Highlights from Le Havre 🇫🇷

The Richard Mile Cup 2024 drew to a dramatic conclusion on Friday, 14 June, with a tough race off Le Havre that finished in a neck and neck sprint to the line between two magnificent Fife gaff cutters.
Black group yachts Mariquita, Moonbeam IV and Viveka gathered at the Richard Mille buoy marking the startline outside Le Havre shortly after noon.
It was to be a last showdown between these rivals, who had sparred over the course of the event.
After a series of early wins, Mariquita’s position on the overall leaderboard was dominant - only if the racing went Viveka’s way could she be toppled in this final race.
However at the outset Viveka’s chances were dealt a cruel blow when she dragged her spinnaker in the water during the countdown to the start. Meanwhile the two Fifes hoisted their giant balloon jibs and crossed the start line smoothly.
Viveka, however, with international sailor Pietro Luciani on board as tactician, was far from beaten and once she was under full sail again she took a more offshore route.
The Frank Paine-designed yacht, built for JP Morgan in 1920, was sailing closer to the breeze, putting her staysail schooner rig through a series of gybes, while the Fifes tracked straight downwind. It was another fascinating contest between the British-owned 12-Metre schooner and the two giant gaff cutters, which are both French-owned and based in Brest.
Past the sea wall at Bruneval, the yachts fell into line and Mariquita was ahead of Moonbeam IV by 100 metres, with Viveka behind.
The breeze was dropping, however, and the race committee shortened the course to finish off Etretat, whose sheer white cliffs and natural archways were to provide a fitting backdrop to a dramatic conclusion.
Still running fast downwind, Moonbeam IV and Mariquita converged towards the line, all sails aloft, neck and neck to the finish and no more than 50 yards apart. Moonbeam IV snuck in front to cross just 25 seconds ahead of Mariquita, but on Moonbeam IV the celebrations were muted, as the crew knew they had to give time to Mariquita on handicap. When the corrected time results came in, it was Mariquita in first place - by seven seconds. It had been a breathtaking finale to the Richard Mille Cup 2024.