Top Level Racing and Champagne Conditions make for a Successful 19th Superyacht Cup

The Superyacht Cup has not only become the second biggest event on the superyacht sailing calendar but is also the longest running regatta of its kind in Europe. A thrilling four-day event which mixes good times with tight racing on the beautiful Bay of Palma, which because of it's particular shape is renown for bringing a blissfully consistent sea breeze.

This 19th Superyacht Cup has come to a close and after three days of exciting racing it was the 55m classic ketch Marie who claimed overall victory and managed to keep up her A game under yesterday's deciding- day pressure. The ravishing, carbon-rigged racer Inouï, who not only captured everyone's attention both on and off the race course, bagged a Class B win. In Class C it was new-boat-on-the block Maegan who triumphed. She'd warmed up in Porto Cervo, her first ever regatta and stretched her legs in Palma to fly home and take the top slot. As all 21 competitors were split across three classes, racing was close and resulted in fantastic viewing of a fleet filled with fast boats fighting tight battles.

The 25m newbie-boat Maegan, victorious in Class C. ©www.clairematches.com

With some of the speediest superyachts out on the race course, competition was going to be tough and tight. For example yachts like the high-calibre Visione, not as young as most of her rivals but still the boat to beat, and the fully optimised Open Season - fresh from winning both the Menorca Maxi and the Gaastra Palma Vela, were a hard act to follow. And although the 55m Vitters built Marie put up a powerhouse performance it was no mean feat to fight off the prowling 46m Ganesha and the 45m bone fide flyer Saudade. They'd both been pushing hard to hunt her down. On the final St. Regis race she got off to a dynamite start and managed to sail in clean air all day which secured her third bullet sealing her victory in both Class A and as the overall winner of the Superyacht Cup 15. Perfect timing for such a big win according to captain Wes Cooper as after her usual participation in five regatta's annually the mighty Marie will be backing of the racing scene. They'll compete in the St. Barths Bucket next year but that will probably be it. It will be sad to not see her return next year but we can certainly say she went out with a bang.

Apart from the competition which was fierce and fun also the wind gods consistently had our backs. The conditions were great; every day dawned with a picture-perfect Palma sky, and a good building breeze which meant the sailing was beautiful on each day of the event.

As every year, as important as the excitement on the water is our dock side social programme which saw the race crew of all 21 superyachts enjoy ice cold drinks and off board banter long after the sails had been packed away. Highlight was of course our disco-themed paella party which featured probably the world's largest paella and a full dance floor where especially team Tulip's moves made even the most serious sailors crack a smile and join in.

Some on board action with the iconic Palma cathedral as a backdrop. ©www.clairematches.com

And as the day came to a close, capping this year's 19th Superyacht Cup, we hope owners, friends, and race crew will be chatting about this past event in the days to come and taking home sunny memories of yet another exciting and fun-filled event.

On a final note we would like to thank our sponsors who have supported us in making also this year's edition another big hit. And while last year's winner, the stunning Claasen built Lionheart, is gearing up to take on the rest of the J Class fleet in Falmouth we say 'Hasta Luego' to another Superyacht Cup. We hope to be able to welcome ours sponsors, our fans and the magnificent J's back during our 2016 event, which will be even more special as it marks our 20th anniversary.

For high res images contact Claire Matches at mail@clairematches.com www.clairematches.com

The mighty Marie hold sway in Palma, overall winner of the SYC 2015

With a fleet that's teeming with regatta regulars, carbon flyers and yachts boasting the world's top sailors it comes as no surprise that the racing these past two days has been as tight as ever. For example on the 90ft Nautor Swan Odin almost half of their sail-savvy team consist of Olympic and America's Cup sailors. Also the performance Perini P2 is sailed hard by an equally large amount of big name sailors who have been racing together for many years now. This year the team was complemented by Archie Leeu (18) and Thami Hoza (17), two students from the South African Lawhill Maritime Centre who have been selected by Marine Inspirations to race as part of the crew in order to get some hands-on seamanship and expose them to possible yachting career opportunities.

Both the first and second day of racing has seen some intense superyacht competition: smart tactics, close racing and fierce battles. So there was still a lot to tussle for during today's ultimate showdown.

In Class A it was the beautiful, black ketch Marie who went into the final race day with a lead of two bullets, sitting a comfortable 3 points above regatta veteran P2.  In Class B things were extra exciting with both team Odin and the dazzling, carbon flyer Inouï sharing four points, just one point ahead of yesterday's winner Kiboko Dos. And in Class C it was the new Oyster Maegan who went into today's last St. Regis Race with 2 points over Clan VIII and Blue Too.

Today's clear skies and the prediction of Palma's trustworthy SW sea breeze peaking mid -afternoon meant the 21-strong fleet were in for a real treat going into the deciding race. To keep the competitors on their toes the race committee opted for a riveting and tactical 27.5nm course which started the fleet off on a downwind leg. Racing got underway at 13.00 and saw Thursday's Class winner Clan VIII round the leeward mark first, followed closely by classic lined Blue Too and Claasen's Truly Classic Heartbeat. Heartbeat bagged a class win during last year's SYC and claimed overall victory the year before so clearly has a lot of race winning potential..

The well powered 33m Inouï claimed top slot in Class B. ©www.clairematches.com

The second mark saw a reversal with both Blue Too and Heartbeat snatching the lead from Clan VIII. The drama ran deeper in Class A as P2 ran over their kite in the drop and got it wrapped around their keel. Team P2 had to retire from the race just like the giant of the fleet, the 60m P^3, who suffered from technical issues on board.

The classically elegant Maria Cattiva, who's competing this year for the fifth time, was the first round Bahia two, ahead of Maegan and Marie. Still on her A game the 55m Marie chased Maria Cattiva down and rounded Illetas 1.28 minutes before Maria Cattiva and 2.49 minutes before yesterday's Class C winner Maegan. The black hulled Vitters built boat was not giving an inch today and screamed around the fifth, sixth and seventh mark, leaving first the all-carbon cruiser Win Win and then, the newly reinforced Open Season to chase her down.

The 30m Wally Open Season, known for cleaning up on the race course, managed to sneak out in front and round the 8th Porrasa mark first, 2.15 minutes in front of the 45m seasoned racer Saudade. She continued to power down to the finish line, crossing 2.15 minutes in front of Visione and 3.07 minutes ahead of the 45m Wally Saudade.

In class A it was the unbeatable, cannon firing Marie who kept her class win from yesterday and the day before. Slick crew maneuvrings and solid sailing in Class B saw the exciting, high- caliber superyacht Win Win charge home to claim the win while the 45m Perini Clan VIII, again, took top slot in Class C.

The mighty Marie claimed overall victory in Palma today. ©www.clairematches.com

After corrections were applied the final calls were made and it was Marie who triumped in Class A. And the 33m Inouï and the Oyster built Maegan were victorious in Class B and C respectively. Stephane Luca, captain on board Inouï commented: "It was a very interesting race with many boats, everybody met each other at the down wind mark on the way to the finish and it was exciting fighting with all the other fast boats like Open Season, Visione and Win Win."

A big 'hurrah' goes to the mighty Marie who, with a clean sweep of 3 firsts, is the overall winner of the Superyacht Cup 2015! "It was a huge day, we went into it knowing that we had to sail really well today. This has been by far the toughest competition that we've ever had in any regatta. You know, Saudade, Ganesha, P2  they're all very quick boats. And whilst we've had a couple of good days it was far from over. We nailed the start, we had a great down wind run and managed to get through the smaller boats in front on the beat really cleanly and I think that was the key to it, you know, we got clean air all day and we were able to fend everybody off. I know there was a lot of traffic behind for the faster boats which they had to get through, what slowed them down."

On winning the best-dressed-in-disco a smiling Wes Cooper, Captain on board Marie added: "Fantastic effort. I've honestly got the finest full time crew in the industry, as far as I'm concerned. They've worked so hard over the past weeks getting the boat prepped, putting a smile on everyone's faces, looking after everyone and they'll still put on a costume, go out and have a good time. I'm a very lucky captain."

A happy boat.. Marie overall winners this year. ©www.clairematches.com

This 19th edition concluded with the spectacular prize-giving with some of the very best of the superyacht sailing scene concentrated in the Superyacht Cup's race village, suntanned, smiling and still animatedly discussing the day's events.

As 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded  in each class, groups of at least 20 grinning sailors stormed the stage while receiving plenty of whistles and woo's from the convivial crowd. Fellow competitors were thanked for the past great days on the water assuring their return next year to passionately  defend their title. One of the high points of the evening was of course the announcement of this year's overall winner, the 55m classic ketch Marie. No doubt the 9 winning teams will have a big night of celebrations ahead.. 

The SYC also presented a cheque of 10.500€ to the long running local charity Joves Navigantes. Initiated by an enthusiastic group of sailors, the foundation reaches out to the island's underprivileged boys and girls through the practice of sailing.  

And while the end of the day caps a close to another successful Superyacht Cup, owners, race crew, industry titans, family and friends shake hands and congratulate each other on a job well done. Before heading home or back to the boat though, a good dose of Superyacht Cuppers will be making their way down to Pascha's after party, along Palma's pretty, palm tree lined Paseo Maritimo, to kick off some sailing steam and have a last but probably very late one...

For high-res images contact Claire Matches at mail@clairematches.com

©www.clairematches.com

Things are About to Get a Lot More Exciting..

Last night's disco-themed dock party proved epic with the entire crew of the mighty Marie wearing orange wigs, pink sunglasses, glitter, gold and green satin suits; these clear winners went all out and so, not surprisingly, took the best-dressed-in-disco prize: VIP tickets to Pacha's after party and a bottle of bubbly to boot. Also team Tulip, colorfully kitted out in, well, 'Tulips', scored tickets, as well as own it on the dance floor for most of the night. Think slick break-dance moves and a spirited 'polonaise'. DJ Eazy Michael kept those feet on the dance floor which was followed by Bilonda's soulful tunes. All in all last night's fun was a perfect ending to a great day out on the water..

This morning saw the SYC race village bustling with the owners, sailors, friends and guests of the 21 spectacular superyachts charged to get the racing underway. And while some of the world's most talented sailors were ardently discussing today's tactics, the scene was set for today's second day of sailing.

Today's menu served up a blazing sun, cloudless blue sky and the sea breeze getting it's foot in the door a little earlier than yesterday. While on our first race day the breeze actually built more than expected, becoming moderate to fresh for much of the afternoon, today was predicted to be even beefier with 12-14 knots around midday and 14-18 in the afternoon.

©www.clairematches.com

The fleet headed out at 11 to make their way to the start line and racing got underway at 13.00. It was yesterday's Class C winner Clan VIII who got off the start line first. The 45m Perini got off to a cracking start but unfortunately at 14.00, as the yachts were on their first run to Bahia 2,  the race got abandoned and the fleet had to return to the start line. Racing commenced again at 14.50 with the race committee opting for a shorter 18.7nm course. This time it was the fiercely green hulled, Vitters built Inouï and Nautor's Highland Breeze who boasted best starts.

The first upwind Sech mark saw first timer, the 25m Maegan, round ahead of the fleet, pursued closely by new-boat-on-the-block Guardian Angel and the 26m Tulip. Maegan flew at full bore towards Bahia 2 but was chased hard by Kiboko Dos who managed to hunt her down and jibe around the mark first.
In the mean time in Class C both Highland Breeze and Clan VIII were not having a good day at the office. Highland Breeze stayed close to the shore which made her lose her 7th position and Clan VIII tacked later than her competitors who then started to reel her in, one by one.

Today's Class B winner, the 28m Southern Wind Kiboko Dos. © www.clairematches.com

The 28m Southern Wind Kiboko Dos however got seriously into gear and held her front running position rounding the fourth Illetas mark first, after which she gunned it towards the finish line crossing 3.27 minutes ahead of speed machine Open Season and 4.16 minutes before the stylish Swan 90 Odin. Possibly the many sailors with local knowledge on board were the secret behind Kiboko Dos' success today as she pulled out her impressive class win in Class B. "For tomorrow we would like to continue doing a good job, in fact we did a good job yesterday. I think that we have to keep pushing and try our best. The team works together really well and we are very happy" commented a beaming Raimon Pascó, captain on board Kiboko Dos.

In Class A the Vitters built classic ketch Marie showed again she was on top form by winning her second bullet while newbie boat Maegan's potent performance secured the team with a victory in Class C. On the new ORCsy rule Maegan's navigator and CEO of Oyster David Tydeman said: " The new superyacht rule is working. Oyster's built 35 boats over 80 feet and with the previous handicap system it wasn't worth coming to these events but it is now and we're having a great time and I'm going to be encouraging Oysters to come regularly". Regatta regular P2 took second after Marie. "The owner was super happy, he said we couldn't have gotten any more out of the boat and the crew couldn't have done a better job, so we felt we left nothing on the table and the results after day two sort of show that" smiled Captain Jonathan Kline.

A happy crew on board Kiboko Dos today. ©www.clairematches.com

As crew make a post-debrief lay line for the Regatta Bar sponsored by North Sails, the owners and their guests head for the unique St. Regis Mardavall. A stunning resort framed by the Tramuntana mountains, the luxurious marina of Puerto Portals and the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea. With one group on the southwest coast of the island and the other in Superyacht Cup central we're certain in both places all talk will feature the final day of sailing tomorrow, as everything will come down to the crunch in Saturday's ultimate showdown.

Connect with us through Twitter #SYC15 and Facebook (The Superyacht Cup) for real time updates of all the action on and off the race course and/or follow the race live via Trac Trac.

Inouï, Marie and Clan VIII on Top after First Day of Racing

The past few weeks has seen the crews of all 21 competitors packing sails, protecting the interior, making the bottom of the boat squeaky clean and between each other buying enough Gatorade and Power bars to sink a superyacht. All necessary preparations have been made and the fleet were ready and raring to race the first, Pantaenius race.

This 19th Cup edition sees an entry list as varied as ever, with superyachts ranging from the 24m Claasen built Heartbeat to the 60m Perseus^3, which boasts the world's largest single sail, a bewildering 2600m2 A2 spinnaker. And the coming few days will be setting the scene for a showdown between quite a few entrants who have been crossing swords with each other at previous regatta's. For example regatta regular P2 and the 45m Baltic built Visione have been neck-neck at each race during the St. Barths Bucket. It's the first time these highly competitive yachts will be racing together in Palma and we're sure none of them will be wanting to give the other any quarter.

To ensure close racing between boats of comparable speed the fleet has been divided into three classes and for the first time this year the SYC will be implementing the all new ORC-sy rating rule. Tested and trialled previously in St. Barths and at both Loro Piana regattas this new handicapping system is heavily based on objectivity and clarity; event director Kate Branagh explains: "The main thing with the new rule is that it is transparent and you can understand how your handicap is achieved. It has brought people back into the game that had previously been out; boats want to know they are being treated fairly and that they have a chance of winning. It shows the owners and crew that it is being taken seriously- there is an awful lot of science, thought and process that goes into it."

The race committee selected a 25 mile course which would make the most of the light air conditions. The day dawned sunny with clear, bright, blue skies and although light winds were predicted the sea breeze kicked in early afternoon to deliver a steady 12-14 knots. Today's first Pantaenius Race got underway at 13.00 and proceeded at two minute staggered intervals and saw the hefty 45m Clan VIII get off first to a great start. She was followed by the Claasen built, Truly Classic Heartbeat and first-timer Blue Too. By the time the fleet condensed on the run towards the second mark the conditions were great and the sailing was beautiful. Even though it was the 26m Tulip who charged ahead, the 55m Vitters built Marie with America's Cup veteran Tony Rey calling tactics, forged through the fleet to round first, closely pursued by the 28m Southern Wind Kiboko Dos, modern classic Tulip and the 27m Nautor Swan built Odin.

The 55m mighty Marie claimed first in Class today. ©www.clairematches.com

The mighty black hulled classic ketch Marie kept the upper hand and powered along to round the third mark first, but was chased hard by Kiboko Dos who managed to snatch the lead on the long beat up to the 4th mark. In Class B the well powered Visione rounded the 5th mark in front of the rest of the fleet, unstoppable she ripped towards the finish crossing the line 4.24 minutes before carbon racer-cruiser Win Win, who had been under pressure from the newly reinforced 30m Wally Open Season who finished a skinny 12 seconds after.

Savvy tactics and great sailing on board the 33m Vitters built Inouï was good for a first victory finishing just 5 seconds ahead of Odin on corrected time, both storming in with a solid 16-17 knots blowing. "It was great; great start, great steady wind and a nice class for us and we expect to do more time like this. It should be a good few days"! Smiled Inouï's Captain Stephane Luca. The 33m Win Win who have been the talk of terra firma took third. "I'll tell you what, with the building breeze all day and excitement escalating throughout the whole race it was pretty spectacular and the second upwind leg we had probably 9 superyachts all lined up, heading at a similar speed, just charging, charging, charging towards the shore" enthused Clive Walker, captain on Win Win.

In Class A it was Marie's day in the sun as she came out on top crossing the line 3 minutes and 2 seconds before the 46m Ganesha. Marie's tactician Matt Humphries has competed in every major ocean race including six Sydney Hobart's and 5 Volvo's. "Conditions were really nice, we started in 12 knots and ended up with 20 knots at the bottom end of the Bay so overall a really good course, a lot of manoeuvrings and quite tight racing between all the superyachts which is always fantastic."

The sail-savvy team on SY Odin finished just 5 seconds after Inouï in Class B. ©www.clairematches.com

On the Cup's organisation Class winner's Captain Wes Cooper comments "The event organizers do a fantastic job putting this regatta together and the sponsors all get behind it which makes it a great event."

In Class C Clan VIII came out on top, followed by first time competitor Blue too and the brand new Oyster built Maegan in third. "It's a good team, we've sailed together for a while now and we just had a great day on the water today" grinned Dave Evans, Captain on Clan VIII. "Because we're a slightly slower boat we're able to see what was coming ahead when other boats perhaps didn't make it to one of the marks and it meant that we were able to climb and make it which obviously gave us a bit more time at the end, no, we're really happy and hope we can repeat it tomorrow."

Southern Spars and E6 host today's Happy Hour at the Regatta Bar where crew can expect ice cold drinks and cheerful off board banter to a soundtrack of DJ Eazy Michael spinning his trademark toe tapping tunes. A pit stop back at the boat will allow crew to trade those quick dry shorts and technical polo for platform shoes and purple flares as to round off day one with aplomb we've teamed up with party professional Pacha to host a dockside Paella party boasting a glittery disco theme. Best dressed crew member wins a VIP ticket for Saturday's after party at Pascha and a bottle of bubbly to boot.

Connect with us through Twitter #SYC15 and Facebook (The SuperyachtCup) for real time updates of all the action on and off the race course and/or follow the race live via TracTrac.

An Exciting Fleet of Competitive Superyachts Ready to Race in Palma

As the teams of all 21 competitors are ticking off the last few things on their to-do-list the stage seems set for some spectacular racing. And with boats like the cool and uncluttered 30m Wally Open Season and the new carbon racer-cruiser Win Win running around the racecourse the stakes are set high this year. Newly reinforced Open Season claimed class first not only at the Gaastra Palma Vela, but also at the Menorca Maxi last month. Also two of the 2014 class winners are back to defend their title among the race-hungry superyachts whom currently still sit patiently side by side, finely tuned for the next three thrilling days ahead. Last year's class one winner, the 46m Vitters built Ganesha has recently won the Dubois Cup as well as take second at the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta this month, which proves she'll be a force to be reckoned with on the race course.

And although there will be a high number of carbon-rigged racers and sleek and slippery sail yachts flying around the Bay of Palma don't be fooled by yachts like the 24m Claasen built Heartbeat as behind her traditional lines and classic look hide a winner. Drawn up by Hoek Yacht Design, and the smallest of the fleet, she came out on top of her class during the previous edition and took overall victory the year before. Also the 26m Frers designed Tulip is an undercover speed machine, who combines her retro superstructure with an ice blue carbon rig and impressive performance and maneuverability.

The 26m K&M Yacht Builders built S/Y Tulip, www.kmy.nl

In addition to this we'll be able to see two brand new boats: the 25m Maegan and the 26m Guardian Angel. Maegan made her regatta debut in Porto Cervo this month and for Guardian Angel this will be her very first outing on a race course. Both yachts built by Oyster and designed by Humphreys Yacht Design will be keen to show off their racing prowess from tomorrow.

Besides newbie boats the fleet include plenty of Cup veterans, like Royal Huisman's 40m Maria Cattiva, 2012 winner no less. This will be her 5th consecutive SYCup. The beautiful 34m Highland Breeze will also be making her 5th successive appearance.

Except for the tight racing in the next days ahead expect a fun filled social programme with lots of parties playing out on and outside the SYC dock like Thursday's Paella & Pacha party which boasts a glittery disco theme or the more private owners' dinner hosted by the stunning St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca tucked in between the Tramuntana mountains and Palma's sparkly, blue Bay.

The SYC Race Village at 8 am, the calm before the storm.. ©www.clairematches.com

The varied programme of social events kicks off this evening with a Welcome Cocktail Party at the Regatta Bar.

The fleet will sail three coastal courses over Thursday, Friday and Saturday and racing is scheduled to start at 13.00 tomorrow.

Connect with us through Twitter #SYC15 and Facebook (The SuperyachtCup) for real time updates of all the action on and off the race course and/or follow the race live via TracTrac.

21 Striking Superyachts set to make Waves in Palma, Mallorca

The past few days has seen Mallorca's weather making a swift switch to summer; cloudless, bright blue skies and the thermometers along Palma's Paseo Maritimo consistently show off temperatures of at least 30 degrees. We hope with the rise in Celsius also our blissfully consistent sea-breeze will continue to make a solid appearance as in only seven days we'll be able to feast our eyes on some of the sleekest and fastest superyachts fighting it out on the Bay of Palma during the Superyacht Cup. Only the 19th edition of this most popular superyacht regatta.

Year on year the SYC attracts the world's best sailing talent and the most incredible sail yachts to battle it out on Palma's glittering, blue Bay. The spectacular 21-strong line-up got complemented only last week with our latest confirmation, the 30,6m Gaia. Classic style yachts always look good on the water, and Gaia we can tell you, is no exception. She took second in class last year so we're excited to see how she'll fare during this year's event. In any case she'll surely make many race crew perching on the rail do a double take on the downwind legs as the depicted image on Gaia's spinnaker is bound to make even the most serious of sailors crack a big smile..

The elegant 30.6m modern classic Gaia © www.clairematches.com

Most of our entrants are already docked inside STP with boats and crews busy gearing up for Thursday's first day of racing. Eight boats of the 2015 fleet have only just returned from Porto Cervo where they competed in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta. The 45m Wally Saudade came out victorious in the head-to-head struggle which had roared all week with the 46m Vitters built Ganesha, she had to settle for second. Also the 45m Perini Clan VIII and the 55m classic ketch Marie strived for supremacy with Clan VIII triumphing in third. No doubt both the Vitters built Marie and regatta regular Ganesha are aiming to get even so we'll be able to look forward to part two of their close racing to play out on the Bay of Palma next week.

Although we're still a week away from racing there's already plenty of action taking place on the dock as a small army of 'SuperyachtCuppers' have started the set up of the SYC Race Village. This weekend the SYC crew will commence with the build of our sponsors tents. Gold sponsor Gaastra will be proudly displaying their brand-new cutting edge line of professional sailing gear in the village's largest tent. Following on from kitting out Team Brunel for the Volvo Ocean Race, Gaastra has developed a collection with GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER fabric technologies, tried and tested by the boys of Team Brunel. Also for sale will be their new, limited edition, 19th SYC polo collection. During the regatta Gaastra offer SYC competitors ten polo's for the price of nine and a water- repellent bag to boot.

Gaastra's newly launched technical collection- tried and tested by Team Brunel

Racing is scheduled to start Thursday the 18th at 13.00

Follow us on Twitter #SYC15 and Facebook (The SuperyachtCup) for real time updates of all the action both on and off the racecourse or to find out more see our event website at The Superyacht Cup Palma.