The 2023 edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup marks 25 years of participation by Reichel/Pugh boats, and in that time our designs have now amassed 41 Class wins and most recently Maxi Class winners for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The 2023 edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup marks 25 years of participation by Reichel/Pugh boats, and in that time our designs have now amassed 41 Class wins and most recently Maxi Class winners for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Competing this year were three of Reichel/Pugh’s four continuously competitive 100s! Designs include the 2021 (& 2014) Maxi World Champion R/P 100’ Magic Carpet 3, R/P 100’ Galateia (who place 2nd last year and was the 2017 Maxi World Champion) and 100’ record-breaker Black Jack. Notably, last month Black Jack took line honors at owner Peter Hamburg’s first Palermo-Montecarlo Race. The 500-mile course record is still held by the same hull, when it was called Esimit Europa 2, set in 2015.
Of the three 100-footers, Galateia has punctuated Reichel/Pugh’s 25 years of participation at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup by capturing the world championship title this year!
Galateia co-owner David Leuschen (Chris Flowers) commented, "It has been an exceptional week, the key factors for our success have been our consistency, nothing but second- and third-place finishes, and our starts, probably the best we have ever had in a regatta. Winning the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is an extraordinary achievement, for us it’s like the Holy Grail, so we feel very good."
YCCS Commodore Michael Illbruck thanked “all the owners and sailors who make this event unique in terms of the standard of the crews and the technological level of the boats, ranging from the majestic J Class yachts to the Multihulls, taking part in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup for the first time this year.”
2023 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup Maxi Class Results
2022 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup Race Details
2022 New York Times article: “The Allure of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup”
2022 New York Times article: “At the (2022) Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, J-Class Yachts Are Back”
The Reichel/Pugh team designs for performance longevity and has unparalleled success at producing some of the world’s most distinctive, most enduring and consistently rewarding sailing yachts including designs that have continuously won major regattas over several decades. Reichel/Pugh Superyachts are the most successful cruising performance yachts. 147' Visione, RP-Nauta 112' Nilaya, and 200' Hetairos have each won overall the St Barths Bucket along with Class wins in the Maxi Rolex Cup and overall wins in other Superyacht events. The R/P-Nauta 130’ My Song was crowned Superyacht of the Year in 2017 at the International Superyacht Society Design Awards. 100' Magic Carpet 3 won overall the 2019 Loro Piana Superyacht Cup and the 2022 Giorgio Amani Superyacht Cup.
100’ Galateia’s Winning History
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING BY REICHEL/PUGH
INTERIOR BY ANTONIO COSTAMANTE - AIM YACHT INTERIORS
BUILT BY GREEN MARINE, U.K. - LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 2015
1st - 2023 Maxi Rolex Cup - Maxi Class A Division
1st - 2023 Palmavela - Maxi Division
2nd - 2022 Maxi Rolex Cup, Maxi Division
1st - 2022 Palmavela IRC-IMA - Maxi Division (placed first in every race of six)
1st - 2017 Wally Class Season’s Championship
2nd - 2017 Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta
1st - 2017 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
3rd - 2016 Les Voiles de St Barth - Maxi Class One
Reichel/Pugh has now had 41 Maxi Yacht World Championship Division Winners since 1997:
2023 – 100’ Galateia – Maxi Class A – D. Leuschen & C. Flowers
2022 – 78’ Capricorno – Mini Maxi Class 2 – A. Del Bono
2022 – 82’ Highland Fling XI – Maxi Class - I. Laidlaw
2021 – 100’ Magic Carpet3 – Maxi Class - Sir L.Owen Jones
2021 – 78’ Capricorno – Mini Maxi Class 2 – A. Del Bono
2019 – 82’ Highland Fling XI – Maxi Class - I. Laidlaw
2017 – 82’ Highland Fling XI – Maxi Class - I. Laidlaw
2017 – 100’ Galateia – Wally Class – D. Leuschen
2016 – 85’ My Song – Maxi RC Division
2015 – 94’ Windfall – Maxi RC Division – M. Cotter
2014 – 82’ Highland Fling XI – Maxi Class - I. Laidlaw
2014 – 100’ Magic Carpet 3 – WallyCento – Wally Class – Sir L.Owen Jones
2014 – 78’ Lupa of London – Mini Maxi Racer/Cruiser Division – J. Pilkington
2013 – 112’ Nilaya – SuperMaxi ORCi Division – F. Balcaen
2013 – 78’ Lupa of London – Mini Maxi Cruising Division – J. Pilkington
2012 – 100’ Esimit Europa 2 – Racing Division – I.Simcic
2012 – 112’ Nilaya – SuperMaxi Division – F. Balcaen
2011 – 112’ Nilaya – SuperMaxi Division – F. Balcaen
2011 – 78’ AllSmoke – Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising Division – G. Herz
2010 – 100’ Esimit Europa 2 – Racing/Racing Cruising Division – I.Simcic
2010 – 220’ Hetairos – Supermaxi Division – O. Happel
2009 – 72’ Bella Mente – Mini Maxi Divison + Mini Maxi Overall Season Champion – H. Fauth
2009 – 72’ Alfa Romeo 3 – Mini Maxi Racing Division – N.Crichton
2009 – 78’ Whisper – 1st Place Mini-Maxi Cruising Class – M. Cotter
2009 – 147’ Visione – Cruising Division – H. Plattner
2008 – 72’ Alfa Romeo 3 – Mini Maxi Racing Division – N.Crichton
2008 – 220’ Hetairos – Cruising Division – O. Happel
2008 – 90’ Rambler – Racing Division – G. David
2007 – J Class Ranger – Cruising Division – J. Williams
2007 – 86’ Morning Glory – Racing Division – H. Plattner
2007 – 78’ AllSmoke – Mini Maxi Division – G. Herz
2006 – 100’ Alfa Romeo – Racing Division – N.Crichton
2006 – 220’ Hetairos – Spirit of Tradition Division – O. Happel
2005 – 77’ Black Dragon – Racing Division – O. Happel
2004 – 86’ Pyewacket – Racing Division – R. Disney
2004 – 78’ Idea – IMS Division – R. Raiola
2003 – 78’ Idea SAI – IMS Division – R. Raiola
2003 – 85’ Alfa Romeo – IRC Division – N. Crichton
2002 – 79’ Alexia – Racing Division – A. Roemmers
2001 – 79’ Alexia – Racing Division – A. Roemmers
2000 – 79’ Alexia – Racing Division – A. Roemmers
1997 – 80’ Morning Glory – H. Plattner
Sources: YCCS, International Maxi Association / Kimball Livingston and David Schmidt - New York Times
Photography courtesy of: Carlo Borlenghi