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The Panerai trophy is a Classic Sailing Regatta at Menorca. It is an event that involves keeping a close eye on the points that the vessels score depending on the way they perform in the different races among them. Vessels from the Spanish period and the Classic ones are free to participate in the Championship to win the Panerai Trophy. The race is conducted at the island of Menorca.

The Spanish island of Menorca is considered to be the most serene of the 3 islands of the Spanish Balearics. In spite of that, the holiday isle, much admired by European and British tourists, attracts the attention at least till the time the Kings Cup for Classic Yachts is on.

Period vessels are the ones which were introduced by December 31st 1949. Classic are the ones launched in the period from January 1st, 1950 to December 31st 1975. Vessel replicas can also participate provided they have been made keeping the original designs intact. These boats are the ones designed during the same period but introduced later. They are made by employing the same materials and same techniques of the period in which they were designed.

If the AP pennant is hoisted after the finishing Race Committee boat, it implies that the Race Committee wants to conduct another race on the same day. This forms part of the protocol set by the race committee. The rules are strict and the timings are monitored in a much disciplined fashion.

The spirit of the race is actually to win and show the others your ability to sail the vessel. The order of the vessels is usually the Spirit of Tradition, Big boats and the Classics. The second in order are the Vintage Marconi, followed by the Vintage Gaff Sail. The order can be changed by the Race committee. There are a lot of undercurrents and a bit of nervousness about the race precisely because the competition is tough and the challenges are immense. There are some flights to Menorca and you can reach here by boarding major airlines which offer their services to Menorca.

The association between Officine Panerai and classic yachting is renewed periodically to conduct the race systematically. The number of boats and classic vessels participating in the event has also grown in the past few years. This is attributed to the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta and the British Classic Yacht Club Cowes Regatta. Since the time they have become a part of the race the crowd and participants have increased tremendously. Close to 65 classic yachts are expected every year during the race. It is an annual event and welcomed with great amount of vigour and a sense of challenge.