What do owners really think of the Rapido 60 when put to the ultimate test?

Look no further than the annual Yates Cup. It’s a punishing 230nm mid-winter race around New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf. Organized by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, the race regularly delivers extreme conditions, from ferocious winter winds to absolute calm.

During a recent edition from 17-18 July 2020, the Rapido 60 Romanza, co-owned and skippered by Dougall Love, didn’t just compete; she blitzed and nearly took out the record. Below is Dougall’s exhilarating first-hand account of a remarkable 24 hours at sea, proving why the Rapido 60 is in a class of its own for offshore performance and luxury.

The Tale of the Tape: Yates Cup at a Glance

• The Fleet: 26 elite starters, 230 nautical miles.
• The Attrition Rate: 9 teams (35% of the fleet, including 2 x TP52s) forced to withdraw due to broken gear or severe seasickness.
• The Dominance: Romanza led by 1.5 hours at the first mark, extending to a 3.5-hour lead during the race.
• Romanza’s Slowest Speed: Last 10 miles of race (4 hours (no wind)) to drift across the finish line with the support of the currents
• The Finish: First across the line with a total elapsed time of 24h 16m 45s, finishing a massive 1.5 hours ahead of the next boat.

Video below: Skipper and co-owner, Dougall Love, provides live updates during the actual race:

Leg 1: 50 Miles of Rough, Upwind Beating

The race kicked off at 4:00 PM on Friday in a sustained 15–20 knot breeze. As the fleet left the shelter of the Hauraki Gulf, the conditions quickly became rough and punishing.

The brutal upwind beat proved to be the undoing for over a third of the fleet. Even top-tier, hardcore racing monohulls like the TP52s suffered severe damage and were forced to retire. Yet, as Romanza powered ahead to secure a 1.5-hour lead at the first turning point, the story on board the Rapido 60 was entirely different.

The Yates Cup record set by ORMA 60 Vodafone in 2014 seemed like it might be under threat—until the wind disappeared and Romanza had to rely on the currents to drift across the finish line. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The historical race record of 21 ½ hours was set by the pure racing ORMA 60, Vodafone, back in 2014. Given the forecast was for ‘fresh’ easterlies for the whole race, we thought we might be in with a genuine chance of beating it. The forecast started at 40+ knots one week out, but thankfully that front moved through before the start.

The “Lamb Shank” Testimonial: Extreme Speed Meets Gourmet Comfort

While crews on elite monohulls were freezing, soaked to the bone, and bracing hard against the rail, the crew aboard Romanza was experiencing the true luxury of a high-performance trimaran platform.

The Ultimate Proof of Trimaran Comfort

“Although it was incredibly ‘bouncy’ out there, Romanza broke absolutely nothing, stayed completely dry, and we still managed a hot dinner straight out of the oven for our eight crew,” notes skipper Dougall Love.

A note from the galley: Prior to publishing, we checked in with the onboard chef, Jaz Love, to get the real story on the conditions. “Sure, it was rough and cold being mid-winter in New Zealand, but I cooked a full lamb shank dinner in the oven. It was only me who was too seasick to eat it—everyone else absolutely demolished their dinner. I know, because I served it! I can’t have anyone thinking the Rapido 60 isn’t an incredible, rough-weather boat.”

Leg 2: Flying Through the Night at 15+ Knots

The next leg was a long, 70-mile reach through the pitch-black night in heavy seas. Running with a furling gennaker and a staysail inside it, Romanza found her groove. Even as the breeze lightened, the trimaran easily averaged speeds between 13 and 15 knots, with exhilarating surfs well beyond that.

By the next turning mark, the lead had grown to 2.5 hours, eventually peaking at a massive 3.5-hour advantage on the final stretch home. The ORMA 60 record looked beatable 35 miles out as we were tight-reaching beautifully at 15–19 knots under a full main and jib.

Gliding Across the Finish Line

File footage of Romanza performing beautifully in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf.

However, just 10 miles from the finish line, the Hauraki Gulf threw a final curveball: the wind completely shut down. It took Romanza four hours to cover those final 10 miles, literally drifting across the finish line with the support of the incoming tide.

While the wind outage cost them the historical course record, their immense lead secured a flawless victory. Romanza crossed the line an hour and a half clear of the runner-up, who luckily had breeze all the way into the harbor.

The Verdict: How the Rapido 60 Performs Under Pressure

Reflecting on the grueling 24-hour race, Dougall Love couldn’t praise the Rapido 60’s build quality and design integrity enough:

• Stiffness & Strength: “She is extremely strong and stiff. You can press her hard without feeling anywhere near an edge.”
• Ocean Handling: “Reaching in big seas had its moments when the swell tried to control us, but a quick easing of the sheets and a bit of helm turned that straight into fast, exhilarating surfing. It’s spectacular, even when it’s pitch black!”
• The Dry Experience: “Being completely dry when it’s intermittently raining (the nearest mainland actually suffered severe flooding) and spray is flying everywhere except into the boat is wonderful. We shared a few unsympathetic thoughts for the wet, freezing crews perched on monohull rails while we were dry, warm, and eating well!”

A Nod from a Peer, Rapido 60 #01 owner, Stephen Bourne

Fellow Rapido 60 owner Stephen Bourne (owner of Ineffable) reached out to congratulate Dougall on the spectacular performance:

“Well done!!! Sorry you missed the record but to be that close in a hugely comfortable boat is some feat. No hanging about for dinner on an ORMA 60… It’s exit stage left. Congratulations!!!”

Below, watch file footage of Romanza in action in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand: