Maxis prepare for a return to racing

Stefan, the 80-footer aiming to take on the Maxis.

There’s a flurry of Maxis berthed at Rivergate Marina & Shipyard, poised to return to racing during the Season of Sail over winter.

Black Jack, Scallywag (Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin 100 ) and newcomer, Stefan (formerly Beau Geste) are on the hardstand undergoing various repairs and refit work ahead of events including the Sydney to Gold Coast Race, 31 July, and the much-anticipated Hamilton Island Race Week in August.

 At Rivergate for repairs to a broken mast, 100-foot champion yacht, Black Jack retired from the 2021 Brisbane to Gladstone and returned to Rivergate for repairs.

The Race record-holder, Black Jack was just 60 nautical miles from the finish line and two hours ahead of her own record when the mast snapped.

“It was extremely disappointing,” said Sydney-based Team Captain, Alex Nolan. “We haven’t done any racing for the past year and the Brisbane-Gladstone marked our return to racing. We shipped the yacht to Europe last year and ended up bringing her back because we couldn’t travel and there was no racing because of COVID.

A head-turning sight on the hardstand, the pink-hulled Botin 80, now named “Stefan” in honour of its major sponsor, hair doyen and former offshore powerboat racing champ, was designed and built to keep up with the Maxis.

Owned by a syndication of four boating identities – Grant Warrington, Paul Hayes, Doug Sallis and Adrian Seiffert – the yacht was brought to Australia from San Diego with the intention of preparing her for the 2021 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

As Adrian Seiffert explained “We were halfway down to Sydney when the Race was cancelled, so we headed back to Rivergate to take advantage of this time and undertake some repairs and electronics upgrades”.

The former Beau Geste is renowned for her international racing achievements. Previously owned by Karl Kwok, Beau Geste enjoyed its share of accolades, including 1st IRC in the Groupama Race 2016 and Line Honours in the 2014 Auckland to Fiji Race.

“It’s a very fast yacht and we hope to keep up the reputation,” said Adrian. “Sadly, we didn’t make the Brisbane to Gladstone Race because most of our crew live in Sydney and Melbourne and the borders opened just the day before the Race started.

“We’re planning to compete in the Sydney to Gold Coast Race, then spend a few weeks in the Whitsundays for Hamilton Island Race Week.”

The canting keel of the newly revamped Stefan draws 5.5-metres, so Rivergate, with its deepwater River access at all tides, is the ideal yard.

“Rivergate is a haven for Maxis,” said Adrian. “The location is ideal, the facilities are excellent, the people are highly-skilled and extremely helpful.”

Rivergate General Manager, Andrew Cannon said they were pleased to see many of our regular racing customers back at Rivergate.

“Over the years we have become the preferred yard for yachts of the calibre of Alive, Maserati, Wild Oats XI and Comanche.

“Each year, we attract a stream of maxi yachts for repairs and refit work between Hamilton Island Race Week and the Sydney Hobart. Rivergate is the perfect marina with deep water access in the facility and our expertise handling and servicing Maxis is second to none.

“Many of our on-site contractors specialise in racing yachts and we have our 75 and 300 tonne travelifts and extra-large shed to accommodate these highly specialised vessels.”