These aren’t your parents’ maxi boats

The International Maxi Association (IMA) was established in 1979 to represent the owners of maxi yachts from all over the world. This was the heyday of the IOR rating rule when iconic monohulls such as Bumblebee, Kialoa, Boomerang, Il Moro di Venezia, and Matador ruled the sea.

Multihulls had just become an Olympic event, and it would be some time before they ventured far from their beach launch. But time waits for no one, and the IMA now supports the burgeoning maxi multihull fleet with its series for 60+ foot owner-driver catamarans and trimarans in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

This spring’s IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series (CMMS) comprised of four events, starting at the end of January with the Caribbean Multihull Challenge in St Maarten, followed by the RORC Caribbean 600, St Maarten Heineken Regatta, and culminating in April’s BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival in Tortola.

This year there was a resounding winner in Marcos Sirota’s Sophia. The 63-foot trimaran not only competed in all four events, but won the multihull class in two and podiumed in all. The defending champions, the Nisbet family’s Gunboat 72 Layla, reached the podium but was pipped at the post to second by Rich McKinney’s Gunboat 68 Little Wing.

While Sophia is new to Sirota, who acquired her in October 2025, she was originally launched in 2010 as Paradox and raced extensively in the Caribbean under original owner Peter Aschenbrenner who conceived her as a detuned ORMA 60, to race or cruise at high speed shorthanded.

“The boat is such a pleasure to sail,” commented Sirota, hitting 29 knots in the Caribbean 600. “Extremely safe and strong – the dimensions are just right, in terms of rig, crossarm length, etc. I was very honored to meet some of the big names like Paul Larsen and Brian Thompson who were racing on other boats. I had the privilege of learning about their experiences.”

The maxi multihull fleet is now lining up for the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Multihull Challenge (MMMC) with a six-event schedule featuring both inshore and offshore races, beginning in May at the Tre Golfi Multihull Trophy in Italy and finishing in October at the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta.

“We’re pleased to continue supporting the maxi multihull fleet and it is encouraging to see participant numbers growing this season,” said IMA Secretary General Andrew McIrvine. “The multihulls are very different to our monohull maxis, preferring coastal courses to windward-leewards but they race at a similarly high level and we hope to lure more out into these prestige regattas.”

Details: www.internationalmaxiassociation.com