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10 of the Best Photos of Superyacht Luna

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Written by Maria Korotaeva

In 2009 Superyacht Luna was launched as the largest expedition yacht in the world. Built by Lloyd Werft and Stahlbau Shipyard in Germany , the superyacht’s success escalated very quickly. Her very first owner was the celebrity, Roman Abramovich. The famous 20-metre swimming pool was the most talked about in the yachting industry. Her enormous open aft deck also included a sunbathing area with an opulent beach club leading down to the swim platform. Apart from that, the voluminous 115-metre superyacht was equipped with everything needed for a world cruise. She was carrying a submarine and multipurpose limousines for a VIP transport service. Until now Luna is a star in the world of  mega yachts .

This go-everywhere vessel has visited many cruising grounds, from the glamorous Mediterranean to the tropical Caribbean , and some of the finest location in the Galapagos , Alaska and the Pacific . Photographed from various angles, she has always looked incredibly beautiful. We bring you 10 of the best photos of Superyacht Luna:

1. Luna’s exterior design is a work of Newcruise Design , who made sure her sticking looks would win the hearts of yachting enthusiasts around the world.

Expedition yacht Luna in Miami. Photo by Ron Rafferty

2. Back in 2010 upon her delivery, Luna had the biggest swimming pool on a private superyacht seen at that time.

Luna in Miami. Photo by @flye_drones

3. Luna looks great in any ambience. Even in the Big city life of San Diego, US .  She features two helicopter pads, facing forward and to the rear around the large communications tower.

Luna at San Diego Harbour. Photo by Tomas Del Coro

4. She features a truly exceptional performance. With “just” 1 million litre fuel tank (over 1,000 tonnes), she has a range of  9,000 nm at economical speeds of 16-18 knots.

Luna in Alaska. Photo by Gillfoto

5. With a beam of 20m, this enormous yacht offers plenty of interior and exterior living spaces.

Luna in St Barths, Photo by Kenyonc

6. Sumptuous accommodation is offered for a total of 18 guests, assisted by a highly professional crew of 50 .

Luna in San Diego Harbour. Photo by Tomas Del Coro

7.  Superyacht Luna photographed in France . Aft-View. 

Luna in France. Photo by Christo303

8. The yacht’s cost has been estimated at approx. US$ 545 million (as of April 2010).

Superyacht Luna. Photo by Giorgio Ferretto

9. The 9-deck mega yacht is fitted with an anti-missile system, and all windows are bulletproof to B7+ levels.

Luna. Photo courtesy of Greg Shaw

10. From any angle, she looks fantastic.

Luna in San Diego. Photo courtesy of Roving Vagabond

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "10 of the Best Photos of Superyacht Luna".

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LUNA Yacht – Glamorous $300M Superyacht

LUNA yacht has had an incredible journey over the years and has had a few facelifts as well.

Until now, LUNA is famous for being the world’s largest expedition yacht. Despite its large size, it is also known for having many family-friendly amenities that create a homey feel to it.

LUNA yacht interior

The interior of LUNA is chic but calming, which differs from the intensity of its exterior’s hard lines.

The designer, Lloyd Werft wanted to make sure each room of this vessel was appreciated appropriately.

The lounge and dining room are split by a wall and fireplace, so guests can enjoy different experiences in each room.

Guests can also enjoy a moment of serenity in the low aft deck’s sun worship room.

After some deep breathing exercises here, guests can also take a swim in the large pool that was once the largest pool on a superyacht.

Some other amenities on the LUNA superyacht are two tender garages, a gym, a beach club, a steam bath, a plunge pool, and a sauna.

It has a variety of activities for people to enjoy regardless of age.

Though LUNA has gone through many changes in her short lifetime, she continues to be a classic superyacht.

She is not only incredible to look at, but has everything needed for a good time out on the ocean.

LUNA was created to be a space for both adults and children to play in and have an unforgettable experience.

With the hard work of many workers and designers, LUNA has come to achieve that goal.

Specifications

The impressive LUNA yacht measures 115 meters and can reach top speeds of 22.5 knots.

It holds 9 staterooms that can house up to 18 guests and 49 crew members. The engine room of LUNA is different from most superyachts.

Not only is it large in volume, but it has a special polish that keeps the engine room squeaky clean.

Some staff members have described it as the cleanest engine room they have ever worked in.

There are seven generators that power the electric motors that take up less space on the ship, decrease vibrations, and make for a more economical ride.

Many have said that the original paint job was not the best, to put it lightly. One of its 130 jobs was to repaint the whole hull of the LUNA yacht.

It now has a mirror finish from end to end on its 2,000+ square meters of hull.

It took over 70 painters and eight months to finish this massive undertaking.

Now LUNA has a continuous shine along its hull with not a blemish in sight.

The interior of the LUNA yacht is chic but calming, which differs from the intensity of its exterior’s hard lines.

The LUNA yacht was created to be a space for both adults and children to play in and have an unforgettable experience.

LUNA yacht background

Originally built by Llod Werft Roman Abramovich, it was sold to Akhmedov in 2014.

With its change in owners, it also changed in appearance. LUNA had a 14-month-long process with around 130 jobs.

These changes included adding wine fridges and separating the ballast tank system. It took a lot of work, but it definitely improved on a classic superyacht.

Yacht Seizure

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, the yacht was seized in a German port due to its owner being tied to the Russian oligarch.

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M/Y Luna: The 115m Superyacht Has Finally Left Dubai

After a gruelling few years of legal battles, the 115m superyacht ‘Luna’ has finally left Dubai. In 2017, the vessel was at the centre of a prolific divorce settlement between Farkhad Akhmedov and his ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova which would continue over the following years. Luna is now free, and has been heading up the Suez Canal to explore the Mediterranean. SEO

Luna’s Rocky History

Farkhad Akhmedov came into possession of Luna in 2014, after purchasing it from Roman Abramovich for US$360. In 2017, Akhmedov and his wife Tatiana entered into a legal dispute concerning their divorce. At this time, Luna was in Port Rashid, Dubai, for maintenance work. The superyacht was then under court order to remain in its current location whilst resolving the dispute. After many setbacks and obstacles, she is now back where she belongs, on the open water.

Luna’s Design

Luna is an explorer superyacht built by Lloyd Werft at their German shipyard. Her interior features a design by Donald Starkey Designs, whilst Newcruise provided their expertise to create her striking exterior. The vessel has room to accommodate up to 50 guests and 18 crew members over her five decks. Luna’s luxurious facilities include two helipads, an expansive beach club, and a spa with a steam bath, plunge pool and sauna.

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LUNA yacht NOT for charter*

114.2m  /  374'8 | lloyd werft | 2010 / 2016.

Owner & Guests

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• True Go Anywhere Yacht
• Large swimming pool
• Two Helicopter Pads
• Accommodates up to 18 guests
• Ice Class Hull
• Huge 9500 NM Range

The 114.2m/374'8" expedition yacht 'Luna' was built by Lloyd Werft in Germany at their Bremerhaven shipyard. Her interior is styled by design house Donald Starkey and she was delivered to her owner in March 2010. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Newcruise and she was last refitted in 2016.

Guest Accommodation

Luna has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 18 guests in 9 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 49 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a dancefloor, spa, beauty salon, satellite communications, underwater lights, beach club, gym, deck jacuzzi, WiFi and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Luna is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Luna comfortably cruises at 18 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 22 knots with a range of up to 7,600 nautical miles from her 850,000 litre fuel tanks at 16 knots. Luna features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. Her water tanks store around 176,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1SSC, YACHT, MONO, EP, G6, ICE CLASS 1D. ✠ LMC, UMS, DP(AM), PCAC(1.1), NAV1, IBS, BWTS* classification society rules.

*Charter Luna Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Luna is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Luna Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Luna Photos

Luna Awards & Nominations

• The ShowBoats Design Awards 2011 Exterior Design & Styling Award: Displacement Motor Yachts 200′+ Finalist
• The World Superyacht Awards 2011 Best Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000GT and above (approximately 85m+) Finalist

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Luna

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Here are a selection of superyachts which are similar to Luna yacht which are believed to be available for charter. To view all similar luxury charter yachts click on the button below.

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Watson Island

Yacht watch: the $545m luna is docked in miami.

With a missile-defense system and bulletproof windows

We've seen some exceptional yachts come through the Magic City -- from the 377-foot Pelorus to Mark Cuban's 288-foot Fountainhead -- but the 377-foot Luna, last valued at $545 million, is truly a marvel.

Both Luna and Fountainhead are currently docked at Watson Island's Island Gardens Marina off the MacArthur causeway in Miami. Notice the enormous disparity in size, as Luna (front) makes Cuban's vessel (back left) look like a speedboat in comparison.

Only two helipads A photo posted by The Flying Eye (@flye_drones) on May 2, 2016 at 6:48pm PDT

At 377 feet, Luna is the second largest expedition yacht in the world. It's so large it has two helipads.

Feeling pretty dwarfed being docked next to 2 of the largest yachts around. Luna and Fountainhead both more than double out length. A photo posted by Ronald Christie (@worldwide_ron) on May 3, 2016 at 5:24pm PDT

It was built for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea F.C, and then sold to his billionaire pal Farkhad Akhmedov for $400 million in April 2014.

After purchasing his new toy, Akhmedov poured $50 million into a refit that fall.

A photo posted by Ronald Christie (@worldwide_ron) on May 3, 2016 at 7:15pm PDT

Estimated to be worth $545 million as of 2010, Luna has NINE decks, nine cabins and is capable of sleeping 18 guests with a crew of up to 50 people.

Luna Yacht. #yacht #lunayacht #sail #sailing #yachtlife #million #like4like A photo posted by Lavish Luxury Style (@lavishluxuriousness) on Sep 16, 2015 at 7:46pm PDT

Amenities include the two helipads, anchor stabilizers, multiple jacuzzis, a swimming pool, elevator, beach club, dance floor, gym, and spa.

Among its wide array of water toys is a mini submarine.

The swimming pool on the 115-meter custom expedition yacht LUNA is the perfect place for a late-night dip. #Yacht #Yachts #Yachting #LuxuryYacht #LuxuryYachts #Superyacht #Superyachts #LuxurySuperyacht #LuxurySuperyachts #MotorYacht #MotorYachts #LuxuryMotorYacht #LuxuryMotorYachts #WorldsLargestYachts #ExpeditionYachts #LuxuryExpeditionYachts #LUNAYacht #YachtLUNA A photo posted by Northrop & Johnson (@northropandjohnson) on Apr 15, 2015 at 9:51am PDT

Another ridiculously cool feature is the roof opening above the master cabin, allowing guests to sleep under the stars.

The vessel is practically indestructible, with bulletproof windows and an anti-missile system.

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Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Luna is a 115 metre explorer yacht built by Lloyd Werft and Stahlbau Nord.

Luna was constructed for Roman Abramovich who will add her to his already significant list of large luxury yachts. Luna is also one of the largest explorer yachts in the world.  

• Yacht Builder Lloyd Werft No profile available
• Naval Architect Lloyd Werft No profile available
• Exterior Designer NEWCRUISE™ - Krueger Yacht Projekt GmbH No profile available
• Interior Designer Donald Starkey View profile

Yacht Specs

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Luna was delivered in June 2010 and underwent a thorough refit in 2015/16, including the fairing of the hull and over 1,000 extra items. Diesel-electric powered, she has two helipads, one forward and one aft.

About LUNA , brought to you by BOATPro

LUNA is a 115.0 m Motor Yacht, built in Germany by Lloyd Werft and delivered in 2010.

Her top speed is 22.5 kn and her cruising speed is 16.8 kn and her power comes from two diesel electric engines. She can accommodate up to 18 guests in 9 staterooms, with 49 crew members. She has a gross tonnage of 5655.0 GT and a 20.0 m beam.

She was designed by Newcruise , who has designed 7 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database.

The naval architecture was developed by Lloyd Werft , and the interior of the yacht was designed by Donald Starkey , who has 56 other superyacht interiors designed in the BOAT Pro database - she is built with a Teak deck, a Steel hull, and Aluminium superstructure.

LUNA is in the top 5% by LOA in the world. She is one of 70 motor yachts longer than 100m, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her cruising speed is 0.89 kn above the average, and her top speed 2.8 kn above the average.

LUNA is currently sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, the 5th most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 455 yachts registered. She is currently located at the superyacht marina Club de Mar, in Spain, where she has been located for 2 days. For more information regarding LUNA's movements, find out more about BOATPro AIS .

Specifications

• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Displacement , Expedition Yacht
• Builder: Lloyd Werft
• Naval Architect: Lloyd Werft
• Exterior Designer: Newcruise
• Interior Designer: Donald Starkey
• Refits: 2016

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Still commonly known by its post-war name of Lomonosov, the estate at Oranienbaum is the oldest of the Imperial Palaces around St. Petersburg, and also the only one not to be captured by Nazi forces during the Great Patriotic War. Founded by Prince Menshikov, Peter the Great's closest adviser, the Grand Palace is one of the most opulent examples of Petrine architecture to have survived to the present, although until very recently the palace itself has been greatly neglected. After Menshikov's death, Oranienbaum passed to the state, and was used as a hospice until, in 1743, it was presented by Empress Elizabeth to her nephew, the future Peter III. Peter made Oranienbaum his official summer residence and transformed one corner of the park, ordering the construction of a "Joke" Castle and a small citadel manned by his Holstein guards. This peculiar ensemble, called Petershtadt, was mostly demolished during Pavel's reign. Antonio Rinaldi, the Italian-born architect who also designed the Grand Palace at Gatchina and the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, was commissioned by Peter in 1758 to build a modest stone palace next to the fortress, and this has survived.

After Peter was deposed, Rinaldi was commissioned by Catherine the Great to build the Chinese Palace, in the Upper Park, as her official country residence. However, Catherine spent little time at Oranienbaum, which she had grown to hate during her marriage to Peter, and by the end of the 18 th century the estate had been turned into a Naval Cadet College. The palace became an Imperial residence again in the reign of Alexander I, and retained that status until the Revolution, when it was immediately opened as a museum. Although never captured by the Germans, Oranienbaum was bombarded during the war and, while the Grand Menshikov Palace survived intact, its restoration was given much lower priority than the more famous estates at Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo. Today, the small but elegant park has been almost completely restored, while the full restoration of the palaces has finally gained momentum over the last decade.

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Our 70 and 80 foot yachts offer the freedom and privacy you need to enjoy your next adventure or getaway. Defined by highly detailed, hand-crafted furniture and upholstery, her interior finishes play with texture and light. Princess yachts have long been recognized as some of the finest-quality luxury yachts in the world, due to their fine craftsmanship, custom design, woodwork, reliability, and safety.

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St. Pete To Shine Again

• By Dave Reed
• February 14, 2024

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the western shore of Florida’s Tampa Bay will be the epicenter of sailboat racing this weekend when more than 240 teams across 13 one-design classes and five handicap-racing fleets get races started for the first event of the national Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in St. Petersburg . Now well into its third decade, the regatta will also mark 10 years with its title sponsor.

The Sunshine City’s motto is that St. Pete is “Always in Season,” and that is certainly the enticement for many teams traveling in from colder climes with the promise of warm breezes, stiff competition and a nightlife that’s never been more vibrant.

One such northerner is David Mierzwa, of Lake Placid, New York, who on Tuesday was behind the wheel and racing to get south of a big storm burying the mid-Atlantic and Northeast in snow and ice. Behind him was bitter cold, but ahead of him was warmth and the anticipation of his first Melges 24 Midwinter Championship at the regatta.

As a newbie to the demanding Melges 24, Mierzwa says his primary goal is to “stay out of everybody’s way,” but ultimately, he and his teammates are on a mission to learn the nuances of this high-performance keelboat from his peers.

“We’re going so we can hunt for tips, tricks and whatever makes us better,” Mierzwa says. “It’s about having the opportunity to do an event of this caliber with likeminded people, because while sailing is the goal, being surrounded by others that do the same sport is sometimes better than the sport itself.”

As the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in St. Petersburg will be his team’s first major event, he recognizes they don’t have a high enough racing pedigree to vie for the Midwinter Championship title—yet. “The only way we can get to that point is to go out there and race,” he says.

And race they will, from early Friday morning through late Sunday, alongside several other one-design classes that are the regulars of this February classic, including the S2 7.9s and the Hobie 33s , both of which will also be vying for their midwinter championship titles. 

The S2s have the returning champions of Tom and Mary Bryant’s “Team Matros” from Holland, Michigan, which won seven of eight races in 2023 to earn their berth at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Caribbean Championship last October. At each of the series’ five events one team is selected to compete in the British Virgin Islands for the overall season title.

The Hobie 33s also have their champions returning to defend— Craig and Deborah Wilusz’s “Hoof Hearted”—but this year there’s a new and unknown challenger from Waxhaw, North Carolina, and it’s a boat with a nefarious name: “Bad Bunny.” Its new owner, Sean Rhone, says he’s looking forward to meeting and racing with other Hobie 33 owners for the first time and “taking a peek under their hoods.”

Rhone has been primarily racing his Hobie 33 in singlehanded events and low-key races on North Carolina’s Lake Norman, and like Mierzwa, he’s not sure how well he’ll fare, especially with a five-person team that’s been assembled by way of social media message boards, and whom he’s never met.

“It’s cold in Charlotte,” Rhone says, “and I’m getting tired of the cold weather, so when I saw that the fleet was having its midwinters in St. Petersburg, I thought it would be nice to go and race against some other Hobie 33s for once.”

Mierzwa and Rhone may pass each other on an interstate somewhere on the way to St. Pete, along with a sizable Canadian contingent of Contender dinghy sailors making their annual pilgrimage from across the northern border. The 16-foot Contender, which its loyalists claim to be “The Sexiest Singlehander in the World ” was introduced in 1969 and continues to be popular internationally, as well as in Tampa thanks to local sailmaker Ethan Bixby. Bixby, a champion of many classes, continues to rally the troops to the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta and the fleet has doubled for this year’s gathering. Bixby, who won all races last year, will of course be among the 11 trapezing sailors.

Sharing the same racecourse will be eight teams racing the doublehanded Windmill class, which is new to the regatta lineup, but another cult classic sparked in the 1950s. Class measurer Pat Huntley, of Erie, Pennsylvania, is now a decade into Windmill racing, and says he’s eager to enjoy some fast sailing in St. Pete and good times with his fellow Windmillers. “It’s such a fun and cool group,” Huntley says. “And the Windmill is such a bad-ass skinny and fast boat. It can handle the chop easily and is really fast.” 

Five teams racing in the 20-foot Flying Dutchman class (first built in 1951) will hail from California to Tennessee and hosted by local FD ace, Lin Robson, the 2023 class winner. The doublehanded bonanza, however, will be the Melges 15 class, which will feature an impressive 31 teams, nearly double from 2023. The new one-design class has exploded in popularity across the country since its introduction three years ago, and midwinter regattas elsewhere in Florida have maxed out at nearly 100 boats.

Among the Melges 15 ranks in St. Petersburg will be New York’s Iris Vogel, who has traditionally raced the regatta with her larger one-design keelboats over the years (a Soverel 33 and a J/88, both named “Deviation”). Vogel is now enjoying the challenge of big-fleet racing and exhilarating downwind sailing.

Racing with her partner, Tim Longo, Vogel helms and Longo handles the front of the boat, and over the past year they’ve been working their way up the scoreboard, but have a long way to go to the top. “This is a totally new thing to sail in such a big fleet,” Vogel says. “J/88 events typically get a dozen boats at best, and the racing is much slower paced. The tactics are completely different and boats are fast downwind so it’s a ton of fun, but we are still learning a different style of racing. Having the smaller fleet [at the Helly Hansen Regatta] will give us a chance to work on our boatspeed.”

While the out-of-town armada is significant, local sailors look forward to the regatta every year, especially Tampa Bay’s PHRF sailors who’ve made the event a key fixture in their Suncoast Boat of the Year Series. For these fleets, which now comprise the regatta’s largest group with 38 entries across four divisions (Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Racer-Cruiser and Cruising) organizers have added two days of long-course racing over the weekend. Depending on the wind strength and direction of the day, the race committee will plot a daylong course to test each team’s navigational and sailing skills, as well as their perseverance and desire to be first to the dock and first to the yacht club bar.

Local sailor Tim Landt, who has been an active sailor on the Tampa Bay waterfront for decades, is a registered competitor in the Cruising division in his new-to-him Nightwind 35, “Charisma.” He’s excited to see the regatta’s blossoming distance-race fleet and says the local growth and interest in racing older-generation yachts is good for the sport and for the Tampa Bay racing scene.

But it’s not all classic plastics in the distance fleet. In the Racer-Cruiser division will be the sparkling new Neo 43, owned by Ken Mungan of nearby Isles Yacht Club in Punta Gorda, Florida. Mungan purchased his sleek Italian-built 43-footer in 2022 with big plans to take on a few of the sport’s marque distance races, and local events like the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta offer he and his team an opportunity to learn the boat in a racing environment.

“When I turned 40 I needed a hobby and took up sailing,” Munger says. “I’m always trying new things and got into racing 2019. I did the Melges 24 for a while, but the Neo, because it’s a shallow-draft boat, allows me to do more local long-distance racing and we’re learning a lot.”

For this weekend’s regatta, Munger has more crew lined up than there are roles on the boat, but that’s fine with him. “We’re going to be overloaded, and I am anticipating a level of skill and organization that we don’t quite have yet,” he admits. “We’ll have two coaches and a new set of racing jibs that will be used for the first time, so it will be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”

While the long-course racers are making their way around the bay, closer to shore, will be the multihulls: the high-tech A Class Catamarans , which have two divisions (Classic and Foiling) totaling 33 competitors, and the Weta Trimarans , with a smaller contingent from years past, return with nine boats, and among them is two-time defending champion and local Pete Merrifield looking for a three-peat.

         The iconic Lightning Class is one of the regatta’s largest one-design fleets, with 25 boats, five of which will be raced by members of the Starck family with a few world champions among them. Hall of Famer, Augie Diaz, of Miami, and Ched Proctor, of Southport, Connecticut, both world champions as well, always add to the high level of racing and camaradarie Lightning sailors enjoy all winter. The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in St. Petersburg is a key warm-up event for the Lightning class’s hotly-contested two-regatta Southern Circuit with March events in St. Pete and Miami.

Sharing one racing circle immediately off the city front will be the 29-boat J/70 fleet and a reemergent J/24 fleet, both of which will no doubt provide quality racing for both professional and amateur sailors. The same will be true for the ever-competitive ORC fleet, with 11 entries, which will be racing further south. Bill and Jackie Baxter’s J/111 “Fireball,” from Stamford, Connecticut, which has won all of its events this winter will return to defend its 2023 ORC title, which it earned with ease, winning seven of eight races.

• More: Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series , Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series St. Petersburg
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