Superyacht Cup - Mediterranean racing season set to open in style

by The Superyacht Cup on 1 Apr 2016 The award-winning and record-breaking 45m Mari Cha III, designed by the bespoke Philippe Briand is one of the latest boats to sign up to our twenty plus fleet. She beat the Transatlantic Record in 1998 and the Sydney to Hobart record in 1999, hitting speeds in excess of 30 knots.

During the Superyacht Cup this sleek super maxi will be sailed hard under the expert guidance of yet another racing legend, the acclaimed helmsman Mike Sanderson. Perhaps best known for receiving the prestigious ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award for winning the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper of ABN Amro I.

Another one to watch out for will be the 28m Southern Wind KIBOKO DOS. Like last year this high calibre sailing yacht will be home to a posse of top professionals. Moreover, most of the talent on board will be sailing on their home waters: the local knowledge possessed by these Mallorquin and Spanish sailors is bound to give this tenacious team a substantial head start.

The 39m Pendennis built fast cruising sloop Tenaz is one of the most striking sail yachts to come from the Dubois drawing board. With a particularly sleek profile and trade mark pilot house, she'll be sure to turn heads both on and off the race course. Not just a pretty face though, Tenaz claimed victory in the Superyacht Challenge Antigua in January, winning the first regatta she's ever competed in. Since her launch she has returned to our premium partners Pendennis for refit works on various occasions, firstly in 2005 for an intensive three-month refit and then again in 2009 for a complete interior and exterior overhaul.

Three days of mounting tension and hard-fought tactical duels were played out on the turquoise waters of sunny St. Barths and saw amongst others the 45m newly launched Unfurled and the performance Perini P2 come out on top. The bucket's final day of racing also marked the end of the Caribbean racing season and consequently some of the world's most stunning superyachts are currently making their way across the Atlantic in order to continue combat in pretty Porto Cervo, home of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta.

'Les Gazelles des Mers' victor Unfurled and the dazzling carbon rigged racer Inouï, both built by the prestigious Vitters yard, not only competed in the St. Barths Bucket but will also take part in Porto Cervo. Subsequently they will conclude their battles in the bay of Palma during the Superyacht Cup and with the rip-roaring array of sail power taking up this year's challenge, competition is promising to be tough and tight.

Dutch Pedigree in Palma

We're very excited to see the new, larger and faster 39m Atalante, designed by Hoek Design Naval Architects and built by silver sponsor Claasen Shipyards, show what she's made of on the racecourse this June. She's the largest in the Truly Classic range to date and described by Andre Hoek as one of the best boats he's ever been involved with.

Another Claasen built Truly Classic to race this year is the 24m Heartbeat, she'll be making her fourth successive appearance. Don't be fooled by her traditional lines though as behind this classic look hides a winner, she won the 2013 edition no less.

Dutch Claasen are renowned for combining traditional workmanship with the most modern technologies. The shipyard has constructed plenty of present and past Superyacht Cup participants, including the 2011 winner Drumfire and the 35m Firefly, who took second in class the following year.

Also part of the Dutch contingent are the clever clogs at Ship Motion Group, specialised in state of the art technical products and systems such as their fully Retractable Propulsion Systems (RPS) -specially developed for the most prestigious performance sailing yachts, like both Baltic-built beauties Win Win and Visione. A Retractable Propulsion System results in a total drag reduction from 4,6 to 10,2 %, which in turn translates to a higher speed and better performance.