Tuesday, 15 October 2013

The Superyacht Cup dates for 2014

The Superyacht Cup dates for the 2014 edition have been announced...The dates are: 18-21 June, 2014.

The Notice of Race for the Superyacht Cup Palma 2014 will be available to download after 31 January 2014.

If you require an entry form, or would like any additional information, please send an email to kate@thesuperyachtcup.com.

Sunday, 23 June 2013

A supermoon for the Superyachts

It was a supermooon that rose over the Es Baluard Museum where the prize giving dinner was held on Saturday night, it was the closest that we will see the moon to the earth this year and the perfect symbol to celebrate not only the longest day of the year, but the end to the 2013 Superyacht Cup in Palma.  The guests and crew of the 20 participating yachts enjoyed cocktails and canapés whilst they grooved the night away to a fantastic live band.

 Prize giving at the Es Baluard Museum (© Clairematches.com)


This week has also seen some exceptionally close racing between the two Classes in the 15 strong Superyacht Fleet.  In Class 1, the performance Perini P2 picked up the Yachting World starters prize for the most consistent starts (all under 5 seconds), with stiff on water competition from the 45m Dubois sloop Salperton, helmed by Shirley Robertson, and Rebecca the Frers designed ketch built at Pendennis racing back in the Med for the first time since 2007.  On corrected time, Highland Breeze flying her Gaastra spinnaker was the overall winner, her Owner congratulated all for a fantastic time, and threw down the gauntlet for next year’s event.

In Class 2, the female Owner driver of Heartbeat, one of the Claasen Yachts, was estatic to be collecting the Big Bent Cleat trophy for the first time holding off last year’s winners Maria Cattiva to second.  Third placed Atalante collected their prize courtesy of Nespresso, with praise for the event and race management team saying “it was another great week at the Superyacht Cup it all worked perfectly.”

 Crew of Heartbeat collecting the Big Bent Cleat Trophy (© Clairematches.com)

 It goes without saying that the “cream on the cake” was to see 5 of the magnificent J Class Yachts fleet racing with a mix of windward leeward and coastal courses for the first time in the Med, with the hopes that this will see the beginnings of a growing class of these unique and historical yachts. It’s exciting times, competition is tough and the calibre of crew is impressive “it’s the who’s who of yachting”, commented Jerry Kirby sailing aboard Hanuman, “we have the best sailors in the world right here right now.”  Even with a fairly even playing field, it was Hanuman who took three bullets this week showing that the boat is quick and certainly “has legs”.  Jim Clark, the Owner of Hamuman, extended his thanks to the Owners of Velsheda and Ranger for having the vision to create the competitive J Class fleet that we see today.

 Jim Clark and his Crew from Hanuman (© Clairematches.com)


A big thank you to the Owners and Crew for participating in the 2013 Superyacht Cup, sunshine and the steady afternoon sea breeze make for perfect sailing conditions in the protected bay of Palma “it’s by far our favourite regatta of the season” commented one crew member.

“Racing this week has been brilliant”, thank you to the Race Officers Ariane Mainemarie and Gasper Morey for setting fair and interesting courses, as well as to John Winder from ISYR.

Many thanks to our sponsors - for the Happy Hours, Prizes and other contributions that enable this event to be a success.

We look forward to welcoming you all back next year!

For more information and photo gallery, visit www.superyachtcup.com. The races from this event can be replayed live. www.tractrac.com

 Ranger running to the line (© Jesus Renedo)


Overall Results
Overall Winner SYC Fleet
1st: Heartbeat
2nd: Atalante
3rd: Maria Cattiva
Winner Class 1: Highland Breeze
Winner Class 2: Heartbeat
J Class
1st: Hanuman
2nd: Lionheart
3rd: Ranger
Yachting World Performance Trophy (most consistent starts):  P2
Hoek Award: Heartbeat

Saturday, 22 June 2013

Day 4: Heartbeat the winner!

Heartbeat was the overall victor of the Superyacht Cup in Palma 2013; today's first gave her the edge over Maria Cattiva and Atalante in Class 2.

Manon Borrius Broek, the Owner on board Heartbeat was over the moon with the result, she bought the 23.8m Claasen yacht specifically big enough (and still the smallest in the fleet) so that she could enter the Superyacht Cup. "It was our dream to participate in the Superyacht regatta, we have been fine tuning for 3 years and are now the winners. We are very happy."

 Copyright: www.clairematches.com

In Class 1, Highland Breeze ranked first overall in front of P2, Salperton. However competition was tough in the last legs of today's final race; Salperton had the edge on P2 and Rebecca as they rounded the final mark, however lost out to P2 over the line as they had to put a final gybe in to lay the line. 

Freya has put in some consistent results over the event, Mike Toppa the tactician aboard summed up the general feeling of the event perfectly; "We have been having a ball, the sailing here is fantastic. The Owner has never raced before and is doing a great job at driving his boat, he is here with his friends and family and having a brilliant time."

For the J's, it was all about the start in their last coastal race today. Velsheda charged the line and had by far the most spectacular start of the regatta.The all important first beat saw Hanuman round the first windward mark first, followed by shortly after by Velsheda. The next leg was a short reach, with Hanuman, Velsheda having a good lead on Ranger, Rainbow and Lionheart. Hanuman continued to lead the procession around the 2 hour course,second place was Velsheda making good on her fantastic start, followed by Ranger, Lionheart and Rainbow. Overall results, see Hanuman the victor (this will be 7 out of 8 firsts for her), Lionheart and Ranger have equal points however with a first in Race 3 Lionheart takes second, with Velsheda fourth and Rainbow fifth.
Tonight the Prize Giving will be at the Es Baluard Museum with a cocktail dinner and live entertainment.

 Copyright: www.clairematches.com

Friday, 21 June 2013

Day 3

Maria Cattiva - the Huisman built Bruce King design - was the fleet victor of the second day’s racing at the Superyacht Cup Palma, with Highland Breeze the Nautor Swan 112 winning Class 1.

Over the line, the Hoek designed Firefly took line honours for the second time, it was quite a sight to see all the superyachts running down wind towards the finish line just behind the magnificent J’s.

“Another fantastic day out,” said Melle Boersma, the helm aboard Tulip “it was a little lighter than we would have liked, but a good opportunity for us to practice our sail handling - we are a new boat with a new crew so are on a steep learning curve, but we are having fun and today was the best day out by far!”  Tulip may not be placing so well in the standings but definitely making up for it on shore by winning the finals of the Boat Blow competition organised by Jongert.

The J’s finished up their third race of the regatta and their first coastal race – Hanuman unfortunately was over the line at the start and was scored with an OCS.  Lionheart however, had a fantastic day on the water leading from the first mark, “the Owner helmed his best race ever,” said Bouwe Bekking, the tactician aboard.  Results over the line saw Lionheart first, Ranger second, followed by Velsheda and Rainbow.  This changes the overall standings, with Lionheart leading by one point from Ranger and two points from Hanuman.

There is a great atmosphere on the dock this evening, with plenty of smiling faces aided by the Happy Hour sponsored by North Sails.  Thanks also to Bodegas Ferrar for providing fine local wine during this event.

Tomorrow will be the final day of racing, there is all to play for with Heartbeat, P2, Atalante – on equal points – in addition to Maria Cattiva and Highland Breeze – again on equal points - in the running for the Bent Cleat Trophy.

 Copyright: www.clairematches.com

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Day 2: Pantaenius Race Day – no passion without risk!

There was some spectacular sailing enjoyed by all today on Pantaenius race day; the start of racing designed to coincide with the arrival of the sea breeze in the early afternoon was much the same if a little lighter and shiftier than yesterday. Rebecca, one of the most admired of the modern classics from Pendennis, had one of the best starts. It is great to see her back in the Med competing here for the first time since 2007 on the eve of her 15th year with still many of the same team enabling her to be as competitive as ever. In typical superyacht fashion Jens Christensen, from North Sails, the tactician on board stated “We sailed a good race, everything went up and everything came down”, it is all about getting round the course safely and having a good time.

Firefly led the fleet for majority of 3.5 hour race with her bright orange spinnaker providing a beacon for all to follow, she took line honours and would have finished well ahead of P2 if it had not been for a blown spinnaker in a downwind leg. Firefly is one of four boats from Claasen yachts participating in this event, others include Atalante who is presently first overall and Heartbeat lying third, in addition to Lionheart who is providing some stiff competition in the separate J Class event. P2 put in a good performance and is looking forward to maintaining her lead in Class 1.

“This is some of the closest superyacht racing that we’ve seen, the results are proof that the rating system works as there are only seconds between the yachts on corrected time.” John Winder, ISYR. This is the first time that real time wind data (strength and direction) has been applied per leg to create a more accurate result, rather than relying on a pre race estimate.

The J’s had another thrilling windward leeward race; Rainbow and Hanuman were quick off the start with Hanuman then taking the lead for another bullet. It was a tight race, again with only 5.5 minutes elapsed time splitting the fleet over the 2 hour 10 minute race.

Happy Hour was sponsored by RSB Rigging and Southern Spars – thank you! As the sunset the crew and guests of the 20 yachts enjoyed some respite from the heat with shade provided by the stylish Undercover Events tent on the dock. A great evening was had by all catching up on the day’s happenings, fuelled by some delicious paella and tasty mojitos.

Friday will bring the third race for the J’s and the second for the Superyacht fleet.

For further information and a full list of entries please visit our website: www.thesuperyachtcup.com or contact Kate@thesuperyachtcup.com
For images please contact clairematchesimages@gmail.com

 Copyright: Ian Roman

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Wednesday 19th

The first day of the Superyacht Cup proved to be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the powerful J’s.  Conditions in the bay of Palma were predictably perfect with the early afternoon sea breeze averaging 15-19 knots and wave height of only 1.5m, a contrast to the last battle of the J’s in St Barths – teams today were anticipating that the flatter more protected sea would provide a more level playing field where tactics and team work would be paramount.

An all clear start at 1.05pm for a 3 lap windward leeward, with Lionheart taking the windward end of the line. The right hand side of the course seemed to pay off for the first beat, and indeed for most of the race.  Those that headed towards the cathedral seemed to have the advantage.

Lionheart led Hanuman around the first mark, and it was a tight pack that followed with only boat lengths between the 5 J’s.  At the first downwind gate it was neck and neck between Hanuman and Lionheart on the rounding, however on the second beat Hanuman gained a steady lead favouring the right hand side of the course.

Nearing the top windward mark Hanuman was nearly a full ten boat lengths in front of Lionheart, before Lionheart unfortunately had an issue with her jib enabling the rest of the fleet to catch up and give Hanuman the clear lead.  Second around the mark was Velsheda, followed within seconds by Rainbow and Ranger; Lionheart was quick to rejoin the race although now at the back of the fleet.

The second downwind leg saw another movement in the positions, Hanuman still in the clear but Ranger again taking the preferred side of the course took second round the mark from Rainbow by a close 30 seconds. Velsheda, with a torn spinnaker meant that she was last through the gate. Up the last beat, Ranger kept a good four boat lengths over the remaining fleet, covering Velsheda as she tacked over.

At the last windward mark, Hanuman retained first, followed by Ranger four minutes later. The tousle was now on between Rainbow, Lionheart and Velsheda, who were covering tack for tack.

The last downwind leg was glorious, a true spectacle that all had come to be party to.   It was a close race, after two hours all 5 J’s crossed the line within five minutes of one another.


Copyright: Ian Roman


On corrected time Hanuman won by one and half minutes, Ranger took second with the closest finish between Lionheart and Rainbow whose positions were reversed on handicap with Lionheart taking third by eleven seconds.
Tomorrow will see the first race for the 15 Superyachts, and the second windward leeward for the J’s.

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Final preparations for The Superyacht Cup

Final preparations are well underway for The Superyacht Cup with the usual bustle of activity on the STP and Moll Vell docks as tents are erected for the event village and sponsors put the final touches to their stands. The event village will be open to participants as from registration tomorrow morning from 10.00, an all yacht obligatory safety briefing at 1800 followed by the Welcome Cocktail Party at 20.00 at the SYC Village.

This afternoon will see the arrival of the remainder of the 20 strong fleet, welcoming back a full entry list to this 17th year of the Cup.

The 5 J’s were seen out on the bay of Palma yesterday, the sun bringing in an early afternoon sea breeze of 18-19 knots.  Today, a cloudy start as the J’s left the dock for their second practice day, so lighter and cooler conditions in which to perfect those all important start sequences and manoeuvres.  The battle begins tomorrow for the first race of 4 for the J’s, with Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Rainbow and Velsheda all competing again for the first time since the St Barths bucket in March and the first time 5 J’s have raced in the Med.  Let the games begin!

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Countdown to the Superyacht Cup Palma 2013

With just over a week to go to the Superyacht Cup Palma the 20 participating yachts are gathering in Palma making final preparations for the four day regatta which starts on June 19 th . The event is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Superyacht regattas of the year with a truly world-class fleet including 5 of the famous J Class yachts.
 
The racing starts for the J Class on Wednesday 19 th with an exhibition race and the two Superyacht classes will start racing on Thursday 20 th . The final race for all will be on Saturday 22 nd June and the event will be brought to a close with a spectacular Prize Giving Evening at Es Baluard Muesum of Contemporary Art overlooking the yachts and the Port of Palma.
 
For the first time in Palma all the yachts will carry tracking devices which enable spectators and keen followers in any location to view the races live via the website www.thesuperyachtcup.com , the tracking has been kindly sponsored by Absolute Boat Care, Moll Vell Marina and UBS. The races will also be shown on a screen in the tent at the Race Village and can be watched via the website at any time after the race.
 
This year the grand tented bar and entertainment area, which is the focus for the social programme, will have a comfortable chill-out area with a cooling gin and tonic bar provided by Puro Beach. Hogan's will once again be managing the main bar and Nespesso will provide the morning coffee before racing. Music and Entertainment will bring everyone together each afternoon after racing in the usual informal Superyacht Cup style.
 
Jongert Yachts have just confirmed silver sponsorship and to celebrate the opening of their new office in Palma they will hold an inauguration cocktail party for their guests and clients on their stand on Friday evening. 
 
Press please note : Due to high demand places on the Press Boats are provided only for Official Media Partners. If you wish to charter a RIB or join a group charter for viewing the racing please contact our Official Tender Provider: www.ribrally.com or email Brando on: info@ribrally.com
For further information and a full list of entries please visit our website: www.thesuperyachtcup.com or contact Kate@thesuperyachtcup.com
For images please contact clairematchesimages@gmail.com

Saturday, 4 May 2013

Sponsors announced for Superyacht Cup and 19 entries confirmed

The Superyacht Cup Palma, which will be held from June 19 -22nd, is very pleased to announce return of sponsors Claasen Shipyard, Marine Port Vell and Rondal. Now in its'17 th year, The Superyacht Cup attracts some of the most spectacular sailing superyachts in the world to an annual regatta in the Bay of Palma for four days of competitive sailing and a relaxed and informal social programme.

As builders of several of the participating yachts, Dutch yacht builders Claasen Shipyards are returning as Silver Sponsors for 2013. The yachts they have built competing in this years regatta include the stunning J Class yacht Lionheart , the F Class Firefly and the 27m classicAtalante . This impressive range of beautiful yachts highlights their world-class skills and craftsmanship.

Organisers offer a warm welcome to returning Silver Sponsors, Marina Port Vell. Located in the heart of the Spanish City of Barcelona, a favorite vibrant cosmopolitan destination for yachts of all sizes, the Marina is currently undergoing a huge transformation to create 162 fully serviced berths for sail and power yachts up to 180m. The significant investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure and new seven-star services will position the marina as one of the leading superyacht destinations in the world.

Based in the Netherlands, Rondal is a powerhouse of the superyacht industry, serving a global clientele. Modern engineering skills, excellent craftsmanship and a constant emphasis on ingenuity are the hallmarks of a company that believes above all in forward thinking. They have had a long-standing relationship in supporting the Superyacht Cup Palma and building relationships with their clients participating in the event.

The highly experienced race team at Real Club Nautico de Palma headed up by Gaspar Morey will again manage the all so important racing. The Superyachts will be using the new ISYR rating system, which was well received at the recent British Virgin Islands regatta and the St Barth's Bucket, whereas the J Class yachts will fleet race in their own class under their JCA rules.

The SYC Dock is now at full capacity with 19 entries and a few places remain for yachts who shall be accommodated in close proximity. As in previous years the yachts will be berthed stern-to at Moll Vell (formerly Pier 46) and STP and a central tented area will be the base for the post-race social programme. The Prize Giving Evening will be held at Es Baluard Museum overlooking the Paseo Maritimo and the yachts in the Port of Palma with live music from Groov Collectiv.

For information for yachts please contact Kate@thesuperyachtcup.com
For sponsorship opportunities please contact Jane@thesuperyachtcup.com
If you would like any assistance with hotel bookings in Palma please contact our official Travel Company: coral@iristours.es


Friday, 12 April 2013

Hanuman heads to Palma making it five Js

When four of the J class yachts elected The Superyacht Cup Palma as their first European regatta of the 2013 season, Hanuman was scheduled to sail from the Caribbean to the Pacific, but following on from her spectacular performance in St Barth's at they have decided to head back across the Atlantic and on to the Mediterranean. This will be the first time 5 of these historic yachts have raced together in Europe ever.
Hanuman was built by Royal Huisman Shipyard and launched in 2009 for owner Jim Clark. Helmed by double Volvo Ocean Race skipper Ken Read, they took 4 wins in in 4 races in St Barth's, an impressive result in this highly competitive fleet. The racing was tactical, close and intense, where every maneuver showed gains and losses between the boats. In preparation for their 2013 racing Hanuman underwent a full optimization programme directed by Read and is now listed for sale with Superyacht Cup sponsors YCO http://www.ycoyacht.com/yacht/hanuman/

Palma this year will have a tremendous fleet of yachts, combining the most competitive and experienced campaigns with the more Corinthian cruising sailors, "Our boss just loves the Palma regatta, he invites all his friends and family, they have fun out on the water enjoying the beautiful sailing in the Bay and admiring the other yachts, then they all join in the fun in the beer tent straight after racing, what can be better!" commented one of the Captains returning for the 3rd year.

There are currently 18 registered entries so it is likely there will be two classes for the superyachts in order that the more similar yachts sail against each other. In the early years of the Superyacht Cup all the yachts raced together but now with such vast ranges of designs and speeds of these yachts it is far safer and more fun for yachts to be in smaller groups to race each other. More trophies hopefully means more happy owners!

For information on entering please contact Kate Branagh: kate@thesuperyachtcup.com or m: +34 620 103 958

For information on Sponsorship Opportunities please contact Jane Thompson jane@thesuperyachtcup.com or m: +34 605 223 202

If you would like any assistance with hotel bookings in Palma please contact our official Travel Company: Coral@iristours.com mob: + 34 670 840 156


Friday, 22 March 2013

Hoek Design renews sponsorship

The provisional entry list for the 2013 Superyacht Cup is currently up to 18 yachts, an eclectic mix of different size and designs from all over the world. As usual there is a combination of competitive performance orientated yachts and corinthain cruising yachts out to enjoy fabulous sailing in the Bay of Palma. Several marine industry sponsors have already confirmed their support and recently Hoek Design renewed their agreement for the third consecutive year, "It is a great opportunity for us to meet with many of our yacht owners and see our designs compete on the water. The performance aspect of our designs is very important to us and we are always pleased to see our yachts do well on the race-course. We want to support these regattas and hopefully see more Hoek designed yachts racing. Presenting the Hoek Trophy to the highest scoring Hoek designed yacht has been very popular and adds another element of competition amongst our fleet. Palma is a wonderful place to sail, everyone enjoys the relaxed social environment on the dock and the first-class prize giving evening at Es Baluard Museum." Commented André Hoek.

Andre Hoek presents the Hoek Trophy to Atalante

Friday, 15 March 2013

Extra day racing for J Class

There has been a revival of the J class over the past few years and this year is the first time to incorporate a J Class regatta into The Superyacht Cup Palma. Hoek Design have been very involved with the J's come back and are currently working on four different J Class yachts; Lionheart J H1 , the J class yacht J8 , presently under construction at Holland Jachtbouw and the J class yacht project "Svea " that is presently in design stage, as well as design elements for Enterprise which is currently on-hold.  

 The J Class Association which represents the owners' interests requested an extra day racing and a fleet start for the four boats; Velsheda, Ranger, Rainbow and Lionheart . The J's will therefore race on 19 th , 20 th , 21 st and 22 nd June whereas the rest of the fleet will race the traditional 3-day regatta, 20 th , 21 st and 22 nd June. They are sure to be a spectacular sight and add a new dimension to this popular superyacht regatta. http://www.jclassyachts.com/
 
For information on entering please contact Kate@thesuperyachtcup.com , places are limited so please register early.
 
Sponsor opportunities are still available, for more information contact: Jane@thesuperyachtcup.com

  J Class Lionheart at SYC 2011 www.clairematches.com

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

2013 off to a good start

2013 looks like being another busy year for superyacht racing, the first regatta of the year will be the Antigua Superyacht Challenge at the end of this month. In March there are two events virtually back-to-back, in the British Virgin Islands and then in St Barth's, where more racing yachts are expected to be racing than ever before.

Palma, Mallorca is preparing for a full line up of 20 entries this year and with the confirmation of the J Class yachts the spaces are being taken up fast. Last year saw numbers in Palma reduced as several yachts made the decision to head to the UK for the London Olympic celebrations and the Superyacht Cup Cowes, but this year the focus will once again be on Palma. The Notice of Race is now available on the website http://www.thesuperyachtcup.com/palma/ and entry forms can be obtained from kate@thesuperyachtcup.com
 
The Palma fleet so far includes several boats who will have competed in the Caribbean, such as the 35m sloop P2 (Briand/Perini), Athos (Hoek/Holland Jachtbouw 62m) as well as Velsheda (Nicholsons/Dykstra/Camper & Nicholsons, 38m), Ranger (Burgess & Stephens/Dykstra/Danish Yachts, 42m) and Lionheart (Hoek/Claasen Jachtbouw 42m). The latest yacht to register is the new modern-classic 26m Tulip, designed by German Frers and built by K&M Yacht Builders in Holland. Tulip was launched in the Autumn 2012 and with her lightweight interior and carbon rig is likely to be a competitive entry.

 Photo: www.clairematches.com

The Superyacht community in Palma got behind several fund raising events for local charities over the Christmas period, collecting food, clothing and children's Christmas presents for some of the most needy families in Mallorca. A party was organized by the yacht Aglaia together with Complete Marine Freight and STP boatyard in Palma where dozens of superyachts are wintering. The party raised over 2,800€ and collected a mountain of presents which were presented to the charity Mediterranea for local distribution. Additionally STP in association with The Rotary Club of Mallorca collected more than 800kg of food, clothing and toys donated by staff and crew from the boat yard. Various projects are planning to continue such as a monthly food collection from marinas on the Island in an effort to reduce some of the suffering in the local community.


Long-term Superyacht Cup sponsor Pantaenius have generously purchased 40 Nikon Rangefinders to help ensure safe racing at SRYA (Superyacht Racing Association) sanctioned regattas. All SYRA regattas are sailed under the Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016 and the recently approved Appendix SY (see SYC NOR). The changes to the RRS through this appendix are all based on the fundamental need to keep appropriate distance between superyachts and 40 meters is the designated minimum separation. Thanks to Yacht Insurance provider Pantaenius the range finders will be used by the on-board Safety Officers to assist safe racing practice.

Sponsorship packages are still available, for more information contact: Jane@thesuperyachtcup.com