The second edition of the highly anticipated Cyclades Cup is fast approaching (12-15 June), with BOAT International proud to have partnered with the regatta for a second time. Greece's only superyacht regatta, sailing yachts over 30 metres will soon be competing against each other (and the region's wily Meltemi winds), with the picturesque inlets and islets of Antiparos, Greece as their backdrop.
BOAT takes a closer look at this year's coolest competitors, beginning with a trail-blazing Perini Navi...
Burrasca
Length: 55.7m
Builder: Perini Navi
Year: 2003
The first unit in the shipyard's 56M series, Burrasca, blazed the trail for her successive ten sisterships, including the most recent delivery Fidelis. An aluminium hull rather than the yard’s former choice of steel combined with a slippery hull line optimised by Ron Holland, and a deep, ballasted centreboard gives her much improved sailing performance over her Perini predecessors.
Almyra II
Length: 49.8m
Builder: Perini Navi
Year: 2000
Almyra II (ex Felicità West) is owned by Greek-born Ilia Rigas, who won it in a tense bidding war between herself and an unnamed Russian. Rigas is also a World Superyacht Awards judge and the co-organiser of the Cyclades Cup. The yacht is the second unit in the shipyard's 50M steel-hulled series and underwent a sensitive refit in 2021 that transformed her into a stylish family yacht with an interior aesthetic described as "Hermès meets Ralph Lauren". Almyra II will be going for gold this year, having clinched second place at last year's Cup.
Read More/Member's logbook: Ilia Rigas shares her plans for the Cyclades Cup on her 50m yacht Almyra IIFivea
Length: 45m
Builder: Perini Navi
Year: 2010
According to Perini Navi, this sailer belongs "to one of the most distinguished Greek families" and was built as a gift to the owner's family. A twin-screw propulsion system sets Fivea apart among her three sisterships, while her in-house interiors are "distinctively nautical". She is also captained by the owner himself and can reach a top speed of 14 knots.
La Belle
Length: 42.9m
Builder: Vitters
Year: 2002
This all-aluminium cruiser has circumnavigated the globe twice. La Belle (ex African Queen) has a draft limited to under 3.9 metres, a high-stability hull shape and a streamlined deckhouse and cockpit that promises "powerful performance" according to the shipyard. She was designed by Dubois Naval Architects Design while her mahogany interiors are owed to RWD. La Belle won the 'Crew of Distinction' prize at last year's Cyclades Cup.
Arktos
Length: 46.4m
Builder: Basimakopouloi
Year: 2004
She's a 21st-century yacht, but you'd be forgiven for thinking Arktos was centuries old. This wooden schooner was inspired by the 19th-century sailing vessels of Galaxidi, with the owner keen to combine the traditional "karavoskaro" design with the amenities and safety requirements of a modern vessel. She flies an astonishing cloud of five foresails along her near 20-metre-long bowsprit, for a top speed of 12.5 knots.
Alexa of London
Length: 37.5m
Builder: Gdansk Yb
Year: 1992
This gaff cutter has been meticulously maintained by her long-standing crew and cherished by a series of owners, who have put Alexa of London – and her 2,700 nautical mile range – to good use. A top speed of 11 knots can be achieved under power or her powerful gaff rig, comprised of a main sail, flying jib, inner jib and staysail, courtesy of North Sails and serviced annually. Her exterior is owed to Polish designer Yacht Studio Strawinski, while her warm, nautical interiors are by Joerg Koehneke.
Puritan
Length: 36m
Builder: Elco
Year: 1931
Puritan was delivered in 1931 by American builder Elco - a yard renowned for building submarines. At 38.4 metres, she has remained the yard's flagship for close to a century, constructed in steel and teak to a design by John G. Alden Design with interiors by John Munford. Notably, the gaff-rigged sailing yacht was one of the earliest participants in the "Classic Yacht Revival". One GM 275hp engine powers Puritan to a cruising speed of seven knots.
Read More/All the highlights of the inaugural Cyclades Superyacht Cup 2024