The top five yachts in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge in IRC Overall were Reichel/Pugh designs: URM Group 1st, Alive 2nd, No Limit 3rd, Wild Oats X 4th and Moneypenny 5th. In addition to the Solas Big Boat Challenge result, Anthony Johnston's Reichel Pugh 72 URM Group has won three of the five 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races sailed. The sixth race will be the 2023 Sydney-Hobart. In the Overall Pointscore Standings URM Group will enter the Hobart Race 1st Overall IRC.
The SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), and raced on the spectacular Sydney Harbour seldom fails to deliver close and exciting racing. It is the last major regatta before the start of the 628nmRolex Sydney Hobart Classic on Boxing Day (26 December 2023).
The top five yachts in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge in IRC Overall were all Reichel/Pugh designs: URM Group 1st, Alive 2nd, No Limit 3rd, Wild Oats X 4th and Moneypenny 5th.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2023 Raymarine, Australian Maxi Championship is a five-race regatta, taking place from Friday 1 December with the Cabbage Tree Island Race and culminating in the renowned SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 5 December. Reichel Pugh 72' URM Group's victory in the SOLAS regatta placed her in 1st place in the Mini Maxi Division of the 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship, with RP 66' Alive and RP 63' No Limit taking 2nd and 3rd place.
In addition to the Solas Big Boat Challenge result, Anthony Johnston's Reichel Pugh 72 URM Group has won three of the five 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races sailed. The sixth race will be the 2023 Sydney-Hobart. In the Overall Pointscore Standings URM Group will enter the Hobart Race 1st Overall IRC.
Reichel/Pugh designs have famously won the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race Overall (on handicap) in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018. Since 1996 80’ Morning Glory, R/P Maxis have taken Line Honors 13 times; with 100' Wild Oats XI taking Line Honors a record nine times in thirteen years (2005-2008, 2010, 2012-2014, 2018), 100' Alfa Romeo in 2009 and now 100' Black Jack in 2021, and 90’ Alfa Romeo in 2002. R/P designs have reset the course record three times in 1996 - 80’ Morning Glory, 2005 - Wild Oats XI and 2012 - Wild Oats XI. Wild Oats XI won the TREBLE in 2005 and 2012, taking Line Honors, breaking the course record and winning overall on handicap.
A Design Studio Record Set in the 2018 Race.
2023
Recent highlights of the six-part 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore include many Reichel/Pugh designs:
2023 Cabbage Tree Island Race (172nm): Five of the top ten Line Honours were Reichel/Pugh designs including: RP 72' URM Group, RP 66' Alive, RP 66' Wild Oats X, RP 69’ Moneypenny and RP 63' No Limit.
2023 Bird Island Race (83nm): Anthony Johnston's RP 72' URM Group added a third victory to their scorecard in the Blue Water Pointscore Series by winning IRC Overall!
2023 Tollgate Islands Race (260nm): RP 72' URM Group was 2nd to finish and 1st IRC Overall.
2023 Flinders Islet Race (88nm): RP 72' URM Group was 2nd to finish and 1st IRC Overall.
2023 Noaks Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race (384nm): RP 72' URM Group was the Overall Winner (ahead of 100' Comanche), 2nd to finish, 1st IRC Overall and 1st IRC Div. 0.
2022
Last year, Sean Langman's Reichel/Pugh 69' Moneypenny was the winner of the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Overall, finishing on the podium in four of the six big races. Anthony Johnston's Reichel/Pugh 72' URM Group took 2nd place Overall with five top 10 finishes within the pointscore, including an overall victory and new course record set in the 88nm Flinders Islet Race.
In the 2022 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Reichel/Pugh designs took 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th on corrected time in IRC Division 0 (the Maxi Class).
- 1st place IRC Division 0 (Maxi Class) Reichel/Pugh #187 RP 69’ Moneypenny - owner Sean Langman
- 2nd place IRC Division 0 (Maxi Class) Reichel/Pugh #162 RP 66' Alive - owner Philip Turner.
Alive claimed overall victory in 2018 race.
Ellen Coulter
- 3rd place IRC Division 0 (Maxi Class) Reichel/Pugh #210 72' URM Group - owner Anthony Johnston. URM Group was originally Neville Critchton’s Shockwave with a winning overseas record. 2009 – Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 1st place Mini Maxi Racing Division. 2010 Rolex Giraglia race – 1st overall. Under the ownership of George Sakellaris Shockwave continued her winning ways: 2012 - Newport Bermuda Race – 1st overall Grand Prix Division, 2014 – RORC Caribbean 600 - 1st place overall, 2014 – Bermuda Race – Line honors and overall winner in IRC & ORR in the Grand Prix race fleet.
- 4th place IRC Division 0 (Maxi Class) Reichel/Pugh #187 63' No Limit - owner David Gotze. No Limit is near sistership to the 2011 Hobart overall winner, R/P Design #201 Loki (McConaghy, Aus), Loki was also, 2nd overall in S2H 2012 & 1st Overall 2015 Transatlantic Race as Lucky.
- Reichel/Pugh Design #146 100' Black Jack - canting ballast, was the defending Sydney Hobart line honors champion with owner Peter Harburg aboard and skipper Mark Bradford, but by the finest margins Black Jack finished 3rd for 2022 Line Honors earning the CYCA Trophy.
Bow Caddy Media - 2019 Black Jack at Rolex Sydney-Hobart
- Reichel/Pugh Design #165 100' Hamilton Island Wild Oats (XI) - canting ballast, is the most successful line honors winner with a record 9 Sydney-Hobart Line Honours victories, two-time Overall winner of Sydney-Hobart while setting two course records and winning the Treble in 2005 and 2012.
- Reichel/Pugh Design #188 40' Chutzpah finished the Sydney Hobart 3rd IRC in Division 2 and 2nd ORCi in Division 2 and was 1st Victorian yacht on IRC corrected time winning the Lou Abrahams Memorial Trophy.
media courtesy of
Bow Caddy Media, Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia, Andrea Francolini Photography, StudioBorlenghi, Sail Media/Dylan Clark, Belinda Aucott and Ellen Coulter.