THE SIX MAXI YACHTS OR THE BATTLE OF THE GIANTS
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the now legendary Sydney-Hobart race, and it was unthinkable not to showcase the six Maxis at the start of the 2025 event. Sadly, Wild Thing 100 had to retire on December 27 due to rigging issues.
1/ Master Lock Comanche, (ex-Andoo Comanche, ex-Comanche)
©François Chevalier 2025 Master Lock Commanche
Master Lock Comanche—Verdier/VPLP’s design—competing in the 2025 Sydney-Hobart Race has an impressive pedigree. This high-performance yacht has already won the race four times, skippered by three successive owners. This year, she secured her fifth title in this exciting regatta.
©François Chevalier 2025 Master Lock Commanche lines
In 2015, Jim and Kristy Clark reached first in Hobart.
Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant established a new record two years ago that has yet to be surpassed: an incredible 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds! They managed to repeat this remarkable feat in 2019.
In 2022, John “Hermann” Winning Jr. clinched the trophy, but unfortunately came up just short the following year, finishing a heartbreaking 51 seconds behind LawConnect.
Matt Allen and James Mayo returned in 2025 with their Master Lock Comanche, which, despite suffering defeat in 2024, triumphed in the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race!
Master Lock Comanche specifications
Maxi 100’
Sloop
Designers/architectes: VPLP et Guillaume Verdier.
Builder/constructeur: Hodgdon Yachts, Boothbay, Maine, USA
Christening/baptême: September 27, 2014
Length /longueur: 30,48 m
LWL /flottaison: 30,25 m
Beam/bau: 7,85 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 6,67 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 45,75 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 3,70 m
Displacement/déplacement: 29,5 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 410 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 760 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 1 400 m2
2/ LawConnect (ex-Infotrack, ex-Perpetual Loyal, ex-Rambler 100, ex-Speedboat)
©François Chevalier 2025 LawConnect
When she was launched in 2008, LawConnect looked like a very radical racer. However, compared to Master Lock Comanche, she’s less beamy, heavier, and slightly less sail area. The ballast tank, which tilts outside the hull, upwind, contains half of her weight. If the breeze strengthens, eight cubic meters of seawater ballast help her stay steady, providing her with a righting moment that’s unmatched by her former rivals. Her ability to sail downwind at planning speeds gives her exceptional top velocity.
©François Chevalier 2025 LawConnect lines
The yacht crossed the finish line first in 2016, setting a new record. She emerged as the brilliant winner last year and has just come in second this year.
LawConnect specifications
Maxi 100’
Sloop
Designers/architectes: Juan Kouyoumdjian.
Builder/constructeur: Cookson Boat, Auckland (N-Z)
Lauching/mise à l’eau: April 17, 2008
Length /longueur: 30,46 m
LWL /flottaison: 29,99 m
Beam/bau: 7,35 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 6,22 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 47 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 5 m
Displacement/déplacement: 30,6 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 375 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 660 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 1 340 m2
3/ Palm Beach XI (ex-Hamilton Island Wild Oats, ex-Wild Oats XI)
©François Chevalier 2025 Palm Beach XI
Launched three weeks before the start of the 2005 Sydney-Hobart, Wild Oats XI dominated her rivals from the very beginning.
Since then, she has racked up so many victories that she seems invincible: eleven wins in the Sydney-Hobart, including two corrected-time wins and two records! In 2025, she finished in a respectable fifth place.
Palm Beach XI has undergone numerous modifications over the years, including a horizontal side foil in 2013 and a new canting keel, ballast, and daggerboards in its latest iteration. The crew tested foils with lifting rudders on the transom, but the yacht competed in the 2025 edition without foils.
©François Chevalier 2025 Palm Beach XI lines
In 2015, the designers shortened her by two meters at the stern and ten meters at the bow to slim down her waterlines and give her a deeper bow. They also extended her bowsprit by 75 centimeters, allowing her to carry light-weather sails of almost 600 square meters.
The Wild Oats design features a hull with slightly rounded bottoms, flared sides, and an extremely tight and slim waterline (4.10 m).
Palm Beach XI specifications
Maxi 100’
Sloop
Designers/architectes: Reichel/Pug
Builder/constructeur: McConaghy, Sydney (Australia)
Lauching/mise à l’eau: December 2, 2005
Length /longueur: 30,48 m
LWL /flottaison: 30,48 m
Beam/bau: 5,10 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 6,40 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 44 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 3,50 m
Displacement/déplacement: 32 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 390 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 630 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 1 400 m2
4/ SHK Scallywag 100 (ex-Maximus, ex-Investec Loyal, ex-Ragamuffin Loyal, ex-Ragamuffin 100, ex-Scallywag)
©François Chevalier 2025 SHK Scallywag 100
Seng Huang Lee’s Maxi, SHK Scallywag 100 (2005), skippered by David Witt, could have surprised as a contender this year. She emerged victorious from the Middle Sea Race in 2024. The alterations that Andy Dovell made to the boat in 2014 were quite drastic: he completely reshaped the rear half.
©François Chevalier 2025 SHK Scallywag 100 lines
Since then, the deck and rigging have been redesigned, and the ballast has gained 500 kilograms. She won the 2011 Sydney-Hobart under the name Investec Loyal race followed by Wild Oats XI. In 2025, she finished third!
SHK Scallywag specifications
Maxi 100’
Sloop
Designers/architectes: Andrew Dovell
Builder/constructeur: Cookson Boat, Auckland (N-Z)
Lauching/mise à l’eau: February 2005, alterations December 2014
Length /longueur: 30,48 m (ex-98’Maximus, Greg Elliot & Clay Oliver design)
LWL /flottaison: 30,48 m
Beam/bau: 5,80 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 5,60 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 45,10 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 4,40 m
Displacement/déplacement: 30 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 395 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 630 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 1 400 m2
5/ Lucky (ex-Rambler 88)
©François Chevalier 2025 Lucky
Lucky distinguishes herself with her vertical sides, her truncated deck line from bow to stern, her pronounced mast rake, and her inclined keel. Her profile stands out.
The hull line design emphasizes the significance of the forward bilge, which effectively directs sea spray away from the yacht.
©François Chevalier 2025 Lucky lines
Her sinuous curves and nearly straight, elongated waterlines are also notable. Like the Master Lock Comanche, the aft portion of the boat adopts a wide sled shape.
In 2025, Lucky placed fourth in the Sydney-Hobart race.
Lucky specifications
Maxi 88’
Sloop
Designers/architectes: Juan Kouyoumdjian
Builder/constructeur: New England Boatworks, Rhodes Island (USA)
Lauching/mise à l’eau: December 10, 2014
Length /longueur: 27 m
LWL /flottaison: 26,26 m
Beam/bau: 6,00 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 5,70 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 41,40 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 3,10 m
Displacement/déplacement: 22 t
Lest: 7,9 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 318 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 512/638 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 980 m2
6/ Wild Thing 100 (ex-Stefan Hair, ex-Cabron, ex-Beau Geste)
©François Chevalier 2025 Wild Thing 100
In 2023, the Maxi Wild Thing 100 underwent a significant refit at a Brisbane shipyard. Australian Grant Warrington (29 entries in this race) lengthened her 2013 Botin 80, Stefan Hair, formerly Beau Geste, by 20 feet. He added two meters aft and four meters forward, keeping the bow and smoothing the hull over more than eight meters. The 33-meter mast remained intact, but the boom was cut in half and extended by 4.40 m. The deck now forms a rectangular shape from the stern to the daggerboards.
Grant finished fourth in 2021 on Stefan Hair, and previous owner Karl C. Kwok placed fifth in 2017 on Beau Geste. Grant is hoping to repeat his victory twenty-two years ago with his super-streamlined boat, ten tons lighter than her competitors. Unfortunately, he has retired this year due to Wild Thing rigging issues.
Wild Thing 100
Maxi 100’
Sloop
Ex-Botin 80
Designers/architectes: Botin & Partners
Builder/constructeur: Cookson Boat, Auckland (N-Z)
Lauching/mise à l’eau: 2013
Length /longueur: 30,48 m
LWL /flottaison: 30,48 m
Beam/bau: 6,10 m
Draft/tirant d’eau: 5,70 m
Air draft/tirant d'air: 44,00 m
Bowsprit/bout-dehors: 3,65 m
Displacement/déplacement: 20 t
Main sail area/surface GV: 340 m2
Upwind sail area/voilure au près: 540 m2
Downwind sail area max/voilure au portant max: 900 m2
©François Chevalier 2025
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire