Gelliceaux

The owner came to Farr and Southern Wind with a clear objective: a bluewater cruising yacht that could hold its own on the superyacht racing circuit. At 108 feet, Gelliceaux needed to deliver genuine performance without sacrificing the comfort and range required for extended ocean passages. The brief built on decades of collaboration between Farr and Southern Wind — a partnership that has produced more high-performance cruising superyachts than any other designer-builder pairing in the industry.

Farr applied the same CFD-driven hull optimization process used on grand prix racing programs and America's Cup campaigns. The hull form balances low-speed comfort with high-speed stability, allowing Gelliceaux to perform in the light airs typical of Caribbean racing and the heavy conditions of ocean crossings alike. The keel and rudder package was designed to maximize stability and minimize drag across the full range of operating conditions.

Gelliceaux's class victory at the 2024 St. Barths Bucket validated the design approach. Competing against purpose-built racing superyachts with significantly less interior volume, the SW108 proved that Farr's performance hull shapes scale effectively to expedition-class cruising yachts. The result extended the Farr-Southern Wind partnership's winning record at the Bucket to over a decade of podium finishes.