Maritimo’s Sail Racing Division Launches New TP52 Yacht

Tasmanian Deviltry

Representing the Gold Coast and Queensland in the iconic 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, sailing yacht Maritimo 11 departed Southport Yacht Club with a rousing send-off from Mayor Tom Tate, joined by 100 family, friends and supporters. The yacht race from Sydney Harbour to Hobart, Tasmansia is celebrating its 77th edition with a strong fleet of 115 yachts.

The 628 nautical mile course is often described as the most grueling ocean race in the world, attracting sailors from around the world and the cream of Australian entries. Maritimo 11 will compete in the 52-foot grand prix racing yachts class, against 12 other contenders, including two champion internationals.

The 15.85-meter yacht is a meticulously refurbished, Reichel Pugh-designed TP52 – a champion racing yacht brought to Australia from Mexico. The TP52 was originally designed for the Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu and is a lean, lightweight yacht with few creature comforts for crew. There are around 80 of these carbon fiber yachts racing in all parts of the world, and they are extremely competitive.

The TPs have dominated Australian ocean racing including the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in recent years and seem to enjoy a sweet spot under the IRC Handicap Rule that determines the overall winner of the Race.

In 2015, Paul Clitheroe’s TP52 Balance was declared the overall winner of the 2015 edition, and Matt Allen TP52, Ichi Ban is a three-time winner of the prestigious Race, taking home the Tattersall Cup in 2021, 2019 and 2017.

Maritimo founder, Bill Barry-Cotter could see the untapped potential in the TP52 he located in Fiji which was then transported to Maritimo’s Coomera headquarters where the yacht underwent a thorough refit, including new sails and all navigation equipment to bring her up to the latest safety and racing standards.

Maritimo is unique as the only luxury motor #yacht builder in the world with a dedicated sail racing division and world championship power race team all in-house. Celebrating the desire to win on all parts of the ocean is core to Maritimo’s DNA.

In 2021-22, Maritimo invested in a multi-million dollar expansion program to meet production demand from increased sales volumes. Integral to keeping pace with demand is the company’s focus on recruitment, training and development of the next generation of trades people.