The mini-Outremer Cup caps off year of success

Multihull Central hosts the inaugural Mini Outremer Cup on Sydney Harbour to celebrate a historic year for Outremer in Australia.

What a year it has been for Outremer in Australia. Firstly making their Australian debut with at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, then a new Outremer 5X and 51 ordered and finally to cap off the year, the first Outremer regatta in the Southern Hemisphere.

On Saturday the 27^th of September, Australian distributors Multihull Central invited the new owners and existing Outremer owners currently in Australia to an exclusive match race up Sydney Harbour and back, onboard two identical Outremer 49’s, “Lucia” and “Alidade”.

Beautiful but light conditions made both teams work hard tactically up the harbour, with daggerboards down and pointing comfortably at 30 degrees on the breeze, boat speed was well matched between the two blue water cruising boats. Reaching back down the harbour and gennakers rolled out in 10 knots of breeze and sailing at 8 knots, both crews enjoyed some banter around the top mark as “Lucia” overtook “Alidade” with a battle downwind and under the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a finish and Lucia taking the prize.

Both of the Outremer 49s competing have sailed to Australia from La Grande Motte in France on the Mediterranean Sea, where they were built. Lucia will soon return to her home port in New Zealand after sailing in Australia for the season where she was on display at various boat shows. Alidade lives permanently at the Multihull Central marina in Sydney Harbour with the owner planning offshore sailing excursions.

The Mini-Outremer Cup on Sydney Harbour was inspired by the annual Outremer Cup hosted by the factory each May in La Grande Motte, which is a great spectacle with more than a dozen catamarans competitively racing for a week in a beautiful location. This is a must do event for any Outremer owner, or owner-to-be, with a strong comradely amongst owners and useful sharing of knowledge.

The Mini-Outremer Cup was no different, with the four owners and their families sharing information about the systems and equipment on their boats and experiences sailing across the world’s oceans. The group celebrated after racing with a BBQ and drinks back at the Multihull Central ‘Club House’ with plans for future cruising and adventure dominating discussion.