Richard Mille is one brand that has a longstanding relationship with the world of sports, be in on land or on water. In 2017, the brand joined 1,100 sailors who participated in the eighth edition of Les Voiles de St Barth. Over the course of one week, the sportsmen and women sailed through weather conditions that saw the wind oscillating between 12 to 15 knots. As the main partner of the event since its inception in 2009, Richard Mille saw the participants off at the starting line.

While the race proved to be taxing for the sailor’s thanks to unexpected weather conditions, Richard Mille’s partner and celebrated street artist Cyril Kongo had a challenge of his own for the event. As the man behind the poster for Les Voiles de St Barth, the artist used a vintage sail as his canvas and treated the material as he would any surface that served as the backdrop for his creations only this time sporting the simple inscription of “Les Voiles de St Barth” in his signature “graphic vocabulary”. Explaining the limitations of painting on a sail, the artist said that “because the cloth is more porous than canvas, the colour masses appear a bit worn, more pastel: it’s interesting”.

As the competitors took a day off from the race, thanks to the weak and unstable wind conditions, the watch brand welcomed guests to the first Richard Mille boutique in St Barts. ‘We couldn’t imagine an island more suited to welcoming our brand. The boutique’s design takes its design cues from its territorial situation—on an island overlooking the shore—and its agreeable patio, where anyone can relax with a glass of Champagne as they discover our watches,’ said John Simonian, CEO of Richard Mille Americas.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony, the brand displayed stunning watches that are a part of its collection as well as the RM 60-01 Flyback Chronograph Regatta, a rare round offering from Richard Mille. The timepiece was later awarded to the winners of the Maxi Yacht class. The automatic watch is the first by Richard Mille to have been created specifically for sailing the seven seas. This is made possible with the specially-designed rotating bezel that features the four cardinal points and a 360° graduated disk with a 24-hour scale. In grade 5 titanium, the automatic timepiece solidified the brand’s commitment to the nautical world upon its debut in 2014 and maintains its winning ways today. It was conferred on American George Sakellaris who sailed the Proteus that also took the top spot in general rankings.

For those who missed out on this year’s regatta, the 2018 edition of the Les Voiles de St Barth will be held from April 9 to 14 and will continue to see the support of Richard Mille.