Richard Mille is excited to announce the very 1st edition of the Richard Mille Cup. From the 10th to the 25th of June 2023, the regatta will attract aficionados and collectors of historical yachts competing between Great Britain and France, from Falmouth to Le Havre, with stopovers in renowned sailing landmarks Dartmouth and Cowes in a series of inshore and offshore races.
“Classic yachts bear a living, breathing testimony to the highest values of workmanship, heritage and tradition passed on to us through centuries. By creating this challenge, we aim to set sail through history and to bring this high-end craft very much back to life” says Richard Mille.
Organizer of the world-renowned Fife Regatta since 1998, Collier has spent his life restoring historical yachts to superb standards, making him the ideal partner for this new endeavor. Richard Mille was instrumental in setting up Team Fife, created to bring together a fleet of William Fife yachts on the Atlantic Coast. Based around Brest, it fosters competition, sharing experience, and savoir-faire, attracting legendary yachts
such as Mariquita, Moonbeam IV, and Moonbeam.
“The Richard Mille Cup strives to recapture the spirit of the pre-war British racing circuit. We see these yachts as important cultural artefacts,” explains William Collier.
A total of 15 yachts dating from the end of the 19th century to the late 1930s will compete in Schooner and Cutter categories. The presence of two spectacular 60-meter-long three-masters will add to the drama along coastlines on both sides of the Channel. Race participants will navigate through centuries of history in the hallowed institutions that are the Royal Cornwall and Royal Dart Yacht Clubs, and the Royal Yacht Squadron before speeding across the Channel towards the final line at the Société des Régates du Havre. Among Richard Mille's family members, Pierre Casiraghi who has been with the brand since 2018 as a sailor, will be joining the race on Tuiga, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s legendary flagship vessel.
The ethos behind the Richard Mille Cup is defined by one single word —“authenticity”, promoting the beauty and pageantry of iconic handcrafted vessels.
“Restoration alone isn’t enough, though. These yachts need an environment in which they can thrive, and that’s why it’s so important to involve the Yacht Clubs allowing competitors to mingle in an atmosphere redolent of the true spirit of the pre-War era”, states Richard Mille.
Only the very best trophy could do justice to such a prestigious competition. Specially commissioned, the meter-high artwork was designed by Garrard. Jewelers to the British Royal Family for the last 300 years, they also designed sports trophies such as first America’s Cup 170 years ago. The dramatic windswept forms of the trophy pay tribute to the elegance of sails in the wind. The trophy is perpetual. Winners will be presented with 40-centimeter hand-crafted replicas, also hand-crafted by Garrard.
The Richard Mille Cup is a testament to the brand’s unwavering commitment to excellence and its strong interest in the marine universe. The inaugural Richard Mille Cup marks a new era in classic competitive sailing and will definitively promise to deliver a thrilling and captivating spectacle for all sailing enthusiasts.
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