St. Barths Bucket Regatta has long been a home away from home for yachts that combine beautiful aesthetics with high performance on an epic scale. Every time a new yacht joins this exclusive club, it offers something fresh to the mix. New doesn’t always mean breaking the mould with radical aesthetics and modern designs. Sometimes, the enhanced combination of modern technology and classic elements is most awe-inspiring.
Epitomising this and poised to steal the limelight at the Bucket in 2024, is Frers 59 ‘Maximus’, constructed by Vitters Shipyard. Launched in October 2023, she’s ready to make her grand entrance.
Concealed within her graceful exterior, Maximus possesses a suite of performance features that have led Vitters to call her a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. This duality comes to life when she switches to racing mode. When we see her take to the water in the Caribbean in March, she’ll be full wolf – with removable bowsprit deployed, jib tacks lowered, and Vitters hydraulic system priming her for action.
At 59m, Maximus is the third largest Vitters yacht on the water, but there is plenty of subtlety and intelligent design behind her raw size. Her aluminium hull and superstructure are the backbone of a vessel that boasts extensive deck spaces, crafted for a life of leisure onboard. She’s equipped to host a wide array of tenders, providing amenities and sun protection that cater to every comfort. Adorning the decks, deck houses and sheltered cockpits offer a classic charm, blending seamlessly with the yacht’s beautiful lines. Maximus’ interior offers nearly 400 GT of volume that promises an ambience of opulence and comfort, with every detail meticulously crafted.
Guy Fleury / Vitters Shipyard
Southern Spars
Southern Spars manufactured two 65.7m custom high-performance rigs for this project, constructed from hybrid-modulus carbon fibre. Maximus is equipped with the rig technology chosen across the board at the highest level of racing. The rigs’ lightweight construction and aerodynamic design allow her to enjoy fast, agile racing, while also delivering efficiency and stability for cruising.
Agility is a major focus when optimising a yacht of this size for racing, and this is boosted by a lifting keel, which will also benefit stability and comfort for cruising. Beautiful aesthetics are paramount onboard Maximus, and apart from aerodynamic designs bringing a naturally sleek feel, the boundless range of finishes from across our group facilitate any vision – even one so grand as this.
Future Fibres
When it comes to composite rigging, for combined reliability and performance, nothing comes close to ECsix. Maximus follows most of the performance superyachts around the world by choosing ECsix, dramatically saving weight for racing, while also minimising rolling at anchor. Its flexible, durable multistrand construction provides peace of mind that pushing hard doesn’t mean pushing rigging over the edge.
Maximus is also fitted with a carbon fibre foil from Future Fibres. Drastically reducing weight aloft, when compared to conventional aluminium foils, Future Fibres’ CF foils provide more stability for enhanced comfort and performance.
RigPro
The RigPro team is used to taking the reins when it comes to stepping and commissioning, but in the case of Maximus, they have also provided their own performance technology. With running rigging solutions to match technologies from around the group, and the experience of working on almost all of the sailing superyachts around the world, no one was better equipped to provide running rigging and bring the project together.
Hamish Miller, RigPro Global General Manager, RigPro:
“We’re so excited to be offering the full running rigging package fully designed inhouse by RigPro which includes custom connectors and RigPro’s own custom moulded lockstrops, and what a project to work on! At RigPro, we pride ourselves on being the experts on every element of the sailing system – having unsurpassed knowledge on the world’s largest superyachts. That’s reflected in everything we do, from servicing, to repairs, to modifications, to running rigging packages”.
Vincent Guiot, Group Sales Director:
“Every St Barths Bucket is special, but it makes it extra special when there are landmark debuts like this. There will be some awe-inspiring yachts in the Bucket this year, and Maximus could eclipse them all”.
If you have questions about the technology or services provided by our group, get in touch with Southern Spars. We’d love to hear from you.