Falmouth is once again the focus of the world’s yachting press as the port plays host to some of the most elegant super yachts in the world gathered here for the Richard Mille Cup Regatta.
The Royal Cornwall Yacht Club (RCYC) is back on the starting line again this week as they prepare for the inaugural regatta starting here on Sunday with three days of coastal racing in the bay organised by the club.
This is one of the most important and highly prestigious racing events on the British yachting calendar this year and a golden opportunity for the RCYC to showcase this event and Falmouth globally.
"We are extremely proud to have been selected as the initial venue for this special and innovative event in the yachting calendar," says RCYC Commodore Sarah Hancock. "It should prove a major spectacle and attraction for Falmouth, and be a very rare opportunity to see such stunning yachts competing seriously against each other.”
The three days of inshore racing on the 11th, 12th and 13th will start at 10.30am, 800 metres off Pendennis Point and depending on weather the yachts will race to the Manacles turning mark up to Fowey and back to Falmouth again. On Wednesday 14th the fleet will sail to Dartmouth, then to Cowes and finally arriving at Le Havre.
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Between 15 and 18 entries in two classes, schooners and cutters, are expected to take part in the regatta. Three masted schooners Atlantic, Wolf Hound, Adix; two-masted Mariette and Altair. Cutters include Mariquita, Moonbeam, Moonbeam IV.
The one metre high Richard Mille Cup is a perpetual trophy with the winner of the Regatta receiving a 40 cm sterling silver high replica of the Cup made by the House of Garrard.
Moored fore and aft to Falmouth Harbour’s buoys off Flushing the three masted schooners Adix and Atlantic bring a touch of elegance to the inner harbour.
Adix is well known in these waters as following numerous refits at the Pendennis superyacht facility in previous years.
Atlantic is a replica of the famous schooner Atlantic built in 1903 which held the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing under sail in 1905 until broken 75 years later by Frenchman Eric Tabarly.
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