Palma Superyacht Cup: 21st-24th June 2017

The Mediterranean racing season’s opener, The Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, concluded June 3rd and saw four Superyacht Cup competitors with oomph, Farfalla, Inouï, Ribelle and Saudade, slice through the circuit. Pro sailors in key positions worked hard to get every inch of speeds out of the boats, and after four days of edge-of-seat racing it was the 45m Saudade who took first. The 34m Ribelle proved she’s no back-up dancer by finishing second. Well warmed up, this mix of well-versed competitors and virgin entrants will soon be able to continue combat in Palma de Mallorca, where hospitality is warm, the sailing is fierce and the on-shore fun a given.

The SYC will be the third regatta where the 32m Farfalla (Italian for butterly) will be seen to artfully flit around the racecourse this year. Farfalla, third of the Southern Wind 102 series, took part in the New Zealand Millennium Cup at the start of 2017. The 33m Inouï, also brimming with racing expertise, and unmistakable with her zesty green hull, will be racing for the fourth consecutive time. Furthermore, this Briand-designed beaut came third during last year’s edition of the regatta. The 45m Saudade is fresh from an extensive refit during which all kinds of performance-enhancing modifications have taken place. Blessed with powerful lines, Saudade now boasts a new keel, rudder, bowsprit and rigging. The cockpit has also been redesigned which has resulted in an area where crew members are able to maneuver more easily.

After having stretched her legs in chic Porto Cervo, the newly launched Ribelle will be able to flaunt her sailing prowess for the first time in Palma. With her deep keel and lightweight displacement of just 84 tonnes we’re confident she’ll be able to perform just as well as she looks.

Adventure Playground New Zealand: A Perfect Match for the Regatta

For the third time, 100% Pure New Zealand will be our ‘Destination Partner’. With the regatta’s reputation for attracting superyachts with a competitive edge, as well as a desire to push boundaries, it is the perfect match for New Zealand: an adventure playground for yachts wishing to explore further and expand their horizons beyond the traditional Mediterranean and Caribbean cruising grounds. The New Zealand team will be present during the event to introduce you to this world-class cruising and charter destination with 14,000 kilometres of staggeringly beautiful coastline just waiting to be discovered. The waters are pristine, the fishing and diving incredible and onshore you’ll find a diversity of landscapes and activities you never dreamed possible.

On the subject of pristine waters, MHS, will once again be supplying thirsty sailors with the handy re-usable water bottles most competitors will recognize from our 2016 edition. Refillable with purified

filtered water on-site, these bottles will help reduce the use of single use plastic and will consequently help protect the waters we all love to sail on.

The Strength of our Sponsors: More than Just a Numbers Game

STP, one of the biggest, busiest and most technically advanced shipyards in Europe facilitates superyachts up to 120m. Additionally, 450 reputable contracting companies are located on-site, ready to supply or service any kind of yacht: from the 120m mega yacht A to a relatively tiny Mini Transat. Moreover, captains are able to choose whichever contractor they wish to work with for refit or maintenance work. By and large it comes as no surprise that the yard welcomes more than 1100 boats annually and sees the 700-tonnes travel lifts move over 1600 times!

One of the companies established inside superyacht haven STP is RSB Rigging. These leaders in the rigging industry, a favourite with superyacht captains the world over, have been in business for more than a decade. During these 11 years they have served 1612 clients, supplied 501114 metres of rope and stepped 301 rigs. Most SYC competitors, both past and present, have benefitted from the expertise these local rigging wizards are renowned for. For example they supplied all running rigging for new-build Ribelle and removed Atalante’s stay sail in order to improve ease of sail handling during Superyacht Cup racing.

Another silver sponsor supporting the regatta again this year are superyacht paint specialists Jotun, recognized globally as one of the top suppliers of anti-fouling. The Jotun group has 63 companies and 37 production facilities on all continents, and is represented in more than 100 countries. Their high-quality products (anti-fouling, primers, fillers and top coats) have been specifically designed for the mega yacht industry and have proven to perform exceptionally in every sea and ocean of the world.

Source: http://www.thesuperyachtcup.com/