No Easy Answers – Designing for the 2027 Admiral’s Cup

What does it take to design a winning Admiral’s Cup yacht? With the event demanding excellence in both inshore and offshore racing, the challenge is driving a new generation of high-performance IRC raceboats.

In the November edition of Seahorse magazine, leading designers from Botin Partners and Sam Manuard explore contrasting approaches to the challenge, while IRC Director of Rating Jason Smithwick and yacht broker Sam Pearson examine the rating considerations and the evolving market for competitive Admiral’s Cup yachts.

Can one design truly master every discipline?

Read the full article here– Seahorse, November 2026

James Tomlinson/RORC