Officine Panerai

Nantucket , MA – Officine Panerai is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a kick-off event in Nantucket August 18th to celebrate the 39th annual Opera House Cup as well as to celebrate the launch of the new non-profit organization Sailing Heals . For the second year in a row, Panerai will collaborate with Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, and their local affiliate Nantucket Cottage Hospital, to take cancer patients and their caretakers out on the water, in the days and weeks following the competitive racing of the legendary classic regatta.

 

Officine Panerai sponsors kick-off event for Nantucket's legendary

Opera House Cup and new charity Sailing Heals

Event to benefit Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

& Nantucket Cottage Hospital

Many of the world's most beautiful classic yachts will be sailing to the charming port of Nantucket to participate in this year's Opera House Cup. High-end watch brand Panerai will kick-off the event with an Italian-themed cocktail event on the 66-year-old Nantucket Lightship, a recently restored privately-owned sailing vessel, beloved by Nantucketers and mariners alike. The on-board event will honor donors, doctors and staff of Massachusetts General Hospital and Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and will serve as the official kick-off for Panerai's founding sponsorship of Sailing Heals , a newly-chartered independent non-profit organization based in Massachusetts. Sailing Heals' mission is to bring cancer patients and their caretakers out on the water for days of healing and respite.

Sailing Heals Executive Director Trisha Boisvert commented, "We couldn't be more pleased than to launch our new charity with such well-respected organizations as MGH Cancer Center, Nantucket Community Hospital and Officine Panerai. We see a true collaborative spirit among all the partners, and we look forward to taking patients and their caretakers out of the clinical environment to enjoy the healing powers of the sea." Boisvert added that the charity will ultimately serve other regions and may be expanded to other "people in need of a rejuvenating day on the water," but their initial focus is to draw attention to the need for ongoing care for cancer patients to help them re-claim their lives after a traumatic illness, such as cancer. "People sometimes forget that it's not just the patients who go through the treatments, it's the families and caregivers too. We want to celebrate their contributions as well," Boisvert added.

"We are thrilled to partner with Panerai on this exciting event to kick-off the 2011 Opera House Cup and to celebrate the newly launched non-profit Sailing Heals, " said Sara Kelly, Senior Managing Director of Development for Massachusetts General Hospital. "We know that our patients and their caregivers appreciate a relaxing escape that a day at sea brings to their often challenging treatment schedules."

Visitors to the island will also get to enjoy Nantucket Lightship as well as the breathtaking beauty of the classic and vintage sailboats that the OHC regatta attracts every year. All eyes and cameras will be pointed at the famous red and white Lightship, as she will have Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge flags and Sailing Heals burgees flying from her halyards and masts when she is anchored at her dedicated mooring off Brant Point throughout Nantucket Race Week.

The Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge - Opera House Cup will take place August 19th – 21st in Nantucket and is the second regatta in a three-part North American Circuit, which includes the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta in Marblehead, MA (August 12th – 14th) and the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta in Newport, RI (September 2nd – 4th), all sponsored by Officine Panerai.

About Officine Panerai

Founded in Florence in 1860 as a watchmaker's shop, workshop and school, Officine Panerai was for many years the official supplier of precision instruments for the Italian Navy, mostly for the underwater special corps. The projects developed by the company at the time including the Luminor and Radiomir watch - were covered by military secret until 1997, when the brand was purchased by the Richemont Group and launched on the international market. Officine Panerai is today the only Italian fine watch making company, developing and producing its own calibres and watches - a blend of Italian history and design with Swiss craftsmanship - in its own manufacture in Neuchatel, in Switzerland. Panerai watches are distributed worldwide through an exclusive network and in the Panerai boutiques in Florence, Milan, Portofino, Geneva, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Beverly Hills, New York City, Boca Raton, Buenos Aires, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Beijing, Hong-Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo. www.panerai.com.

About the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge

Featuring over 500 of the world's most beautiful classic yachts in ten historic regattas, the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge is a major international event in the world of classic sailing, bringing together over 5,000 professional sailors from around the world. The Challenge includes two circuits – Mediterranean and North American – as well as the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and Panerai British Classic Week in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. It is through the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge that Officine Panerai continues to protect and promote the culture of classic yachting in the name of its own historical ties with the sea and the qualities of beauty, classic design, craftsmanship and excellence, which distinguish the uniqueness of a classic yacht as they do a luxury watch. For more information visit www.paneraiclassicyachtschallenge.com.

About Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

An integral part of one of the world's most distinguished academic medical centers, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center's commitment to eradicating cancer is fueled by scientific investigation conducted as part of the largest hospital-based research program in the United States. Through a powerful synergy between scientists in the laboratories and physicians at the bedside, the Cancer Center fosters innovation in basic, translational and clinical research. For more information on Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center visit www.massgeneral.org/cancer.

About Sailing Heals

Sailing Heals is a newly-formed U.S. based 501(c)(3) organization whose aim is to provide enjoyable sailing and boating experiences to individuals, families, caretakers and staff who may benefit from a congenial, healing day on the water. Persons who have gone through traumatic experiences, such as intensive cancer treatments or the death of a loved one from cancer or another serious illness, are invited to be guests of volunteer sailors, who donate their time, boats and talents to this important cause, or the guests of independent sponsors who provide the necessary funding to undertake the sailing outings and provide hospitality. For more information, visit www.sailingheals.org.

Press Release