Superyacht Cup Palma 2026: First day features a battle between the J-class yachts and the debut of the multihulls

The Richard Mille Superyacht Cup Palma has kicked off its 30th edition with a record number of five classes taking part. For the first time in the event’s history, four multihulls competed against one another, forming their own class. The Gunboat 80 “Highland Fling 18” secured a historic first victory in this new category.

Palma Bay was at its best, with the typical sea breeze providing excellent sailing conditions for the Pantaenius Race Day. In the evening, the prize-giving ceremony took place right on the dock at the venue, the Club de Mar, before the owners gathered for the anniversary dinner at the St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca.

Multihulls make their debut with a close finish

The new multihull classification produced the closest result of the day. The Gunboat 72 “Layla” took second place on corrected time, just two seconds ahead of “Allegra”. “Gaea” rounded off the field in fourth place. “It’s incredibly exciting to be competing in the Superyacht Cup Palma for the first time, and what a fantastic place to sail,” says tactician Ned Collier Wakefield of “Highland Fling”. The crew reached speeds of over 24 knots. “There was brilliant wind out there, and it’s a chance to show off these fantastic machines,” explains Collier Wakefield. The tactician is hoping for further growth in the class. “The four of us here mean great racing, but if we can encourage a few more owners to join us, that would be brilliant,” he emphasises.

YYachts class gets off to a successful start in regatta

The YYachts class also made its debut at the Superyacht Cup. The newest boat in the six-strong fleet, the 23.80-metre-long “Beati” Designed by Judel/Vrolijk, she won straight away on her very first regatta appearance. “It was absolutely brilliant today, and this was the first time the boat had actually competed; it went well and the owner is delighted,” says skipper Vicente de Cecilio Alcantarilla. “I love it, and we love having the big boats here – it’s a brilliant atmosphere.” The 23.80-metre-long “Distancia” (Y7 by Tripp Design) and the Original YYacht “Makai” (Brenta 80, formerly “Cool Breeze”) rounded off the podium. Behind them came the 29.71-metre-long Bella, the 25.99-metre-long Calabash and Lucid.

“Svea” wins the J-Class duel

On a separate course, the two J-Class yachts “Rainbow” and “Svea” contested two windward-leeward races. “Svea” secured victory in both races and heads into the second day of racing with a lead. Two further races between the two neo-classics are scheduled for the 30th Anniversary Race Day. The J-Class traditionally forms its own classification at the Superyacht Cup Palma and attracts particular attention with its historic yachts. For the fleet of nine yachts, this marks a sort of cautious comeback; in 2022, they competed Four racing beauties off the coast of Palma.

Superyacht Cup with close finishes

In the Superyacht Class A, the two-time overall winner “Win Win” prevailed over the Swan 88 “Spiip” by a margin of just 19 seconds on calculated time. The race lasted 158 minutes. “In my opinion, the difference between first and second place today came down to the right choice of sails,” says “Win Win” crew boss Jann Neergard. The boat had been out of action for a while, but is a familiar face and a hot favourite for the “Big Bent Cleat” challenge cup. Especially as the crew of the success-spoilt Wally 80 “Rose” hasn’t entered this year. “So there’s a chance we could do well again – but as we’ve seen today, it could all come down to a minute or two,” explains Neergard. The Swan 100 “Point Counter Point” and the 30.9-metre-long Wally “Inco” took the remaining places in the A class.

Class B, with Tripp’s design at the forefront

The Class B title went to the 39-metre Tripp-designed “Cervo”. The powerful Oyster “Archelon” followed in second place. The 27-metre Hoek Design “Atalante 1” and the 58-metre Perini Navi ketch “Burrasca” rounded off the results. The variety of boat types and design philosophies in this class ensures tactically challenging races, in which sail selection and timing are crucial.

The Superyacht Cup Palma will hold further races on Friday and Saturday.

Superyacht Cup Palma Day 1 Results

Multihull Class:

• 1. Highland Fling
• 2. Layla (two seconds behind)
• 3. Allegra
• 4. Gaea

YYachts Class:

• 1. Beati (23.80 m)
• 2. Distance (23.80 m)
• 3. Makai (Brenta 80)
• 4. Bella (29.71 m)
• 5. Calabash (25.99 m)
• 6. Lucid

J-Class:

• 1. Svea (both races)
• 2. Rainbow

Class A superyacht:

• 1. Win Win (19-second lead)
• 2. Spiip (Swan 88)
• 3. Point Counter Point (Swan 100)
• 4. Inco (30.9 m Wally)

Class B superyacht:

• 1. Cervo (39 m, Tripp Design)
• 2. Archelon (Oyster)
• 3. Atalante 1 (27 m, Hoek Design)
• 4. Burrasca (58 m Perini Navi ketch)