Time 12:30 – by Steffan Meyric Hughes
DAY 11
“There's the America's Cup, the Richard Mille Cup, then all other regattas. To call the Mille well organised would be a grave understatement.”
— Tex, mainsheet, Elena
It's seldom, if ever, that a regatta ends on a vessel grander than those racing in the event itself, particularly when that event has included Atlantic, Elena, Adix, Mariquita and both Moonbeams. But the crews of those yachts were left speechless at the sight of Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle wheeler, waiting for them at Largs town pier. Riveted from steel plate in 1946, measuring 239ft (73m) and weighing in at just under 700 tonnes, she can carry close to 1,000 passengers. Her triple-expansion steam engine develops 2,100hp at just 58rpm, giving her a top speed of over 18 knots at an astronomical torque of perhaps 200,000 lb ft; more than 40 times that of an equivalent modern diesel. The figures my have been lost, even among her salty passenger manifesto of Richard Mille Cup sailors, but the sensation of languid force wasn't, as she cruised down the waters of the Clyde, slipping past the wooded shores that have been home to the regatta for the last 11 days. The near-silent motion felt like a magic carpet over these deep waters, Britain's largest area of enclosed sea. “Scotland is a weird, amazing place, full of light. You have no idea who's going to win on any day. There is a magical energy to this place,” is how Elena crew Marie Tabarly put it.
This is the sort of excursion that took Glaswegians on their annual holidays for the more industrious part of the 20th century. Workers of the Clyde shipyards and others would go 'doon the watter' for a week to enjoy the peace and scenery of the Firth of Clyde, no doubt a welcome respite from the incredible clamour and danger of building ships like this one. For the yacht crews at this year's Richard Mille Cup, it was the first chance to relax fully, knowing that their efforts on the water, through calm and wind, rain and shine, and for better or worse, were over. The sun shone at 30 degrees and crews relaxed in the 13 knots of apparent wind created by the serene progress of the queen of the Clyde.
When the great schooners Atlantic and Elena appeared, flanking the Waverley either side, horns sounded back and forth, and the foredeck erupted in cheers. It was enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone, even the crew of the Waverley. Had the Firth of Clyde ever seen such a sight as this?
The prize-giving was at Ardgowan House, on the estate that has been home to the Shaw Stewart family for more than 600 years, and reputedly the site of at least one battle by Robert the Bruce. The current house was completed in 1801. Guests wandered the grounds, champagne in hand, then it was time for the big moment: the prize-giving in the big marquee, over a hot dinner of braised ox cheek, cod steaks, polenta and mushrooms.
The assembled crowd bellowed, whistled, whooped, clapped and sang songs, celebrating every crew and every moment; not just for their success on the water, but for the energy they brought to this event. Thalia (oldest foredeck crew and everyone's favourite dog); Blazing Star (little success in racing but a great attitude, crewed by novice sailors who will remember this forever); Kismet (so, so close to the win, but for the fickleness of wind); Patna (who sailed here the old-fashioned way, and gave it everything); Atlantic (which worked so hard to catch Elena, tying her for points at the end); Mariquita and the Moonbeams (whose large crews provided endless energy and high spirits throughout); Saskia (which arrived unprepared but danced on water going upwind in the light airs). Who came first and who didn't was immaterial.
As an event, the Richard Mille Cup could go down in sailing legend for many things. The quality of racing, out on these hallowed, stunning waters, perhaps unrivalled in their links to yacht racing's origins; the darkly glittering, deep waters, the islands and the wooded shores; the sheer glamour of the events, held in a series of castles and grand houses; the great race management team that defied forecasts and squeezed the very skies together to produce wind on still days. The defining factor above all others, was the warmth behind it. This is home for organisers Antony and William, who have been on a mission for years to put the Clyde back at the centre of the chart of classic sailing. Rarely, if ever, has an event so prestigious felt so warm and human. The atmosphere was that of an extraordinary house party which, in a sense, it was.
There must, however, be an overall winner in the traditional sense too. That award went to a broad, American racing yacht with a well drilled European crew, a yacht that all week battled off a brilliant challenge from the slimmer, closer-winded 8-M Saskia, using her powerful reaching ability to prevail in the end. That yacht was Sonny, raising one more cup to the ghost of her designer, Olin Stephens. It's a cliché, but a good one, that the real winner was sailing; especially in a fleet like this. Perhaps the real winner was beauty.
Overall results for the Richard Mille Cup:
Class One: Elena (1st), Atlantic (2nd)
Class Two: Mariquita (1st), Moonbeam IV (2nd), Moonbeam (3rd)
Class Three: Sonny (1st), Saskia (2nd), Blazing Star (3rd)
Class Four: Kismet (1st), Thalia (2nd), Patna (3rd)
Winner of the Richard Mille Cup 2026: Sonny