Thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. John Kilroy, Jr. of California, the U.S. Naval Academy’s Varsity Offshore Sailing Team has a new high-performance offshore racing machine.
The TransPac IRC 52, Samba Pa Ti, was donated by the Kilroys while the boat is still at the top of its game. Renamed Invictus, the boat was designed by Spain’s Botin Carkeek Yacht Design and built in New Zealand by Cookson Boats in 2006-07. As Samba Pa Ti, the yacht has had a long list of wins including overall winner of the 2007 Waikiki Offshore Series, 2007/2008 Rolex Big Boat Series IRC Division Regattas and the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy. The boat was also featured in the Disney movie, Morning Light.
The boat was formally christened Invictus on May 1, but had already won a regatta on Chesapeake Bay on April 24. The sailing team has a busy season ahead and plans to race the new stallion in both the Onion Patch Regattas and the 2010 Newport Bermuda Race.
