A bold re-engineering
Just days after announcing its custodianship of Wild Oats XI, Palm Beach Motor Yachts has pulled the covers off the yacht’s ambitious new form. The reveal, held during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, offered the first look at what may be the most extensive evolution in the 100-footer’s two-decade career.
For Mark Richards, Palm Beach founder and long-time skipper of the record-breaking Supermaxi, the transformation is as personal as it is professional.
“Palm Beach XI is the ultimate team effort,” Richards says. “Every lesson we learn here flows directly into our motor-yacht range, ensuring our owners benefit from technology proven at the cutting edge of our sport.”
The refit combines Richards’ 40 years of yacht-building expertise with a new generation of international partners. Leading naval architect Juan Kouyoumdjian (JK) brings his America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race pedigree, while McConaghy Boats delivers composite craftsmanship honed through decades of high-performance builds. North Sails completes the partnership with a state-of-the-art sail wardrobe designed specifically for the upgraded platform.
Radical appendage redesign
Central to the transformation is an all-new appendage package, engineered to push the limits of hydrodynamic efficiency.
- Deeper keel fin and bulb: reshaped to lower drag and increase righting moment.
- Advanced upwind daggerboards: designed to sharpen pointing angles and reduce leeway in variable conditions.
- C-foils: a new addition providing lift, control, and enhanced stability when reaching or running at pace.
The result is a boat that not only revives its front-runner potential for the upcoming 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, but also acts as a test bed for Palm Beach’s broader design ambitions. Every component serves a dual purpose: to compete now, and to inform future generations of semi-foiling, fuel-efficient motor yachts.
Palm Beach XI returns to take on the 2025 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
<h2>From the racecourse to the design studio</h2>
Richards has long described ocean racing as Palm Beach’s “Formula 1 programme”, a proving ground where ideas are pushed beyond theoretical limits. The team’s insights from Palm Beach XI’s performance and maintenance cycles are already feeding back into the brand’s V-Warp® hull technology, construction methods, and weight-reduction strategies.
“This project embodies everything Palm Beach Motor Yachts stands for,” says Richards. “Innovation, discipline, and precision are the foundation of our DNA.”
That DNA is now tangible. The re-engineered Supermaxi represents Palm Beach’s next step in uniting the art of luxury boatbuilding with the science of high-speed ocean racing.
A campaign on the world stage
When Palm Beach XI crosses the start line off Sydney Heads this December, it won’t just mark the beginning of another Sydney Hobart Race. It will launch a two-year international campaign, showcasing Palm Beach’s technology and spirit of innovation to audiences worldwide.
The programme will include appearances at major regattas and brand activations designed to engage Palm Beach owners and enthusiasts directly with the racing team. Clients will be invited to join exclusive experiences tied to key races, bridging the gap between luxury ownership and elite sport. We note, this is in a similar vein to the updated rules for the America’s Cup boats.
The initiative underscores Palm Beach’s strategic goal: to elevate its global profile while honouring the racing legacy that built the company’s reputation.
Full circle for a skipper and brand
For Richards, the journey carries a deep symmetry. After two decades of helming Wild Oats XI to nine line-honours wins, he now leads the same yacht into a new era – one that mirrors Palm Beach’s rise from boutique Australian builder to internationally recognised innovator.
By blending one of sailing’s most storied hulls with next-generation engineering, Palm Beach XI becomes both a competitive Supermaxi and a living symbol of the brand’s future direction.
“It’s a project that brings everything together – performance, precision, and purpose,” Richards says. “Palm Beach XI isn’t just reborn; she’s reinvented for what comes next.”
Looking ahead to December 2025
With launch scheduled for December 2025, Palm Beach XI will line up in the 80th Sydney Hobart as both a contender and a conversation starter. Win or lose, her legacy is already assured: a 20-year-old legend reborn through design, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of innovation that defines Palm Beach Motor Yachts.
