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Published on July 31st, 2024 | by Editor

Maxi yachts to compete for World title

Published on July 31st, 2024 by Editor -->

The 2024 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will feature the very first World Championship for ‘Maxi 1’ when racing takes place on September 8-14 in Porto Cervo, Italy. As part of the main event, the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship will be open to maxi yachts with an IRC TCC of 1.700-2.200 and up to 100 feet in length.

The International Maxi Association (IMA) is responsible for overseeing and nurturing the sport of maxi racing, and is permitted officially to hold two world championships each year. In 2010, the first Rolex Mini Maxi World Championship was held during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and since then world championships have been held for the Maxi 72 and J Class under the auspices of the IMA, the latter taking place out of Newport, RI in 2017.

“The International Maxi Association endeavours to adapt its world championships to wherever across the maxi fleet there is the greatest competition,” explains IMA Secretary General Andrew McIrvine. “Over recent seasons, we have seen the 100 footers increasingly ramping up their programs with boats that were once cruiser-racers now becoming more thoroughbred racing yachts with all the development, sail programs, and elite level crews that that entails. As a result we are expecting at least ten Maxi 1 yachts to be competing at our new World Championship.”

Already entered for the Maxi 1 World title is 100 footers Leopard 3; a trio of former Wallycentos – Magic Carpet Cubed, Galateia and V; SHK Scallywag – Seng Huang Lee’s David Witt-led campaign returning to race in the northern hemisphere for the first time since the pandemic. Then there is the 93-foot Bullitt, last year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race winner; the 85-foot racer Deep Blue; the 82-foot Django HF in her first race since receiving some major modifications; the ClubSwan 80 My Song; and the brand new 80-foot Capricorno for which the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship will be the first regatta in which she will race.

While yachts larger than 30.51m (100ft) compete in their own Super Maxi class, the IMA Maxi fleet today encompasses yachts of 18.29m (60ft) to 30.51m (100ft), as published annually in the IMA Maxi Class Rules. In recent seasons, the IMA has shed monickers from its classes such as Racer/Racer-Cruiser/Cruiser-Racer and Mini Maxi, in favor of dividing up the Maxi fleet solely by IRC rating.

For example at the 2023 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Maxi 1 was for yachts with a TCC of 1.700< (ie 100 footers); Maxi 2 1.600-1.700 (ie the former Maxi 72s); Maxi 3 1.400-1.600 (the former Mini Maxi Racer-Cruiser class), Maxi 4 1.260-1.400 (the ex-Mini Maxi Cruiser-Racer class, but including a Swan 80 and a Southern Wind 82) and Maxi 5 <1.260 (the former Mini Maxi Cruiser class, ie Swan 65).

“The aim of this is entirely to encourage yachts of a similar performance to race against one another to ensure the best possible competition, rather than rely on any highly subjective terminology,” explains McIrvine.

Maxi yacht world championships have long been associated with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo. From the early 1980s, the International Class A Yacht Association (ICAYA – the IMA’s previous name) regularly held here World Championships for the ‘Class A’ ; the name of the maxi class as defined by the IOR rule of that era. It is because of this that, to this day, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is still referred in sailing circles as ‘the Maxi Worlds’.

The last World Championship held at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was for the Maxi 72 class in 2018 when it was won by Dieter Schön’s Momo. The World Championship for this class was withdrawn due to dwindling numbers and the Maxi 72s increasingly racing out of class. Despite no longer racing within the confines of their box rule, the remaining former Maxi 72s continue to enjoy the best racing with four currently entered in September – Jethou, plus Jolt, Proteus, and North Star, which will be competing in their own class in Porto Cervo in September.

Event details: https://www.yccs.it/regate-2024/maxi_yacht_rolex_cup-3314.html

Source: IMA

Tags: International Maxi Association , Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

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History of Maxi

Maxi Yachts was founded in 1970 by Swedish engineer and sailor Pelle Petterson. The company's origins are deeply rooted in Sweden, where Petterson combined his prowess in yacht design and competitive sailing to create high-quality, performance-oriented sailing yachts. Initially, Maxi Yachts gained a reputation for producing innovative and durable boats, which quickly became favourites among sailing enthusiasts for their ease of handling and robust construction.The early years of Maxi Yachts were marked by significant successes and expansions, with iconic models like the Maxi 77 and Maxi 95 defining the brand's commitment to excellence. Pelle Petterson's designs focused on a blend of performance, comfort, and reliability, which helped establish Maxi Yachts as a prominent name in the sailing community. The company's dedication to quality craftsmanship ensured that their boats were not only competitive on the racecourse but also highly sought after by cruising sailors.Today, Maxi Yachts remains a respected name in the world of sailing, though it's worth noting that the company has undergone various ownership and management changes over the years. The production of Maxi Yachts has shifted from its original base in Sweden, and the brand is now under the umbrella of the Swedish company Najad AB, which acquired Maxi Yachts in 2012. The production facilities and operations are integrated with Najad's resources, allowing Maxi Yachts to continue its tradition of creating exceptional sailing vessels while benefiting from shared expertise and advanced manufacturing technologies.

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Used boats from Maxi on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £16,000 GBP to £3,330,000 GBP with an average price of £575,000 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Maxi, for example the model, age and condition.

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News New World Championship for September's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

New world championship for september's maxi yacht rolex cup.

The 2024 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will feature the very first World Championship for Maxi 1 . Taking place out of Porto Cervo over 8-14 September as part of the main event, the "Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship" will be open to maxi yachts with an IRC TCC of 1.700-2.200 and up to 30.51m (100ft) in length. Typically it will include larger maxis, such as 100 footers (like Leopard 3)  and the former Wallycentos, down to the ClubSwan 80 My Song. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, is co-organised by the event’s host, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), and the International Maxi Association (IMA), the body responsible for overseeing and nurturing the sport of maxi racing and representing the interests of its maxi yacht owner members globally. While it had existed in this role for 30 years previous to this, in 2009 the IMA was formally recognised for these responsibilities by World Sailing. As a result, the IMA is permitted officially to hold two world championships each year. In 2010 the first Rolex Mini Maxi World Championship was held during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and since then world championships have been held for the Maxi 72 and J Class under the auspices of the IMA, the latter taking place out of Newport, RI in 2017. “The International Maxi Association endeavours to adapt its world championships to wherever across the maxi fleet there is the greatest competition,” explains IMA Secretary General Andrew McIrvine. “Over recent seasons we have seen the 100 footers increasingly ramping up their programs with boats that were once cruiser-racers now becoming more thoroughbred racing yachts with all the development, sail programs and elite level crews that that entails. As a result we are expecting at least 10 Maxi 1 yachts to be competing at our new World Championship.”  

Despite entry to the event having not yet closed, the line-up for the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship already looks impressive, including: the 100 footers Leopard 3; a trio of former Wallycentos - Magic Carpet Cubed, Galateia and V; SHK Scallywag - Seng Huang Lee's David Witt-led campaign returning to race in the northern hemisphere for the first time since the pandemic. Then there is the 93ft Bullitt, last year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race winner; the 85ft racer Deep Blue; the 82ft Django HF in her first race since receiving some major modifications; the ClubSwan 80 My Song; all eyes will be on the brand new 80ft Capricorno for which the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship will be the first regatta in which she will race.

While yachts larger than 30.51m (100ft) compete in their own Super Maxi class, the IMA Maxi fleet today encompasses yachts of 18.29m (60ft) to 30.51m (100ft), as published annually in the IMA Maxi Class Rules.

In recent seasons the IMA has shed monickers from its classes such as Racer/Racer-Cruiser/Cruiser-Racer and Mini Maxi, in favour of dividing up the Maxi fleet solely by IRC rating. For example at the 2023 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Maxi 1 was for yachts with a TCC of 1.700< (ie 100 footers); Maxi 2 1.600-1.700 (ie the former Maxi 72s); Maxi 3 1.400-1.600 (the former Mini Maxi Racer-Cruiser class), Maxi  4 1.260-1.400 (the ex-Mini Maxi Cruiser-Racer class, but including a Swan 80 and a Southern Wind 82) and Maxi 5 <1.260 (the former Mini Maxi Cruiser class, ie Swan 65).

“The aim of this is entirely to encourage yachts of a similar performance to race against one another to ensure the best possible competition, rather than rely on any highly subjective terminology,” explains McIrvine.

Maxi yacht world championships have long been associated with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo. From the early 1980s the International Class A Yacht Association (ICAYA – the IMA’s previous name) regularly held here World Championships for the ‘Class A’ ; the name of the maxi class as defined by the IOR rule of that era. It is because of this that, to this day, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is still referred in sailing circles as ‘the Maxi Worlds’.

The last world championship held at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was for the Maxi 72 class in 2018 when it was won by Dieter Schön’s Momo. The world championship for this class was withdrawn due to dwindling numbers and the Maxi 72s increasingly racing out of class. Despite no longer racing within the confines of their box rule, the remaining former Maxi 72s continue to enjoy the best racing with four currently entered in September - Jethou, plus Jolt, Proteus and North Star, which will be competing in their own class in Porto Cervo in September.

(Report by James Boyd / International Maxi Association)

International Maxi Association Legal Headquarters: c/o BfB Société Fiduciaire Bourquin frères et Béran SA - 26, Rue de la Corraterie - 1204 Genève - Switzerland

Mangusta Maxi Open

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The icon of luxury sports yachts . The Mangusta Open line goes beyond your imagination. Design and spacious liveability , comfort, functionality, speed and exceptional engineering quality. All combined to create an on-board experience and an open yacht that is second to none.

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Mangusta 104 rev, mangusta 165 rev, mangusta 132e, a typical mangusta day, total distance, cruising speed, length overall, max speed (half load).

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Built by Overmarine Group to a design by Stefano Righini as the first Mangusta 132 Maxi Open model. Delivered in 2015 and privately used with the same owner since new. The model was an evolution of the successful Mangusta 130 with large windows along the main deck.

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Description, additional information, mangusta 132.

Mangusta 132 is Built by Overmarine Group to a design by Stefano Righini as the first Mangusta 132 Maxi Open model. Delivered in 2015 and privately used with the same owner since new. The model is an evolution of the successful Mangusta 130 with large windows along the main deck.

Mangusta 132 for the sun

A hallmark of the Mangusta brand is an oversized foredeck that plays host to large forward sun pads and a U-shaped sofa arrangement with two coffee tables. A second sunning spot is on the sun deck alongside the second helm station and a bar and a smaller al fresco dining option.

Layout of the 132 feet

Her interior, styled with light oak flooring and white leather ceilings to brighten her living spaces and bursts of orange throughout. The Mangusta 132 can sleep up to eight guests in four cabins. The 6 crew have all cabins on the lower deck.

Main features

The main deck features a dining table to starboard on entry. Nine seats with a port-facing lounge forward. The space is separated from the helm station by a bulwark with frosted glass. So the light goes through the wheelhouse windows and into the saloon. A second smaller saloon is below. There you have as a television nook with a large flatscreen mounted on the forward bulkhead.

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Power comes from a pair of MTU 16V 4000 M93L diesel engines capable of propelling the boat to speeds of 38 knots, with a range of 500 nautical miles at a more steady 25 knots

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The biggest yachts competing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets underway next month and is set to be one of the biggest gatherings of racing royalty in the Mediterranean this summer. Taking place from 3 to 9 September, the regatta will welcome 50 competitors to Porto Cervo for a week of rail-to-rail racing through the Maddalena Archipelago. Take a look at some of this year's contenders...

Kauris IV is not only the largest contender competing in this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, but also one of the newest. This Wally 145 was built by Persico Marine and delivered in 2020 as a vessel that can be enjoyed as a family boat but also compete around the cans. Kauris IV has a lifting keel with a 67-metre-tall mast and flies an area of 1,968 square metres of sail. 

The largest (and newest) member of the J Class fleet, the 44-metre Vitters yacht Svea will be back racing in Sardinia after being crowned overall winner of the J Class last year. The original lines for this Super J were designed by Tore Holm in 1973 and Hoek Design Naval Architects was called on to revive the 75-year-old drawings and bring her up to date, complete with a 53.75-metre carbon fibre main mast. As a result, Svea displaces just 182 tonnes — two tonnes less than her fellow J Hanuman and six tonnes less than Ranger . 

After a fourth-place finish in last year's Maxi Rolex Cup, Topaz and crew have some work to do. The Holland Jachtbouw J Class is based on an unbuilt 1938 design and was revisited by Andre Hoek . Topaz ’s hull design features a reduced wetted surface and higher keel aspect ratio to her 27-metre waterline length, making her quick.

Velsheda is the only original J Class racing at this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and, after securing third place in 2022, is back to see if she can beat her result. This 38.5-metre yacht is the only original J Class not to have been built for the America's Cup , commissioned in 1933 by the chairman of Woolworths and named after his three daughters: Velma, Sheila and Daphne.

The 36-metre Viriella will be returning to Porto Cervo after a fifth-place finish in the Maxi class last year. She is the flagship of the Maxi Dolphin fleet, designed by German Frers , and features a lifting keel with a Southern Spars carbon fibre mast.

Delivered as Highland Fling 15, this 35-metre Swan 115 was born into a racing dynasty. She changed ownership in 2021 and was renamed Moat and it was under her new name that she and her crew were crowned winners of the inaugural Ibiza JoySail regatta. Moat finished just two points behind second place at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2022 and will be eager to climb the finishing order this time around.

Geist is the flagship of British shipyard Spirit Yachts. She is undeniably beautiful but also a powerhouse on the racecourse. In 12 knots of true breeze, she beats upwind at nine knots, and while she’s clearly a very large yacht, she’s also a proper sailing boat with all the feel you’d expect of something a third of her size. After coming second in last year's event, Geist will be eyeing the top spot in the Maxi class. 

Inoui is a lean, green, racing machine. A regular on the regatta circuit, she was built by Vitters to a design by Philippe Briand and is built entirely from carbon with a square-top mainsail, shallow sloping reverse-transom and a retractable fin-and-bulb keel. She will be competing off the back of a win at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta.

Y3K is a competitive racer with a powerful sail plan (she flies 1,162 square metres of sail downwind). She won three consecutive Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups from 2009 to 2011 and will be racing once again in the Maddelena archipelago. She was the third Wally to be ordered by German yachtsman Claus-Peter Offen. He and his racing team have won 11 Wally regattas over the years, both on Y3K and on his previous Wally Galma .

Magic Carpet ³

With wins at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, Rolex Giraglia, Maxi Worlds and Les Viles de St Tropez, Magic Carpet 3 is a fierce competitor. She was launched as the second in a series of next-gen performance cruisers by Wally, named the Wallycento and has a displacement of just 50 tonnes (if you remove the keel and the mast, that figure drops to 18 tonnes), which makes her one of the lightest cruising boats ever built. During her construction, every item was weighed, right down to the titanium screws holding it all together. Her Southern Spars rigging flies 640 square metres of sail while a lifting keel reduces her draft by two metres.

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Maxi Racing to the Max

• By Kimball Livingston
• February 21, 2023

Maxi racing in the Med is hot. Call it a lesson in the value of getting your act together. The game has grown and changed dramatically—and deliberately—with fleets of 50 as the new normal. Ten years ago, none of this was ensured. The secretary general of the International Maxi Association, Andrew McIrvine, tells us, “Rapid change was needed, or it was going to just die.”

How it didn’t “just die” is a story worth telling, and we lean on McIrvine for that. “The International Maxi Association was originally a social club for the owners of 80-footers. That generation was going out as I was invited in,” he says. “The racing had categories that were impossible to define, so people were always gaming it. What’s a racer-cruiser versus a cruiser-racer? And could we ever have effective class splits based on hull length?”

The answer to that, as proven, is no he says. “The categories are now performance-defined, using a single-number IRC rule that includes an accurate weight measurement, not a calculated weight. We photograph the interiors so we know who’s stripping them out. The database includes 155 boats, and it has checks on people who fly too close to the rules. That gives other people the confidence to come out and race.”

The 2023 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge offers a series of six events, wrapping up in August with the Palermo-Montecarlo Race. That’s 500 miles from Sicily to the Champagne at Yacht Club de Monaco—not to forget the fly-through gate at Porto Cervo along the way and the option of leaving Corsica to port or to starboard. It’s a sporty race in a sporty calendar.

“I truly believe the IMA has made a difference. We’ve attracted a new, younger membership. We’ve added events, and the compass has expanded from the Med to the Caribbean . Whereas we used to have a big mini-maxi contingent and not many boats 80 to 100 feet, in 2022 we suddenly had 12 of the 80- to 100-foot maxis racing, and racing on proper terms. At least two of the current owners are building new boats, which I believe is the sign of a healthy class.

“Then there are the Maxi 72s that have all been modified outside the box they were designed for, but they still race together. They’re more optimized than the other boats, so no one outside their group wants to race against them—they’re a threat—but we can usually give them their own sandbox to play in.”’

And what of the Wallys that seems to have disappeared?

“We gave that up. Wallys come in different sizes, different speeds. I can’t think of a single case of twin Wallys. Now they’ve rejoined according to their ratings, and I think, frankly, the Wally era is over. Luca Bassani’s success with Wallys is such that all designers have copied his concept. When he started, big race boats were neither ergonomic nor pretty, and the decks were bristling with winches. If you go aboard any boat now, it looks like a Wally.

“You could also go the way of Rambler and Comanche, where you pay more and more money to be more and more uncomfortable. Down below, you’re sitting in a carbon-black hole (black because paint adds weight) beside an engine that runs to power the canting keel and the winches. On deck—and it’s true with the Maxi 72s—you find they are exhausting boats to sail because they’re fast upwind at steep angles only. They’re on the edges of the hull to keep the wetted surface to a minimum. The hulls are so wide at the stern, all the crew is hiked hard at the aft end of the boat. And then, in a tack, you’re going from 45 degrees to 45 degrees, and if you don’t get it right running across the deck, you’re in trouble. On a clean deck, there’s nothing to grab on to.”

Placing itself somewhere in between the extremes of the grand-prix set and the ­leaning cruisers, Nautor has a new ClubSwan 80 it’s touting as a one-design class. Loro Piana brought Hull No. 1 to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last year at Porto Cervo, and the boat performed well. Weighing the odds of developing a successful one-design, it’s worth remembering that the ClubSwan 50 had its skeptics, who were proven wrong. But the 80 is a take-no-prisoners statement. It’s a major turn for a company whose classic racing events feature boats with furniture. Now we’re talking all carbon with a canting keel, a tacking daggerboard, push-button controls, twin rudders, design by Juan K, and construction in Italy by Persico—very fashion-forward. I’m sure you had a look at that boat.

“It’s a fascinating project, and it looks extreme, but it has, theoretically, cruising potential,” McIrvine says. “Inside, it’s all black carbon—artfully crafted—accented with strips of mahogany veneer. No furniture, but you have the option of adding interior modules for cruising. And we shouldn’t overlook the carbon-fiber bidet in the owner’s head.”

Clearly, Nautor thinks the IMA has a good thing going, and it wants a bigger piece of it. Beyond rational class definitions, one very important thing is resonating, McIrvine says. The owners are driving.

“Our rule is critical, and we are strict about imposing it, with rest breaks allowed,” he says. “Generally, it takes a lifetime to amass the wealth to race a big boat. By the end of a day race, most owners are exhausted. Which is not to say that amateur drivers are on their own. An astonishing number of names you know show up to whisper, ‘A little higher, sir, a little lower.’ That keeps the standards high, and it’s a reminder that being a pro sailor is a dodgy profession. There are only 10 TP52s in the Med, for example, only nine SailGP teams in the world and five America’s Cup teams. However, we don’t restrict driving in the superyacht group at all.”

The other boat debuting at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was FlyingNikka , which raised the concern of foiling monohulls threatening the order. “ Nikka showed that she can sail in the fleet safely, so at St. Tropez we put her in a class where her rating was absurd. The boat would do 35 knots in the right conditions, but they couldn’t keep her on foils going upwind. Tacks were agonizingly slow. What Roberto Lacorte is looking for is line honors in longer races.”

The venues where maxis can and now gather are also a draw. The Caribbean was the inevitable expansion opportunity beyond the Med, where it’s obvious that people like to go to St. Tropez, Capri, Sorrento, Giraglia and so on. Neither coast of the United States can accommodate such a fleet.

“Water depth is a huge challenge for race committees,” McIrvine says. “A lot of the Bay of Naples is 1,200 to 1,500 feet deep. Off St. Tropez it’s much, much deeper. We’re using MarkSetBot, which is promising. It’s not 100 percent reliable, but an upside beyond remote control is that you can’t wrap your keel around an anchor line because there is no anchor line [on a GPS‑directed robot mark].

“Our people are selective about where they choose to race. One owner told me it costs him $750,000 to take his boat, team and containers to Porto Cervo for five days. No one wants to spend that kind of money on a badly run regatta, so it’s a conservative bunch.

“The IMA has a small board of directors backed up by a dynamic, insightful team. IMA costs are supported by membership subscription except for Rolex, which has been fantastic. When I started with the IMA, the Rolex people told me, ‘We’ve been giving you money, but your people just put it in the bank.’ I said, ‘I’m sure I can fix that,’ and I have. There is a lot of travel now, a much more glam yearbook, a lot of publicity. About half the boats racing last year were flying the IMA flag.”

So, everything is coming up roses? “There are still supply-chain issues around securing building materials. Outside of maxi racing, the 30- to 40-foot range is falling off a cliff, except for shorthanded distance racing. Looking ahead, we still don’t know if we are in a recession or a hiccup, but in previous recessions, maxi racing has gone on, looking good for two or three years longer than you might expect. Then the boats stay on the dock.”

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Real-time Wind Overlay Feature Added to Cup Broadcast

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Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

The Costa Smeralda provides a stunning setting and a variety of challenging conditions for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, one of the highlights of the Mediterranean yachting season. The first Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (known then as the Maxi World championship) was held in Sardinia in 1980. The brainchild of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and its president, the Aga Khan, the regatta is now an eagerly anticipated annual event attracting a sizeable fleet of majestic maxi yachts to Porto Cervo each September.