Final preparations are falling into place as excitement builds ahead of the exclusive Multihull Cup which starts next week at Port Adriano on Mallorca’s stunning southwest coast.
Striking examples of some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated multihull yachts will gather at the idyllic venue from 27-29 August, with fierce but friendly rivalry the order of the day out on the water over the three days of racing.
Among the competitive fleet are Multihull Cup regulars and former champions R-Six, a 67’ Morrelli & Melvin design from Hudson Hakes Marine, and the 84’ Nigel Irens designed Allegra, with the Green Marine built flying machine fresh from a commanding MOCRA class win in the 695-mile Rolex Fastnet Race.
Also returning is the 66’ Gunboat built Coco de Mer, another from the Morrelli & Melvin drawing board and looking to improve on her two previous second place overall results.
Joining them will be two Multihull Cup first-timers, both from the highly regarded VPLP design house. The 60’ Outremer yard creation Give Me Five has shown pace around the racecourse, as has Highland Fling XVII, with the recently optimised 68’ Gunboat adding further lustre to the Highland Fling lineage with victory at the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta.
The addition of this high-performance duo to an already competitive fleet indicates that a step-change is already underway in the profile and appeal of multihull racing, says Multihull Cup Event Manager Andrea Grimm.
“It is marvellous to be able to greet new members of the Multihull Cup family as well as welcoming back so many familiar faces, especially after the challenges of the past 18 months and the necessary cancellation last year,” said Grimm. It’s also great that the quality of the fleet continues to grow, and there is a real sense that large performance-cruiser multihull racing is attracting increasing interest across the Mediterranean and beyond.
“Going into our fourth edition we and our partners are well placed to meet that growing demand and we are looking forward to a fun, fast and exhilarating Multihull Cup 2021.”
It is a view shared and echoed by Port Adriano’s Commercial Director Nani Mas:
“Our team here cannot wait to welcome the Multihull Cup fleet, once again providing a world class venue for owners, captains, crews and spectators to enjoy, and an ideal home base for these remarkable vessels.”
Out on the racecourse the fleet will race under the sophisticated and scientific ORCmh rating system which provides a level-playing field for very different vessels across a range of conditions and on a variety of courses.
Subject to weather conditions, these are set to include two races of around 30Nm on the Friday and Sunday – potentially including the rounding of Dragonera Island and the Islas Malgrats off Mallorca’s coast – and a 55Nm ‘record run’ race from El Toro at Port Adriano to the island of Cabrera and back.
Meanwhile, shoreside social events during the regatta will be COVID-regulation compliant and focused on the striking Sansibar Wine bar and restaurant in the heart of the Phillippe Starck designed Port Adriano marina.
Multihull Cup organisers are grateful for all the effort and backing from their supporters and partners, which includes the clothing company Marinepool, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Also front and centre is the composite mast and rigging specialist Rigging Projects which has stepped up once again to help make Multihull Cup – which is a registered Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta – even more sustainable.
Rigging Projects will sponsor the Clean Waves gigantic refillable water station at the regatta base, as well as the reusable Ocean Bottle water bottles for competitors.
Tobias Hochreutener, the company’s managing director, said: “Through our work, locally and far afield, we have witnessed the destructive nature of mankind and its effects on our oceans. We are all reliant on healthy oceans and the more this sentiment is at the forefront of people’s minds, the better.”
Registration for the 2021 Multihull Cup begins at 1500 on Thursday, 26 August in the Regatta Village. The first race start is scheduled for 1130 on Friday, 27 August.
For information on how to follow the racing on our live tracker and keep up to date with racing and results, full details can be found here.
