Richard Mille Cup: there is no doubt about it. In the age of carbon, foils, flying boats and algorithms, their appeal remains unchanged. Even now the sleek lines and imposing sail plan exert a strong attraction. That becomes irresistible the moment you watch them sail in regattas. It is hard to describe the mix of emotions that only vintage boats can bring about.
Richard Mille Cup: works of art in motion
It is like contemplating a work of art in motion. Snapshots of an era long gone but still of great relevance as witnessed by the enormous success that accompanied the holding of the second edition of the Richard Mille Cup. (All our posts on Richard Mille here). Same formula, i.e., competition in which hulls built before 1939 could participate, and the same course divided into four legs with coastal trials contested in the waters ahead of Falmouth, Dartmouth, Cowes and Le Havre to which were also added two night races from Dartmouth to Cowes and from Cowes to Le Havre. Up for grabs was what has already become a highly coveted trophy. Again nothing was left to chance.
A trophy signed by Garrard
Richard Mille wanted to go big by involving Garrard. It was the British royal family’s jeweler, the same one who made the Hundred Guineas Cup in the mid-19th century, who was given the task of conceiving and crafting the prestigious award: a one-meter-high silver trophy. Competing for it this year was a fleet of 10 splendid hulls such as Kelpie, Cynthia, Ayesha, Patna, Thalia, Viveka and Alpha, which at 120 years old was the oldest. But also standing out among the entered boats were the three famous “m’s” of Mariquita, Moonbeam and Moonbeam IV united by the same hand that designed them namely that of the brilliant Scottish designer William Fife III.
Richard Mille Cup: two sailing legends present.
Finally, adding to the value of the show is the presence of two genuine sailing legends, Elena and Atlantic. The latter is a majestic three-masted schooner replica of the auric schooner that, under the command of the famous skipper Charlie Barr, made headlines in 1905 for winning the Kaiser’s Cup by covering the distance separating the United States from England in 12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds. A record that remained unbeaten until 1998.
A spectacular setting
Staying on the subject of trophies in the case of the Richard Mille Cup, the added value is the setting in which it takes place. Starting with the race course that is located right in the heart of what is considered the cradle of modern yachting. Just scroll through the names of the yacht clubs involved in the Richard Mille Cup among which the Royal Yacht Squadron stands out. It is located in Cowes the town on the Isle of Wight that rose to the headlines 173 years ago.
On August 22, 1851, the schooner America, in the traditional regatta organized by the yacht club, crossed the finish line first, thus winning the Hundred Guineas Cup, which from that time on was called the America’s Cup. A story that somehow repeats itself more than a century and a half later. In addition to the famous Royal Yacht Squadron, the likes of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, the Royal Dart Yacht Club, and the Societe des Regattes du Havre are involved. “The combination of daytime racing and ‘passage races’ with the opportunity to sail and visit iconic sites is unique to the Richard Mille Cup and has proved very popular with the owners of some of the world’s best yachts,” commented William Collier organizer of the event as well as a highly regarded expert on vintage yachts.
Richard Mille Cup: recreating the perfect environment
“Restoration alone is not enough, though. These yachts need an environment in which their fame can spread, which is why it is so important to involve yacht clubs by allowing owners to socialize in an atmosphere that evokes the true spirit of the pre-war era,” says Richard Mille, who together with Benoît Couturier has created the Fife Team, which under one banner brings together Mariquita, Moobeam and Moobeam IV all of which came naturally out of the famous Fairlie yard.
Richard Mille and Couturier
“It all started with Couturier,” says Mille, “He is the one who introduced me to the beauty, magic and charm of vintage boats. It was a real discovery especially for someone who, like me, has so far had passions always related to land such as, for example, classic racing cars. For me it is the beginning of a fascinating new adventure in a world I did not know at all before.” A spark, the same one, that ignited when Benoît Couturier first came across Mariquita. It was 2019. “I love rare and beautiful things. I’m a car collector.
When I saw this boat without a buyer, I was speechless and wanted to do something about it. The first step was to bring it to Brittany because, generally, vintage boats are all destined for the Mediterranean while I think we should do something different. I bought the boat and brought it back here to build a project on the Atlantic coast. I don’t know how to run a boat. I didn’t go on board when she arrived in Brest, but I enjoyed admiring her from the sea. I’m happy to see all the crew on board with so much enthusiasm,” Couturier says. Mariquita in particular and the Fife Team more generally are part of a larger project that is to bring attention back to a corner of Brittany where seafaring traditions have deep roots.
Mariquita, restoration in Brest
Right in Brest in the Chantier du Guip, Mariquita has undergone a meticulous philological restoration thanks to which she has returned to her original splendor. But it is only the first step in a journey whose ultimate goal is to turn Brest and Brittany more generally into the new destination for vintage boats. And the Richard Mille Cup goes precisely in that direction.
“An event born with the idea of celebrating the beauty of these hulls in what is their natural environment that is the ocean waters and not in the mundane settings typical of the Mediterranean,” Mille adds.
Matteo Zaccagnino
