• 1^st edition of a brand-new vintage yacht race
• Authentic pre-war boats racing from Falmouth to Le Havre in June
• Specific trophy commissioned from Garrard, prestigious jeweller from the UK

Richard Mille is excited to announce the very 1^st edition of the Richard Mille Cup. “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.

From 10^th to 25^th June 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.

“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. 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 endeavour. 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 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. 15 yachts dating from the end of the 19^th century to the late 1930s will compete in Schooner and Cutter categories. The presence of 2 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, the Royal Yacht Squadron before speeding across the Channel towards the final line at the Société des Régates du Havre. Among Richard Mille 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.

Only the very best trophy could do justice to such a prestigious competition. Specially commissioned, the meter-high artwork was designed by Garrard. Jewellers to the British Royal Family for the last 300 years, they also designed sports trophies such as the 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 40cm 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 for 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.

It will gather a fleet of beautifully restored classic yachts in a contemporary take on the regatta circuits of pre-war years.

There will be a combination of racing in spectacular venues on both the French and English sides of the Channel.

This first Richard Mille Cup will be followed by further similar annual events.

The motivation is to create a challenging sporting event through a range of inshore and offshore races.

It is recognised that the differing racing formats will provide multiple challenges for all the yachts and the Cup will recognise all round performance throughout the whole competition.

The inaugural event is being organised with the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, Royal Dart Yacht Club, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Société des Régattes du Havre. We will hold some stunning social events but the emphasis will be on racing our classic yachts.

Falmouth
The opening reception will be held at National Maritime Museum Falmouth on Saturday 10 June 2023 followed by three days of inshore racing in Falmouth Bay.

Cowes
A welcome reception will be held at the Royal Yacht Squadron on the evening of Monday 19 June followed by three days of inshore racing on the Solent. Weather and tides permitting, this may include a “Round the Island Race”.

1^st Offshore Race Falmouth to Dartmouth
The fleet will leave Falmouth for Dartmouth on Wednesday 14 June and race 65 NM to Dartmouth. There will be a dinner in Dartmouth on the evening of Thursday 15 June.

2^nd Offshore Race Dartmouth to Cowes
The fleet will leave Dartmouth for a 90 NM race to Cowes on Friday 16 June. There will then be a break in the racing.

3^rd Offshore Race Cowes to Le Havre
A 100 NM race to Le Havre and a warm welcome at the Société des Régates du Havre. A grand prize giving celebration will be held on Sunday 25 June.

• Saturday 10^th
  Registration
  
  
• Sunday 11^th
  Falmouth Inshore race 1
  
  
• Monday 12^th
  Falmouth Inshore race 2
  
  
• Tuesday 13^th
  Falmouth Inshore race 3
  
  
• Wednesday 14^th
  Race from Falmouth to Dartmouth
  
  
• Friday 16^th
  Race from Dartmouth to Cowes
  
  
• Tuesday 20^th
  Cowes Inshore race 1
  
  
• Wednesday 21^th
  Cowes Inshore race 2
  
  
• Thursday 22^nd
  Cowes Inshore race 2
  
  
• Friday 23^rd
  Race from Cowes to Le Havre

Royal Yacht Squadron
From its iconic base at The Castle in Cowes, the Royal Yacht Squadron has played a pre-eminent role in the evolution of yachting, for over 200 years. A driving force in British yachting its famous cannons have started more classic races than any others. Recently, the Squadron has renewed its connection with the great classics, inviting them to sail under its auspices in the Solent.

Royal Cornwall Yacht Club
Since 1871, the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club has been a feature of Falmouth’s iconic harbour, and is a destination for so many westward bound yachts following the regatta circuit after Cowes Week.

Its association with 1930s Big Class is vividly preserved in the collection of racing flags presented to the club. A vibrant club today, it hosts many national and international events.

Royal Dart Yacht Club
The picturesque, fortified Dartmouth harbour and the adjacent Start Bay have been home to the Royal Dart Yacht Club since 1866.

A calling point on the pre-war regatta circuit, classic racing at the Royal Dart reached its apogee in 1937 with the Coronation Regatta, with the Big Class and over 300 other yachts attending.

Société des Régates du Havre
Established in 1838, the Société des Régates du Havre is France’s oldest saltwater racing yacht club and the venue for many classic cross channel races. Along with Deauville, it remains Paris’ seafront but it is at Le Havre that yachting has long had its premiere French venue. The club has hosted a myriad of regattas from the J Class to Olympics classes.

Eligibility & Entry
Entry will be open to invited owners and charterers of yachts built before 1939 or faithful replicas of such yachts.
The minimum size of any yacht eligible to enter will be 10M in length at the waterline.

Rating
Racing will take place under the CIM handicap system. All yachts entering will have to provide a valid CIM certificate.

Scoring
All races, be they inshore or offshore, will be counted equally.

Entry Fees
Fees will be charged as a contribution to the organitional costs.

Racing
The Organising Authority will issue a Notice of Race as well as sailing instructions.

Support Vessels
Support vessels are welcome and must be registered with the organisers and fly an official flag.

Berthing
The organisers will coordinate berthing at all the venues.

Logistics
The organisers will issue comprehensive information packs for all venues.

Data Protection
The personal information you provide to the organisers will be used to facilitate your participation in the event but not for other purposes.

The House of Garrard has a rich heritage in iconic sporting trophies of which the Ascot Gold Cup, the British Masters trophy, the Cricket World Cup and of course in our sport, the America’s Cup. From the outset of this new yacht racing series, Richard Mille wanted to create a trophy befitting the event and its competitors.


Standing a metre high, the Richard Mille Cup has been crafted by Garrard in sterling silver. The design takes inspiration from the elegance of the yachts that will compete for the trophy. The detail and movement of the sails are captured hovering above the waves in a modern Garrard design.

The Richard Mille Cup is a perpetual trophy and the winner will be presented with a 40cm high replica also crafted by Garrard.