Oracle unveils its principal monohull designers

The partnership with Reichel/Pugh was off to winning start with the team’s TP 52 USA 17 taking first place at the Marseille regatta of the MedCup Circuit last week. The boat was the team’s first monohull from the drawing board of the firm’s lead designer John Reichel.

Reichel/Pugh also drew the lines of TP 52 sister ship Artemis, sailed by a mostly-BMW ORACLE Racing crew, which finished second in Marseille. “While the 33rd America’s Cup will be sailed in multihulls, John Reichel will continue to explore monohull concepts for an AC 90 boat for the 34th America’s Cup,” said BMW ORACLE Racing design team coordinator Mike Drummond.

“Right now most of our design team resources are dedicated to the multihull project, but we want to keep up with any developments in America’s Cup monohull design as we hope to return to a conventional America’s Cup soon.” When at the team’s base in Valencia, Reichel works closely with the team’s other principal monohull designer, Manolo Ruiz de Elvira. Ruiz de Elvira leads the team’s tank testing and was part of Alinghi’s design team in the last two America’s Cups.

“Reichel/Pugh has an outstanding record in high performance monohulls - it is great to have them on the team,” Drummond said. “Reichel/Pugh is thrilled to be working with such a dynamic team with strong leadership, enabling sailing and design innovation and excellence” said Jim Pugh, President of Reichel/Pugh.

Reichel/Pugh at a glance.
Active in performance cruising, offshore racing, and the America’s Cup, Reichel/Pugh have been successful at producing some of the world’s most distinctive and consistently rewarding sailing yachts. Their designs range from the Melges 17, 24 and 32, the hot new Melges 20 up to super yachts, the 150’ Visione and 200’ Panamax ketch. America’s Cup designs include the IACC yachts, the winner of the 1992 Cup, America³, One Australia 95, Stars and Stripes 2003 and Desafío Español in the last America’s Cup.

Reichel/Pugh designs hold course records in the Barcolana Race 2007, Alfa Romeo; the Middle Sea Race 2007, Rambler; the Sydney-Hobart 2005, Wild Oats; the Montego Bay Race 2005, Titan; the Transpac 2005, Morning Glory; and the Bermuda Race 2002, Pyewacket. Reichel/Pugh designs have won the last five Maxi Rolex Cups.