Engineering
Reichel/Pugh’s Iconic Design 146 Heads Home for a Major Revamp
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
Tags: Alfa Romeo, Black Jack, CFD, Crichton, Esimit Europa, Harburg, McConaghy, Rolex Sydney Hobart, RP100
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A Bittersweet Rolex Sydney Hobart
Hobart (December 30, 2016) – The Reichel/Pugh Team congratulates all competitors in the 2016 72nd edition of the annual 628 nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The race concluded with several highlights for Reichel/Pugh-designed yachts:
RP66 Alive, a canting keel design launched in 2006 from Westerly Marine as Jim Madden’s Stark Raving Mad, and formerly Peter Harburg’s Black Jack, finished in the top ten for line honours and corrected to 6th in ORCi Div 1.
RP40 Chutzpah, launched in 2007 from Hart Marine and owned by Bruce and Drew Taylor, corrected to 2nd in IRC/ORCi Div 2.
RP51 Primitive Cool, launched in 2009 as Secret Men’s Business 3.5 from Hart Marine and now owned by John Newbold, corrected to 10th in IRC Div 1. Read More …
Tags: Alfa Romeo, Alive, Black Jack, Chutzpah, hartbreaker, morning glory, Primitive Cool, Rolex, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, RSHYR, Secret Mens Business 3.5, Stark Raving Mad, Sydney Hobart Race, Wild Oats XI
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2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has long been known as one of the most challenging ocean races in the world, with owners, crews, and designers all pushing their boats to the limit hoping for victory. This year, the race is in its 72nd edition and features an exciting entry list of nearly 100 boats. The annual 628 mile offshore classic will once again start in Sydney Harbour on Boxing day – Monday, December 26th. The competitors will make their way out of Sydney Harbour and down the southeast coast of Australia, before crossing the Bass Strait in the open Southern Ocean. Once across the Bass Strait, the course passes the iconic Organ Pipes before sailing up the Derwent River to finish in Hobart, Tasmania.
Newport Beach, CA (August 25, 2019) – Congratulations to Alec Oberschmidt and his team for the overall win (and B division win for the third year in a row) at the 2019 Long Point Race Week aboard their Reichel/Pugh-designed 50’ racer Staghound. David Clark’s ULDB 70 Grand Illusion with Reichel/Pugh-designed keel and rudder appendages was 2nd in ORR Division. Grand Illusion won the Transpac overall in 2015. 
Cowes, Isle of Wight (August 17, 2019) – Mark Rijkse’s Reichel/Pugh-designed GP42 42° South (ex-Seawonder 007) shone brightly at the 2019 COWES WEEK, scoring four bullets in six races to win Class IRC 0, winning the prestigious Brittania Cup and New York Yacht Club Challenge Cup in two of those races. 
A piece of Dr. Skip Sheldon’s legacy lives on as his 66’ racer-cruiser Zaraffa continues to win with the grateful U.S. Naval Academy Varsity Offshore Sailing Team.
As the 50th Transpac kicks off this week Reichel/Pugh wishes all owners and crews a safe race, especially our very own Naval Architect and Structural Engineer David Oliver who is navigator aboard the 60’ Good Call.
Porto Cervo (June 8, 2019) – The 12th edition of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta was organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in the waters of Porto Cervo, Sardinia and hosted 20 boats ranging from 25 to 52 metres in length. Reichel/Pugh-designed 100’ Magic Carpet3, owned by YCCS member Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, won Class “A” ahead of the 33-metre Inoui and the Wally 107 Open Season with a perfect scoreline across all three races. The Silver Jubilee Cup, assigned to the top yacht over 30 metres with an interior cruising set-up and in the division with the most competitors, also went to the WallyCento Magic Carpet3. Jim Pugh was apart of the racing team.
Ensenada, Mexico (April 28, 2019) – Congratulations to all competitors in the 72nd annual Newport to Ensenada (125nm). On the heels of its 2018 Sydney-Hobart victory, the Australian-based Reichel/Pugh 66’ Canting Keel Mini Maxi ALIVE (formerly Black Jack & Stark Raving Mad) earned the NOSA Trophy for overall best elapsed time, the Amigo Trophy awarded to a first-time skipper and the Lahaina Yacht Club Trophy for best elapsed time all PHRF. Congratulations to owner Phillip Turner, skipper Duncan Hine and the entire Alive Yachting team. 
RP100 Black Jack is Winner of 2019 Brisbane to Gladstone Line Honors and Four Cities Cup for best performing yacht.
St. Barths (April 21, 2019) — Launched in 2010, Les Voiles de St. Barth is an event created specifically to keep the long, colorful history of racing on the island vibrant — building on Loulou’s Regatta back in the 1970’s with its 100 sailboats to the Transat AG2R, the Route du Rose, and the St Barth Bucket Regatta. The 2019 regatta marked the 10th anniversary and fielded scores of teams across nine classes, despite the remaining traces of hurricane Irma, which ravaged the island in September 2017.