An America's Cup in Europe? It's been a while. Three years ago, the Swiss team Alinghi defeated Team New Zealand in the America's Cup, granting Europe the right to host the regatta for the first time in 152 years. And so the oldest trophy in international sport is coming to Valencia, Spain; twelve yacht crews are currently in contention.
Not many people get to sail for a living. These people are professionals, the best in the world, and they tend to take their job home with them (home often being a docked boat). Forbes Traveler contacted them in Valencia in order to glean their favorite sailing spots -- where pro sailors like to work when they're not working.
Tony Rae
45, New Zealand -- runner/pitman, Emirates Team NZ (New Zealand)
Peter Holmberg
45, U.S. Virgin Islands -- helmsman, Alinghi (Switzerland)
Marc Lagesse
35, South Africa -- navigator, Team Shosholoza (South Africa)
Peter Isler
51, USA -- navigator, BMW Oracle (USA)
Jamie Gale
34, New Zealand -- pitman, BMW Oracle
Paul Westlake
45, Australia -- trimmer, BMW Oracle
Christian Scherrer
36, Switzerland -- trimmer, +39 Challenge (Italy)
Dawn Riley
42, USA -- manager, AREVA Challenge (France)
Miguel Costa
43, Argentina -- designer and technical coordinator, Luna Rossa Challenge (Italy)
Jes Gram-Hansen
34, Denmark -- helmsman, Mascalzone Latino (Italy)
What makes a perfect sailing vacation? For most of our crewmembers, it's the weather conditions and the quality of the regattas, as well as the social scene around the yacht clubs. Others seek a more tranquil sail amid natural beauty and seclusion, while some of our sailors bear a sentimental attachment to waters where a key race was won, or where a childhood was spent learning the ropes.
There was no unanimous winner, but Sardinia rated highest among our panel. The Mediterranean island off Italy's west coast is famous for its turquoise waters and countless rocky coves. Costa Smeralda has long been favoured by the jet set, with the likes of P.Diddy anchoring offshore to throw lavish parties for his fellow A-listers. Porto Cervo is home to the Rolex Cup regatta, and Jamie Gale, pitman on the BMW Oracle, says the port's beauty and perfect conditions make it an ideal sailing destination.
See our slideshow of the pros' picks.
His teammate and trimmer Paul Westlake agrees. "Sailing conditions are very challenging, as the extremes can often be encountered during the course of a regatta," he says. Westlake also gives kudos to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda: "The pool and restaurant are the best I have ever seen." The island offers plenty to do on shore, with its many wineries, its Phoenician and Roman ruins and some spectacular biking and hiking trails.
The Virgin Islands came in at second place, with a rave review from USVI native and Alinghi helmsman Peter Holmberg. "It's a little freak of nature," he says. "It's 50 miles long and there are 150 islands and you can sail from one to the next. It's protected waters, beautiful beaches, bars on every beach -- it's just paradise for sailing." For scenery, he favors the north side of St. John (USVI), calling it "the most beautiful little stretch two miles long of anywhere."
The parties are at White Bay in Jost Van Dyke (BVI) -- "maybe 150 people live there and it's got 20 bars," says Holmberg -- but if you're after something a little quieter, head for North Sound, Virgin Gorda, at the very end of the British Virgin Islands. "For a long time there's been no roads, no phones," says Holmberg, while Peter Isler, BMW Oracle's navigator and coauthor of "Sailing for Dummies," gives it his vote for its yacht club, the Bitter End.
"Hawaii would have to be one of the best places to race, with its trade winds and great waves," says sixth-time Cup competitor and two-time-winner Tony Rae, runner and pitman for the New Zealand Emirates team. "There are not many sailing regattas you can go to where you can go for a quick surf in the morning, and then go out to race in warm water and waves."
Miguel Costa, Luna Rossa Challenge (the Prada boat) designer, and Peter Isler both agree, putting Hawaii in third place. Costa admires the dramatic landscape and the relaxed way of life he says Hawaiians enjoy -- "That's probably why they tend to live longer," he observes, while Isler loves to windsurf and sail on Hanalei Bay in Kauai and Lahaina in Maui.