A maxi yacht usually refers to a Yacht racing of at least in length.
Origin
The term
maxi originated with the International Offshore Rule (IOR) rating system, which in the 1970s and 1980s measured offshore racing yachts and applied a single-number rating to each boat. This number was approximately equal to the sailing waterline length in feet, plus or minus speed enhancing or reducing factors in the design. A yacht with a rating of was generally about in length overall. The IOR had upper and lower rating limits of and , so a yacht designed and built to exceed the maximum limit of rating was known as a
maxi.
Competition
The IOR Maxis were generally long overall, and raced boat-for-boat without handicap, unlike the rest of the IOR fleet which raced with a time correction factor depending on the boat's rating.
In the 1980s they were the most glamorous, exciting, expensive and high-visibility racing yachts in the world, with regular appearances at most of the great races such as the
Fastnet race, Sydney-Hobart,
Bermuda Race, and their own private series of regattas in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. The maxis were also prominent as
line honour contestants in the Whitbread Round the World Race from 1973 to 1993.
Modern maxis
Modern maxi yachts are usually custom-designed and built to the IRC rule but regardless of handicap in order to achieve
line honour victories. In 2001 however two Reichel/Pugh boats were built to the "maxZ86" class in order to match boat speed evenly, but the class did not generate further interest.
For the 2009 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia increased the IRC rating upper limit for length of hull from , and most yachts have been lengthened to this size. In order to achieve higher speeds, maxi yachts were early adopters of modern materials and technologies such as carbon fibre,
thermoformed sails, rotating wingmasts,
,
, and hydrofoils. Previous smaller maxi yachts are still raced with corrected time class victories in mind whilst the "mini-maxi" yachts now have a class of their own. Maxi yachts are raced in both inshore and
ocean racing races.
List of largest maxi yachts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style=font-size:8pt;line-height:1
|-
!Yacht||Year||data-sort-type=number|LOA||Designer||Shipyard||Notes
|-
|
Stealth || 1996 || || Germán Frers || Green Marine || Owned by
Gianni Agnelli, won the 2001
Fastnet race
|-
|
Cap Gemini || 1999 || ||
Ron Holland || Pendennis || Renamed
Hyundai, now
Light One
|-
|
Leopard 2 || 2000 || || Reichel/Pugh || Green Marine || Now
Maria Alba II
|-
|
Alfa Romeo I || 2002 || || Reichel/Pugh || McConaghy Boats || Renamed
Shockwave, then
Rambler, now
La Bête, won the 2002
Sydney-Hobart, the 2003
Fastnet race and four Middle Sea Races
|-
|
Bols || 2003 || || Hugh Welbourn || Boatspeed || Now
Med Spirit
|-
|
Zana || 2003 || || Brett Bakewell-White || Hakes Marine || Renamed
Konica Minolta, now
Lahana, redesigned in 2014 at the TP Cookson yard as
Rio 100
|-
|
Skandia || 2003 || || Don Jones, Fred Barrett || Hart Marine || Triple Moving Foil, now
Wild Thing, won the 2003
Sydney-Hobart
|-
|
Mari-Cha IV || 2003 || data-sort-type=number| || ||
JMV Industries || Schooner built for Robert Warren Miller, redesigned in 2015 at
Royal Huisman as cruiser
Samurai
|-
|
Nicorette III || 2004 || || Alex Simonis, Marten Voogd || Boatspeed || Triple Moving Foil owned by
Ludde Ingvall, Renamed
Aapt, then
YuuZoo, won the 2004
Sydney-Hobart. Redesigned in 2016 by Brett Bakewell-White at the Southern Ocean Marine yard as
CQS
|-
|
|| 2004 || || Edward George Dubois || McConaghy Boats || Canting Ballast Twin Foil, purchased in 2021 by Meridian Capital. Won 2004 and 2008 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, 2010 Newport Bermuda Race, 2011 Fort Lauderdale Montego Bay Race, 2011 Antigua Sailing Week, 2012 and 2014 Rolex China Sea Race - including line honors and race record, 2013 Hong Kong Vietnam Race (record), 2014 Okinawa Tokai Race (record), 2015 Subic Bay Boracay Race (record)
|-
|
Maximus || 2005 || || Greg Elliott, Clay Oliver || TP Cookson ||
CBTF Technology. Renamed
Investec Loyal. Redesigned in 2014 by Andrew Dovell at the Innovation Composite yard as
Ragamuffin 100ft. Now
Scallywag. Won the 2005
Fastnet race and the 2011
Sydney-Hobart
|-
|
Alfa Romeo II || 2005 || || Reichel/Pugh || McConaghy Boats ||
CBTF Technology, now
Black Jack IV, won the 2009 Transpac, the 2009
Sydney-Hobart and three Middle Sea Races
|-
|
Wild Oats XI || 2005 || || Reichel/Pugh || McConaghy Boats || Development of
Alfa Romeo II, now and completely modernised, won eight
(
Line honours) and the 2015 Transpac
|-
|
Leopard 3 || 2007 || || Farr Yacht Design || McConaghy Boats || Now , won two
and the 2009 Middle Sea Race
|-
|
LawConnect || 2008 || || Juan Kouyoumdjian || TP Cookson ||
Speedboat renamed
Virgin Money,
Rambler 100,
Perpetual Loyal,
Infotrack and now
LawConnect, won the 2011 Caribbean 600, the 2011 Newport-Lizard Point race and the 2016, 2023 and 2024
Sydney-Hobart. When the yacht was named
Perpetual Loyal it famously had a keel failure in the 2011
Fastnet Race, leading to the boat capsizing.
|-
|
Beau Geste || 2013 || || Botin Partners ||
