Wally Class Trophy: Open Season doubles the title!

The Wally Class trophy is now a triennial challenge, designed and built by Steve Marten for North Sails

Saint Tropez, France – Open Season keeps the momentum and wins the racing series for the second consecutive year with a crushing victory, taking three regattas out of four.   

The 2016 calendar included four events (Gaastra Palmavela, Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Les Voiles de Saint Tropez), with a great participation ranging from 11 entries in Gaastra Palmavela to 12 in Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, 13 in Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and up to the record of 16 in Les Voiles de Saint Tropez. Two new competitors joined in: the wallycento Galateia, and the Wally 50m Better Place. The high participation reflected the very high competition: all the teams considerably raised the bar, and had a chance to win. 

Since the first event Gaastra Palmavela, it was evident that the competition was truly high: J One won the regatta in the last leg of the last race, with the three Wallys on the podium separated by 1,5 points only! Open Season’s payback arrived in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, where she won the regatta in the last leg of the last race over Magic Carpet 3 that was leading till then. Open Season triumphed again in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup winning four races out of six. The Les Voiles de Saint Tropez staged once more a final showdown between the perennial rivals Magic Carpet 3 and Open Season who topped her direct competitor in the last race.    

The Wally Class Trophy is assigned using the high point scoring system, that most accurately reflects those who raced the best.  The Wally with the highest number of points in each of the three different categories (overall, group 80, group 2) wins the relevant trophy, reserved to the yachts participating in at least three events of the official calendar.
During the season, Open Season crossed the finish line ahead of the fleet in 21 races out of 24, and won 11 races, totalling 233,5 points, the highest score of the seasonal ranking that bestows the Wally  Class Trophy. Second classified overall is Lyra  with 201 points and third, by seven points only, is Magic Carpet Cubed with 194 points.
The winner of group 80 is Lyra, while the winner of group 2 is Ryokan 2.

Starting the 2016 season, the Wally Class Trophy is a triennial challenge: the owner who wins three times, keeps the trophy for ever. To celebrate the exhilarating competition and performance of the Wally Class, North Sails, long-time friend and technological partner of Wally, developed the unique custom trophy, designed and carbon fibre built by Steve Martin in New Zealand.
A unique piece to award the best of the best.

The confirmed 2017 calendar includes the same four regattas of 2016: Gaastra Palmavela (May 2-7), Loro Piana Superyacht regatta (May 30- June 3), Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (September 3-9), and Les Voiles de Saint Tropez (September 30-October 8).
Congratulations to the winning teams and to all the competitors of this incredible racing season and arrivederci on the starting line on May 2 in Palma!