The votes have been counted thrice so now be time to announce the winners of the Return of the Classic Pirates Contest!

But first, let’s give a thunderous applause to those who entered magnificent creations into the contest, and those who dedicated their time responding to and critiquing entries.

The contest attracted 117 legitimate entries which far exceeds the Eurobricks contest average of 40 entries per contest.

So now, without further bumbling, here the prize winners be…

Mini Set Building Category

There be only one winner in this category and the prize is a set of the builder’s choice  to the value of 35€

“King Kahuka’s Outrigger Boat” by Kritch with 29 votes

Kritch wasn’t very confident with his outrigger, fearing it wasn’t classic-style enough but decided to enter it anyway.

And bless his barnacles he did!

Au contraire to the LEGO Pirate sets of yore, modernising the classic style is a perfectly acceptable approach, and many voters agreed.

While neck and neck with Maroon Marin’s “Sloop Windy” for a good while, Kritch’s “King Kahuka’s Outrigger Boat” proved to be the superior vessel and has claimed the prize.

Main Building Category

In this category there be first, second and third prizes…

Third Place

The winner receives a set chosen by the builder to the value of 35€

“6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers Tavern” by Aanchir with 19 votes

Two 6267 Lagoon Lockup remakes were entered into the contest but nostalgia hungry voters strongly favoured Aanchir’s rendition as it attracted more than three times the votes of its direct competitor.

Lagoon Lockup was known as Solder’s Tavern in some regions, yet the original set merely glossed over the dining aspect with an awning and a couple of yellow goblets. Let potential not be wasted! Aanchir expanded the concept by incorporating the charm of alfresco dining, complete with ravenous buzzard, hopeful for scraps.

Second Place

The winner receives a set chosen by the builder to the value of 70€

“Saber Island 2023” by TomSkippy with 22 votes

6265 Sabre Island is another classic LEGO Pirates set fueling the inspiration for multiple remake entries.  TomSkippy’s entry was the most triumphant of  the three, attracting 20 more votes than both its direct competitors who only managed to procure two votes each.

Unlike Aanchir’s Lagoon Lockup, this re-imagining innovates substantially from the original design with a robust fortification and even heftier island in lieu of a printed base plate.

First Place

The winner receives a 10320 Eldorado Fortress to the value of 215€

“6278/6292 Enchanted Island” by Danny_Boy4 with 24 votes

Another classic set remake seizes the top position, and another Indigo Islander entry to boot!  This was the only entry based on 6278 Enchanted Island but Islanders proved popular throughout, with four Islander creations claiming the top 6 positions (albeit tied with an non-Islander entry in sixth position).

Danny_Boy4 proves modernising a classic set doesn’t require an excessive part count, especially when revising a set that originally included two raised base plates.  Rather, a thoughtful substitution of pieces is the key to victory while maintaining the charm of the original.

Creative Critic

The Creative Critic Leaderboard analysed the performance of the participants in this category to shed greater insight towards who is worthy of the second 10320 Eldorado Fortress.

This rousing image is far more compelling than a screenshot of the winners forum posts…

In actuality more than one Creative Critic is deserving of a reward… if the Classic Pirates were in a position to award first, second and third place prizes, we most certainly would!

But for this contest we have but a single one prize to give, and that prize goes to…

Mazin

It was an extremely difficult decision and throughout the analysis various critics were considered for the prize, however Mazin’s personable demeanor and ability to provide articulate responses well after his initial feedback set him slightly ahead of the competition.

What Do Yer Think?

Did your favourite entries win a prize?  Or do you believe other entries to be more worthy? Are yer surprised the Indigo Islanders were so popular?

Spread the word! Congratulate the winners!

Now is the time to celebrate – head swiftly to the LEGO Pirates Forum and congratulate the winners!

UPDATE 24 September, 2023

The WINNERS have been announced…

Voting for the Return of the Classic Pirates contest concludes its second week and we have some swashbuckling updates for yer!  Or is that scandalous updates?

Voters have been enthusiastically reviewing the 114 entries and eagerly casting their votes to determine the prize winners!

But have fraudulent votes been cast?  Has a band of scoundrels attempted to exploit the voting system?

Keep reading for we shall investigate potential skullduggery, but remember voting closes September 16 so if yer haven’t already done so, VOTE NOW!

Fraud in the Voting System?

There may be treachery afoot!

Would yer say it looked suspicious if someone registered a new Eurobricks account and voted for 5 entries created by the same builder?

This is our Voting Tally Commander

Would yer say it looked even more suspicious if one of those new accounts has the same IP address as the builder?

Ignoring the fact the owner of said account is from the same country as the builder, would yer say it looks overwhelmingly suspicious when that owner claims to have “found” the builder?

Well, we’re not going mention any names, but we invite you to decide for yourself, and peruse the Official Voting Topic for vote legitimacy.  Focus yer attention on the votes towards the end of page 2.

Could we see disqualifications in the near future?  Or are we being overly cautious?  If ye suspect skullduggery is at play, please share your thoughts in the Voting Rules topic.

Who’s In the Lead?

Here’s a provisional vote tally, as of September 9 to see who’s sailing ahead:

Mini Set Building Category

There be only one prize for this category, but let’s look at the entries in the top three positions…

Position Number #3

New Mini Set concept: “Treasure Island” by Oky with 14 votes

Position Number #2

New Mini Set concept: “Fortune Idol” by Oky with 15 votes

Position Number #1

We have a tie!

New Mini Set concept: “Sloop Windy” by Marooned Marin with 18 votes

Versus:

New Mini Set concept: “King Kahuka’s Outrigger Boat” by Kritch with 18 votes

Main Building Category

There be three prizes for this category, so let’s see which entries are in the top three positions…

Position Number #3

Would yer believe we’ve got another tie?

New set concept: “The Lost Lagoon” by The Brick Stop with 11 votes

Tied in position #3 with…

Set remake concept: “Saber Island 2023” by TomSkippy with 11 votes

Position Number #2

Would yer believe we’ve got another tie?

Set remake concept: “6267 Lagoon Lock-Up/Soldiers Tavern” by Aanchir with 14 votes

Tied in position #2 with…

New set concept: “6269 Islander Palace” by BrynnOfCastlegate with 14 votes

Position Number #1

No tie at the moment, so the entry in the lead is…

Set remake concept: “6278/6292 Enchanted Island” by Danny_Boy4 with 15 votes

But it’s not over yet because voting closes September 16 so those results could change!

What Happens If There Is A Draw?

If by September 12 a draw is looking likely, the main voting poll will close and new polls will open for the tied entries.

In the case of the Main Building Category which has three prizes, the entries tied in position #2 will face off against each other.  The entry which receives the most votes will remain at position #2 and entry which receives the least vote, will move into position #3.  Consequentially, any entries that were in position #3 will be pushed back to position #4 and no longer be eligible for a prize.

Similarly, should there be more than one entry in position #1, the entry with the most votes (in the tie breaking poll) will remain in that position, while the entry with the second most votes (in the tie breaking poll) will move into position #2, and so on…

If you disagree agree with this system express your thoughts in the the Voting Rules topic.

Entry Disqualified

Unfortunately we’ve had to disqualify 6274 Caribbean Clipper Remake by Alexu!

Uh oh, we had to throw this entry overboard!

In this own words, Alexu states:

Actually I did this remake last year, way before the new Eldorado Fortress has been announced and I’ve just realised I could enter it for the contest so … why not ?

No doubt this be an honest mistake, English not being his native tongue, nonetheless, the rules state entries must be built after 28 June, 2023.  Should we grant leniency? Given that another builder submitted an entry that was created prior to June 28, then later admitted to this fact and withdrew from the contest, out of fairness we cannot accept this Caribbean Clipper remake.

So if yer were thinking about voting for this entry, ye best reconsider yer options.

What Do Yer Think?

Do yer have any feedback on Voting Rules? Do yer think all the votes are legit or be there treachery at play?

But most importantly, have yer voted yet?  Which entries are worthy of a prize?  Which entries could you see as official LEGO Pirate sets?