on 2 May 2023
Watchmaker Tag Heuer has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with FlyingNikka, the world’s first full foiling offshore maxi yacht.
Designed for long-distance racing on the Mediterranean Sea, the futuristic, 19-meter-long craft is shaking up the boating world as one of the globe’s currently fastest vessels. This collaboration will combine both brands’ respective quests for excellence, precision, and innovation, as well as their commitment to racing. It will also mark Tag Heuer’s return to sailing.
Ever since Switzerland’s very first sailing race in 1888, Tag Heuer has been an official timekeeper for some of the world’s most prestigious sailing events, including the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, the America’s Cup. Over the years, the watchmaker has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in sailing technology, working closely with sailing outfits, most notably Team Oracle. This original sailing partnership led to the development of dedicated regatta countdown timers and a digital multiphase sailing computer for Team Oracle.
Tag Heuer also sponsored around-the-world yacht races and further sailing expeditions and with its new FlyingNikka partnership, the brand is back in force in the sailing industry.
FlyingNikka is one of the most complex, innovative, and exciting racing yachts of the decade. She’s a pure speed machine, a technological and engineering Goliath, and a brave endeavour.
Having taken to the water in Valencia in May 2022, the FlyingNikka is an evolved offshore version of the long AC75 sailing yacht, which featured in the latest edition of the America’s Cup. This new state-of-the-art vessel challenges the limits of where displacement sailing and foiling technology meet for monohull racing. Designed by renowned naval architect Mark Mills, FlyingNikka boasts cutting-edge design innovations and technology that enable it to achieve unprecedented performance on the water.
With a hull made of advanced carbon fiber composites, towering 3D composite sails, and advanced hydrofoils, the yacht is designed to fly over the water, achieving speeds of up to 40 knots. It also features an advanced electronic control system that allows the crew to make quick adjustments in order to optimise operation.
FlyingNikka is based in Punta Ala, Tuscany. At the boat’s helm will be skipper and owner Roberto Lacorte, who will race at several prestigious events in 2023, including the Regatta di Primavera in Portofino, held to honour the reopening of the Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel; the 151 Miglia Trofeo Cetilar in Livorno; the Rolex Giraglia regatta from St. Tropez to Genoa; and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo.
“Tag Heuer is the perfect partner for FlyingNikka,” says Lacorte. “Its commitment to innovation and precision mirrors our own, and we are excited to work together to further innovate on what we thought was possible in sailing.”
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