The Richard Mille Cup: Sailing Elegance and Fierce Competition

Think of it as a floating beauty pageant meets a high-stakes race. The Richard Mille Cup draws an elite fleet, including masterpieces by the legendary William Fife. Picture this: the Moonbeam IV, a large classic gaff cutter that not only looks like it sailed out of a painting but has also scooped up prestigious titles like the British King's Cup in 1920 and 1923. Joining her are other Fife-designed beauties like Mariquita, Moonbeam III, Altair, Tuiga, and The Lady Anne, alongside classics such as Mariette, Atlantic, Kelpie, and Thalia.

An event this grand deserves a trophy to match. Enter the House of Garrard, with its rich history of crafting iconic sporting trophies like the America’s Cup. Standing a meter high, the Richard Mille Cup is a sterling silver masterpiece, its design echoing the elegance of the competing yachts. And for the lucky winner? A 40cm high replica to take home – a memento of their maritime triumph.

Starting from Falmouth, Cornwall, on June 2, the regatta visited Dartmouth in Devon, Cowes on the Isle of Wight, and finally Le Havre. Each port hosted inshore races, with the regatta anchored by yacht clubs steeped in history, such as the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, the Royal Dart Yacht Club, the Royal Yacht Squadron, and the Société des Régates du Havre. 

After several exciting days of racing, the Richard Mille Cup 2024 culminated in a thrilling showdown on June 14 off the coast of Le Havre. Under a brisk south-westerly wind, two magnificent Fife gaff cutters, Moonbeam IV and Mariquita, battled neck and neck in a race that harked back to the golden age of yachting.

The race committee, responding to the dropping breeze, shortened the course, setting the finish line off Étretat’s dramatic cliffs, and in a breathtaking finale, Moonbeam IV edged ahead, crossing the line just 25 seconds before Mariquita. But on corrected time, Mariquita clinched the victory by seven seconds – sealing her dominant position on the overall leaderboard.