel heel belangrijk. Vijf jaar geleden vroeg iemand me of ik zijn project om een oogkliniek in Rwanda op te starten wilde sponsoren. Ik heb geantwoord: ‘Ik bouw die kliniek voor u.’’

Wat wilt u de komende tien jaar nog realiseren?

Balcaen : ‘Voortdoen. Osan deure doen, zeggen we in West-Vlaanderen. We willen dat private equity en vastgoed elk de helft van onze portefeuille uitmaken. En we hebben veel cash.’

Hoeveel precies?

Balcaen : (veert verontwaardigd op) ‘Moh! We hebben hier vandaag al veel te veel verteld.’

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19th Palermo-Montecarlo Yacht Race sets sail - Record under threat in the Palermo-Montecarlo?

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Palermo-Montecarlo line honours and record for Black Jack; maxi prize for Lucky

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The line honours winners on Black Jack 100 including owner Remon Vos and skipper Tristan le Brun third and second from the left respectively. Photo: Circolo della Vela Sicilia / Studio Borlenghi

Lucky, formerly Rambler 88, heads for the Monaco finish line earlier this morning. Photo: Circolo della Vela Sicilia / Studio Borlenghi

Palermo-Montecarlo line honours and record for Black Jack

By the International Maxi Association

One of the windiest and most competitive Palermo-Montecarlo races concluded for the maxi yachts today with Remon Vos’ 100ft Black Jack claiming line honours and setting a new race record. Finishing 43 minutes and 11 seconds later, after a tight race, Bryon Ehrhart’s 88ft Lucky (the former Rambler 88) won the Maxi Class under IRC corrected time.

Organised by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia (CVS) in partnership with the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), the Palermo-Montecarlo was the concluding event of the International Maxi Association’s 2023-24 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC), which began last autumn with the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Five maxis competed in this 19th Palermo-Montecarlo among the full fleet of 50+ that set sail on Tuesday 20 August from Mondello, just west of Sicily’s capital. The boats crossed a mandatory scoring gate off Porto Cervo before continuing on past Corsica to the Montecarlo finish. While Louis Balcaen’s former Maxi 72 Balthasar come home a worthy third both on the water under IRC corrected time, with the VO65 Sisi still to finish at the time of writing, all eyes were on the tight battle for the line honours between Black Jack and Lucky.

Black Jack joined the race with new owner Remon Vos stepping on board for the first time ever (Black Jack won line honours in June’s Loro Piana Giraglia but Vos was not on board). She was sailing with a mix of French and Dutch plus some of previous owner Peter Harburg’s Australian crew, including former skipper Mark Bradford.

Meanwhile Lucky this year has competed in the Aegean 600 but this was only the second outing for her brand new rig, following her unfortunate dismasting in last year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Both Black Jack and Lucky have canting keels but otherwise their designs are chalk and cheese: the shorter newer Lucky (launched in 2015 as Rambler 88), having a lineage based on VO70s with a beamy, powerful hull, while Black Jack is longer, slender and older (launched in 2005 as Alfa Romeo II) and, sporting a tiny dense tungsten bulb, is the better light wind machine. This played out in the Palermo-Montecarlo with Lucky prevailing upwind and reaching when the breeze was up and stability required while Black Jack came into her own when the wind dropped and finally swung aft in the latter stages.

With a mistral raging to the west of Sardinia, over the first night the Palermo-Montecarlo fleet erred east of rhumb line to the Porto Cervo turning mark, else risking falling into the lee of Sardinia. For the most part Lucky had the upper hand here. “Our plan was to be north of them,” explained her Brazilian tactician Joca Signorini. “We knew it would be tricky. On starboard on the final approach to Sardinia, we were in a good position and then got the best out of the big left hand shift there.”

Lucky crossed the Porto Cervo gate at around 1600 on Wednesday with Black Jack seven minutes astern. The two headed up Bomb Alley, between the Maddalena archipelago and the Sardinian mainland and it wasn’t until they started tacking up southwest Corsica that finally Black Jack passed her rival.

Before the start the weather forecast indicated the possibility being marginal of breaking the race record of 47 hours 46 minutes and 48 seconds that Black Jack had set in 2015 (as Igor Simčič’s Esimit Europa II). But as the race progressed, conditions between Corsica and Monaco improved for the leaders. They experienced 25-28 knots and a lumpy sea once through the Strait of Bonifacio, but then experienced similarly strong winds off northwest Corsica that permitted Lucky to recover miles on her rival.

Ultimately Black Jack made it through the last transition first and extended away to finish at 08:34:14 this morning, in an elapsed time of 44 hours 34 minutes 14 seconds, taking more than three hours off the record. Lucky finished at 09:18:57 but won under IRC corrected time by 46 minutes.

“What more could we ask for?!” commented a delighted Tristan le Brun, skipper of Black Jack. “This was the first race with the new owner and we put on an amazing show. He is over the moon.”

Of their race with Lucky, le Brun continued: “We were hanging on to them – we knew they were going to be faster in these conditions upwind and reaching and they were for the first two thirds of the race. We knew it was all about staying close to them – we couldn’t pull away because we don’t have their righting moment and as soon as there is 15 knots they go like a rocket. When the wind got complex, we had our opportunity and pulled away from them… twice. They came back when the wind picked up but the second time we did it in a way that they couldn’t come back…”

On board Lucky, Signorini, American owner Bryon Ehrhart and their all-star cast of America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race legends enjoyed the close competition. “It is always great when you have these big boats in long battles,” said Joca Signorini. “We are very happy. The crew did a fantastic job. We managed to sail our boat very accurately and in the way we needed to – Black Jack sailed well and deserved their win. We were trying our best to get in their way but the last transition zone was difficult for us to manage in the light breeze.”

After the heinous conditions Lucky experienced in July’s Aegean 600, the Palermo-Montecarlo weather was comparatively sedate with the wind into the mid-20s once passing along the weather shore of Corsica.

“We are very happy,” continued Signorini. “Congratulations to Bryon [Ehrhart] who put a lot of effort into getting the boat together for this season. We are all pleased with the effort we put in, setting up the boat to be competitive against Black Jack. It was very good race.” Compared to their Aegean 600 set-up Lucky was fitted with her longer canting keel and lighter bulb configuration for this race.

The winner of the IMA’s MMOC will be announced shortly with the winner set to receive their prize at the IMA Members’ Dinner during September’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

by James Boyd/International Maxi Association

Replay the 19 th  Palermo-Montecarlo on the  yb tracker .

More information on the Palermo-Montecarlo  here

For more on the International Maxi Association visit  www.internationalmaxiassociation.com  or see the  2024 IMA Yearbook

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Island Fling cleans up at Swan Euros

• June 30, 2003

Island Fling took line honours, class honours and the overall day's win at the S.Pellegrino Race Day at the Swan Europeans

Paul Winkelmann’s Swan 60 Island Fling won the S.Pellegrino Race Day, the first day of racing for the 54-strong Swan fleet at the 2003 Swan European Regatta in Cowes yesterday.

Winkelmann and his crew sailed away from the fleet at the beginning of the race to take line honours, Class honours and overall winner of the day on corrected time.

A forecast Force 4-5 with a clear blue sky enabled the Swan European Regatta to get underway in perfect conditions for some great racing. With the fleet split into two classes, according to Nautor’s own rating system, racing commenced under two starts with the larger boats in class A and the smaller boats in Class B. A 25-mile course for Class A and a 20 mile course for Class B was laid out, testing the crews ability to cope with the emerging tides and numerous obstacles that the Solent provides.

Damon Guizot’s Swan 53, Katrina crossed the start line first in Class A, but was almost immediately overtaken by Island Fling who showed all the experience and finesse gained after many years of competitive sailing. It became clear from the start that Island Fling was going to be hard to catch up, as the Swan 45s closed ranks behind and sailed almost in formation towards to the first mark. Island Fling rounded the mark 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the fleet, who were battling with the strong tide on approach. Flilp Balcaen’s Swan 56, Aqua Equinox, which has Nautor Challenge crew member Boewe Bekking on board, rounded the mark closely and just ahead of the Swan 45 pack and Ed Leask’s Swan 56 Magical. The gap increased between Island Fling and eventual second placed Aqua Equinox, resulting in a 15-minute lead around the third and final mark and an impressive finish some way ahead of the fleet.

In Class B, Stephen James’ hugely successful Swan 48 Jacobite recovered well from the general recall at the start, due to the majority of the fleet crossing the line ahead of the gun, to take the lead. As with Class A, tides played a major role and forced the fleet to take a line close to the mainland resulting in some clever tactics to get them around the first mark without being pushed onto it. Again Jacobite took the lead, closely followed by two Swan 44s Menenes and Saga, both of which achieved second and third place respectively in the small boat class in 2001. Jacobite managed to increase the lead to guarantee first place in the class.

Ben James, co-owner with his father, highlighted the importance of being at the top: “To win we have to be first around the course due to our rating but it was still good close racing. We made half a mistake and Menenes looked like they had it on us and then they would make a mistake and we got it back again!

“But I think that the best way to win a regatta like this is to keep trying to get a podium position – you don’t have to win every day but you have to be in the frame every day. This is exactly what we intend to do.” He added

The S.Pellegrino Race Day Prizegiving was held in the Regatta Bar in Cowes Yacht Haven, with trophies presented to the podium positions for both classes by Nautor’s Sales Director Mr Tom Blomgren and to the overall winner of the day, by S. Pellegrino UK Director, Mr Bill Dick.

1 Island Fling, Paul F. Winkelmann Swan 60 GBR

2 Aqua Equinox, Filip Balcaen Swan 56 BEL

3 Desperado, Richard Loftus Swan 65 GBR

4 Crackerjack, Keith Miller Swan 45 GBR

5 WISC, Glynn Williams Swan 45 GBR

1. Jacobite, Stephen & Ben James Swan 48 GBR

2 Menenes, Libby & Graham Deegan Swan 441 GBR

3 Saga, Alain Foulquier Swan 44 FRA

4 Flying Neleb, Frederico Garcia-German Swan 39 ESP

5 Xaossa, Jean-Michel Carpentier Swan 42 FRA

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