The fastest giants from the world of yachting

Skorpios 

From time to time, an ambitious yachtsman or businessman appears with enough money to create not only the fastest, but also the largest yacht.

The last such yacht launched was the stunning ClubSwan 125 Skorpios. This yacht is the property of Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev. Almost everything about this new monstrous yacht is bigger, better and more high-tech than any boat that came before her.

Almost all Skorpios indicators are amazing. The 175-foot five-section Southern Spars mast is capable of carrying 11,324 square feet of rig sail downwind.

Skorpios was built with the express intention of breaking offshore regatta records. Her recent win at the 2021 Fastnet Race shows she has what it takes to take pride of place in the races.

Comanche

The current record holder for transatlantic crossings, Comanche is probably the second most mentioned after Skorpios. It was created with one goal - to break existing records and take the lead in all famous races.

When the boat was first launched, the Comanche was a revelation of sorts. Over the years, boats have increased the width of the transom to create more power and stability. Comanche took this idea to the extreme. Because of the incredibly wide stern, the boat was nicknamed the aircraft carrier.

Comanche has been and remains a yacht that pushes technology to the absolute limit. When it was launched, its extreme design caused a lot of excitement.

This yacht is still considered one of the fastest yachts on the planet. And besides the transatlantic record, the Comanche also holds the record for monohull yachts for 24 hours sailing. 

Mari cha iv

For many, the Comanche is the most obvious boat that the Skorpios can be compared to. But a closer “relative” may be Mari Cha IV. Especially considering the length and ambition of the creators.

The 140-foot yacht Mari Cha IV was launched in 2003. At this size, both the Mari Cha IV and the (140ft) Skorpios face the same problem. In several of the planet's major races, the yacht has a length limit of 100 feet. Neither Skorpios nor Mari Cha IV will be able to take part, for example, in the Sydney Hobart race.

In 2003, Mari Cha IV set a record for a transatlantic crossing. The crew spent 6 days and 17 hours on this. She also set a new record for 24-hour distance on a monohull vessel - 525.5 nautical miles. This record held until Comanche broke the record in 2016.

Due to its size and sail area, Mari Cha IV was built as a two-masted schooner. The two-masted design of the Mari Cha IV also allowed for a reduction in the size of each sail. This reduced the load and made it possible to steer the vessel without the help of winches.

Wild oats xi

No record list would be complete without a mention of Wild Oats XI. Wild Oats XI (abbreviated as WOXI) was launched in 2005. She is a prime example of what can be done with a yacht to keep it up to date.

Various modifications that have been added and removed over the years have given the yacht the affectionate nickname “Swiss knife”. So, the total length of the yacht has been increased and decreased more than once.

WOXI remains a very thin boat by today's standards. She and her "sister" - Alfa Romeo II - have a maximum width of just over 5 meters.

Wild Oats XI remains a powerful racing boat. She is especially welcomed at races such as Sydney Hobart. Its relatively narrow hull gives it an edge in low winds.

Leopard 3

Leopard 3 (ICAP Leopard) launched in 2007. At the time of launch, the yacht had a number of unique features that made her one of the most impressive superyachts.

The Leopard's mast reached 154 feet, and the total sail area was 17,265 square meters. feet. At that time it was a huge sail - although 21,108 sq. ft Skorpios can be placed in one row.

The Leopard is capable of speeds in excess of 35 knots. The yacht has a luxurious interior that could be converted for racing and back for cruising or charter. The Leopard wasn't originally built for racing.

18.12.2021