Palermo-Montecarlo

Thursday 14th July 2022. The thrill of watching a fleet of boats in action in the Gulf of Mondello awaits spectators as the 17th edition departure date approaches of this classic offshore race across the Mediterranean, symbolically uniting Italy to France.

Organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the Palermo-Montecarlo starts 19th August from the Gulf of Mondello in Sicily.

Engaged alongside Team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the next America’s Cup, YCCS presided by Agostino Randazzo, is introducing Ambrogio Beccaria’s new Class 40 race boat, Alla Grande. Originally from Milan, the 30-year-old became the first Italian to win a major ocean classic like the Mini Transat in November 2019, a success that gave impetus to this new project.

Racing alongside will be six boats from Monaco including Gorilla Gang led by Andrea Statari, Janka II, David Collard’s Levana, Andreas Feichtinger’s Lung’ta, K’Mena and Moonlight led by Graeme Peterson, a regular on the J/70 circuit.

To date, some 40 teams are registered including a crew from Circolo della Vela Sicilia who never miss a meeting. After their feats in the previous edition, winning both the Angelo Randazzo Challenge Trophy (IRC group) and the general ORC group, this year they are competing on the brand new Neo 570C Carbonita. This talented home team from the Palermo club is skippered by Edoardo Bonanno: “It will be a big challenge for us. After last year’s success expectations around our participation are high. We have raised the level higher and are ready to give our all to defend last year’s results,” says Edoardo Bonanno.

Also of note is the presence of French offshore specialist Kito de Pavant on the Class 40 HBF Reforest’action, Andrea Caracci at the helm of Solano, the French on Dominique Tian’s Tonnerre de Glen and Christian Kerl’s Class 40 Blue Planet.

It all kicks off midday on Friday 19th August in the Gulf of Mondello for an event that counts towards the Italian Offshore Championship organised by the Italian Sailing Federation, the IMA’s Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge and the Class40 Mediterranean Trophy.