Lionheart are the Pride of Palma

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With a win in the fourth and final race, a fast 30 miles coastal course with over 20kts of brisk sea breeze back and forth across the Bay of Palma, Lionheart lift the trophy that they consider the season's most prestigious and hardest to win, triumphing in the five strong J Class at the Palma Superyacht Cup.

Having missed out on overall victory on the last race here last year when they could not recover from a poor start, this time Lionheart fought back from a modest opening to the first upwind and  took the lead when they went to the far left of the upwind, making a big gain to lead Ranger around the first buoy.
From there they were challenged only when the breeze went soft at a leeward mark and the leaders compressed closer, but with excellent speed upwind and downwind Lionheart proved comfortable winners.

With their second win from four races, also sharing Wednesday's King's Hundred Guinea Cup with Hanuman, the team which has Volvo Ocean Race skipper Bouwe Bekking as tactician win their second J Class regatta in a row, after winning in Mahon, Menorca last month. Consistency proved key for the Erle Williams skippered Ranger which took an excellent second overall, pipping last years champions Hanuman by half a point.

Today's coastal race brought the series to a fitting showdown. With just one point separating regatta leaders Lionheart from Hanuman, the latter made poor start and only on the final run to the finish did they rescue fourth place when they passed Rainbow.

The well drilled, diligent Lionheart team learned from their own mistakes from Friday's race, and their extensive post race de-briefs this time offered a pointer towards today's improved start.

Even if the five boats did not all hit the line at the same time, within seconds they were all bow to bow for a remarkable few minutes of intense action. A long fast reach down across the bay saw no place changing, but on the return leg all the way back to a mark under Cabo Blanco, Velsheda held low and were able to pop through into second which they held to the finish, their best score of the regatta.
Bekking, who returns tomorrow to skipper's duties on the Volvo 65 in Kiel, was delighted with the Lionheart win:

"This was the one we wanted to win because this is where we have the five boats. Last year we were leading until the last day and then we lost it. We had a bad start then and could not get back. Today we got a good start and got bounced back a bit but we got back into it and clawed our way back to first and from there on it was quite easy.

We have such a nice group of people and are always having a good time. We work very hard at it. We always do three full days of practice and every race we do a big, full debrief for at least 45 minutes to an hour with video integrated and even like yesterday we had a bad start and we executed on that today.

In Minorca we had speed upwind and downwind so the other guys have caught up or perhaps it is the venue a bit, some boats go really well at a venue, Ranger has gone fantastic at this event, some boats just fit certain events.

I have won a few events here so I was pretty confident when we went to the big left. I was a bit amazed the others let us go. After that it was game over.

I think we have been sailing well and I think our crew work is among the best here. And the owner driver has made huge steps in the last two years and now with two events in a row it is finally paying off.

It is so great to win here. This is for the owners because they look after us and so it is good to give something back."

Ranger skipper Erle Williams was almost bemused to have taken second, but with four times America's Cup winner Murray Jones sailing his second regatta as tactician, and solid, dependable crew work to build from their excellent starts ñ they started four times off the left, pin end of the line, their success was well earned:

"We are thrilled because the newer boats are fast and are being sailed well and they are hard to beat. Last year we struggled and it was hard. There are some great sailors out there sailing these boats. The whole J Class story here is a great success story, having five boats here, different winners on each day has been fantastic. But here consistency has been good for us in a tough field, we didn't win this time, but maybe next time.

Lionheart is extremely fast, they had pace today. They were tucked in behind at the start and they just sailed around us but they are sailing well. But the rest of the boats are very even. Today we saw Velsheda sail better for second. Ranger has form as a team. The boat is set up nicely and the guys are trimming very nicely. Our sails are nice. The boat is kind of heavy and hard work at times, but I think we are sailing it well.

We don't have as much stability as the others, about six to ten per cent less, and so the stronger breeze was not so good for us, we struggle a little. Apart from Lionheart I think all the boats are pretty even and I think it is down to who sails the boat best and gets off the line and can keep clean air. That has been the big thing for us, to have a regatta where we have been able to sail in clear air. We have started off the pin and that has worked well for us."

Unfurled, a family affair, win Superyacht Cup Palma

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Unfurled with a 2,1,1 scoreline in Class 2 win the Superyacht Cup Palma after a fabulous finale on the Bay of Palma for the 26 boat fleet. With the breeze topping out over 20kts on the first fast broad reach the conditions produced fantastic racing. 

With four families on board – including renowned father and son partnership Ross and Cambell Field – the 112ft/34.2m Frers design took the top award with a consistently strong set of results across the three different races.  Field Jr, described the winning family affair: 

“ There are four families on board, Ross and myself Campbell Field. Ross is the safety officer on board because he has had every accident under the sun and so he knows what to expect. He can see things happening. But he offers some input, and some criticism and keeps reminding all the Poms that we won the rugby this morning. Gary Wiseman and his wife Sue and their son Sam are on board. John Barrett the project manager had his son Connor on board for the week and the owner’s daughter and so that is four families on board. That seems like a pretty good formula. We have Steve Branagh and Fraser Brown trimming and Adam Bateman trimming and Nik Pearson on the bow. It is a good solid bunch of guys.” 

“ It was a really nice race today. It was an interesting course, a little favoured on starboard out of the Bay. We had to get over to the east once and then all the way back across to the west we had a couple of transitions a bit of a hole at Islettas again. We popped offshore to get a bit more air and we almost had a bit of a get out of jail free card with that one. It was a bit of procession after that but a nice long run home. Gary Wiseman did us a nice job of getting the angles right, so when we saw the breeze was a little lighter in the Bay then overstanding a bit and then we came charging in and it was great. 

“ It is a brilliant regatta. To have that breeze dial up at 1300hrs, they have set some lovely courses with a good mix of windward leewards and some reaching as well.”

“ It is fantastic for the owner and fantastic for the team. This has been a successful team over 15 years. It is really satisfying but we sail the boat really, really well. I am thrilled of the owner.” 

In Class 1 Saudade won the final race but could not beat Ganesha’s overall score, the new Dubois 149ft/46m sloop winning their class at their fourth ever regatta. Navigator Nacho Postigo commented: 

“ It was another interesting course today, not least on the second leg when the breeze came in with a bit more than we all expected, we were on a broad reach with big gear up when the wind peaked for us at 24kts and we kind of thought ‘Oh My God!’ but we hung on, it was a bit of a wild ride. But we were fine.”

“ I think the last downwind leg kind of defined the results. The wind dropped approaching the finish and that was good for the boats that had finished or were finishing. And so there were some big gains and that was a bit unexpected to get that cloud cover and that just killed off the sea breeze. 

“ For us today second to Saudade was OK they are a good team and for the overall Unfurled are well deserved winners, they sailed better, they sailed clean and sailed well, they were better all round.” 

But for us winning the class is good, it is only our fourth regatta with the boat and we are still learning, in fact it is a bit of a surprise to get second, but we sailed well.” 

And in Class 3 Heartbeat needed to win today in order to win their class overall and retain the Class title they won here last year, at the only regatta the crew do each year together: 

The owner said: 

“ It was great to win again but it was more difficult this time with more competition. We have a secret weapon, my holiday spinnaker, we had it up today and that makes a difference. We had our best race today. We had to win today. " 

Hole. And Won.

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Anticipating a wind hole at the Illetas off Bendinat and taking avoiding action was the key to today’s victory, the first yet for the ferociously green hulled Briand designed InouÏ, on the MAG5 coastal race at the Palma Superyacht Cup.

It was a much more traditional, easy to read sea breeze day than it was yesterday where a different breeze on the west of the race course fell away and shifted the further east the fleet sailed. Today’s upwinds fell much more in line with conventional logic and the key to success seemed to be a smooth passage through the one noticeable park up. For InouÏ, with Chris Main calling tactics, that was the biggest headache around a track which he considered was otherwise quite straightforward.
InouÏ, the new 33m Briand design won by 54 seconds on corrected time ahead of Saudade with yesterday’s winner Ganesha in third. 

I don’t think it was what we did right today, it was more about what we did not do wrong. Said Main, “We were dealt a pretty good set of cards today because of the timing. When we came into Illetas there was a park up and we just managed to come down with pressure and had a gap to tack out and so we were not in that hole very long. That really was probably it.

It was reasonably straightforward, a more typically Palma day than yesterday so the left paid up the first beat. It was all pretty self explanatory. And it was really only that little hole at the bottom which was unusual for Palma. It was certainly hard to keep 40 metres from other boats! We just got through the gap well. 

Our boat just needs a little bit of breeze to get going, it is good. And it looks good. It is lovely for the owner to get a first here, he was very instrumental in the design of the boat and he will be very proud today. "

InouÏ lies second overall two points behind behind Ganesha. 

Biggest margin of the day was that of Unfurled in Class 2, winning by over 16 minutes on corrected time. The 34 metres Frers design leads her class after two races and has Ross and Campbell Field on board, and they too made light work of the sticky going around the Illetas mark:  

“ It was good for us.” Ross Field commented, “ The sea breeze was in and our tactician got us around the hole at the bottom mark and we were away. That was that. Then it was a procession after that. We did sail well this is a team which has been together for a long, long time. Most have been together for 10 years and we like a bit of breeze. Over 15kts we are home and hosed. It was a great day. "

In Class 3 Maria Cattiva prevailed, reversing Heartbeat’s winning margin of Wednesday. 

“It was a good day, we had some tough moments at that leeward mark. I think everyone had their fair share of good luck and bad luck today. We could have been better on board. But it was a fabulous day.  The very best gybe we did was Bingo! on the finish line.  Heartbeat’s Nicolai Gelissen said.

As Good as It Gets

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That winning or losing in the J Class at the Palma Superyacht Cup is down to mere seconds was illustrated again today when Hanuman triumphed in the MAG5, 21 miles coastal race by only 12 seconds ahead of Ranger. In brilliant sea breeze conditions on the Bay of Palma which were punctuated by one lighter, shiftier period adding an extra dimension, Hanuman only just got the better of a very tenacious Ranger team who really only made one small error. 

After a dead heat on corrected time required them to share the top trophy from Wednesday’s opening race, then missing the podium yesterday by three seconds Kenny Read, Hanuman’s skipper-helm declared: 

“ It does not get any better racing-wise than this. It is as good as it gets, high quality, high powered racing.” 

“ Yesterday was a little disappointing and to be honest the helmsman – that is me – got a lousy start and from that point we were trying to dig ourselves out of that hole. I have no other person to blame for yesterday other than myself. Today it was goal to make amends for that.”

“ Even yesterday we lost third by two seconds. If you think about this the first race we were tied for first, second race we lost third by two seconds and then today we won by 12 seconds. It is amazing.” 

Around a course which took the fleet east across the bay for a windward leeward it proved to be a compelling duel between Ranger and Hanuman. The newer boat had the legs upwind, not least due to a new headsail – Read revealed – but there was an element of sheer dogged determination in the Ranger demeanour. 

Denied a win on Wednesday they chased Hanuman around the first mark in the 13-16kts brisk sea-breeze, after another trademark pin end start.  As the leaders closed to the shore on the end of the first long downwind the breeze died and headed them. Hanuman lead back out but as the duo arrived back upwind into the old, established breeze Ranger took the shift better and were able to roll ahead of Hanuman again. 

It was on the last beat when they tacked for layline that Ranger just slightly overstood, losing out to Hanuman, as Ranger skipper Erle Williams acknowledged ruefully: 

“ We should have tacked with them on the last beat. We ended up going over the layline. We hesitated, got into three or four big waves when I could not really tack and we would have come out slow so we hesitated and that cost us quite a bit, it cost us the lead.” 

The winning delta on corrected time was just 12 seconds after 21 miles or about two hours and 40 minutes of racing. 

“ We had a good start and we have legs upwind.” Read confirmed, “ We have a brand new genoa on the boat, we really felt we were off the pace in that 13 - 16kts range in Mahon and Jim pulled the trigger on that new sail and it was right in that sweet spot today. Not only did it get us a little bit of a lead at that first mark but we actually missed one bog shift half way through the race, lost Ranger and this helped us get it back again. It was great upwind. Ranger has always been quick downwind. We have a hair of an edge upwind and they have an edge downwind. Ranger have had great starts this week, all credit to Erle. His whole afterguard have really started the boat well and it shows in the results.” 

But with each race seemingly now going down to mere seconds, does Read feel the mercury rising, the pressure increasing?

“ You are sailing in a beautiful place, in these amazing boats it does not get any better than this. We feel as sailors and as people very, very fortunate to be doing this. Period.” 

And while Ranger is clearly sailing to within seconds of their first win in this full scale fleet, Erle Williams agrees there is an element of frustration: 

“ It is always frustrating. We have been up the front of the fleet, won the race and got protested out and then yesterday we were right amongst it. And then today we were right there again. So, at least we are at the right end of the fleet. That is good for us, we are the big steel boat and struggle at times with being heavy. But she is going through the water quite well today.” 

Meanwhile with a fifth again today Velsheda’s crew are dealing with their own gremlins and playing catch up after a big winter refit. Tactician Tom Dodson says they regret missing out on Mahon’s first regatta of the season. 

“ We are still ironing things out a bit. We have improved the boat and if we had not done that we would be doing worse for sure, but there are a few gremlins to be sorted. It is small bits adding up to big bits at the moment. The GPS was down at the start. Out start was pretty good but we were probably half a knot down on the guys around about us and once upon a time we could have lived with that but now you can’t. There is gremlins stuff and tuning stuff. The boat feels different and so the sail calls are a bit different. I think we missed not doing that regatta in Mahon. We have gone through our years with this boat turning up green and being able to be OK. But now if you do that it you are not OK. We were doing the old eyeball start today. We are getting decent starts but we need to be able to hold the lane and we can’t right now.”

Lionheart finished third – their unbeaten this season record falling today - Rainbow fourth and Velsheda Racing concludes Saturday with one final coastal race. 

A Typical Palma Puzzle

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The Bay of Palma set a typical challenge for the Superyacht fleet making their first coastal course of the Superyacht Cup, the Pantaenius Race. With progressive changes in pressure and wind direction as the 21 boat fleet crossed the bay and passed upwind and downwind, it was the teams which had the best handle on the big picture and could second guess the changes which rose to the top of the three classes. 

While the five strong J Class did their second windward-leeward of the week, a coastal course of 28.6Nms was set in the SSWly sea breeze. Crucial choices were to take the left of the first beat where there was more wind pressure and a beneficial left shift, and, correspondingly to recognise the breeze becoming lighter and shifting back as the fleet raced downwind towards the shore. 

The sea breeze built from a gentle 8 to 9kts for the first starters of the fleet which is set of at two minutes staggered intervals. By mid race there were 13 - 16kts at times which placed a premium on good boat handling and excellent communication.  Those teams which had not sailed together before or had changes in line up found they suffered against the crisper crew work around the intense course. 

The Pantaenius course opened with a four miles upwind leg, rounding a mark to starboard on to a fetch which some could set Code Zeros, before a three miles downwind leg. With the breeze easing it was important to compensate and keep up the boat speed sailing higher angles. There was then an upwind leg to the Sech mark on the outer edge of the bay, followed by a fetch to the centre of the bay, then rehoist the spinnaker. Then it was upwind to a port rounding and then a critical reach to the finish with the breeze lifting approaching the finish. 

Aboard Ganesha, the 46m/149ft new Dubois design by Vitters Shipyard, the local knowledge of navigator Nacho Postigo and firm understanding of the impending changes in the breeze of tactican Matt Humphries were the foundations of their comfortable owner driven win in Class 1. They won their seven boat division by over seven minutes. 

“ It was interesting.” Postigo recalled, “ It was a very typical day on the Bay of Palma when the wind in the morning is the Xaloc wind which is more southerly. The more you go out of the bay the more it goes to the left. And more importantly there is a big difference in pressure. The left side of the bay has much more pressure. On the left you can have 15 or 16 kts of pressure while on the right it can be quite light and so the course was interesting because it mixed the two sides of the bay. It was difficult to predict what was going to happen next on the course. Our guys on the boat did a very very good job manoeuvring the boat, on the bow and at the mast.” 

 Among the keys to their success were choosing the left side of the first beat and giving themselves a fast, high passing lane coming into the first mark which allowed them to pass many boats unhindered: 

“ Our first leg was the best, where we probably did best. Compared to the boats around we looked to have overstood the layline but that let us come in with speed and we could roll the whole line. In these things when you start so far behind the important thing is the passing lanes. We managed to get a very good passing lane there, getting five or six boats in a row there.  And the gybe sets at the marks, playing the right shifts on the downwind legs. Our owner drives all the time and loves it.” 

Meanwhile Postigo is enjoying a big change between his own solo Mini 6.50 project and navigating the superyachts. He has just won his first solo race from Rome, raced the Superyacht regatta in Sardinia, delivered the Mini back to Palma to jump on board the 149 footer Ganesha. 

“ It is a contrast from the 20 footer to the 150 footer. I finished from Rome and went to do Sardinia on the big boat then went and delivered the boat here and now back on the 150 footer. It is a bit bizarre to come back and have a whole lot of people on the boat when you are used to being on you own.”  

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Another Palma sailor was making winning calls in Class 2. Gaia, the 101ft/30.6m Spirit Yachts won with Miguel Sanchez calling the shots on his home waters:

“We made some little mistakes but overall we sailed generally well, in the end the big boats overtook us when the breeze is up. We have some new crew and it is their first time with us and there was some disorganisation in the boat handling and manoeuvring but for sure the last race will be our best! 

“ We did Loro Piana earlier in the month and have some new crew since after refitting through last winter. In Sardinia our kites were not so good but we have a different one here, we were much better today so we are quite happy here.”

And last year’s overall winner, Heartbeat, the Hoek designed Classen built 80ft/24m sloop, was back to her winning ways in Class 2. The first boat to start she finished just under four minutes ahead of second placed Maria Cattiva. 

J Class 

If Wednesday’s J Class race for the King’s Hundred Guineas Cup at Palma’s Superyacht Cup proved inconclusive, Royal Huisman's Hanuman and Claasen's Lionheart finally being required to share the top trophy, there were no such doubts cast about the winners of the second windward-leeward race of the series. 

Lionheart took the lead on the second beat and extended progressively to win by one minute and five seconds ahead of Rainbow across the finish line after three laps of racing. 

Racing conditions were something close to Palma’s sea breeze best. The wind built from a relatively gentle 7-9kts at the start to 16kts on the third round to provide some sparkling downwind sailing with the five J Class yachts pushing their crews increasingly hard. 

Ranger won the pin end of the start and were able to quickly gain the left side of the course which, as is often the case, proved the passport to a good lead at the first windward mark. But at the leeward gate they let the prowling Lionheart separate to the left hand gate mark, work back to the left again – toward the bluff, cliff lined Cabo Blanco shore – and the Lionheart crew which has Bouwe Bekking as tactician converted a 15 seconds deficit to a lead of more than one minute at the second windward turn. 

Rainbow’s profit was not as valuable but they rose to earn a well deserved second place. 

After a modest start Hanuman pulled through to cross the finish line third but dropped behind Ranger on corrected time. 

Bekking, who skippers the Team Brunel Volvo Ocean Race team, was pleased to have kept the ‘winning’ record of Lionheart intact, claiming a share of Wednesday’s top trophy as a victory! 

“ We had a good start and so far our crew work has been excellent so it is good and our owner has been driving superbly. It is all coming together nicely and so we have our seven wins in a row.” 

He was less enthused by the idea of a head to head match with Hanuman for the Cup: 

“ Maybe.” He grinned, “ But I think he is quite handy at that. So maybe we should not go there.” 

Bekking believes the J Class racing here keeps him and some of his core crew sharp for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race: 

“ I made this commitment to sail these three regattas before the Volvo came along but I think this is really got for us who are on the Volvo as we are in a good racing environment, it is good for my communication and relationship with Andrew Cape the navigator and we have four guys from the team here. It all fits in really well and it keeps me sharp.”  

Of their success to date he concludes: 

“We have worked hard on the boat and as a crew. We have a great group of people and a great owner-driver. There is much more pressure with the pro driver. Our owner says to just relax from start to the finish. I sometimes get a bit tense but you want it to be good for everyone on board. I made a mistake at the start yesterday and I have to put my hand up for that one.”

Rainbow’s helm, Holland’s five times Olympian Mark Neeleman, was delighted with second: 

“The competition is so complete here with five boats that we are very happy to get second today, the boat is going very well, nice and quick. The wind shifted 15 or 20 degrees to the left on the second beat and we got that with Lionheart. It was a good side of the course. Our Italian team at the back Francesco (De Angelis) and Michele (Ivaldi) worked it well. We are very happy with the result. Everything went well, we are working all the time to get better. The boat is relatively new and we are changing and modifying the crew a little and getting better all the time. We have sailed the least together of all the teams I think so it is pleasing today. We have had five boats a couple of times but all the teams are getting better all the time, this is the best competition there is. The differences are minimal and so you can’t make mistakes. You have to do everything right if not you go from first to fourth.”

Cup Tied, Hanuman and Lionheart share the King's 100 Guinea Cup

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Hanuman and Lionheart will share the King’s 100 Guinea Cup after finishing tied on corrected time in the first race of Palma’s Superyacht Cup. They actually finished second and third respectively across the finish line behind Ranger which subsequently accepted a penalty for a rules infringement on the approach to the first leeward gate.

It was the closest and most exciting racing for the J Class yet as the five boat fleet for Palma’s Superyacht Cup contested the prestigious trophy. From a spirited, very evenly match contest which saw three different leaders at successive windward mark turns, Ranger had lead around the final turn, eking out a decent lead to finish first across the line.

But with Ranger taking an arbitration penalty after a port-starboard incident as they approached the first leeward gate which dropped them to third, Vitters Shipyard's Hanuman  - winners here last year - and Claasen Shipyard's Lionheart – winners of the Menorca Maxi event last month - could not be separated on corrected time.

So both will share the Class’s top trophy of the season.

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“Wow, it was some race.” Smiled Hanuman’s Ken Read in the Palma sunshine just after racing, “When you have five boats going at the same speed then that is the best race there has been. It is flat water and 12 knots of breeze and so it is when the boat speeds are going to be very similar. And so as you saw today any mistake was magnified.”

Of the tie for the Cup Read later declared:

“I think it is a fair result. The time is taken in rounded off seconds. I think it is not going to get any easier it is just down to who sails better. It will be interesting when it is breezier. I said it was going to be full on, and shit, yes it is full on.”

There were mistakes aplenty. While two of the five Js had well timed starts at either end of the line, in the middle two had scrappy openings which set them immediately on the back foot.

The three rounds windward leeward race, contested in 9-14 kts of SSW’ly breeze saw three different leaders at successive windward marks, with places changing throughout and invigorating close quarters boat handling. Ranger, with four times America’s Cup winner Murray Jones calling tactics, read the wind changes and – crucially – got themselves in positions to capitalise.

The Bay of Palma can sometimes be a one way, one sided race track in the standard sea-breeze conditions, but the first contest of the Superyacht Cup for the J Class offered ample chances for gains and losses as the breeze tracked right and built for each round.

Early leader Velsheda dropped to fifth across the finish. Rainbow, at the back of the pack through the first leeward gate went to the right up the second beat to lead Ranger by a nose at top of the second round before Ranger had established a more meaningful lead up the final beat.

Ironically both the joint trophy winners had suffered off the start line together and had to fight back. Lionheart were early on the line and Hanuman started downspeed whilst Velsheda started well at the signal boat end of the line with better speed. But both worked the shifting breeze well, Hanuman crossing the finish line nine seconds ahead of Lionheart which has Bouwe Bekking calling tactics.

Bekking said later, "It worked out quite nicely in the end. In the end it was alright but we had a bad start. I just got the timing wrong and Kenny (Hanuman) did a nice job squeezing us up and then we had to do a big dip and that put us on back foot. But we got back into it. You take your chances and our guys on the foredeck and our Owner did a good job driving."

Ready to Race in Palma

Both of the 2013 class champions are back to race among the 26 strong fleet which has assembled in Palma for the Superyacht Cup which starts tomorrow (Thursday) on the Bay of Palma.

Ranging in size from the 24 metres Heartbeat and Drumfire to the 51 metres schooner Borkumriff IV, the fleet will sail three races over Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including coastal courses of between 19 and 30 miles.

Class 1 winner last year Highland Breeze, the 34m Swan is back to defend the title they won on the Bay of Palma last year, as is Heartbeat which was awarded the overall trophy last year. Owner Manon Borrius Broek was delighted, if a little surprised last year to win the regatta she had bought Heartbeat to compete in. Winning at their third attempt, it is no surprise that the crew, who are a group of friends, are looking forwards to the one regatta they compete on each year, on the boat’s home waters.

Before the Heartbeat crew went out for their final practice, she said: “It was a nice surprise to win last year. And we only come together once every year to do this regatta, the Superyacht Cup. Otherwise I cruise around with the boat in the South of France and the Balearics. We will try to win again, but we are only just getting some practice in. But our aim is to have fun together. We are a group of friends with a captain. But everybody knows what to do on the boat and does it well. We all help each other and have fun. That is the most important thing for us, to have a good ambience on board.

“We started out together in 2005 with the last boat the Lady M which was too small for the Superyacht Cup. That what was when we saw it for the first time and have done it since 2011. The first time we were second, fourth in Cowes in 2012 and last year we won. This year we will see. I have not really looked at what the competition. The regatta is fun, it is nice, it is well organised and I feel honoured to be in amongst all these beautiful boats like the Js. The boat is based here in Palma and so this is our home regatta.”

Looking to continue their steady improvement since the bright green hulled Briand designed 33m was launched last year, following regattas in Sardinia and Porto Cervo last year, a Caribbean race circuit and the Loro Piana Superyacht in Sardinia earlier this month, the crew of Inouï under skipper Stéphane Luca with Chris Main calling tactics, believe they have what it takes to win this time:

“In our class I think we are strong enough to win now if we sail well enough, normally that should be enough. We are improving all the time with the boat, understanding it more. That is the key thing.”

Fistful of J's Primed in Palma

Last year saw the first competitive regatta since 1937 to muster five spectacular J Class yachts. Over coming days at Palma, Mallorca’s showcase Superyacht Cup once again that modern day record is matched by probably the most competitive, closely matched fleet yet.

Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Rainbow and Velsheda will race on Wednesday around a windward-leeward course for the historic King’s Hundred Guinea Cup which is a perpetual trophy for this race, before joining the 26 strong Superyacht Cup fleet for a schedule which includes one further windward-leeward and two coastal courses, Thursday to Saturday.

Winter refits which targeted extra speed have been completed – some more recently than others – and after last month’s Menorca Maxi regatta which attracted three boats, the stakes on the Bay of Palma and correspondingly the performance levels should be higher.

Menorca Maxi saw Lionheart dominate with a clean sweep of five wins. With a crew nucleus drawn from the current Dutch Volvo Ocean Race project Team Brunel including navigator Andrew Cape, under tactician Bouwe Bekking, they were unstoppable.

In Mahon last year’s Palma Superyacht Cup J Class winners Hanuman proved disappointed to end up in third. According to skipper-helm Ken Read their result was nothing short of a wake up call. But with three intervening weeks filled with hard work by sailmakers, boatbuilders and crew, Read believes they will be quicker, will sail better and so are in a stronger position to defend the J Class title they won here last year.

“Mahon was a real wake up call. We had not sailed in a long time and these boats are twitchy boats to sail. They are obviously monsters. And I don’t think I did a very good job sailing the boat. And we just had one of these regattas when we were out of sorts.” Read outlined aboard Hanuman on Palma’s STP shipyard dock this morning.

“Now, whenever you know there are going to be five J yachts on the start line that becomes your priority, you have to be here with your A Game. This regatta last year was spectacular. We pulled it out the bag last year and here we are. We have to defend.”

Around Europe’s J Class regattas last year honours were shared between Hanuman and Velsheda. The latter won in Saint Tropez and in Sardinia in 2013 and arrives in Palma very freshly prepared after a refit which started last November. Among the measures designed to increase all round potency Velsheda has had weight trimmed in various areas and added as keel ballast for an improved righting moment and they have upgraded hydraulic systems which deliver more power and faster line speeds to improve sail handling and trimming ability.

Velsheda’s long serving tactician, America’s Cup winning Kiwi Tom Dodson is passionate about J Class racing, enjoying being responsible for an historic racing yacht whilst at the same time rising to the constant challenge of making smart tactical decisions in a fleet which has grown, and races in ever closer contact, all the time requiring the careful management of more than 30 on board: “We start dividing up the roles. We have a command thing going back and forwards with Juggy (Justin Clougher crew boss) and when he makes a call you have 35 people spring into action”

“Hydraulic power is in, more and more again. It is phenomenal to see the sheet speeds with many winches running at the same time. So now we have gone from setting up for a bottom mark rounding three minutes out to under two minutes now. And everything has to come together for these roundings.”

“That keeps your tactical options open. But once these boats slow down it takes a lot of speeding up. In light to medium airs that can easily be giving you a couple of boat lengths because of the extra speed you are getting out of the bottom mark. For instance the genoa used to take about one minute to hoist and now it is about 12 seconds, bottom to top.”

“You can be coming into the bottom mark with four other boats. I think people would be amazed. They’d be sitting there going ‘get it down fellas, get it down fellas, get it down’….and it’ll be just pushed in there in seconds. Top marks and gybes are all pretty crisp when you consider what has to go on.”

No Clear Favourite

The J Class Practice Day

Although he gruffly thinks others might see them as favourite here Dodson, like most around the J Class dock today, contends that this Palma Superyacht Cup regatta is wide open: “People are saying to me we could finish anywhere from first to fifth here and not have sail much different.”

“We are just expecting close racing. If it is anything like last year it will be so impressive. I hope we get a couple of turns at it.”

Naturally the talent and experience aboard each of the five yachts is as would be expected. Volvo and Whitbread round the world race sailors form the core of many teams. Indeed there are a reasonably sizeable contingent of Volvo and Whitbread alumni with five races under their belts.

The J's on the Water the Day Before The Superyacht Cup 2014

Team Brunel’s Bekking has four of his Volvo crew on Lionheart. Read’s roster on Hanuman includes double Olympic 470 medallist Kevin Burnham, three times America’s Cup winner Warwick Fleury and Volvo and America’s Cup sailors like Kimo Worthington, Tony Mutter, Jerry Kirby, Robbie Naismith. Alongside Dodson on the owner driven Velsheda Olympic silver medallist Don Cowie trims mainsheet. Ranger has multiple Whitbread and Volvo racer Erle Williams as skipper with Finn, 49er and Laser helm Dan Slater steering, Mike Quilter navigating and Murray Jones as tactician. Rainbow have America’s Cup sailors Francesco de Angelis as Michele Ivaldi as tactician and navigator.

Racing is expected to encounter light winds on the first day with the sea breezes picking up over the subsequent days. Start sequences are scheduled at 1300hrs local time each day.

Who will claim the Trophy?

Magic Number 25

There is less than a month before the Superyacht Cup Palma where an outstanding fleet of 25 yachts will participate in the annual four-day regatta, June 18th - 21st.  Ranging in size from 24m to over 50m, new build yachts incorporating the latest technology and classic designs dating back to the 1930´s, this spectacular collection of some of the largest racing superyachts in the world will be a stunning sight in the Bay of Palma.

Maria Cattiva by Michael Kurtz of Pantaenius

The two latest entries are the 40m Royal Huisman built Maria Cattiva designed by Bruce King and a new boat to the event, the 28m Nautor Swan, Odin drawn by Frers Yacht Design. Maria Cattiva is a seven-time participant and winner overall at the regatta in 2012. The five J Class yachts will reunite for a re-match on last year´s incredible performance with races scheduled for four days.

The Superyacht Cup has gained valuable support this year from significant new partners,  the five star St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort as Preferred Hotel Partner and five Platinum Partner shipyards. The most Magnificent 5 Shipyards in the world support the culture of camaraderie, sportsmanship and friendly competition and join together to ensure the values and integrity of superyacht regattas stays in the spirit it was always intended for. Alloy Yachts, Holland Jachtbouw, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman and Vitters Shipyards will proudly host the Mag 5 Race Day on Friday the 20th of June. On the Friday evening following the racing, the exclusive Owner´s Dinner will be held on the terraces at the St Regis Mardavall and jointly hosted by the five Shipyards. A selection of fine wines will be provided by official supplier José L Ferrer and a new cava ANNA BLANC DE BLANCS by Codorniu.

All the participating yachts will carry small GPS devices tracking their course around the Bay. The live tracking, which has been sponsored by two Palma based companies, Absolute Boat Care and Marine Hydraulic Solutions is a great way to follow the racing in real time or after the event. A link from the www.thesuperyachtcup.com site will take you to the Trac Trac page where each race or sections of races can be viewed on line including on tablets and mobile phones. In addition to the live coverage it is also a useful tool for crew to analyze their performance after the race.

For anyone wishing to get out on the water to watch the racing, our Official RIB Supplier Rib Rally is offering half day or full day places or boats to charter with drivers. For more information visit: http://www.ribrally.com/The+Superyacht+Cup?page=1915&p=2027

Borkumriff IV Returning to Palma

Royal Huisman´s Borkumriff IV, Image Roy Roberts

The spectacular schooner Borkumriff IV recently confirmed they will join the impressive line up of yachts for this year's Superyacht Cup in Palma. Designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and built by Royal Huisman, she was launched in 2002 from their yard in Holland. At 51m overall and with a displacement of almost 300 tons, Borkumriff IV is the largest yacht taking part this year.   Her Rondal aluminium plate masts are over 50m tall (166ft) and carry Rondal carbon fiber booms and gaffs, towering over her vast deck. Borkumriff IV last took part in the Superyacht Cup in Palma in 2007 where for the first time she raced against her sister ship Meteor who had been launched just weeks before the historic Superyacht Cup (which incorporated the Millennium Cup),  where an unbeaten record fleet of 52 superyachts raced in the Bay of Palma.

Many of the fleet have undergone refit work over the winter months, Astilleros de Mallorca in Palma have been working with two of the J Class yachts, Velsheda and Ranger.  Velsheda (Dykstra/Camper & Nicholsons) at 38m is the smallest of the J´s, she has been out of the water undergoing keel remodeling and deck structure modification while her rival Ranger 42m (Burgess & Stephens/Dykstra Design/Danish Yachts) has undergone a special survey, shaft overhaul and engine alignment.

Out of the five Js participating in Palma, only Rainbow 40m (Dykstra & Partners/Holland Jachtbouw) has been racing in the Caribbean over the winter, the others have all stayed in Europe.  The competition will be closer than ever this year, everyone looking for improved performance and an edge on their stable mates. The photo below shows the sleek lines of all five J's but the size difference is highlighted from this birds eye view.

Five J Class Yachts at SYC Palma 2013 - Image Jesús Renedo

After the successful 2013-season including her impressive win at the Superyacht Cup, Heartbeat 24m (Hoek/Claasen Shipyard) returned to Royal Huisman´s Huisfit in Vollenhove for an interior and exterior cosmetic upgrade over the winter. The work included the production and installation of various new interior sections to re-locate the aft owner's suite to the fore ship. Additional portholes were installed providing extra daylight in the forward part of the yacht and she will return to Palma to defend her title in June.

 Complete Marine Freight return as the official logistics partner to the Superyacht Cup, providing shipping and storage services for the event and their partners. With a large warehouse close to Palma and office facilities in the STP yard, Complete Marine Freight´s experienced team are a great asset to the regatta as well as providing logistics support to many of the participating yachts in the fleet www.completemarinefreight.com. Complete Marine Freight are also an active supporter of the Superyacht Cup´s official charity, Joves Navegants www.thesuperyachtcup.com/palma/media/official-charity/index.php.  A recent dock party at STP organized by CMF and the crew of the yacht Aglaia raised over €31,000 for three local charities including Joves Navegants. This year's Superyacht Cup is aiming to raise a further €11,000 which will help disadvantaged young people of Mallorca, giving them the opportunity to learn to sail, a life changing experience for many.

Full Line up for Palma

The Caribbean season is drawing to a close and focus is now switching to the upcoming Mediterranean circuit where interest is as high as ever. With 22 entries already confirmed for the regatta the STP and Moll Vell docks that play host to the Superyacht Cup Palma are close to full capacity.  Real Club Nautico de Palma (RCNP) and STP are assisting with plans for additional entries to find berths in close proximity to the SYC Village.

Palma has always been a popular choice for yachts returning from the Caribbean, preparing for charter, racing and cruising throughout Europe.  The facilities at STP are some of the best in the world, incorporating the latest technology with the quality and experience of specialist companies for repair, refit and maintenance. Long term SYC sponsors Rolling Stock and RSB Rigging Solutions are located within the STP yard and many of the international shipyards including Royal Huisman and Vitters Shipyard have satellite teams based in Palma ready to assist with warranty and regular service work.

Perini Navi 45m Clan VIII - photo www.clairematches.com

The latest entry to confirm and a first time participant at SYC Palma is the 45m sloop Clan VIII, built by Perini Navi and launched in 2011. Captain Dave Evans and his wife Fiona will have the yacht beautifully prepared for her debut visit. Another new yacht for 2014 is the Nautor Swan 100 Munzuni, recently sold to a new owner by SYC sponsors Y.CO.

New Entry Swan 100´ Munzuni

Reckmann and Rondal have confirmed silver sponsorship for 2014 and join the impressive line up of the biggest names in the superyacht industry. Reckmann´s functional and reliable reefing systems and hydraulics are used by the majority of the superyacht fleet.  Rondal is internationally recognised for quality and advanced design engineering of its custom superyacht solutions, designing and manufacturing spars and rigging, winches, hatches and deck equipment. Both companies are key suppliers to the superyacht industry worldwide and work closely with the partner shipyards of SYC.

STP´s facilities in Palma

Racing will be managed by internationally renowned yacht club RCNP, they will coordinate the J class fleet racing and the staggered start superyacht classes. All yachts will be fitted with Trac Trac GPS units so that racing can be viewed live on the internet. Additionally all yachts will carry Pantaenius Range Finder to help measure boat-to-boat distances. Pantaenius have been a long-standing sponsor and supporter of the Superyacht Cup Palma and will host a race day, awarding Pantaenius Trophies to the winners of the superyacht classes on Thursday June 19th.

Exciting New Partnership for The Superyacht Cup and the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort

Since the original St. Regis New York opened its doors over one hundred years ago, the St. Regis brand has sought to provide an experience that goes beyond expectation. The stunning five star St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort, located on the waterfront close to Palma, will host an exclusive dinner for guests and owners during the Superyacht Cup.  The hotel´s Michelin Star chef will prepare a Mediterranean summer selection of courses highlighting the very best of Mallorca's fresh local produce.

The five Platinum Partner shipyards, Alloy Yachts, Holland Jachtbouw, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman and Vitters Shipyard will jointly host the Owner´s Dinner, which will be held on the bougainvillea-surrounded terraces overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

"This will be a very special evening, bringing the owners and their guests together with representatives from throughout the superyacht industry. We are delighted to have formed this important partnership with the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort, a worldwide recognized premium brand with an outstanding reputation for quality and friendly service. The Superyacht Cup regatta has a reputation for creating a unique relaxed environment and this exceptional hotel is the perfect location to offer our guests the highest quality service and gastronomic experience while maintaining the informality and friendliness the regatta is so proud of", explained Event Director Kate Branagh.

St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort will sponsor the racing on Saturday June 21st for both classes and their highly experienced outside catering and banqueting team will serve a collection of appetizing canapés for the Prize Giving Ceremony. In a change to previous years, the awards will be presented on the dock in the Superyacht Cup village straight after the final race. A celebration with the victorious winners on Mid Summer Day will bring the 2014 Superyacht Cup Palma to a close.

The entry list so far is an impressive collection of some of the world´s finest superyachts including 4 previous winners of the Big Bent Cleat, the perpetual trophy awarded to the overall winner each year: Heartbeat winner 2013 (Claasen Shipyard/Hoek), Maria Cattiva winner 2012 (Royal Huisman/King) Drumfire winner 2010 (Bloemsma/Hoek), and still looking as immaculate as the year she was launched, Unfurled (Royal Huisman/Frers) winner in 2003.

Competing in the same event but in their own division, the 5 J Class yachts are Hanuman (Royal Huisman/Dykstra), Ranger (Danish Yachts/Burgess & Stephens/Dykstra), Velsheda (Camper & Nicholson/Nicholsons/Dykstra), Lionheart (Claasen Shipyard/Hoek) and Rainbow (Holland Jachtbouw/Dykstra).

The Superyacht Cup Facebook Page is gathering momentum, for updates, facts and figures and all the latest news come and join us by clicking the icon below.

The St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort are offering a special package for guests of the Superyacht Cup. Overlooking the Bay, this is the ideal location to base family and guests, close to Palma and with a spectacular view of the race area.
For more information:   http://www.stregismardavall.com/en/superyachtcup

Leading Shipyards Show Support With Platinum Partnership

Alloy Yachts, Holland Jachtbouw, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman and Vitters Shipyard have teamed up to support the Superyacht Cup in Palma. Individually each shipyard has been involved with the regatta previously and by joining forces as Platinum Partners they will have a closer involvement including supporting the Owner´s Dinner, a new addition to the social programme for 2014.

Entry interest has been early and very promising with 20 boats already registered and several new yachts making their debut in Palma. The newcomers include two stunning launches from Vitters Shipyard, the 46m sloop Ganesha designed by Dubois and the 33m bright green hulled Inoui designed by Briand. Both owners are veteran Superyacht Cup participants with their previous yachts and will be returning from the Caribbean with their new boats tuned and tested ready for Palma. Another first time entrant is the Royal Huisman built sloop Twizzle (Dubois Yacht Design) which at 57m is the largest yacht to register so far. Holland Jachtbouw will be represented by the exceptional J Class Rainbow (Dykstra & Partners) as well as the 43m ketch This is Us (Hoek Design). The winner of the J Class 2013, Hanuman, built by Royal Huisman has recently confirmed she plans to be back to defend her title, the competition amongst the famous five is likely to be the closest seen yet.



The location of the regatta village will be greatly enhanced this year as the newly reformed Muelle Viejo and Moll Vell Marina will be completed. The deck terraces and restaurants of the new building adjacent to the SYC dock will provide spectators with prime views of the event village and the superyacht fleet. The Superyacht Cup is one of the few regattas on the circuit to have such a convenient, central city location with a huge range of hotels, restaurants, shopping and first class service facilities within walking distance as well as being only 15 minutes from an international airport, all adding to making team logistics easier. The Bay of Palma provides the perfect sailing arena with typical Mediterranean afternoon sea breeze conditions, warm turquoise waters and the backdrop of the Cathedral, City and Tramuntana mountain range in the distance.

The Notice of Race (NOR) for the 2014 Superyacht Cup

The Notice of Race (NOR) for the 2014 Superyacht Cup is now available.

View or Download the Notice of Race

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

J Class Returns to Palma for 2014

The Superyacht Cup Palma 2014 is shaping up to be another spectacular regatta with over 20 of the worlds largest and most famous yachts expected, including the return of the stunning J Class. Thrilling spectators and photographers last year, the intensely close racing of these powerful and graceful sailing yachts in the Bay of Palma was an extraordinary sight and dramatic images were seen all around the world.

Image: www.clairematches.com

Due to the success and popularity the Superyacht Cup has been nominated by the J Class as the premier regatta of the 2014 season. To mark this event there will be two exceptional historic trophies presented to the winners; the “Corinthian Kings Cup” made by R & W Sorley of Glasgow in 1914 is a silver cup first presented by King George V to the Royal Clyde Yacht Club, this will be awarded to the winning J Class over the four days racing with an amateur owner driver.  Secondly, the “Kings Hundred Guinea Cup” made by Carrington & Co of London in 1927 which was presented by King George VI for the Royal Yacht Squadron regatta in 1937. The first placed J Class on handicap on Wednesday 18th June will receive this striking silver gilt trophy.

Owner of Hanuman receiving the King´s Hundred Guinea Cup in St Barth´s 2013

Loyal supporters and Silver Sponsors, Rolling Stock, Astilleros de Mallorca, Pantaenius and Reckmann continue their association with the Superyacht Cup and the Dutch yacht builders Claasen Shipyard return for a two year Industry Partnership. Of the 17 yachts already registered, Claasen Shipyard has built 4 of the fleet, including last year´s Superyacht Cup overall winner, Heartbeat (Hoek Design).  Claasen Shipyard put their success down to a combination of traditional Dutch workmanship and dedication to perfection with a constant drive to incorporate new technologies, an important aspect for performance superyachts.  Claasen Shipyard and Dutch Naval Architects Hoek Design have together completed Atalante, Firefly, Heartbeat and the J class Lionheart and have several new superyachts in build and on the drawing board.

Gaastra, the official clothing supplier and Gold Sponsor are preparing a colourful new collection for 2014 and will offer participating yachts and SYC sponsors the opportunity to order customized crew uniforms and team clothing. For more information http://www.gaastraproshop.com/com-de/gaastra-pro-pro-collection/3824-7117