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10-18-2016
Trieste, Italy (October 9, 2016) – Reichel/Pugh wishes to congratulate the skipper and crew of the Reichel/Pugh designed 72’ Alfa Romeo as the overall winner of the 48th edition of the annual Barcolana Regatta out of 1107 entries.
Tags: Alfa Romeo, Barcolana
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Reichel/Pugh has collaborated with Baltic Yachts, Nauta Design and MCM project management to produce one of the most remarkable state-of-the-art, all carbon superyachts ever launched. My Song is not only the latest high performance, genuine multi-role super sailing yacht to be launched by Baltic Yachts, but she also benefits from a plethora of new ideas taking the cruiser/racer genre to a new level. She oozes innovation.
With naval architecture and engineering by San Diego-based Reichel/Pugh, stunning interior, exterior and conceptual design by Nauta Design and project management by Nigel Ingram of MCM, My Song was launched on time and completed sailing trials successfully in Finland before heading for the Mediterranean to debut at the Les Voiles de Saint Tropez regatta. Read More …
Tags: Baltic, Baltic 130, My Song, Nauta
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9-30-2016
The superyacht circuit grows with every new season, as do the demands for better sailing performance. Always on top of the aesthetics, for their new 130-footer Reichel/Pugh were inevitably pressed hard to deliver some rigorous performance targets. Read on as RP Designer, Naval Architect and Structural Engineer David Oliver writes about how he got his first grey hairs…
Click here to read the full story from Seahorse Magazine
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9-21-2016
Saint Tropez, France (September 24 – October 2, 2016) Les Voiles de Saint Tropez is a regatta held annually the last week of September on the Mediterranean. The town of Saint Tropez, on the south coast of France, plays host to an incredible gathering of classic wooden yachts, high-tech modern superyachts, as well as a variety of production and custom boats of all sizes. In all, more than 300 boats will race next week in the gulf of Saint Tropez from September 24th to October 2nd in this classic regatta. Read More …
Tags: Botta Dritta, Cookson Boats, Galateia, Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, Magic Carpet3, My Song, Team Vision Future, WallyCentos
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9-15-2016
Wishing all Rolex Big Boat Series competitors a week of lively racing in San Francisco!
48’ Bladerunner, a 1984 Big Boat Series champion, and one of our first designs was built here in San Diego by OB Boatworks. Bladerunner was owned & skippered by Bill Twist of San Francisco. The photo was taken by Sharon Green off Honolulu during the 1986 Kenwood Cup. Launched in 1984 Bladerunner took 1st place in Class in ‘84 and ‘85 Long Beach Race Week, ’84 Big Boat Series (perhaps considered the heyday of the BBS), ’85 Rolex Cup, ’85 Block Island Race Week, ’86 Round the State race and ’87 Transpac. The Reichel/Pugh team had some great racing on the Bladerunner along with epic shore-side events… Bladerunner went on to be renamed Flyer and is owned by of EC-six carbon rigging designer Rob Sjostedt of Irvine, CA. Our original drawings were recently pulled as Rob makes restoration plans. Read More …
Tags: Big Boat Series, Bladerunner, Sjostedt, Twist
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Hobart, Tasmania (December 30, 2018) – Phillip Turner’s Alive representing Derwent Sailing Squadron Inc has won the double for the 2018 Rolex Rolex Sydney Hobart. Winning the George Adams Tattersalls Cup for Overall Winner on IRC and the Charleston Trophy for Overall Winner on ORCi. Alive’s Navigator Wouter Verbraak has won the Bill Owen Memorial Trophy – for the navigator of the overall winner on handicap and the City of Hobart Trophy – for the Navigator of the first Tasmanian yacht on handicap. Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design have won the Alan Payne Memorial Trophy – for the designer of the overall winner on handicap.
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Hobart, Tasmania (December 28, 2018) – The Reichel/Pugh-designed Wild Oats XI surges to victory to take her 9th Line Honors win in the 2018 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race.
Three years of trauma and heartache for the Wild Oats XI family has ended, after a premature retirement from the 2015 race with a torn mainsail, followed by Bob Oatley’s death in January 2016 and another race retirement in 2016 due to hydraulic ram issues, and then the much publicized 2017 race when Wild Oats XI was penalized one hour after an incident with Comanche and lost her line honors crown and a new race record to Comanche. Val Oatley described Wild Oats XI 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart line honors victory perfectly alongside the dock in Hobart this morning: “Three years of misery to this moment,” and you could not wipe the smile from her face or that of her sons Sandy and Ian, as they waited for their Supermaxi to moor alongside the pier. Wild Oat’s skipper Mark ‘Ricko’ Richards handed over the helm to the Late Bob Oatley’s grandson, Daniel (Ian Oatley’s son, on his third Sydney Hobart on the family yacht) on the final leg to the finish. It was a blissful moment for the Oatley family and their supporters as their silver Supermaxi crossed the Hobart finish line at 08:07:21 on Friday, 28 December. (more…)
Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s 130′ Supermaxi My Song finished the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race on December 4th at 17:47:11 UTC taking Monohull Line Honours. The Baltic 130 owned by Pier Luigi Loro Piana, a member of the International Maxi Association (IMA), has also set a new Monohull Race Record after completing the 3,000 mile race between Lanzarote and Grenada in an elapsed time of 10 days 5 hrs 47 mins 11 secs, shaving 1hr 19mins 48 secs off the previous monohull race record set in the 2015 race by Jean-Paul Riviere’s French Finot-Conq 100, Nomad IV.
My Song, delivered in 2016 and features a rotating retractable propulsion system, high-performance keel and other innovative features. Her naval architecture and engineering is by Reichel/Pugh, Interior, deck design by Nauta Yachts of Milan, and she was built by Baltic Yachts with project management by Nigel Ingram, MCM. Following World Superyacht Awards for Best Sailing Yacht between 30m and 39.9m and the Showboats Design Awards in which she was voted Most Innovative Sailing Yacht and took the Best Exterior Design and Styling award, she also won the International Superyacht Society’s 2017 award for the Best Sailing Yacht between 24m and 40m. (more…)
PERINI NAVI ANNOUNCES THE SALE OF THE SECOND 42-METER E-VOLUTION – Naval Architecture by Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design
Perini Navi, world leader in the design and construction of sailing and motor ships, announces the sale of the second 42 meter S / Y line of the E-volution line.
The new 42m S/Y, the first unit in the GTS series, has been sold to an expert European owner and will be delivered in spring 2021.
Based on the platform developed for the first 42-meter E-volution, with a concept and styling by Perini Navi and naval architecture by Reichel Pugh, this second unit combines aluminum and carbon to deliver superior performance. (more…)
Trieste, Italy (October 14, 2018) – Warm congratulations goes out to the skipper and crew of the Reichel/Pugh-designed, canting keel 86’ Spirit of Portopiccolo, formerly the Morning Glory, as overall winner of the 50th Barcolana Regatta. This year there was a record 2,689 boats on the starting line. More stunning photos can be found in @studioborlenghi 50th Barcolana album.
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The 28th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show starts this Wednesday and runs through four days showcasing the top superyacht builders, suppliers, brokerage firms and yacht designers.
Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design will be represented at this year’s show by the award winning 130’ My Song.
California (August 24-26, 2018) – Congratulations go out to Dr. Hasso Plattner and his team for the overall win (and PHRF A division win) for the second year in a row at the 2018 Long Point Race Week aboard their Reichel/Pugh-designed and engineered / Baltic-built 68’ Performance Cruiser Claude 2. In addition, Alec Oberschmidt’s Reichel/Pugh-designed 50′ Staghound won the PHRF B division! (more…)
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia/Southport Yacht Club, Sydney-Australia, 384nm (July 28th – 31, 2018) – Congratulations to the owners and crews of the Reichel/Pugh designed yachts competing in the 2018 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race Offshore Classic.
Geneva Lake, Wisconsin (June 17, 2018) – Reichel/Pugh Founder John Reichel and Naval Architect and Structural Engineer David Oliver were all smiles at the inaugural Melges 14 Nationals held held June 15-17. The event helped to continue to solidify the class as the premier high-performance one-design racing boat just three years after its introduction. Already honored as Sailing World’s 2016 Boat of the Year – Best Dinghy the class attracted over 30 entrants from around the country including Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. (more…)
One of the newest Reichel/Pugh projects is a custom 68′ Fast Performance Cruiser to be built by Baltic Yachts in Finland.
The yacht is designed for short-handed long-distance offshore cruising with the ability to very comfortably overnight at weekend destinations. While comfort and aesthetics are the priority, the owner is also focused on a performance design that can excel on the race course. The result is a hi-tech composite structure with a gorgeous interior that will no-doubt provide a highly-rewarding sailing experience.
Reichel/Pugh President Jim Pugh explains that, “The all-carbon composite, fixed keel, twin-rudder sloop with a powerful square-top main ensure exceptional performance on the race course. A captive winch-controlled mainsheet and powered winches provide safe and easy sail handling while cruising with a pin head main and furling jib.” (more…)
Porto Cervo (June 13, 2018) – The 130’ MY SONG built by Baltic, designed by Reichel Pugh and Nauta, achieved three first places in three races claiming first overall in Class “A”. MY SONG also claimed the Silver Jubilee Trophy, reserved for the top superyacht from both classes over 100 feet long, and the award for the top placed yacht owned by a YCCS member. (more…)
Victoria, BC (June 9, 2018) – Reichel/Pugh wishes to congratulate all competitors at the 2018 Melges 24 Worlds!
Now in its 25th year, the class still boasts one of the most competitive fleets in the world. This year the new Victoria International Marina was host to a fleet of 41 teams from five nations, racing a 10-race World Championship series.
Italian Andrea Racchelli’s Altea and his crew Filippo Togni, Gaudenzio Bomni, Matteo Ramian, Michele Gregoratto are the 2018 Melges World Champions. Alan Field’s WTF took silver, followed by Bruce Ayres’ Monsoon, both from the United States. (more…)
Queensland, AUS (March 31, 2018) – Congratulations to Black Jack Yachting (Reichel/Pugh 100) for slicing 3.5 hours off the previous record by setting a new course time of 00:16:53:57 in the historic 70th edition of the race. The Brisbane to Gladstone is a 308nm race held annually on Good Friday and is hosted by the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club. The sixty-nine-year history of the race has made it one of Australia’s flagship offshore races. It is an icon of Queensland and the highest profile Easter Weekend sporting event setting sail from Moreton Bay on Good Friday annually. (more…)
St Barths (March 20, 2018) – This past weekend, 26 of the world’s finest sailing yachts gathered for the renowned three-day St Barths Bucket Regatta. Reichel/Pugh-designed 112′ Nilaya won the most competitive Les Gazelles des Mers class and was awarded the overall prize; the Bucket. R/P’s iconic 147’ Visione also built by Baltic took second and also won the All-Star Crew Award following nominations from each yacht for the most professional service, the best camaraderie, teamwork, and respect. As the regatta organizers said: “This is the yacht that everyone wants to work on!” Visione was the overall winner of the Bucket in 2015. (more…)
Hobart, Tasmania (December 28, 2017) – Congratulations to Jim Cooney and crew of Comanche for being awarded line honors and the new course record in the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. It was a tremendous battle between Comanche and Wild Oats XI. We are hopeful to see many more in futures races. We also would like to congratulate and cheer on all the crews who battled for the Tattersall Cup. Without these competitors the race would not be the spectacle that it is! Reichel/Pugh competitor’s included: the Oatley’s RP 100′ Wild Oats XI and RP 66′ Wild Oats X, Peter Harburg’s RP 100′ Black Jack, Bruce Taylor’s RP 40′ Chutzpah, and Tony Walton’s RP 46′ Hartbreaker.
Hobart, Tasmania (December 27, 2017) – Late Thursday evening, the 12-year-old Reichel/Pugh-designed 100′ Wild Oats X1 took line honors for the ninth time since launching in 2005. Wild Oats achievement was quite remarkable, having trailed Jim Cooney’s much newer Comanche much of the race they found plenty of speed in the windy downwind conditions and in the light air up Tasmania’s River Derwent. Wild Oats XI smashed last year’s record of one day 13hrs 31mins 20secs by after passing Comanche and crossing the Castray Esplanade finish line 26 minutes and 24 seconds ahead, in the new time of one day 8hrs 48mins 50secs, taking 4hrs 42mins 30secs off Anthony Bell’s Perpetual LOYAL’s record. This is a record ninth line honours for Wild Oats and a third record as nobody in the history of the race has achieved this honour before.
VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2017 – Downwind Class
Reichel/Pugh are proud to announce a collaboration with British yard, Oyster Yachts. The R/P studio is developing the naval architecture for the next generation of Superyacht design, the 33.53m Project Alpha will feature luxury accommodations for offshore cruising and superyacht regatta performance. (more…)
The Perini Navi 42m Sloop introduces a number of innovative features to the market that will offer owners the perfect blend of sailing performance and offshore cruising capability amid spacious luxury. This yacht represents the next evolution of Perini Navi styling, building on the heritage of the brand and with a renewed emphasis on sailing performance. The Reichel/Pugh hull and appendage shapes have been developed using their latest knowledge in performance superyacht design and state-of-the-art design tools, including an extensive CFD program. This hull shape, combined with a finely tuned and well-proportioned sail-plan ensures the yacht will offer exceptional balance and seakeeping which Reichel/Pugh yachts are known for around the world. It is exciting for our design team to be collaborating with Perini Navi, who has such a great history of delivering quality superyachts with an impeccable finish and trusted strength.
Sydney, Australia (December 12, 2017) – Wild Oats XI has all but made this event their own in their final hit out before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, dominating the Line Honours having been undefeated since 2010. The last yacht to defeat Wild Oats XI in this event, 2009 Winner Alfa Romeo, returns in 2017 as Peter Harburg’s new Black Jack and will be aiming to keep the pressure on Wild Oats XI this close to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. (more…)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (November 1, 2017) – 130′ My Song has won the International Superyacht Society’s 2017 award for the Best Sailing Yacht between 24m and 40m.
The announcement was made at the ISS Awards for Design & Leadership Gala and follows wins in the World Superyacht Awards for Best Sailing Yacht between 30m and 39.9m and at the Showboats Design Awards in which she was voted Most Innovative Sailing Yacht and took the Best Exterior Design and Styling award.
130′ My Song
Naval Architecture and Engineering: Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design
Interior Design and Exterior Styling: Nauta Yachts, Milan
Builder: Baltic Yachts
Project Management: Nigel Ingram, MCM
photography Carlo Borlenghi and Baltic Yachts
The Reichel/Pugh-designed 100’ Wallycento’s GALATEIA and MAGIC CARPET³ take 1st and 2nd place in the 2017 Wally Season’s Championship!
There was no better venue than Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, amongst the world’s most beautiful classic and modern yachts and 4,000 international sailors, for the Reichel/Pugh-designed WallyCento GALATEIA to conclude its racing season by winning the overall 2017 Wally Championship. In addition to Les Voiles, the complete season included Palmavela in Palma de Mallorca, and the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta (Galateia took 2nd in class / 10-boat fleet) and Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (1st in class / 11-boat fleet), both in Porto Cervo. (more…)
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup – Porto Cervo, Italy (September 3-9, 2017) – The 2017 edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup marks 20 years of participation by Reichel/Pugh boats, and in that time our designs have amassed 36 Class wins. Competing divisions range from the Maxi 72 class, which competes for its World Championship during the event, to the Supermaxi division for yachts over 30.5 meters.
Reichel/Pugh-designed and Green Marine-built Galateia decisively earned a Maxi Yacht Rolex title in the 11-boat WallyCento Class. (more…)
Montecarlo (August 26, 2017) – Bryon Ehrhart’s RP63 LUCKY took line honors and the ORC Division win with a time of 66h 46m 3s over 500nm at the XIII Palermo-Montecarlo Race for the Giuseppe Tasca d’Almerita Trophy. LUCKY, formerly LOKI, was designed and engineered by Reichel/Pugh, constructed by McConaghy Boats and won overall in the grueling Sydney-Hobart in 2011 and Transatlantic Race in 2015. Next up for Lucky will be the 28th edition of the Maxi World Championship beginning September 3, 2017. (more…)
California (August 25-27, 2017) – Congratulations to Dr. Hasso Plattner and his team for the overall win (and PHRF A division win) as they made their racing debut at the 2017 Long Point Race Week aboard their brand new Reichel/Pugh-designed and engineered / Baltic-built 68’ Performance Cruiser Claude 2. In addition, Alec Oberschmidt’s Reichel/Pugh-designed 50′ Staghound won PHRF B division and took 2nd overall. (more…)
Cala Galera, Italy (August 26, 2017) — Congratulations go out to the 2017 Melges 32 World Champions (RUS 223) TAVATUY with Pavel Kuznetsov, tactician Evgeny Neugodnikov, Konstantin Besputin, Egor Koniukhovskii, Oleg Krivov, Alexander Patrushev, Anton Sergeev and Valeriy Zatsarinskiy. The first place Corinthian boat was Francesco Graziani’s (ITA 194) VITAMINA. This event completes the inaugural Melges 32 World League Series won by Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s (MON 181) G-Spot Sailing Team. Martin Reintjes’(ITA 186) Caipirinha Sailing Team is the Melges World League Champion in the Corinthian Division. (more…)
Helsinki, Finland (August 4, 2017) – Melges 24 Worlds 2017 come to the Fin(n)ish line and the Italian flag flies over the HSK in Helsinki. Congratulations to Italian team Maidollis, the newly crowned 2017 Melges 24 World Champions. (more…)
This Monday racing for the 20th edition of the 2017 Melges 24 World Championship will commence in Helsinki, Finland, comprising 59 teams from 15 nations. 33 teams will also compete for the Corinthian division title. Since the inaugural event in 1998, fifteen skippers have joined the hard-fought fraternity of World Champions. We caught up with two-time Melges 24 World Champion Vince Brun of San Diego who won the inaugural Championship in 1998 and shared his observations and experiences with the class as it has emerged to become the gold-standard for one-design racing over 20 vibrant years. (more…)
Cascade Locks, Oregon (July 22, 2017) – It was all smiles (and adrenaline) at the 2017 Diversified MELGES24 NorAm (North American) Championship. Mother nature generously delivered a banner week of warm and sunny planing conditions to an international fleet of MELGES24 sailors. Thanks to the river’s natural elevator the beats were trimmed and the runs extended for maximum enjoyment, which is typical for the Columbia River Gorge, one of the world’s top destinations for big-wind junkies. (more…)
Mackinac Island, Michigan (July 18, 2017) – Congratulations to David and Peter Askew’s Wizard Racing (RP Design No. 191) for winning the 109th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac (289.4nm) with the fastest monohull corrected time of 38:45:04. Wizard was closely followed by another Reichel/Pugh design, Bob Hughes’ Heartbreaker (RP Design No. 184), which placed 2nd overall. (more…)
Following design modifications by Reichel/Pugh and McConaghy Boats to the new Black Jack’s hull, appendages and sail plan, the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in nine days will be their first critical test and tune up for the 2017 Sydney/Hobart. Behind the scenes, Peter Harburg’s Black Jack campaign, headed by Mark Bradford and Alex Nolan, is putting in thousands of hours of detailed preparation for the Rolex Sydney Hobart in December. Follow the launch at Black Jack Yachting with images in thanks to Andrea Francolini Photography. (more…)
Congratulations Dr. Jean-Jacques Chaubard’s Team Vision Future – TP 52! Reichel/Pugh Design No. 197 has won the 2017 IRC European Championship – Class 0 in Marseille.
Click to read the “Smallest winner crowned IRC European Champion” article by the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
Isle of Wight (July 2, 2017) – Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling XI (IRC 0) took monohull line honors at the 2017 Round the Island Race with a time of 4hrs 19mins 44secs winning the OBSERVER TROPHY & DECANTER – First Monohull to finish, the CONRAD RITBLAT TROPHY & DECANTER – First IRC to finish, the HELLY HANSEN ALIVE TROPHY – First O/A IRC Group 0 and the SILVER ROMAN BOWL & CLOUDY BAY DECANTER – Second O/A IRC. (more…)
Remembering a student, a master and historian of yacht design, a devoted friend and humble colleague in Doug Peterson. It has been an honor to work alongside his genius. His life and revolutionary impact on the world of yacht design will continue to be an inspiration for our studio as we honor his legacy. (more…)
Porto Cervo, Italy (June 4, 2017) – The ninth annual 2017 Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) and Boat International Media, opened the Mediterranean superyacht calendar and was graced by three of the lastest R/P superyachts:
MY SONG, Sail: ITA 2311, Class: Superyacht, Length: 39.6m, Builder: Baltic Yacht, Designers: Reichel/Pugh and Nauta
GALATEIA, Sail: CAY 1002, Class: WallyCento, Length: 30.48m, Builder: Green Marine, Designers: Reichel/Pugh and Wally
MAGIC CARPET 3, Sail: GBR 1001R, Class: WallyCento, Length: 30.5m, Builder: Wally, Designers: Reichel/Pugh and Wally (more…)
Many of the R/P team members are involved in their respective areas of expertise through local engineering communities and professional societies. Recently, R/P composite structures engineer Adrian Sawyer, SAMPE member since 2012, shared some of our work with his colleagues in the Southern California composites industry. An incredible testament to the strengths of modern composite materials, the recently-launched Baltic 130 Custom is made up of over 4 football fields worth of carbon fiber, but its structural weight is still less than 20% of the yacht’s full displacement.
130 demold pictured
photo courtesy of Baltic
Florence, Italy (May 13, 2017) – Recognizing the remarkable ingenuity and innovation demanded by the design, engineering and construction of the world’s finest luxury yachts, 20 winners of the World Superyacht Awards 2017 have been announced and Reichel/Pugh’s 130′ My Song has a won for 2017 Sailing Yacht of The Year in the 30m to 39.99m category. WSA judges highlighted the importance of the collaboration between Nauta Design, Reichel/Pugh and Baltic Yachts, and award the extraordinary result this team achieved by combining a remarkably elegant aesthetic with amazing speed. My Song not only performs well on the race course, regularly reaching 20+ knots and boasting a top-speed in excess of 30-knots in optimum conditions, but is also a comfortable, feature-filled, state-of-the-art cruising yacht with excellent facilities for on-deck and below-deck dining and relaxing. She features three generously-sized en suite guest cabins, and an exemplary crew area for six in the stern. Come aboard to explore (photos). Reichel/Pugh wishes all those who submitted and the winners a warm congratulations. (more…)
Tomorrow starts the 14th edition of Sail Racing 2017 PalmaVela, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and sponsored by Sail Racing. The regatta includes a record fleet of 12 Wallys and will be the first scoring competition on the calendar for the Wally Class 2017 international circuit. (more…)
Saint Barthélemy (April 10-15, 2017) – This past weekend the eighth edition of the annual Les Voiles de Saint-Barth concluded with three victorious Reichel/Pugh designs. Maltese Southern Wind 94 Windfall, Reichel/Pugh Design No. 205 and the second launched SW94, was the Maxi 2 Class Winner under tactician Ian Walker and helm Nelson Moore. The Dutch Marten 72 Aragon, R/P Design No. 158, was second in the Maxi 2 Class under skipper Nico LeCarpentier. Also on the water were four Reichel/Pugh-designed Melges 24s with a class win by local Team Island Water World. The Reichel/Pugh team wishes warm congratulations to all competitors. The next edition is slated for April 9-14, 2018.
Click for more at the official regatta site and Facebook page
Film by: Air Vide et Eau productions
OVER TEN YEARS AFTER LAUNCH R/P DESIGN 146 PREPARES TO TAKE ON THE 2017 ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART
built by McConaghy Boats, Sydney
The R/P team has been commissioned to update the new 100’ Black Jack and is currently conducting a comprehensive CFD study to develop new foils for the 2003 design. Modifications will be completed by McConaghy Boats, Sydney and the boat will compete in Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s July, 384nm Sydney-Southport race in full Black Jack livery as a tune for the December’s showdown to Hobart against Wild Oats X1 and other contesting Maxis’.
Originally commissioned by Neville Crichton, Reichel/Pugh’s first 100’, the canting ballast Alfa Romeo was designed in 2003 and launched for the 2005 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. Alfa Romeo 100 took 2nd place in that Hobart to Bob Oatley’s R/P-designed line honors winner Wild Oats X1. Alfa Romeo then headed to Europe to relentlessly set records before heading back to Australia in 2009, but not before setting a new Transpac Race record along the way. Once back in Australia, Crichton’s impeccably prepared Alfa Romeo again faced a rematch with her near sister-ship Wild Oats X1—this time soundly trouncing the Wild Oats for Hobart line honors in 2009.
These two Reichel/Pugh 100-footers dominated the Maxi scene for over a decade with Wild Oats taking line honors in the Sydney Hobart race a record 8 times, winning twice overall on corrected time and beating the course record twice.
After the 2009 Hobart race Alfa was sold to a European owner, renamed Esimit Europa and continued to dominated big boat racing in Europe for five years.
Australian, Peter Harburg has purchased the Esimit Europa to bring her home as his new Black Jack. Reichel/Pugh welcomes Peter back into the family, having owned the 66’ canting ballast pocket maxi Black Jack who took 3rd overall in the 2012 Sydney Hobart race and 1st overall ORCi.
The R/P design team is honored to be updating their design, which has dominated for so long. These designs are further proof of the innovation and longevity that comes with the R/P brand.
Photo credits / Guido Trombetta, Carlo Borlenghi, Andrea Francolini, Daniel Forster
Featured above / The Rolex Spirit of Yachting film featuring the 72nd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is coming soon. This 25-minute documentary will cover the action, highlights and memorable moments of one of the world’s most respected and revered offshore races. Witness this record-breaking race from behind the scenes, with exclusive footage of the yachts in action and interviews with the key players. Fore more details visit: rolexsydneyhobart.com
Reichel/Pugh caught up with Olympian Dave Hughes to discuss sailing the Melges 24 which was designed by Reichel/Pugh in 1992 and remains one of the premier sportboat classes. Dave was tactician on the newly crowned 2016 Melges 24 World Champion team of Embarr.
Simply put, the Melges 24 is still the best sport-boat ever built. It was ahead of its time when introduced in the early 1990’s and it’s still the gold-standard today. Challengers come and go, but we all tend to circle back to the Melges 24. It’s fast, lively, feels great to drive, can handle the full range from calm and flat to big breeze and waves — all the things you look for in a class. I’m encouraged by a recent wave of enthusiasm for the boat. Amateurs and pros are drawn to the qualities of boat, let alone the talent of the fleet. The last couple of Worlds Championships have chalked up big turn-outs and I hope to see that trend continue. (more…)
Source Melges.com
SARASOTA, Fla. (March 19, 2017) – Congratulations to Matthew Woodworth, the winner of the Melges 14 Midwinter Championship. Charlie Buckingham placed second overall and Mitchell Rogers took third. In the first sanctioned regatta for the Melges 14s, Woodworth held a commanding lead throughout and took home the very first Melges 14 Champion title.
The regatta drew 25 sailors of all ages who enjoyed three days of warm, sunny Florida weather with wind varying from light to very heavy. With great sailing conditions in every wind range, everyone got a chance to see how fun the Melges 14 is. (more…)
